Antigua

Last I heard, Antigua was an island in the Caribbean, and according to Wikipedia it still is! So you can imagine mine and Stephanie's surprise when we read our list of possible honeymoon destinations and Antigua was sitting pretty at the top! We had been talking all about the possible European cities that my parents could possibly send us and out popped this humdinger!

In fact, it shouldn't have come too much as a surprise and on analysis it probably isn't. The full list is populated with places that Mum and Dad have been to, after all, we couldn't possibly go on holiday to a place that Mum and Dad haven't been to before!

With any place you visit, we always like to do a bit of research, but finding out the day before we go, where we are going is going to leave Stephanie and I desperately hunting around for a Fodor's Travel Guide within the airport departure lounge. But with the Internet it makes life so much easier, Mum and Dad are keeping tight lipped and so we'll be relying on the Internet more so than ever!

Places to go, places to see, local customs, local history. It all makes your visit all the more rewarding. And so, Antigua and Barbuda, part of the 'West Indies', which manages to evoke thoughts of Viv Anderson, Brian Lara and the world famous "soul limbo" cricket theme tune, even though I wouldn't classify myself as a cricket supporter in any way, shape or form!

Antigua does sound like the perfect honeymoon location and having already seen some past holiday snaps the clean, white sanded beaches and crystal blue waters will be more than a perfect backdrop for us to enjoy our first days of Mr and Mrs'dom. But is there anything else other than Sun, Sea, Sand and...?

Hmm, well. Anyway, plenty it would seem! Antigua is believed to have 365 beaches, one for each day of the year, which is perfect for us, we would leave with only another 358 more to see, but you go all that way, you want to see something a bit special and do something a little bit different. Well, we could visit Nicole, at her house, where she will teach us how to cook an authentic three course Caribbean meal. Or if either of us are feeling particularly brave, we could take the rainforest canopy tour, a high thrill zip line tour above the canopy of the rainforest below!

Coincidental occurrences could also be seen as "signs" which lead the way, then they cannot come any closer than the VC Bird International Airport, named in honour after Vere Cornwall, the first prime minister. Alternatively we could have lunch, or an al fresco cocktail at Indigo on the Beach, on the way over to Great Bird Island either way, all names synonymous with the family - could be signs that we are on our way!

Every silver lining has a cloud attached and Antigua is no exception - particularly in September!  Hurricanes! As is always the case within the region around that sort of time - it's possible things could get a wee bit windy!  Which would mean braving mother nature or getting evacuated to main land USA, or Venezuela, whichever is safest. Failing that, at a long shot, the islands could get hit by the BP oil disaster leaving us unable to sample the snorkeling Antigua is famed for!

With all new information and facts found and filed away, I've got to leave the virtual Caribbean landscape and head back east to the second location on the list!