Travel

Profile Travel CAN you do the Caribbean with the kids?

That was the challenge as we set off for the tropical island of Antigua, complete with a five-year-old, 22-month-old and 27-weeks pregnant wife.

We fitted the bill, but would Antigua fit us?

The prospect of getting our family of four to Gatwick and then surviving a nine-hour flight was daunting.

And sure enough, the trek round the M25 was grim while the baby failed to sleep a wink during the flight.

So we arrived at the St James Club, on the south east coast of the island, wondering whether we’d been fools.

Our first glimpse of the place was re-assuring. It is set on a private 100-acre peninsula owned by Elite Island Resorts, with palm-fringed beaches which lead to a beautifully clear sea.

We were taken to our villa in the village area of the club and were delighted with a three-storey living space, comprising a living room, dining area and full kitchen as well as two bedrooms with their own bathrooms. Throw in a balcony and beautiful view and already the travel trauma was ebbing away.

The first day of a holiday is time to explore your surroundings and we were impressed. The club has two beaches - the windswept Coco Bay and the serene Mamora Bay - and four pools. Of these, one is for adults only while the family pool is an ideal place for kids to meet and parents to retreat.

The club also offers tennis courts, a fitness centre, dive school and deep sea fishing boat.

It also has a beauty salon and spa and kids club, so just about every option is covered.

We breakfasted in the Rainbow Garden, which offers buffet style dining, and booked for the Docksider restaurant that evening, tempted by its offer of waterside grills.

So we pondered how to fill the day. It was, as is typical in Antigua, 80 degrees plus even though this was the rainy season. A swim seemed in order and as we wandered to the pool, we saw a humming bird in the palm trees. Suddenly it felt like we were on holiday.

And within moments of diving in the water, we had one of those perfect moments. It was so great to finally have got away from it all and so relaxing to think we had nothing to do.

Back to the Rainbow Garden for a buffet lunch and a pleasant pattern was emerging. Sleep, eat, swim, eat, swim, eat, sleep - you could get used to this.

We tried Mamora Bay in the afternoon and it was idyllic. The beach is impossibly clean and at just the right moments the drink cart goes past. This set us up nicely for the evening meal, a tenderly done steak at the Docksider, which capped off a pretty good day.

And that was all we did for three days - it was so easy, so relaxing and everyone was so happy - so why changing a winning formula? The only changes were to try Coco Bay - which is less secluded and so blessed with a refreshing breeze - and the Piccolo Mondo restaurant, which was seriously good with excellent seafood.

But there came a point where our laziness ran out and curiosity grew so that a tour of the island was arranged. There are plenty of guided trips offered through the hotel and these are easily set up.

Antigua is only 14 miles long and 11 miles wide but there’s certainly enough to see to take up a day. Attractions include the English Harbour, on the south east coast and a short drive from the St James Club, Betty’s Hope, the site of the first full-scale sugar plantation in Antigua, and the Devil’s Bridge, which has been carved out by the sea from the rock.

After that it was back to the eat/swim routine until it was time to leave the island which says it offers a little bit of paradise. Antigua had certainly delivered and the memories linger of seven days which would delight the most demanding holidaymaker. It is brilliant - just go.


Rob Hollingworth travelled with worldwide holiday experts Thomas Cook Signature (0844 879 8015 or www.tcsignature.com), who offer seven nights all inclusive at the St James Club in Antigua from £1399 per person. This includes international flights with Virgin Atlantic from London Gatwick, transfers to and from the resort and is based on two sharing a Club Room.

St James's Club is part of Elite Island Resorts, for more visit www.eliteislandresorts.co.uk