Antigua

[stockdoct]

I'm thinking about visiting Antigua in the next few months on a family vacation, and Antigua of course its the home of one of my favorite rums -- English Harbour.

But when I go to the English Harbour website (antigua distillary), its horribly out of date, listing events from 2004-2005 and showing photos from 2002. I'd love to take a tour, try some rums and all, but I'm not sure what's available.

Has anyone been to Antigua? What should I look forward to, in terms of rum (or anything else) ?

[RonJames]

I have a customer going to antigua for xmas, and I will ask if she had a good time. I won't be able to ask her too much about rum (I don't like letting my people know what a lush I am) but will get the low down. For what its worth it is an island that I would visit...and Im pretty picky. Look up info on wikitravel.org. I believe they have a great outdoor local party at a park overlooking the ocean. Fried food, rum, music, thats where its at man.drooling2.gif

[Edward Hamilton]

You goin Antigua way mon? You on the right path. The first thing you need to know is that it is pronounced "an-tee'-gah" and not "an-tee'=guah." You'll earn a lot of respect in a hurry if you don't pronounce the name of the island incorrectly once you get there.

It doesn't really matter where you stay if you're going to be there more than a day or two since it is easy to get around by local bus or car. I usually anchor in Falmouth or English Harbor and take the bus to St. Johns, the capitol, for about a dollar.

No matter where you stay you owe it to yourself to go to English Harbor, where the Royal Fleet was stationed after a hurricane practically destroyed the Royal Navy's Caribbean fleet in 1694 sinking 27 ships and taking the lives of more than 3,000 people.

Charged with rebuilding the fleet a young Admiral Nelson went to Antigua and fortified the natural harbor on the sw end of the island. Today, much of the area is a national park and a major yachting destination in the Eastern Caribbean.

Antigua Distillers is on rat island, which is just outside St John's. But unfortunately, you probably won't be able to see much. There have been some personnel changes and little attention has been given to tours, or their internet site for some time. The good news is that they are putting their effort into making rum.

Another place worth finding is the post office in Bolan's. Tell Bushy I sent you and if it's too early for a shot of rum, he has the coldest beer on the island. The Post Office is a two-story building across from the gas pumps just north of the Jolly Harbor marina complex, which is about the middle of the western side of the island.

There are also a couple of very good liquor stores in Antigua where you can buy duty free spirits that aren't to be found anywhere else. I found my last bottle of Dr. Ian Sangster's Jamaican rums there just before the good doctor died.

If you're on Antigua on a Sunday night, make your way to Shirley Heights where you'll be entertained by a steel band orchestra and enjoy local food and drink at sunset with a view of Nelson's Dockyard, and on a clear night you can see Montserrat, Guadeloupe and sometimes Nevis.

[joergen]

Ed, that's really good travel tips! Now you made me wanna go.

Looking out the window on all the snow makes me wanna go even more...

Too bad I have to work. :(

[Edward Hamilton]

Work. The curse of the drinking class.

It's cold in Chicago right now but there's no snow.