Antigua is the perfect holiday and lifestyle destination. It’s ideal for relaxing on the beach in the beautiful sun and creating lifelong memories. Antigua is one of the most beautiful destinations to explore due to its 365 beaches enhanced by the clear blue water of the Caribbean outline. Its sister island, Barbuda, is 32 miles north and covers hold pink sandy beaches.
My best friend invited me to Antigua and Barbuda and I couldn’t buy my plane ticket fast enough. It was a long overdue girls' trip! I was so excited to relax on the beach, eat, take in the most beautiful views, and get back to traveling the world. If you’re ready for a lavish and chill trip, keep reading for my guide to the ultimate luxurious and relaxing vacation in Antigua and Barbuda.
Traveling in Covid
It's risky to travel during these Covid times. It’s required to be vaccinated and provide a negative PCR test to enter the country. Nonetheless, I felt very safe! Antigua and Barbuda also have very low cases; masks are heavily enforced, and there is a country-wide curfew which makes me feel even safer as the country is prioritizing the health and safety of its people while opening its doors to tourists.
As of October 1, 2021, all over-18-years-of-age arriving visitors to Antigua and Barbuda are required to have had at least one dose of an approved vaccine to enter, complete a health screening questionnaire, as well as a negative PCR COVID-19 test result within four days of arrival. You can visit their official website for more of their latest travel advisory.
I recommend packing a sufficient number of masks for your trip - at least one (1) cloth mask for each day or a box of disposable masks. And at least two pens to fill out necessary forms. I also suggest printing a copy of your test results in case your phone dies or you don’t have cell phone service.
Once we passed through the Covid entry section and immigration at V.C. Bird International Airport Arrivals Terminal (which was pretty fast), it was time to start the vacation!
Getting To The Hotel
Antigua & Barbuda doesn’t have Uber and Lyft services available on the island. Many hotels offer airport pickup or you can get a taxi at the airport. After watching countless vlogs and researching, I decided to plan our pick up ahead of time with Get There Travels And Taxi services via WhatsApp, which was a $96 USD roundtrip for the two of us. Our driver, Craig, was super nice and welcoming. He shared so many recommendations of places to check out that I’m already planning my next trip.
Wearing the Forever Savage Bralette In Grey and Savage X Boxers from Savage X Fenty.
Where We Stayed
CocoBay Resort is an all-inclusive, adult-only getaway resort. It’s widely known as Antigua’s most romantic and relaxing resort. Once we arrived, we were ready to check-in. Check-in consisted of being greeted with delicious rum punch drinks, filling out online Covid waivers during check-in, and then being shown our private garden view cottage — which was kindly upgraded to a deluxe cottage!
The resort has a colorful collection of pastel cottages with picture-perfect views of the turquoise Caribbean sea. The resort also features several infinity pools and some of the most dazzling ocean views you can take in while sipping on a cocktail.
The food was to die for; there were two appetizers for each meal, the main course, and then dessert. I’m pretty sure I gained some weight in my 3 days because I couldn’t stop eating! The alcoholic drinks were very light, however, the bartenders had no problem adding extra alcohol to the drinks or handing me a shot.
I especially loved the dining at CocoBay because they were intimate restaurants and not buffet-style like many other all-inclusive resorts. The food was so delicious, wonderfully made, well seasoned and there were various options to choose from when we sat down during lunch, breakfast, or dinner.
CocoBay was a wonderful, relaxing, resort and the service was incredible —everyone on the staff was so hospitable, nice, and fun to talk to. Staying at CocoBay is a must if you want to have a luxurious, relaxing vacation while in Antigua.
Wearing the Obaatan Kaftan+Maxi Dress in Octavia Cobalt (Bamboo Rayon) from Furkat and Robbie.
What We Did
Unfortunately, during my visit, all the bars were closed in Antigua and Barbuda until the 29th of October 2021, or until further advised. Also, there was a curfew in place from 11 pm - 5:00 am. This wasn’t much of a hindrance for me since me and my bestie decided on doing a chill vacation. I was able to really like relax, take amazing photos, and day drink at the resort.
On Friday night when we landed, we booked a private beach dinner at CocoBay; you can come to dinner with us on my Instagram.
Wearing the Handkerchief Tie Halter Crop Top, Satin Bias Cut Hem Midi Skirt from Nastygal and Stay-Sassy Twisted Detail Lace Up Square Peep Toe Curved Heel In Gold Faux Leather from Ego Shoes.
Have you ever eaten in an infinity pool? I didn’t either, so I was ecstatic to book this floating pool breakfast private experience on Saturday morning. You can see more photos on my Instagram @shanelamari! For the rest of the day, we explored the resort, chilled by the pool, and napped after drinking all day.
Wearing IVY Park swimsuit which is sold out.
I loved staying at CocoBay because they offer so many additional options to add on during your stay. So on Sunday evening, we booked a sunrise boat tour. Sailing on the sea was truly a beautiful experience. Be sure to bring a towel so your phone and other items won’t get wet!
Wearing the Wild Cat One Piece from Twisted Saints and Ruched Tie Side Split Hem Midi Skirt from Nastygal.
Coming Home
Monday arrived too soon and it was time to hop back on our flight and I was sad to leave. It was a quick 3-day trip, but much needed to get some rest, explore a new country, and take some amazing photos.
A negative Covid-19 test is required to enter back in the United States. Cocobay offered a rapid test for an additional $50. This was one of the many reasons I loved staying at the resort, they made everything very easy!
Overall, I’m seriously counting down and keeping an eye on flight deals until my next trip to Antigua so I can experience all of what the island offers without limits. I hope you add Antigua and Barbuda to your travel list if you haven’t already!
Have you visited Antigua & Barbuda before or are you planning to visit soon? Let me know by commenting down below!
Until next time,
Shanel