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zip off to antigua!

OK!’s penny moy has a high-flying Caribbean adventure

room with a viewafter an eight-hour British airways flight from London gatwick, i touched down in antigua and within half an hour i had reached Sugar Ridge. on arrival i was handed a fruit cocktail before being taken up to my hillside villa. i walk through the bedroom, with its

After what seemed to be the longest winter ever, i felt the need to get in shape for summer – as well as getting some sun on my travels. full of good intentions, i

decided that a combination of sunshine, exercise and adrenaline-pumping activities was the answer to my trip dilemma. So it was off to the Caribbean! antigua is home to some 365 sandy beaches and it’s also where the likes of orlando Bloom, Mariah Carey and gary Barlow holiday. My temporary home was to be Sugar Ridge, a luxury boutique hotel (with just 60 villas, 32 featuring private plunge pools), perched high up on the hillside overlooking Jolly Harbour. this chic hotel ticked all my must-have boxes by offering an aveda spa, three pools and a gym, plus several palm-fringed beaches nearby.

zip, zip hooray!i start how i mean to go on with a workout in the airy hotel gym. Even though i only managed 45 minutes, my muscles ache for far longer!

after a healthy breakfast of tropical fruits and an omelette, i’m picked up by a jeep and taken to the antigua’s Rainforest Canopy tour for a spot of zip-lining. after a thorough safety briefing, i’m harnessed up and before i know it i’m zipping through the treetop like tarzan (or should it be Jane?!). there are nine fixed zip-lines that criss-cross a deep gorge. i love the adrenaline surge and just can’t stop grinning!

When i finally come back down to earth, i head off for my next adventure – a kayaking safari with South Coast Horizons. i clamber into my kayak and start paddling through the slightly eerie mangrove lagoons that lead me out into calm seawaters and a secluded white beach, which is to be our lunch spot. afterwards i’m taken by dinghy to Cades coral reef for some snorkelling. after just a few minutes i’ve seen hundreds of colourful fish darting passed my mask.

following a very exhausting – but exhilarating – day, i feel i deserve a bit of pampering so, once back at the hotel i head to the aveda Concept Spa. My lovely therapist’s magic fingers melt away any aches i’ve picked up from my active day with a relaxing

Below: A snorkelling session before heading back to Sugar Ridge (left) to relax

inviting four-poster bed, to my veranda where i’m overwhelmed by the stunning panoramic views of lush vegetation and the turquoise Caribbean Sea. i’m already in seventh heaven!

Cruise Controli take the hotel’s free shuttle bus to the nearby Jolly Harbour Marina to join up with adventure antigua’s Eco Boat tour, where i board a 52-foot catamaran for my island sightseeing tour. our first-class guide was a font of knowledge pointing up places of interest (including giorgio armani’s house) and local wildlife as we sailed along the coastline.

our first stop was Hell’s gate, a natural limestone arch, which we disembark to walk over. it’s not something i’d ever do without a guide, as some

Main: Antigua boasts amazing waters. Below: Zip-lining was a

highlight of the trip

massage. i have dinner at the hotel’s swish Sugar Club, which overlooks one of the three pools. it has buzzy chic vibe and i happily enjoy a cocktail or two before devouring a delicious dinner of coconut fried shrimps and grilled Mahi-mahi (a local fish).

oK! tRaVEL

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edited by AnnAbel mACKie, ok! trAvel editOr phOtOgrAphs by getty, trAvel pix

Colonial Charmi’m sightseeing today and my first stop is English Harbour. Behind the fortified harbour walls, i discover a yacht-filled marina with brightly coloured quayside clapperboard restaurants. in the marina my guide points out a super-yacht called leander, apparently recently chartered by prince Charles and his wife Camilla.

the harbour is also home to nelson’s Dockyard where i spend a lovely few hours wandering around admiring the British colonial architecture. after all that history, it’s time for lunch. after a quick water taxi across the harbour, i rock up at Catherine’s Cafe where i sample stuffed calamari and a heavenly lobster risotto. My last stop was a drive up to Shirley Heights to take some panoramic photographs of English Harbour below and the sea beyond.

BooKing up?travel specialist Hayes & Jarvis (www.hayesandjarvis.co.uk; 0844 415 1918) offers a seven-night package, including return British airways flights from London gatwick to antigua, private hotel transfers, daily breakfast, staying at the five-star Sugar Ridge Hotel, antigua, from £1,299 per person, saving £784 per couple. price applicable for departure on various dates in September 2013.

FOr mOre inFOrmAtiOn On sUgAr ridge hOtel, visit WWW.sUgArridgeAntigUA.COm. OrgAnise zip line And mAngrOve trips thrOUgh sOUth COAst hOrizOns (WWW.sOUthCOAsthOrizOns.COm) And bOAt eCO-tOUr And snOrKelling trips thrOUgh AdventUre AntiqUA (WWW.AdventUreAntigUA.COm). FOr reservAtiOns At sheer rOCKs, visit WWW-sheer-rOCKs.COm. FOr mOre inFOrmAtiOn On the islAnd, visit AntigUA And bArbUdA tOUrist AssOCiAtiOn At WWW.AntigUA-bArbUdA.Org.

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a taste of naturei swap my early-morning gym visit for a nature walk with a local character named Vorn. a keen environmentalist, Vorn takes me on a two-hour walk through the surrounding fields and a local village. His knowledge of the local flora and fauna is phenomenal and every 20 steps he’s picking something off a tree or plant for me to smell or taste! the highlight is eating freshly picked mangoes from his neighbour’s garden.

Before i leave, i head to St John’s, the island’s capital for some souvenirs. i’m surprised at the variety of duty-free shops selling designer clothing, jewellery, local crafts and, of course, rum. on my return i have one last plunge in the Caribbean Sea – it’s the perfect pre-flight relaxation technique!

5 of the Best beaCh aCCessories1 LuLu GuinneSS SunGLASSeS DoLL FAce LiLy ToTe, £50 handbag goddess lulu has nailed it again with this tote that’s perfect for the beach. see www.luluguinness.com.2 oRLA KieLy STem JAcquARD BeAch ToweL, £35 stand out from the crowd with orla’s signature print beach towel. see www.uniqueandunity.co.uk.3 hAvAiAnAS SLim in RoSe, £22 a firm favourite with the stars, havaianas has pulled it out the bag with these beach-perfect metallic flip-flops. We love! see www.havaianas.com.4 TomS KiTTy PinK ToRToiSe SunGLASSeS, £125 be beach-beautiful in these gorgeous cat-eye shades. plus, with every pair bought, toms saves the sight of someone in a developing country. see www.toms.co.uk.5 PiZ Buin weT SKin TRAnSPARenT Sun SPRAy SPF30, £17.99 make a splash with this new high-protection lotion that offers instant, non-greasy protection straight from the sea. see ww.boots.com.

traveller’s tales

natalie gumedethe ex ‘Corrie’ star on being put on a drip before a flight home...

Soak up the history and architecture at nelson’s Dockyard

OK! enjoyed a delicious chocolate lava cake at carmichael’s

The picturesque harbour is a draw

for holiday-makers

what’s your favourite holiday destination?i haven’t travelled as much as i’d like, but i was lucky enough to holiday in perth – amazing sunsets!

what holiday essentials always end up in your suitcase?Spf, plus a pen and paper. i enjoy writing and being on holiday always provides the most inspiring and relaxing environment to think of ideas.

what’s your worst travel experience?falling ill with tonsillitis on the day i was due to fly home from holiday. i was so poorly i couldn’t open my mouth – i was on a drip for four hours before getting on the plane. after having a shot of antibiotics injected into my bottom, i was sent on my way, but then i could barely sit down on the flight!

what’s the secret of a perfect holiday?getting the right mix of recreation and relaxation. i always like to explore a new country and learn its culture and history, but i also love to spend a couple of days doing as little possible in order to recharge!

what’s the one thing we must see or do before we die?i think travel is hugely important in order to understand more about the world and other cultures, but it’s equally important to make sure the people we love know it, and that we do what we can to help others in less fortunate situations than our own.

FOllOW nAtAlie On tWitter – @nAtAliegUmede.5

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as it’s my last night, i dress up for dinner at Carmichael’s, the hotel’s open-air gourmet restaurant, which has a magical hilltop location. as i sip my rum cocktail next to the infinity pool, i watch the sun set. Dinner is on the verandah with culinary highlights being the seared tuna and aubergine purée and indulgent chocolate lava cake.

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parts were quite tricky, but i did feel quite the daredevil once i’d done it! after lunch i spend the afternoon snorkelling and enjoying the Caribbean sunshine.

Dinner is at the romantic restaurant Sheer Rocks, located atop a steep cliff where i find the jaw-dropping sea views are as memorable as the modern cuisine. We were told that Brit comedian David Mitchell and his new wife Victoria Coren had recently dined here. i watched the sun set sipping a Mojito and enjoying a divine seafood curry.