Recommend Jan 2018 - 12

ANTIGUA

Although Hurricane Irma hit Antigua's sister island, Barbuda, so hard
that its population (approx. 1,800 people) had to be evacuated,
neither Irma nor Maria did serious damage to ANTIGUA, just 40
miles away. Nelson's Dockyard, a UNESCO World Heritage site
and Antigua's great hotels stood their ground for centuries, and they
still do. This is one of the most versatile islands, with history, party
scenes, resorts ranging from budget to high-end, yachting, shopping,
and a state-of-the-art airport.
SEE/DO: Go sailing along the calm west coast of Antigua with
Ondeck Sail Antigua or Adventure Antigua. Passengers can see
some of Antigua's 365 beaches, many of them accessible only by
water, view Nelson's Dockyard and Eric Clapton's villa from the water,
pause for some good snorkeling, and come away with a good idea of
why sailors adore Antigua.
SIGNATURE EVENT: It's one of the best parties in the Caribbean,
and it happens every week: the Sunday Barbecue at Shirley
Heights, a colonial lookout up above English Harbour. Terrific bands
and music from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; terrific crowd, too, a good-natured
mix of vacationers, locals, and yachties. Come hungry, thirsty, and
ready to rock.
STAY: The four-star, adults-only Pineapple Beach Club, formerly a
Sandals Ltd. property, sits on one of Antigua's best beaches.
It offers 180 rooms in five categories, four restaurants, three bars
and a lounge, room service during meal hours, activities, and a
variety of land and watersports (tennis, Hobie Cat sailing, etc.).
Transfers included.

FASTFACTS

ARUBA

ANTIGUA

Bird's-eye view of Shirley Heights.

BEST TIME TO GO:
Year-round-Aruba lies south of the hurricane belt
GETTING THERE: Delta flies from Atlanta,
Minneapolis/St. Paul and New York (JFK) to Aruba
ENTRY DOCUMENTS: Valid passport
CURRENCY: Aruban Florin; U.S. Dollar also accepted
INFORMATION PLEASE:
Aruba Tourism Authority-aruba.com

Aruba's famed flamingos can be found beachside.
12

FASTFACTS
BEST TIME TO GO: November through May
GETTING THERE: Delta flies from Atlanta to Antigua
ENTRY DOCUMENTS: Valid passport
CURRENCY: East Caribbean Dollar
INFORMATION PLEASE: Antigua and Barbuda
Tourism Authority-visitantiguabarbuda.com

ARUBA

There's a reason they call ARUBA one happy island: Its
people are among the friendliest in the Caribbean-or
beyond it. This is an island where guests in the resorts lining
the white-sand beaches just north of Oranjestad feel perfectly
at home taking a public bus into town for dining, historic
sites, and Olympics-level shopping. The fact that most of the
resorts are not all-inclusives works well here for that same
reason: This is an island for exploring safely and, well, happily.
SEE/DO: Take a ride on the wild side with an SUV or ATV.
Aruba is the only island in the Caribbean where you can drive
across the surface of the moon, or so it seems. This moon,
however, is punctuated by natural bridges, the ruins of
stone structures from a gold mine built almost 200 years ago,
and a church whose congregation seems to be the
rocky landscape.
SIGNATURE EVENT: The Renaissance Marketplace at
the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino, right in Oranjestad,
is fun any night, with its tiny shops, informal eateries, and
multiplex cinema, but Crazy Wednesdays are tops because
from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. the Marketplace hosts the best live
show in town. Wonderful food, too (especially the
Dutch pancakes).
STAY: Blue Residences Aruba is a recently built condo
hotel with three infinity-edge pools, three restaurants,
a fitness center, spa, free WiFi, and a concierge.
Accommodations are capacious, and all configurations
include kitchens, so this is a particularly good choice for
people who want modern, quiet surroundings and a chance
to save money and share good times by cooking some
meals en-suite.
http://www.visitantiguabarbuda.com http://aruba.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend Jan 2018
