Family Antigua

As a young captain in charge of the Squadron of the Leeward Islands, he was stationed at Antigua for a while, but preferred to spend most of his time on his ship, describing the island as a "dreadful hole." To be fair, in his day idyllic beach resorts weren’t the norm. Nowadays, when not relaxing by the pool and enjoying the service at slick five star hotels, today’s family visitors can try their hands at a range of watersports.

Also possible are kayaking, kite-surfing, fishing, boat charters, snorkelling trips to the nearby reefs and PADI-certified diving centres. Inland, there’s a variety of interesting excursions to choose from: a rainforest canopy tour, using a network of suspension bridges, for a fascinating insight to life amongst the treetops, or an eco-tour of Antigua’s coastline involving beachcombing, exploring mangrove forests and reefs, and discovering the island’s wildlife, from turtles and stingrays to the pelicans and West Indian whistling ducks of Bird Island.

Other possibilities include trips to the historic Nelson’s Dockyard and English Harbour, day trips to other islands and helicopter tours to nearby Montserrat to see its active volcano up close.