The Caribbean is one of my fave places on Earth and every year its my goal to visit atleast 2-3 new islands. This year I had the island of Antigua on my list especially cos it is known to be the “Land of 365 Beaches” – yes the island literally has 365 beaches , a new one for everyday of the year! Last week I had the chance to visit this destination, thanks to Antigua and Barbuda tourism and had such a wonderful experience adventuring all around Antigua. I’ll be sharing a ton of details of our trip and a full travel guide next week. In this post, Ill be recapping our first half of our stay at the beautiful Carlisle Bay.

View of Carlisle Bay and the backdrop of the rainforest

We split our stay across the north and south of the island to get two diverse experiences on the island. The South coast of Antigua is more quiet, greener and lush (cos of the rainforest), unspoilt, secluded and utterly gorgeous in every way! Carlisle Bay is tucked away in what is known to be one of the most beautiful bays of Antigua. Carlisle Bay is a part of the Leading Hotels of the World and is known for classic understated luxury. Aside from its stunning tranquil location I absolutely loved its low-key vibe and secluded feel. It is set against a dramatic backdrop of rolling hills and lush tropical rainforest on one side and the blue Caribbean sea on the other.

Whether you are looking for a couples getaway or a family vacay, Carlisle Bay has something to offer for both. The best part is that it accommodates honeymooners and families on opposite sides of the resort. This way they can seamlessly cater to both types of guests without interrupting each of their experiences.

Carlisle Bay recently completed a resort-wide refurbishment earlier this year which brightened up the exterior and interior of the resort. The resort offers 87 ocean facing suites all luxuriously presented in a relaxed urban chic meets Caribbean style kinda vibe and in varying sizes. We stayed in a beautiful Ocean Suite which was spacious and airy with elegant contemporary interiors. I loved the gorgeous view of Carlisle Bay that we had right from our private balcony.

Ocean Suite

With five fabulous restaurants and four relaxing bars and lounges to choose from, the resort offers wining and dining options to suit every mood occasion. While we were there we tried Indigo on the Beach, which is their main beachfront restaurant where breakfast, lunch and dinner is served daily. We loved our seafood dinner here on one of the nights as well as our daily island breakfasts.

Breakfast at Indigo

View of Indigo from the water

If you ever visit the property make sure to also make a reservation for a meal at their beautiful adults only Jetty Grill, where you get to dine on the jetty! Such a beautiful and romantic setting for a dinner. And of course no vacay is complete without room service for me! Especially with a view to die for this was my fave way to start the day.

Room service on our balcony

They also serve complimentary tea and snacks (pic above) every afternoon at the beach, pool or even in your room.

My absolute favorite part of the resort was the gorgeous beach. It is so calm, unspoilt and peaceful ; it really felt like Natalie and I had the whole beach to ourselves!

Beach area at Carlisle Bay

Suit : c/o Minkpink

The long stretch of beach is a pleasure to swim in or stroll on from one end to the other (which is where we found this cool leaning coconut palm below. ;))

And did I mention how dreamy the sunsets are from Carlisle Bay?! If you dine at Indigo for dinner you will surely be treated to a spectacular sunset sky!

The resort also has a large swimming pool set among lush tropical gardens and is the perfect place to spend a sunny afternoon sipping on a pina colada.

Pool area

Suit : c/o Malai swimwear

As for other activities, Carlisle Bay has a world class spa, a watersports centre with complimentary activities like sailing, kayaking, snorkeling, windsurfing and paddle boarding , fitness centre, library and more. The resort was also the first in the Caribbean to open its own cinema, a trend that many others replicated. The space was recently renovated and guests can enjoy multiple movies each week along with gourmet movie-style snacks!

Also for all you newly engaged couples or future brides out there here is something super fun to consider – Antigua just launched its first-ever honeymoon registry! Looking back to our wedding I always think that this would have been the perfect wedding gift – the gift of travel. Now, couples can register for experiences at Carlisle Bay which can be purchased by wedding guests for them to enjoy on their honeymoon. For example – room nights, candlelit dinners, cocktail cruises, spa treatments and much more. As a couple you can register for a specific dollar amount with the resort, which your guests can then contribute to. Then, you can spend that amount as they please at the resort during your stay.

In front of our Ocean suite

All images shot by Natalie Marie (unless mentioned otherwise)

Drone stock images and other stock images provided by : Carlisle Bay

Overall, we had such an incredible stay at Carlisle Bay and I can’t wait to return back again, next time with Anush :)!

Thanks for stopping by. xoxo

Jyo

**This stay was in collaboration with Carlisle Bay, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.