Start of the End of Carnival : The old cricket ground again hosts the final ace off and trophy presentations. This stadium is very charming indeed giving good shade from the hot sun.
I am doing this extra blog post to show the very best of the carnival, I got a lot of shots and this is going to take some time to get finished. Will be tweeting this as usual with updates but better still to subscribe to this antigua blog !
Get a good deal (service and price) on your Antigua Car Rental. It’s the very last thing you want to do after your flight to Antigua is pick up a rental car. You do need to pay attention for just a while to go over the paperwork with your car rental company of choice.
Choose Best Antigua for your car hire needs on Antigua. There are a few rental companies and you can find some varying rates. During busy times you may be lucky to get a car at all, for example during sailing week. But you got lucky or took the best car rental deal and here you are with your car rental agreement. Inspect the vehicle for damage and get the representative to mark your agreement so that there can be no mistake if it already has damage. You will be required to sign that you do or don’t take CDW insurance which does not mean the same as in other countries but does offer protection. Remember to drive on the left and drive defensively. But overall driving in Antigua is fine- just take it easy MAN! Never be in a rush driving in Antigua !
350 USD per week and gas came in at 117 ECD roughly (30 GBP) for a fill up which was kind of ok we thought. The car as in everything in Antigua – seems dear for the spec and size. This didn’t include any kind of insurance.
Check our cars for rates and type on our car and jeep page. To get a quotation and get your jeep 4×4 and car (ANY VEHICLE) rental Just fill out this form and include dates of rental required (book well in advance for sailing week and over the high season) and the kind of vehicle you are looking for.
Antigua Driving License for Car Rental
You will need to also buy a license which lasts for 3 months, after a year you can take a test and get a full license. Places like Jolly Harbour will then further tax you to keep your car there! $10 USD one off fee.
Visitor Driving License Antigua. 20 USD per 3 months duration.
The Kia Rio- a low ride position but well specced and economic. I mean this car is still with us as a favourite. Don’t try and overtake as it is pretty gutless. The Kia Picanto is cheaper still and thats why it always seemed to be rented 🙁
If you can read this ‘BACK OFF’ especially if you love using your fog lights like Antiguans do!
I have chosen this car again as it is very economical and comfortable – I have since been able to raise the seat and the driving position is normal. I don’t have massive luggage needs and important I don’t stay in a bungalow or villa with a road that is best done with a 4×4 so check your vacation rental for access requirements. Here is the lovely indulgence that we rented out a couple of times. When we needed that extra space and comfort then the Suzuki Vitara is hard to fault.
The Suzuki Grand Vitara is popular in Antigua.
Driving in Antigua Tips
CDW – available at $10 USD per day extra. But CDW doesn’t cover you in the same way this works in the US (ie its not for minor damage). Here it helps you avoid paying out after 1500 USD for big crash or major damage that is your fault. But note you still have to pay the first 1500! So don’t take chances and drive defensively. Here are some actual driving in Antigua videos to show you the pace and how easy it is:
Used for things like Antigua Carnival. This now forms part of the Antigua Cricket Tour. It is the original cricket ground on the outer edges of St Johns in Antigua. Most everything is walkable in the Capital so long as it isn’t a super hot day.
We wanted to put together this handy guide for those wishing to come to Jolly Harbour on a longer term basis. We will start by our own honest findings and as we spend some time here will elaborate on this page. If you would like to see something of yours here then contact us – it is more than likely possible.
Swimming Instructor, Pupil or Dad? It can be really hard to learn to swim and I had real nerves the night before (I am Dad!). Summer the pupil has been really clingy and I am happy to battle through the tears and there were lots today.
I have to say that both islands feel very different. The first thing you notice is that getting around St Lucia takes a lot longer! Especially for example the transfer from the airport. So bad is the 2 hour winding trek by minivan I am not looking to visit again soon. I think it really hits the islands repeat business. However it’s not the end of the story. Many will tell you that after this St Lucia is better in almost all respects. I disagree with that- apart from there may be a bunch more diverse tours to do as simply the size and topography of St Lucia offers a greater variety of tours. One example is the mountain biking in St Lucia which isn’t available in Antigua.
We are return visitors here (which tells you a lot) and are like many fed up to be told the lack of whatever it is is due to low levels of occupancy. I have made friends with a lot of staff members who do work hard to please. Let down by a poor infrastructure of service (poor selection of drinks due to low stocks) each day being told we expect it tomorrow.
I spent a few hours visiting the beach at Fort James and Millers bar and restaurant here. There is some good hiking to be had along the beach and back via the road. I took some photos along the way which will follow shortly. They have a few restaurants being built right close to the fort and the fort itself has a very nice place to get refreshment. I would love to see them spend some of the tourist tax on regenerating the area. It is in need of it however in its current state is quite charming, however could be really excellent and generating good island money.
I attempted to adjust the colour of this crab – maybe I just didn’t have the white balance right..Edited in photoshop to bring back the red lost at depth underwater.
Captain Don of Xtreme Scuba (sadly no longer running) tells us this is one of Antigua’s best dive sites. Above the water line it has an interesting limestone I think formation which resembles a bunch of pillars hence the name. I took my rather old now cannon and housing and a basic compact as I have been practising my underwater photography and editing skills in photoshop. The following results are coming through.
The colours are wrong and it’s a bit funky..but it’s better
Here are some originals I may try and work on though they are not great in the first place I wanted to show what you can find here on a single dive..if you think diving in Antigua is not worth it then guess again and it is a fantastic pace to learn to dive no doubt.
Porcupine fish
A nice shoal of fish just limin as they say.
I always see these guys cause they move last minute.. Peacock flounder
Spotted Drums breaking cover.
Unusual that he was not in some kind of crack.
Not a native species to the Caribbean though here to stay- Lion Fish.
In fact 3 places of interest here and one being woods mall which really is a good pharmacy stocking things as wide out as toys and play doh – to the things you get in a pharmacy but otherwise a bit of a disapointment. Also here is a bank the scotia and LIME store where I got me hooked up to a pay as you go on my iphone4. But just up next mall has an awesome cafe that is a break from the caribbean and very much a san fran coffee shop experience and really good food at great price – swing on by. And then the final 3rd point of interest here is the big epicurean supermarket perhaps the best place to get groceries on the island albeit at a price that may be more than what you should be paying (meat from St Johns meat market for example…)
It is north east of St Johns in a kind of a suburb you can find it on the tourist map.
anyway gotta go rum punch taking hold….
It must be the old casino – on runaway bay Antigua, the new one being kings casion in St Johns catering for the cruise ship crowd – as if they didn’t have enough of that onboard.
Still its a great overrun pace and so typical of Antigua that it deserves to be blogged at this point in time.
An update to the blog post below and accurate measure / report of the storm can be found in the Antigua Observer today
Original blog follows..I think it was tropical storm chantal and I saw a water shoot or tornado at sea on the front cover today.
A storm that plagued the islands of Barbados and St Lucia (so I was told by a local guy) missing us yesterday still brought a bit more rain and higher winds which made Dickenson Bay a bit less fun as the sand was whipping up. We still had some fun and it was cruise ship day and we got to spy on the developments for the Halcyon Rex – they are increasing the shade around the BBQ and entertainment areas (that much we can see).
Today we will swing around and skip the beach doing some shopping and enjoying other people’s AC like at woods mall. We did swap out our rental car yesterday as an upgrade as I was feeling flush for some unknown reason. We are now enjoying the extra space of the Suzuki Vitara and left the Hyundai Terios behind which grew on me but was a little small in some ways. I hope to pick up a small sim for the iphone today we shall see.
A great little eatery found in Falmouth next to Baileys mini market on the main road all in pink. A great place to bring the kids. Bought in the delightful Sweet T’s in Falmouth a great place for inexpensive food and drink. This is a great fun activity in the mini garde at sweet t’s in Falmouth. If you sprinkle when you tinkle be sweet and wipe the seat.
We took a drive out today and I wanted to get a couple of photos of the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium which is most magnificent if I may say seemingly out pf place. This is now the main Antigua Cricket Stadium and also operates to accommodate the Caribbean West Indies Team home events.
I did have an interest to make it up (northern shore) to see around Jabberwock beach (what origins did that name come from I wonder) for the kitesurfing and windsurfing. Apart from a couple of parked up trailers I saw nothing of interest. I am in need of more humble beginnings into these 2 sports. So if you know who and where to go please comment. Kite Surfing in Antigua Windsurfing Antigua
After searching for this beach and spotting it from across the bay hours before I set off in search of this recommended Antigua Beach. Its popular at weekends with locals because it has facilities and a restaurant and is close by a residential area (Falmouth). But a bit earlier I took summer out for a hike and she fell asleep on me ! We found a few goats some locals and a great little private beach area though ungroomed you might like to just go visit Pigeon Beach.
A tiny unknown beach.Hiking in Antigua
Daddy Pig and Summer. Pigeon Beach
Pigeon Beach
Pigeon Beach Falmouth Antigua
A great slide for summer, she may even be able to handle the stairs herself.
It wasn’t at all busy today I will try and run there from Banana Tree Bungalows a U shape must be 2-3 miles there. Ok so how can you find it ? If you look at the google map it is just past the yacht club and resort, but later found another way through – take a right past Stanley’s estate agents as you drive towards Nelsons dockyards and follow the road around. You can park up and take to the hills if your energetic. Pigeon beach looks like the snorkelling could be good.
No guests in the resort.
We got a birthday cake yesterday from Jolly Harbour Supermarket and splashed out at 59 ECD roughly 15 Pounds to mark Summers 2 years on planet earth and it was supposed to be a black forrest Gateaux.It looked good certainly and at the price we expected a good one given that food generally in Antigua is great ! It was a chocolate cake with some dark cherries on top and a bit dry at that so not really a black forrest and not all that great certainly not worth 59XCD. I needed to say that for in small hope that it reaches the right ears at some point. Only jetskis to worry about.
Well we drove up to a beach called Dickenson Bay where there is the Halcyon Cove by Rex Resorts and The Sandals resort. We had to pass through St Johns Antigua’s capital its no drama that traffic moves slow as life unfolds here and there are stories on every face. It’s a place that I find intoxicating we will see if that lasts. We found the resort to be under renovations and so the beach was almost deserted by the Warri Pier Restaurant and yet we borrowed the shade of their wooden umbrellas. It is opening the 15th July all being well. We had a nice time and Summer really enjoyed making sand castles and messing around in the gentle surf. Summer got wiped out at one point but it was more shock than choking on salt water 🙂 the water here is the most lovely shade of turquoise and the only slight annoyance is the trade wind blowing the fine sand across you (its really not an issue) and you would probably rather this wind cooling you off. Sandals seem to have these beach shades like half tent thingy’s – wonder how they are. Sandals seemed to have some guests and one of the watersports bars was open between the two resorts. Some tourist boats were around and so was the very annoying jetskis passing too close (they are very dangerous – maybe I’m boring but they kill people yearly round the world and I like free swimming they are a major pain since the riders are not experienced and are not looking for swimmers generally.)
I think its time for some photos after a fantastic afternoon and one of the first we took as relaxation.
We arrived yesterday into VC Bird International and this time we were ushered into a fast track lane so no waiting with baby in arms for over an hour, good stuff. We had no evident baggage disasters but Summer had really by this time had enough of the plane and wanted out, we all arrived a bit warmly dressed and still had to pick up the rental car. I paid for one of the guys who transport your stuff out from the carousel we really needed it this time. We had seemingly everything and the potty !
