Antigua & Barbuda

I had been feeling lost...I realize it is truly a 1st world problem, but I couldn't help myself: I wander the world alone in search of an answer to a question I can't even formulate into words..

Hence, I had to go away by myself:

Back in my favorite part of the world, the Caribbean! This time I chose Antigua & Barbuda. I didn't have time to visit the island of Barbuda but I had a wonderful long weekend in the more populous island of Antigua. Here is where I went & what I did!

So of course I had to take the famous touristy photo in the non-functioning red British phone box! Antigua & Barbuda was colonized by the British empire in the 1600's but became an independent nation in 1981. Nonetheless, you will find a lot of British traditions and cultural references here: 

1. Stingray City

I have swum with sharks, dolphins, and now stingrays! Stingray City tours are one of the most popular tourist activities in Antigua. A ticket per person costs about $60. The whole experience was about an hour and a half. There was plenty of time to interact with the stingrays, feed them, and take pictures. 

The tour guides take professional photos of you with a stingray for purchase (~$15) but you are welcome to bring your own cameras and phones with protective cases.

The saltwater stingrays are huge!! They can get to be 6 feet in diameter. The females are bigger than the males. Their skin felt soft, almost like dolphins' skin.

The stingrays are used to tourists and kept coming up to all of us (each excursion had about 35 people). We fed them shrimp. A stingray passing by me liked me so much that he decided to give me a hickey! It really hurt, to be honest. The tour guides told me to push the stingrays away if they came too close but I felt bad!

2. English Harbour

Nelson's Dockyard is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This dockyard was built in the 1700's by enslaved workers and served as a major harbor for the Royal Navy. 

Nelson's Dockyard is fully restored. You can experience both the modern culture and the long history of A&B and the British influence on Antiguan culture right here: 

This bakery was built in 1776 and provided the workers of the dockyard with bread and food. It is still functioning today!

Of course I had to grab some baked goods!

The view from English Harbor:

3. Beaches!

A&B is famous for its 365 beaches--1 for every day of the year!

My first stop was the shallow Galleon Beach. I really wanted to be at a nice beach to force myself to finish this book by Goethe:

Dickenson Bay is one of the most famous beaches in A&B!

I eventually got a tour guide to make use of my short time here. A tour guide really helps you to save time and explore as much of the country as possible (as well as seeing as many of the most famous beaches as possible!).

I don't remember how many beaches I went to but they all had beautifully clear turquoise waters and clean, white sands. Some names I recall are: Fryes, Little Fryes, Pigeon Point...

The last beach I visited before leaving A&B was Shell Beach. This beach is almost always empty and is very close to the airport. 

4. The City & Places other than the Beach

A&B is 1 of the few Caribbean islands where public transportation is quite accessible. 1 way to anywhere on the island is ~4 ECD (~$2 USD)!

St. John's is the capital city of A&B. Sir V.C. Bird (also the name of the airport) was the 1st Prime Minister of Antigua.

I got to walk around the city and check out some local spots. Open marketplaces are everywhere!

This was a huge supermarket and carried most items you can find in the U.S.:

I also saw some more "countryside" places and wild horses along the way!

5. Food

Seafood, including fish and my favorite conch, are main staples of Antiguan cuisine:

I've never tried a floating Tiki Bar so this was quite an experience! There was a little boat that took you back and forth to the bar: 

I met a group of lovely ladies, and the bartender gave us all free shots!

I like to try local spots and at least 1 fancy restaurant in my travels. I chose Miracles South Coast Restaurant for my "fancy" meal. The ambiance was nice and they served Antiguan cuisine of mostly seafood. I got a fish burger:

Catherine's Cafe is another higher end restaurant with a great view of the beach. I loved their pina colada and I had plenty of time to drink, read, and just enjoy the view:

6. Where I stayed

The Waterfront Inn is a huge place in English Harbour, which is one of the most popular towns in A&B. You have an option to get your own room or share a room with other travelers. The bathroom and the kitchen are shared. 

I wouldn't recommend this place for couples or families but definitely give it a try if you're traveling alone or with friends! It's a great opportunity to save money and meet new people from other countries.

I met 2 lovely ladies from the UK here and to explore the area and enjoy some wine with them. 

I feel like I fall in love with every country any time I come down to the Caribbean and I hope I can come back--

I would say A&B felt "less touristy" than some of the other Caribbean Islands I've been to. So, it's a good place to travel solo if you're looking for a peaceful escape. For some reason, I ran into a lot of solo female travelers, both at the inn and at the bars I went to. 

I think it definitely helps if you've been to the Caribbean before--you know better how to get around and what to look for, but Antiguans are very friendly and will often offer help, especially if you look lost. I highly recommend giving this gorgeous country a visit!

Links:

1. Stingray tour: Stingray City - Discover Antigua Barbuda

2. Shuttles from the airport to wherever you are staying: Private Transportation from Antigua International Airport To Willikies Hotels 2022 - St John's (viator.com)

3. The Waterfront Inn in English Harbour: Inn | The Waterfront | English Harbour (thewaterfrontantigua.com)

Turks & Caicos

So I fell in love with The Caribbean ever since I went to swim with the nurse sharks in The Bahamas. I had heard of Turks & Caicos before from acquaintances but never really looked into going there. After The Bahamas, it seemed only too fitting to travel to a nearby country when I was feeling dragged down from work and the daily stresses of life. 

Greetings from...TCI! (Guess who designed & made the bikini?? Read on for more info!)

1. Resorts, Hotels, Villas, or Airbnb?

Turks & Caicos is composed of 2 groups of islands--Turks & Caicos--8 main islands & 22+ smaller islands. Providenciales is one of the biggest island and is home to the largest population in the country. 

TCI is one of the most expensive destinations in the Caribbean. Most places are resorts and upper scale hotels as tourism is the #1 industry in TCI. But there are cheaper (as well as pricier) villas available throughout Provo Island. 

Surprisingly empty swimming pool on a summer Saturday morning!

This meal was prepared by a private chef, or so I read that. I love conch (1 of the main reasons I love coming to the Caribbean), but I didn't feel like this was particularly to my exact liking. Mostly, the portions were too small (especially for the price), and I was ravenous! However, since I cannot cook anywhere near this level, I could not complain: 

I stayed near Sapodilla Bay Beach, and I saw (what I assumed) was a stray dog. He was extremely friendly and followed me around as I walked around the area looking for Sapodilla after dropping my bags off. 

My first new friend in TCI! I decided to name him "Caico". 

2. The best beach in the world: Grace Bay Beach

Grace Bay Beach, located in Providenciales, is a tranquil sugary white sandy stretch of 7.5 miles with accompanying deep turquoise waters that has consistently been voted "the best beach in the world" in numerous polls throughout the years. 

It won the #1 spot on TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Awards in 2022. 

I had to check it out to see what the hype was about, and get some good photos for memories (& bragging rights!).

One great thing about Grace Bay is that it is easily accessible to the public. In a lot of the Caribbean Islands, resorts/hotels reserve parts of the best beaches for their guests only. T&C is unique bc all the beaches are open to the public. 

Grace Bay can get pretty deep, so the turquoise color deepens further from the shore:

I don't think I will ever get tired of Caribbean beaches--I am a Pisces!

Drone photoshoot with a team of photographers at Grace Bay:

I've made swimsuits for other ladies but never made 1 for myself. I found this photoshoot activity online (all links at the end) where you get amazing photos at Grace Bay on a clear kayak! 

I used this opportunity to motivate myself to design and sew this red and black bikini last minute. 

I loved how the photos turned out. It almost looks surreal. Of course they enhanced the saturation a bit but Grace Bay really is this clear. 

Clear kayak makes a world of difference from a regular kayak bc you get to see the animals swimming beneath you~

3. Best low-key beach: Sapodilla Bay

Sapodilla Bay is a very family-friendly beach because the waters are so shallow. It's a good place to get away from the large tourist crowds that congregate towards Grace Bay and Taylor Bay.

4. Snuba Diving at Coral Gardens Resort

So snuba diving is a mix between scuba diving and snorkeling. I had never heard of it before, but basically, you can go about 20 feet under water to see the coral reefs as opposed to snorkeling where you are more or less confined to the surface of the water. You don't need a certificate for snuba diving. The diving instructor takes you to the Coral Gardens Resort where a boat holds the oxygen tank. A tube is connected to your mask from the tank so that you can breathe underwater. I forgot to time the whole experience but it felt about 1 hour long. I highly recommend this for people who don't have much scuba diving or snorkeling experience. 

The coral reefs look so much more majestic up close:

5. Bight Beach Park

T&C has so many beaches. Bight Beach is another one where the water is so clear that you will see the little fish swimming around your feet. I went for a morning swim and it was just so peaceful. 

I much prefer wine or champagne to beer, but a cold can of local beer after exercising feels so nice!

6. Restaurants & Food

Most of the food in T&C were very similar to the food from The Bahamas. Seafood, especially conch, was a main staple. 

As a huge fan of Ernest Hemingway (one of my favorite books of all time is The Old Man and the Sea), I had to visit Hemingway's on the Beach which is located along Grace Bay. In retrospect, it would have been better to visit this restaurant at night because the view of the beach is stunning. 

Hemingway was a huge fan of T&C and Bimini island of The Bahamas. He also happened to once be very good friends with my favorite writer, F. Scott Fitzgerald. 

Of course I had to get conch. This particular dish, served in a beautiful conch shell, had 3 diff types of conch: fresh salad, fritters, and fried:

My tour guide who was born and raised in T&C chose this spot for brunch for us. I forget the name of the restaurant but there are many brunch spots and cafes around Grace Bay. It was typical American food, but obviously pricey. Everything in T&C is imported, so do expect food and merchandise to be very expensive: 

Because of the amount of swimming I did during this trip, I ate A LOT! I had to stop by this cute place called Sharkbite Bar & Grill (I'm obsessed with sharks). The spicy conch was quite hot & spicy, even for me, who is a seasoned spicy food eater. 

Las Brisas is a popular restaurant right on Neptune Villas that offered the usual seafood menu. I found the food to be mediocre and overpriced (the next restaurant on this list was much better) but it is a very pretty restaurant with spectacular views of the sunrise and sunset over the Chalk Sound waters. 

Mango Reef Restaurant at Turtle Cove Marina is very famous and popular. It is also a primarily seafood restaurant. 

The 1st week of lobster season! The lobsters are all caught fresh from the morning. It was delicious!

This was a local canned rum. It felt a lot stronger than beer!

7. Shopping/Bars/Clubs

I'm not much of a club person. But the best nightlife will be near Grace Bay around the Regent Village. This area has a lot of boutiques and shops to buy local goods and souvenirs as well. 

Potcake Dogs are stray dogs that are quite prevalent across T&C. They are more common than even stray cats. They are called potcakes because people would give these dogs the rice that got stuck on the bottom of a pot. 

I'm not sure if this dog is a potcake dog since it has a leash. My heart still broke to see it dead on the side of the road. I told the nearby construction workers about this poor dog. They said they will take care of it...

I saw "Caico" again! He was such a friendly, sweet dog:

Quite possibly my favorite picture from this trip!

When I got in the cab to leave, Caico followed after the cab, barking. I was so touched and saddened. 

Bye Turks & Caicos! I am lost in a quandary as to which island nation I loved more: The Bahamas or Turks & Caicos...I would love to revisit both!

            

Links:

1. Clear Kayak Drone Photoshoot: https://thelookingglass.tc/drone-photoshoot/

2. SNUBA diving: http://www.snubaturksandcaicos.com/

3. Mopeds or scooters: https://www.visittci.com/providenciales/getting-around/scooter-rentals

There is no public transportation in T&C. Youl will either have to cab, hitchhike (it is safe and normal here to hitchhike as a lot of the roads are not made for pedestrians. Cars headed your way will offer a ride. However, the best option is to rent a car or a moped.