An (Beach) a Day... Keeps the Stress Away

March and April... for us these are months that smell of holiday, because usually at this time we treat ourselves to a break from work and go and relax somewhere exotic. This year, for family reasons, we had to postpone a bit, and we joined the mass of holidaymakers who took advantage of the mega long weekend of 25 April and 1 May. We didn't even have time to organise a nice trip as we usually do — which, moreover, lets us save money and visit places off the tourist trail — but sometimes deciding at the last minute where to park our backsides in the sun has its charm. The problem is that so far we've gone wild with destinations, so the choice is not at all easy.

We have to consider various factors, such as the fact that we'll only be away a week, we don't want to fly to the other side of the world for so little time, we don't want to pay the exaggerated catalogue prices (and the destinations that usually come up on offer we've already done) and we never go back where we've already been if we can help it... well, putting all these points together and removing from the list places we'd like to visit in the future but more calmly, to cut it short in the end we plumped for Antigua. We had to choose between an all-inclusive package or a discounted flight and booking the hotel separately. The price was the same for both options, and since we didn't have time to do things "properly" (as our friends from Modena would say) we opted for the package, and on 28 April we boarded the charter flight that landed in Antigua after 14 hours.

(a note on the flight for the more demanding travellers: a Livingston aircraft, a bit dated and without personal seat-back screens, entertainment with two not-very-new films, and food scanty in terms of quantity) After landing we got on the minibus that took us to the Jolly Beach Resort. I'd looked up a bit of info about this place online before leaving, and the opinions were all fairly positive, and also agreed that the structure is slightly on the old side. We weren't looking for wild luxury, just somewhere to let our neurons relax, so it suited us perfectly. The hotel is really big, and its beach is just as big. It's set in a lush, well-tended garden, and all the rooms more or less have a sea view, with incredible colours. The room types range from the simplest, the Standard, to the more refined and elegant, but we chose the cheapest, the Supersaver.

They'd told me it was tiny, and indeed... The initial impact was one of mild dismay, because we didn't know where to put our things, but then our spirit of adaptation and, above all, my great organisational gift took over, and we managed to settle in without even noticing any more that the space was truly reduced to a minimum. (Of course, for anyone intending to bring lots of stuff, they might have a few problems arranging it, because the wardrobe is small with very few shelves, and apart from that there's nowhere else to put things except a small side table — but as an alternative they can always choose a more comfortable room) The hotel service is All Inclusive, and I'd say the only thing you have to worry about is not overdoing the hours in the sun, because here it doesn't mess about. There's food and drink to your heart's content.

We can't give opinions on the various restaurants because we only tried the main buffet one, but I'd say you won't go hungry (though perhaps the food isn't that varied...). The thing that gives the most satisfaction to the palate is certainly the beach grill, which lets lovers of that sort of thing stuff themselves with hot dogs, hamburgers and chips all day long (from 12 to 16:30) without even having to give up a few minutes of sun, since you can comfortably eat on the beach and without even the effort of putting on a cover-up!!! And if the heat starts to become unbearable and the shade of the umbrellas or palms isn't enough for you, you can always enjoy a fruit punch sitting at the little tables immersed in the pool water.

If, after filling your stomach, you want a nap and you love sunbathing, the watersports kiosk will freely provide you with a nice air mattress, and you can lie on the calm Caribbean waters enjoying the sea breeze, which will make it all really pleasant. Watch out for sunburn though, because this is the easiest way to get it! In short, let's say that... it probably won't be a 5-star, the food won't be Gambero Rosso standard, but they do their best to make sure guests lack nothing. If we really, really have to find a fault, it's that the water isn't perfectly crystal-clear but takes on that slightly milky colour caused by the movement of the sand (which is very white, besides). How that's possible I don't know, since the sea is flat, but they say it's due to the season and that during our summer it's transparent instead...

so be it; in any case the colours are truly cover-worthy! Once past the sunburn phase of the first days, we hired a car (careful, you need a local licence and the driving is on the left) and, map in hand, we set off to discover the island. Antigua is known as the island of 365 beaches... one for every day of the year... of course, we don't have all that time, but we still decide to see a part of it. We set off from the Jolly and...

... to read the continuation of the trip send us an email!