…garybembridge. 2:00pm Wednesday 28 March (Antigua) Yesterday was a stop in Antigua. Antigua is supposed to one of the most beautiful of the Caribbean islands, boasting that they have a beach for every one of the 365 days of the year. Some say you can think of Antigua as a series of beautiful beaches with some land attached! The port area of the capital (St Johns) looks recently developed, I assume again the result of hurricanes that churned throug…
…need-to-know facts as well as inspiration, advice and tips for visiting La Antigua Guatemala. Surrounded by three vast volcanos thousands of metres above sea level, is the remarkable city of La Antigua. It was the capital of Guatemala until a series of earthquakes in the 1700s convinced the Spanish, who controlled the country, to abandon it and create a new one called Guatemala City. The huge partly ruined Cathedrals and grand buildings lay expo…
…cruise lines sell hard. Most people say it is not worth the time or money. Antigua Antigua boasts that it has a different beach you can visit every day, so it should also be a beach day. All beaches in the Caribbean are public and so you (in theory) can go to anyone you want. The best in my view is Dickinson Beach. This is about a 15 minute cab ride (about 6 to 8 dollars) and the beach is long, in a large bay with sand that looks and feels like po…
…iew all the photos Today is the first of 5 days crossing the Atlantic from Antigua to the Atlantic island of Madeira, where we stop for half a day before carrying on for 3 days to Southampton (our final stop). We woke during the night noticing that it was fairly “rocky”. Although the sea looks pretty calm especially versus the huge waves experience crossing the Atlantic on the QE2, there is apparently a swell causing the ship to pitch and roll mor…
…kable and very fine and white; it is almost powdery in texture. More about Antigua later but first let me update you on yesterday in St Kitts. Yesterday we were in St Kitts where we had probably the best day yet. We berthed on the long cruise jetty that sticks out into the sea at Basseterre (the capital) later than scheduled, at about 07.30am. We were booked on an all morning bike ride around the southern part of the island. The island is shaped a…
…ever, it acts as a gateway to explore the UNESCO World Heritage City of La Antigua and other historic sites and so is growing as a cruise stop. We did the “on your own” transfer to La Antigua, which was a beautiful and fascinating city. Cruise Ship Oasis The port has created a fairly sizeable lush green haven within the otherwise utilitarian working port. In the reception area the tourist board had set up a desk where, in addition to getting leafl…
…around the islands we visited (Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Antigua) the one thing that did strike me, as I learnt more about the history of the Caribbean, was that these stunningly beautiful islands were not only built on the back of slave labor, but also just how brutal and terrible the slave trade was. An unpleasant history…. Behind the laid back tone and startling beauty of the Caribbean is an unpleasant tale, with the `British…
…even more scenic places like St. Maarten, Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts, Antigua, St. Thomas, St. Barts, and the Bahamas. These are more scenic and have nicer beaches and sights, in my opinion. Many cruise lines will alternate their ships between the Western and Eastern itineraries. So, you can do a back-to-back 14-night cruise to see both. Southern Caribbean The fourth itinerary is a southern Caribbean cruise, and probably my favourite. They te…
…islands (sailing from Barbados then visiting Grenada, St Lucia, St Kitts, Antigua) then at sea for 5 days until Madeira then 3 days to get to Southampton. This for me is an ideal mix as I love the long days in the middle of the Ocean as it feels so relaxing yet exhilarating at the same time. The cruise is called “Caribbean Taster” (J706) and the P&O Website describes it as follows: “Arcadia’s homecoming Caribbean cruise and transatlantic crossing…
…have a journey to make and toilets are not always at hand. Always read the label and remember to rehydrate with water and rehydration salts, or sports drinks if you have diarrhoea.” On their site they have this travel hotspot thing: Find out more about Travellers’ Diarrhoea What are your tips? Add a comment on the blog or email and I will add: [email protected] ——————————————————– Sign up now to get updates from Gary Bembridge: Tips for Travell…
…it on this trip. The hotel is right next to the famous Century 21 discount label department store and an easy 10 minute walk to South Street Sea Port area with its shops and museums and the major drop off and pick up for the round Manhattan bus tours. But overall, it is not a very handy destination for tourists as far from the shopping areas and Central Park etc. Overall, I liked the room a lot but the noise of construction did wake me up earlier…
