Antigua — Lifeanista

Can you say ‘paradise?!’ I’m finally here to spill all my vacation deets - travel, resort, and everything I brought with me (thanks to The Vintage Bohemian).

Let’s start with the basics. Antigua is pronounced AN-TEE-GA? Yes, that “u” is silent. It’s located in the Caribbean and is one of two islands of Antigua and Barbuda.

Since I know most of you come here for the affordability, I’ll let you know how I booked. Our 10-day Spain trip was cancelled last minute, so I only had a few weeks before we left to plan a new vacation. Antigua has always been on my list; I wanted to see those beautiful white sand beaches and crystal clear blue waters (and I’ll tell you, they did not disappoint. More to come below). I used allllllllll of the sites to find the best deal, and that best deal ended up being a vacation package on Expedia. Flights, transfers, and all-inclusive resort included.

Traveling to and from Antigua (from NYC) was pretty simple. On the way there, we had a layover in St. Marteen (and took the smallest plane I’ve ever been on) to our destination island. The boyfriend is terrified of heights and flying so I had to keep him calm, while I enjoyed every minute of flying only 30K feet above the deep blue ocean. And on the way back, we had a short layover in Miami - and by short I mean we had to run to our connecting flight. While traveling, make sure you have all your paperwork beforehand. To enter Antigua, we needed a negative Covid-19 test within 7 days. There were a few short surveys we had to fill out once we arrived, but if you land from a bigger plane you usually get them on the way there. We also had to fill out separate paperwork to get into St. Marteen.

Once we got through customs and immigration, we took a quick half hour transfer to our resort, Cocobay. There aren’t an overwhelming amount of hotels on the island, like Mexico, that make it hard to make a decision. I valued the beach, food, and accommodations. Gio and I landed on Cocobay, because it checked off everything on our list.

We were housed in one of the farthest cottages from the main hub, so it was very quiet. We had the most gorgeous view of the Antiguan mountains and water. There were two chairs and a hammock on our porch, where we watched the beautiful sunsets nightly. Inside, the large bed came with a much-appreciated bug net. Our bathroom opened up onto our deck, so while showering you could feel like you were outside. It was wonderful being one with nature.

There was only one all-inclusive restaurant, but it never felt like that. The 3-course menu changed every meal, every day. The fish and vegetables were so fresh, and there were special nightly cocktails to accompany dinner. I also ended my evenings with a Kir Royal before heading back to our cottage, a five minute walk from the bar. Voted one of the best restaurants in the Caribbean, Sheer Rocks is an independent restaurant also located on the grounds. It is an additional cost, but it wasn’t that expensive and was well worth it. Book before sunset, so you have the best view. The food and drinks are top notch, we ended up going twice during our stay.

Speaking of food and drink, there were two bars on the resort. If you were at the beach, a server would also come by and ask for your order throughout the day. My favorite drinks to sip on were the Piña Colada, Blue Hawaiian, and a classic cerveza. While walking around with my Blue Hawaiian, I definitely influenced the guests to try the icy drink that was much needed in the hot sun. If you haven’t tried, I highly recommend. It isn’t too sweet, and it will certainly cool you off.

The resort offered two infinity pools and free water sports like kayaks, paddle boards, snorkel equipment, etc. You can also rent jet skis and even book boat tours right on the beach, since the island’s coral reef is definitely something to see. One of my favorite moments of the trip involved Gio and I kayaking 40 minutes (couldn’t move our arms afterwards, but it was worth it) to a private beach across the island. It was just us, the white sand, and infinite blue waters in front of us. We swam with delicate Angel Fish and enjoyed being completely alone together, surrounded by so much natural beauty. I will forever cherish this day.

For our vacation, we really wanted to make it special and romantic, since we had just celebrated our fifth anniversary. Cocobay offers a bunch of add-ons, so we booked the Romance Package - this included tapas in an infinity pool at sunset, a private dinner on the beach, and two spa massages. Normally I’d say these things were cheesy - but they were anything but. These add-ons were some of the best moments of our trip.

Onto the packing list! First of all, if you are ever traveling to the Caribbean, please make sure you bring bug repellent. We had a few run-ins with the insects, but we live to tell the tale. And of course, sunscreen. We brought 6 spray cans and used nearly every last drop.

And thanks to The Vintage Bohemian, I had the most perfect wardrobe for vacationing.