Antigua is hands down the most spontaneous vacation I have planned yet. I was in need of a long weekend to reset, relax and recharge and wanted to do it in a tropical location. Antigua fit the bill.
Why Antigua?
I needed to get away for a long weekend to a tropical location within two weeks of deciding to book this trip. An island without travel advisories or security issues was preferred since there was a 30% chance this would be a solo trip.
I last booked a vacation using Costco Travel back in 2016, and liked the experience of having my flight, resort transfers and accommodations all taken care of under one reservation. Plus there’s the benefit of getting some cash back with my annual Costco Executive membership benefit which is always a nice perk. Given the quick turnaround of this trip, and lack of time to do a ton of research and preparation, I wanted the ease of being able to trust the Costco brand to book a quick trip.
When I started to book this trip Antigua was listed as one of Costco’s Caribbean package locations, and I decided to narrow my search to Antigua and one other island.
Planning:
Since this had the potential to be a solo trip, booking through Costco Travel felt a bit safer so I could have my transportation and resort arrival all coordinated in advance through one reservation. I found the St. James Club listed as an all-inclusive option on the Costco Travel website, and the price was in the middle of the other Caribbean all-inclusive options I saw on the website available for my travel dates.
What I liked about the St. James when checking out their website was it looked like there were multiple beaches and water activities available in addition to multiple pools and a gym. It appeared to have several dining options, and bars so I would not need to leave the property.
Experience:
While not as nice as Aruba, I had a great experience in Antigua. A friend ended up traveling with me, and it was easy for us to combine our transportation reservations for the forty minute drive from the airport to the St. James, and the property was able to place us in rooms next to one another to make our stay very easy.
Upon arrival at the St. James we learned that the resort was massive. There are a bunch of villas on the property, and some of the pools and other amenities are dispersed throughout the villa area. For people with mobility challenges we learned that there are golf carts available for transportation around the resort, and the staff are super friendly during the rides around the property.
I booked an ocean view room, and it was located near the reception area, and the main hotel pool. This made it very easy to get to breakfast or grab a quick drink at the coffee shop first thing in the morning.
While the St. James is a bit worn around the edges, I appreciated the fact that neither my travel companion nor I experienced stomach issues during our stay. We were able to drink the water provided on the property, and have ice in our drinks without issue. I will take that over a pristine resort any day of the week.
One of the best activities of the trip was the Friday night beach party at the St. James. Dinner was served at sunset on the beach, and then they had a dance party with people wearing traditional Antigua costumes as entertainment. There was a balloon arch, welcome cocktails, a huge variety of food, and it was so fun to be able to sit out on the beach and watch the sunset during dinner.
We also booked an excursion off property during our stay. We were able to book for the day after our arrival without issue. After reviewing a handful of options, we decided to swim with Sting Rays out in the ocean, and visit a turtle sanctuary for half a day, and that excursion did not disappoint. We had no issues with the taxi service the hotel arranged to the sting ray excursion site. After a brief excursion overview, we boarded a boat to Sting Ray Alley. It was so cool to be able to touch sting rays in the ocean, and have them swim around you too. There were more than a dozen of them that came to the feeding area, and we loved being able to feel how soft they were, and also get a chance to feed them squid. It was surprising that the guides seemed to know the myriad of different sting rays and their personalities. After our sting ray session, we took a boat to a turtle sanctuary where we got to feed large tortoises and then hold baby ones before taking a boat back to the excursion site. Our taxi back to the resort was also on time, and we had no transportation issues – which is always a relief.
Lessons Learned:
The sargassum smell is real in Antigua. On our first day the smell was especially bad, but it got better as the wind picked up during our trip. There was one part of the resort that was particularly smelly so we did not lounge on that beach during the trip. The side of the property that had water sports like paddle boarding and kayaking did not smell bad, so you can still have a very nice beach vacation.
Book travel insurance, and try to avoid checking a bag when traveling. There is not a direct flight to Antigua from DC, so I had a connection in Miami. Our trip down to Antigua did not have any issues, but on our way back there was a storm that prevented checked bags from coming out to the luggage carousel on time in Miami. My travel companion checked a bag, and as a result of having to wait for it, and then clear security again, they missed our flight home to DC. Fortunately they made a flight home only two hours later.
Travel Gear:
I brought my snorkel and was glad to have it for the Sting Ray excursion. That said, there was no snorkeling at the St. James, so it was not a must-have for this trip if I had only remained on the resort property.
My waterproof phone case was a must-have to get pictures during the sting ray excursion. I did not bring a waterproof camera on this trip, so this was the perfect pouch for my phone.
This collapsible beach bag came in handy for our excursion when I had a towel, and snorkel gear. It fit in the front pocket of my suitcase and did not take up a bunch of extra room. The resort also provides beach bags for your stay, but it was nice to have a larger bag for the Sting Ray excursion since I packed snacks from the coffee shop.
Final Thoughts:
I’d rate Antigua in the middle of the pack of my Caribbean island adventures. We didn’t have the same pristine bright blue ocean views like I had in Aruba or the Bahamas, but it was also nice to not have any of the GI issues we had with Jamaica.
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