Antiguan adventure

Need to kick-start a healthy lifestyle, but don’t fancy going to extremes on your holiday? A trip to Antigua could be just what the doctor ordered

An escape to the Caribbean might conjure up images of overindulging in sun, sea and cocktails, but I was in the mood for a holiday that would give me hedonism without the hangover.

Although the phrase ‘healthy holiday’ had me imagining nightmarish boot camp scenarios, I was welcomed with an ice-cold rum at the Verandah Resort & Spa on Long Bay, which is situated on Antigua’s north-east coast, and then driven to my room in an electric buggy. The resort has an eco-friendly no-car policy.

What I liked about the Verandah was that, rather than turn my stay into a pious health pilgrimage, I had the option to indulge or abstain as I pleased – and the guilty pleasures are always there for the taking, if you feel so inclined.

So, while I didn’t have to resist the typical holidaymaker’s free-for-all at the resort’s nutritious breakfast buffet, I had the option to feast on fruit salads, yogurts and nuts on more virtuous mornings. All co-ordinated by nutritionist Suzi Grant, the Healthy Bar has a rotating menu with warm salads and goat’s cheese for lunch one day and fresh grilled fish the next.

After several wistful glances out at the sparkling blue waters, I decided to check out the resort’s catamaran trip to the nearby uninhabited Green Island, where my fellow travellers and I were taken snorkelling at an adjacent coral reef. Although we fell victim to one of Antigua’s rainstorms (which are often sudden, but always short) while in the water, this didn’t scare away the fish, which floated around us undeterred.

The next day, I headed up to the island’s rainforest on Signal Hill to try out the exhilarating Antigua Rainforest Canopy Tour. I saw exotic plants, wildlife and birds from above, thanks to nine zipwires that connect two sides of a valley. I opted for the more extreme package, in which you undertake an aerial assault course after zipwiring, and regretted it the instant I stepped onto the first rope ladder. While there’s nothing like a fear of heights to get the adrenaline pumping, I was in need of some serious pampering when I got back.

I headed straight to the resort’s relaxing spa and undid the day’s stresses with an unbelievable deep tissue massage. I wasn’t quite ready to lose the post-treatment, blissed-out feeling, so I rounded off the day with a sunset yoga class to help maintain my inner peace. The cumulative effects of the sun, sea and stress-free holiday experience meant I barely even noticed the flight home. Even better, I did more exercise and ate more healthily than I would’ve at home – and there wasn’t a hangover in sight.

For more information visit www.tcsignature.com

Words: Amy Bangs