Wedding Magazine Honeymoon Destinations Antigua
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Take an excursion to Great Bird Island from Dickenson Bay. Glass-bottomed boats afford leisurely views of the reef, and a restored pirate ship sails around the island and takes passengers for day or evening trips, with food, drink and entertainment included. Wallow in the shallows of Half Moon Bay, a popular national park, renowned as one of Antigua's most beautiful beaches. Nearby Long Bay is protected by a reef shallow enough to walk to, making it ideal for holidaying families. Get to grips with the islands' colonial history: partially-restored Betty's Hope was Antigua's pioneer sugar plantation. It was home to many people from the Codringtons, to the French, from African slaves to, following emanciaption in 1834, labourers.  Most of the nightlife is centred in St John’s, although hotels and casinos around the islands usually provide in-house entertainment for both hotel guests and non-residents. Casinos generally offer more than just gambling; live music, restaurants and bars are standard in most, and there are even gyms and Internet access in some. A wide choice of restaurants and bars around the main tourist areas offer international and authentic Caribbean food.Spicy Creole flavors, British traditions and fresh seafood are all part of Antigua and Barbuda’s cuisine. Traditional local dishes include goat water, a spicy stew made with goat meat seasoned with hot peppers, cinnamon and cloves; as well as fungi, a kind of polenta, and pepperpot, a root vegetable stew. Look for raw bars along the coastline and seafood restaurants serving the likes of red snapper, spiny lobster, conch and oysters. You can sample traditional island flavors at The Home Restaurant in St. John’s. For a more casual meal, visit the Mad Mongoose in Falmouth Harbour  The island experiences a pleasant weather all year round. The average temperature drops just a few degrees in the winters. All you need is to put on a light sweater over your shirt, if you wish to, in the winter evenings. The average high temperature in the summers reaches to 30°C. During the winter the temperature, for some days dips below 20°C providing a cool and calm experience to the visitors. The climate remains fairly dry except for the rainy seasons when daily showers are expected. The rainy season continues from mid-September to November. The island experiences a unique Hurricane season which lasts from June to September. The Rest of the year enjoys a calm and soothing climate with a touch of humidity and heat and least change in the overall climate. |
inhabitants include the Arawak and Carib Indians. Although Columbus discovered Antigua and Barbuda in 1493, it was not settled until 1632. Sugar production made this an important economic colony, and by the end of the 18th century, Antigua had also become a strategic port. In 1981 Antigua and Barbuda became fully independent. Many Antiguans are descendants of Africans brought over to labor in the sugarcane fields, and their influence is seen in popular island musical traditions like calypso, steel drum and reggae. British influences are also prevalent. Locals enjoy afternoon tea as well as cricket matches.