Recommend February 2014 - (Page 44)

carlisle bay, antigua continued from page 42  WHAT TRAVEL AGENTS ARE SAYING... puppies and a subtle spicy sauce. "What is this sauce?" I asked a server. "Lentil-mustard," she replied. They should bottle it. "We offer superb food through three distinct restaurants," says Thibaut Asso, director of sales for North America, "and a fourth restaurant, opening [this month] by the jetty, will serve salads, grills, and wine." Maria Caruso, independent travel consultant, Signature-afﬁliated Frosch Travel, whose husband is a restaurateur, agrees. And speaking of the jetty, Caruso urges couples to arrange a private dinner there. Between the food, wine, discreet staff, and the stars, she says, "I've never experienced something so romantic!" The breakfast menu at Indigo on the Beach includes omelets, home-made granola, and a ﬂavorful saltﬁsh-and-eggs dish with plantains. I ordered that saltﬁsh breakfast almost every day, followed by a quick liaison with "Lady Gaggia." The even more casual poolside eatery, Ottimo!, serves antipasti, charcuterie, sandwiches, and superb wood-oven pizzas at lunch and dinnertime. Ottimo! also has a children's menu that isn't only chicken nuggets and fries. Museum-quality Balinese doors lead to East, the premier restaurant, which serves sushi, sashimi, Thai green curry, sates, etc. When general manager Jonathan Reynolds hired the Balinese chef, he encouraged authenticity, not Franco-Sino fusion. Reynolds told the chef, "Prepare dishes the way you'd make them for your grandmother." adult hikes and kids' camps Ladd recommends the morning rainforest hikes, "which introduce Antigua's ecosystem and afford great views from the top of a mountain." Other popular activities include Pilates/yoga classes, tennis clinics, and snorkeling trips. Parents may enroll their children in the Cool Kids Club (for ages six months to 6 years), which is available most weeks. Crew Blue (for ages 7-12) and Crush (13-19) operate during school vacations. That a resort with fewer than 100 guest units has nine tennis courts (four lit) says something about the clientele. I watched one of the pros modify a guest's serve, then went upstairs to the ﬁtness center with its state-of-the-art gear. Later, spa manager Carol Richards-Simon welcomed me to the Blue Spa, exclaiming, "This is where the magic happens." She was right. After a West Indian massage by an exceptionally skilled massage therapist, I wandered into the resort's library, a spacious room with comfortable chairs, artwork, and books that ranged from Michael Crichton to Oscar Wilde to Hockney's People. Peeking into the screening room by the pool, I saw some children watching a Disney movie. Boat check-out at the Watersports Centre was painless; I signed my name and sailed off on a Hobie-Cat. Upon my return, a staffer volunteered to help me tack better, and he really did. Another day, on a stand-up paddleboard, I spotted bathtub-size turtles right off Carlisle Bay's beach. a salute to eric clapton People call Antigua the sailing capital of the Caribbean because its coves and deep-water harbors have sheltered sailors for centuries, so one day Carlisle Bay's concierge booked some of us 44 february 2014 42-45 CB CarlilseBay.indd 44 "Carlisle Bay is big enough to offer a sense of space in an uncrowded environment, yet just small enough to feel as if you're staying with friends at their beach estate." - Maria Caruso, Independent Travel Consultant, Signature-afﬁliated Frosch Travel for a 4-hour tour aboard one of OnDeck's 41-ft. racer/cruisers. We headed south and then east to English Harbour, where the Royal Navy established a dockyard in the 1700s. The historic site is named after Lord Admiral Nelson, but this naval installation actually predates Nelson, and there is nothing like it in the entire Caribbean. Another famous man whose name came up was Eric Clapton, whose lonely-at-the-top villa commands a bluff above the sea. "May I take the helm?" I asked skipper Cheyenne Warner. "Sure," he said, handing over the wheel. That sloop ﬂew; most fun I've had since "Eric Clapton: Greatest Hits." Carlisle Bay's own 32-ft. boat offers sunset cruises, excursions to Nelson's Dockyard, private charters, ﬁshing, and snorkeling trips to nearby Cades Reef. There I snorkeled over a rainbow coalition of ﬁsh, while 200 ft. to the south, moored boats indicated the presence of divers on the deep side of the reef. Antigua is said to have exactly 365 beaches, which a few of us attempted to count one day on an excursion to the west and north along the leeward coast. After running out of ﬁngers and toes, we gave up and just admired the many C-shaped beaches that are only accessible to small craft. Our boat entered the harbor of St. John's, which is worth a quick look but will never put Nelson's Dockyard out of business, then retraced our route, passing an occasional pleasure boat in a cove where the skipper and ﬁrst mate were dallying. Nice, but Carlisle Bay's beach, with its chaises, hammocks, tea, and butler service, seemed more comfortable. We headed back. Rates from $612.50 (including taxes/fees); packages include an all-inclusive option. getting there Several airlines offer nonstop ﬂights from North America to V.C. Bird Airport (ANU) in Antigua, including Air Canada and Westjet (from Toronto); American Airlines (JFK and San Juan); Caribbean Airlines (Miami, Newark); and US Airways (Baltimore, Charlotte, Philadelphia). ● Archived related articles (available on recommend.com/magazine/ issue-archive): Caribbean Trends (December 2013) contact information Carlisle Bay: (866) 502-2855; campbellgrayhotels.com/carlisle-bay/home recommend.com 1/21/14 8:17 AM IB14_0 http://www.recommend.com/magazine/ http://www.campbellgrayhotels.com/carlisle-bay/home http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend February 2014

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Corinthia Hotels
Tour Talk: Convertible Caravans of Europe
Boutique Hotels Beckon
VIP Havens
Crystal Cruises
Costa Rica Travel Planner
Anguilla, Foodie Paradise
Carlisle Bay, Antigua
Culturally Infused Mexico City
New Zealand's Luxury Retreats
Kenya: Where Wildlife and Luxury Coexist
Chic Outlet Shopping

Recommend February 2014