I'm going to be honest with you — I came back from Antigua today and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. Not in a wistful, wishful way. In a 'I need to get as many of my clients there as possible' kind of way. Because in twenty-plus years working in travel, there are destinations that impress you, and then there are destinations that genuinely move you. Antigua is the latter.

I spent seven days there as part of a trip hosted by the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority — staying across three different hotels, visiting others, eating my way around the island, and doing the kind of exploring that no amount of reading online can ever really replace. So everything I'm about to tell you comes from personal, first-hand experience. Not a brochure. Not a website. Me, actually there, taking it all in so I can tell you about it properly.

Let me start with the moment that crystallised everything. It was a Sunday evening and we'd driven up to a place called Shirley Heights — a restored military lookout sitting high above English Harbour on the southern coast. The sun was going down. Steel pan music was playing. There was a rum punch in my hand, and below me, the harbour was turning gold in the fading light, sailboats dotting the water, the hills of Antigua rolling away in every direction. And I thought: everyone I know needs to see this.

Shirley Heights on a Sunday evening is one of those travel experiences that reminds you why you do it. There's a BBQ, there's music, there are locals and visitors all together in this extraordinary setting, and the atmosphere is joyful in a way that feels completely unforced. If you go to Antigua — and after reading this I very much hope you will — please, please make sure you're there on a Sunday evening for this. It will be one of the best things you've ever done on a holiday.

But Antigua isn't just one great moment. That's what surprised me most. It's a destination that keeps delivering, around every corner and at every turn.

The beaches — and there are 365 of them, one for every day of the year — are genuinely as beautiful as any I've seen in the Caribbean. We spent time at Fryer's Beach one afternoon, and it was the kind of place where you wade into the sea, feel the warmth of the water around you, look back at the white sand and the palm trees, and think: yes, this is exactly what I needed. That feeling of complete, uncomplicated escape. Antigua does that better than almost anywhere.

But what struck me was how much more there is beyond the beaches. We did a jeep safari through the island's interior, and honestly, it was one of the most memorable things I did all week. Ancient sugar mills. Rainforest tracks. Hilltop views where the turquoise sea appears beneath you and you genuinely gasp. Antigua has a dramatic, beautiful interior that most visitors never see — and if you're the kind of traveller who wants to feel like you've actually been somewhere, not just parked in front of it, then that jeep safari goes on the list.

One morning we went to something called Nicole's Table — a cooking class held at a hillside home with panoramic views across the island. We cooked authentic Antiguan food, sat down together to eat it, and spent a few hours in one of the most beautiful settings I've ever had a meal in. I'm not normally someone who signs up for cooking experiences on holiday, but this was something else entirely. It felt personal, it felt real, and it connected us to the island in a way that a restaurant visit simply can't. If you love food — and I do — this one's for you.

Now, I want to talk about the hotels, because I know that's often where holidays are made or broken, and I want to be specific with you rather than vague.

I stayed across three properties during the week. Blue Waters Resort on the north coast was our first — a boutique hotel with its own private beach, beautiful gardens, and an intimacy that larger resorts simply can't replicate. The kind of place where the staff learn your name, where the pool drifts gently towards the sea, and where dinner at the Cove Restaurant — right at the water's edge — feels like a genuinely special occasion. Blue Waters is perfect for couples and solo travellers who want something personal and beautiful.

Carlisle Bay Resort & Spa on the south coast was where we moved next, and it's a very different proposition — and equally wonderful. Set in its own private bay with a tropical forest behind it and the calmest, clearest water in front, this is a resort for people who want to be properly, completely away from the world. The suites are enormous, the design is sleek and elegant, and the whole place has an atmosphere of total serenity. I kept thinking about honeymooners here — about couples arriving and just exhaling, fully, for the first time in months. Carlisle Bay does that. It's one of the most beautiful resorts I've ever stayed in.

Our final hotel was Hodges Bay Club on the northeast coast — and this one surprised me most, I think. Where the other two are immediately dramatic, Hodges Bay has a quieter confidence about it. Spacious, residential in feel, sitting on a long calm bay that's completely sheltered and perfect for swimming. The kind of place where you settle in, unpack properly, and feel genuinely at home. For clients who want quality without noise, and luxury without fuss, I'd point them straight to Hodges Bay.

I also visited two more properties that I have to mention. Galley Bay Resort & Spa — adults-only, all-inclusive, set within a nature reserve with thatched bungalows, a private lagoon, and a beach so quiet and private it barely feels real. If anyone in your life is planning a honeymoon and you're trying to help them find somewhere truly extraordinary, send them to me and I will tell them about Galley Bay. It moved me, genuinely, just walking around it. And Pineapple Beach Club — also adults-only all-inclusive, but completely different in character: sociable, vibrant, fun, set on one of the island's most spectacular northeastern beaches. For clients who want the all-inclusive experience done brilliantly, with a real sense of joy and energy, Pineapple Beach Club is the answer.

What I want you to take from all of this is something simple: Antigua is not a one-size-fits-all destination. It's a destination with enough range, enough depth, and enough genuine beauty that it can be the right holiday for all kinds of different people. Honeymooners. Couples celebrating something. Friends who want to let their hair down. Foodies. Explorers. People who simply want to lie on the most beautiful beach they've ever seen and do absolutely nothing at all.

I've now been there. I've experienced it first hand, across multiple hotels, restaurants, experiences, and beaches. And I can say to you with complete confidence and total sincerity: if you're considering the Caribbean, Antigua should be right at the top of your list.

I would love to help you plan it. Whether you know exactly what you're looking for or you're starting from scratch, get in touch and we'll work it out together. That's what I'm here for.