Recommend January 2014 - (Page 34)

Nelson's Dockyard in Antigua ARUBA ANTIGUA Antigua This island's 365 lovely beaches (that's not counting the beaches on sister island Barbuda) help explain why Antigua has such ﬁne resorts, but there are also countless coves that serve as protected harbors, so Antigua has long attracted sailors. Today, Nelson's Dockyard, one of the most important historic sites in the Americas, attracts yachties and landlubbers alike to its museum, shops, pubs and more. BEST PLACE TO STAY Rosewood Jumby Bay Resort occupies a private island that's a 10-minute boat ride from Antigua proper (Jumby's shuttle runs until midnight). Its suites and villas have outdoor bathtubs, the beaches are beauties (an open-air spa sits next to one of them), there's enough privacy to suit celebrities, and a nature refuge protects turtles, birds and sheep. BEST NATURE EXPERIENCE You normally see treetops from below, but Antigua Rainforest Canopy Tour's ziplines offer a bird's-eye view of how foliage looks to the avian residents. Best tour: the 2.5-hour Full Canopy Tour, which gives visitors a chance to understand the forest. BEST CULTURAL EXPERIENCE The Dockyard Museum in the old ofﬁcers' quarters at Nelson's Dockyard reveals how the Royal Navy lived and worked 250 years ago, but it also explores the lives of slaves, who formed two-thirds of the dockyard's workers. BEST SPORTING LIFE For half- or full-day cruises, skippered or bareboat charters, or sunset and snorkeling cruises on ship-shape sloops with excellent crews, contact On Deck. You might even pass Eric Clapton's lonely, hilltop villa. BEST KEPT SECRET Pink Sand Beach on Antigua's sister island, Barbuda, is an 8-mile, undeveloped beach where you might take a walk without seeing a soul. Thank the crushed coral in the sand for this beach's baby-pink hue. FACTS BEST TIME TO GO: Year-round-Aruba lies south of the hurricane belt FUN FACT: African ostriches feel right at home in Aruba, as you can see at the Ostrich Farm GETTING THERE: Delta ﬂies from Atlanta and New York (JFK & LGA) to Aruba ENTRY DOCUMENTS: Valid passport CURRENCY: Aruba Florin, U.S. Dollars are also accepted MUST-TRY NATIVE FOOD: Beef, chicken, or goat stew (stoba) with cornmeal mash (funchi) BEST BUYS: Duty-free perfumes at Maggy's or the Aruba Trading Company INFORMATION PLEASE: Aruba Tourism Authority-aruba.com FACTS BEST TIME TO GO: November through May FUN FACT: In 2009, Antigua renamed Boggy Peak, its highest point, Mount Obama GETTING THERE: Delta ﬂies from Atlanta and New York (JFK) to Antigua ENTRY DOCUMENTS: Valid passport CURRENCY: Eastern Caribbean Dollar MUST-TRY NATIVE FOOD: Pepper pot, a spicy stew of vegetables and meat or ﬁsh with pre-Columbian antecedents BEST BUYS: Carib Bean Coffee Co. sells gourmet coffees grown and roasted in Antigua INFORMATION PLEASE: Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority- antigua-barbuda.org Aruba It's easy to see why Aruba is so popular: It almost never rains, its beaches are alabaster beauties, the locals are friendly, the shopping and dining are world-class, and there's plenty of nature both above and below the water line. Moreover, when you take a public bus to Oranjestad, you get safe, courteous service. BEST PLACE TO STAY The Westin Resort & Casino on Palm Beach has more ocean-facing rooms than any other resort on the beach-more than 200. Its nine(!) restaurants and bars include romantic, torch-lit beach Azull, and its spa and ﬁtness center help guests atone. There's a full watersports program, and the Westin Kids Club offers Parents Night Off on Thursdays. BEST NATURE EXPERIENCE In the 70 years since the Nazi supply ship Antilla sank near Aruba's west coast, a zillion ﬁsh have converted the vessel into a maritime condo. Today pleasure boats offer snorkeling trips to the wreck, which rests in conveniently shallow waters. BEST CULTURAL EXPERIENCE Why wait all year for Carnival? Aruba celebrates its Bon Bini Festival every Tuesday night in Oranjestad with live music, extravagant costumes, and authentic Aruban food. BEST SPORTING LIFE Take a walk on the wild side: Arikok National Park has 29 miles of trails graded easy, moderate and difﬁcult. The 5-hour hike, in particular, includes dramatic scenery, birds, and pre-Columbian cave paintings. BEST KEPT SECRET Conchi is a shell-shaped basin surrounded by lava boulders that get slammed by surf. Sometimes you see daredevils climbing the rocks, but everyone else takes a non-threatening dip in Conchi's calm waters. 12 D12-D19.indd 12 12/20/13 8:48 AM MAMC http://www.antigua-barbuda.org http://www.Authority-aruba.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend January 2014

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Aloft Hotels
Tour Talk: Swain Destinations
Uniworld's Queen Isabel
Disney Magic
Delta Air Lines Travel Guide 2014
Macau
Egypt Update
Scandinavia Exposed
B Hotels & Resorts
What's New in Las Vegas

Recommend January 2014