Chasing after Pirate Treasure

When I got engaged, my only stipulation about the honeymoon was that we had to go to the Caribbean. I wanted to get on the trail of Captain Jack Sparrow and find some pirate loot of my own. Sam, my fiancée, found this idea very amusing and decided to book us in at the Carlisle Bay Hotel. After all, if any pirate loot was still to be found in the Caribbean, it would be on the unspoilt coast of Antigua.

I think that his real motive was that, once I was surrounded by the luxury of the Carlisle Bay Hotel, I would forget all about my pirate treasure. Well, initially I have to admit he was right – the resort is fabulous – private beaches, unspoilt rainforest as far as you can see and all the comforts we wish we had at home.

A couple of days after we got settled in, however, pirate fever struck again. After all, why waste the diving course we’d taken? I got the staff at the Carlisle Bay Hotel to arrange a diving excursion for us. Unfortunately I did not find any Spanish Doubloons but I really enjoyed diving in the amazingly clear water.

Sam was so sweet, he knew I was disappointed at not finding any treasure so he arranged a hike through the rainforest to take my mind off it. Now hiking in the rainforest behind the Carlisle bay Hotel may seem like a bit much on a holiday but, powered by love, we had a wonderful time. We got back to find that Sam had booked us massages at the spa. Isn’t he the best husband in the world?

No trip to Antigua would be complete without getting some shopping in so the next day we left the Carlisle Bay Hotel and took the half hour drive to St Johns. We had an absolute blast – we visited the museum, we tramped around Betty’s Hope (a restored sugar plantation – I’m glad I wasn’t a slave.) and we went to Fort Barrington. Ah, finally I might get a clue to pirate treasure – they must have kept some pirates here, surely? Unfortunately, there were no clues obligingly carved into the walls – somehow I think that treasure hunters on TV have a much easier time. Sam decided that it was his duty to sample the wares of the Antigua Brewery and then we were off to King’s Casino. (The best way, according to Sam, to find a fortune on Antigua.)

After that, tired but happy we dropped into bed at the Carlisle Bay Hotel. Unfortunately, the honeymoon seemed to end on a heartbeat and it was time to go home but I’ll never forget my stay in Antigua.

Get the chance to visit Blue Waters Hotel too. Check out at ITC Classics