IWNA

RESORT DIRECTORY:

IntervalWorld.com

or page 174

CLIMATE:

Antigua’s high

and low temperatures vary

little throughout the year, and

the island is relatively dry

compared with others in the

Caribbean.

DON’T MISS:

Two elegant

spots for a long and lazy

lunch: Catherine’s Café at

Pigeon Point offers fantastic

views of the harbor, and

Cecilia’s High Point Café at

Dutchman’s Bay, run by former

model Cecilia Nord, sits on the

water’s edge.

INTERVAL TRAVEL:

IntervalWorld.com

CURRENCY:

Eastern

Caribbean dollar (EC$)

TIPPING:

Always

appreciated in restaurants and

taxis (at 10 percent to 15

percent). Taxi rates are

published (not metered).

RENTAL CAR:

Recommended, though you

can also explore Antigua

through tour companies that

will pick you up from your

resort.

CONTACT:

Shirley Heights,

shirleyheightslookout.com;

Nelson’s Dockyard,

nationalparksantigua.com;

Mad Mongoose,

madmongooseantigua.com;

Abracadabra,

theabracadabra.com;

Antigua

Rainforest Company,

antiguarainforest.com;

Redcliffe Quay,

historicredcliffequay.com;

Carnival, antiguacarnival.com

VISITOR INFORMATION:

Ministry of Tourism

visitantiguabarbuda.com

fast

FACTS

INTERVAL WORLD Spring 2015 IntervalWorld.com

sure to watch. Or, better still, join in the compulsive shuffle-stepping

through the streets of St. John’s to incredibly loud music. Ahead

of time (as early as February), you can contact groups of street

revelers, known as

mas

(short for masquerade) bands to buy a

costume and organize your participation. Bands are listed on the

official carnival website, antiguacarnival.com.

The rhythms they dance to are

soca

— fast-paced, relentless,

and compelling electronic music — and

calypso

, which is more

melodic and usually carries a social or comic message. If you get

a chance, in the weeks before Carnival, go to a Calypso Tent to

hear the calypsonians sparring in song as they compete for the

title of Calypso Monarch.

But to truly appreciate the Antiguans, attend a

cricket

match

. Not so much for the game itself (it’s a lifetime’s pursuit

even understanding it), but for the spectacle and especially the

lively and illustrious fans who make the game their own, such as

Chickie (the DJ providing the soundtrack for the matches), Gravy

(known for his eccentric ensembles and dancing), and Pappie the

bugler (enthusiastically trumpeting boundaries and wickets).

8. Barbuda and Redonda

It’s hard to imagine, but if it’s possible,

Barbuda

has even finer

beaches and bluer sea than Antigua. Take a catamaran over and

make a day of it. Tiny Codrington, the only town, is worth a short

visit, after which, head up to the Frigate Bird Sanctuary across

Codrington Lagoon, where these black, scissor-tailed birds roost

and display their vast scarlet, football-sized gullets in an effort to

find a mate. Then head back to the beach to laze in the sun and

take in the scenery.

Redonda

, the third island in the trio, is an unassailable cliff-

sided outcrop, but its story is quite interesting. Largely ignored by

colonial powers and uninhabited to this day, it ended up with a

self-appointed king, a literary line, in fact, with courtiers such as

writer Gerald Durrell, actors Dirk Bogarde and Diana Dors, and

the poet Dylan Thomas.

James Henderson has been writing about the Caribbean for the past 25

years in guidebooks and websites, and on assignment for the British

press. He writes mostly for the

Financial Times

and

The Telegraph

newspapers.

SIME/eStock Photo

Carnival parade participants, known as

mas players, don bright, elaborate

costumes for the festivities.