There I was bobbing around in the Caribbean on a Hobie Cat with my two little shipmates – and struggling to think of a time when all had felt more right with the world.
We had thrown off the shackles of a freezing British winter to kick back, chill out and relax at the altogether sunnier St James’s Club & Villa in Antigua.
If there’s a more perfect all-inclusive resort for young families I haven’t found it.
Set on a 100-acre peninsula with breathtaking views, once you get to St James’s Club the temptation is to never leave. The staff are so friendly. It sounds like a cliché, but really, nothing was too much trouble for them, writes Dan
The Sandersons – including dad Dan and his two shipmates Zak, five, and four-year-old Nell – enjoyed the watersports on offer
St James’s from Elite Island Resorts has two beaches – Mamora Bay (pictured at sunset) which is a family-friendly cove with calm water, perfect for sailing, paddle-boarding and canoeing – then Coco Beach on the other side, great for snorkeling
The resort has a great kids club where the children are taken down for fun and games on the beach, pictured left, and entertained with a host of activities like chocolate hunts, face painting, swimming and, pictured right, a kite flying lesson
Besides two spectacular beaches, the family friendly four-star resort, which is located on the south eastern tip of Antigua boasts five restaurants, six swimming pools, four tennis courts, a fitness centre and a cinema, which shows kids films daily
My only previous experience of one was a windswept week in Cape Verde where each day began with a 5am battle to bag a sun lounger.
So there we were sailing in the glistening waters of Mamora Bay with my two kids after a comfortable eight-hour flight from Gatwick with Virgin Atlantic.
After a tough few months I really needed this holiday – and ours began on the plane as the Virgin staff were so attentive.
After we arrived at VC Bird International we took a short drive on some bumpy roads past some pastel-coloured clapboard houses to the secluded St James’s Club, which was to be our home for the next seven nights.
Set on a 100-acre peninsula with breathtaking views, once you get here the temptation is to never leave. Everything is catered for. The staff are so friendly. It sounds like a cliché, but really, nothing was too much trouble for them and everything is done with a smile.
As for the accommodation, our villa was air conditioned, with a super soft, comfortable double bed and posh toiletries in the bathroom. The suites are stocked with fresh fruit and beer and you’d struggle to find a villa or suite without a sea view.
What I needed was a holiday where all I had to think about was laying on the beach or by the pool. And I got it.
St James’s, from Elite Island Resorts, has two beaches – Mamora Bay, which is a family-friendly cove with calm water, perfect for sailing – then Coco Beach on the other side, which is great for snorkeling (I saw a turtle in the coral reef!)
For a four-star luxury resort it’s not at all stuffy, writes Dan. It has more of a family feel than many other hotels. It’s clear from the minute you arrive that this is a place where children are welcome. For those who don’t want to spend their holidays with little ones getting under their feet, there are superior Royal suites – a peaceful adult-only ‘micro resort’ at St James’s
The Docksider restaurant, pictured, has a buffet every night, which is handy if you have tetchy children who want to be fed quickly. Dan Sanderson and his wife Claire booked a babysitter one night and ate at the al la carte Piccolo Mondo restaurant
To help relax and unwind, a visit to the Tranquility Body & Soul Spa is an absolute must. Go for a ‘de-stress’ massage on the veranda for wonderful views across Mamora Bay, pictured
It’s got five restaurants, four tennis courts (with a tennis pro who gave my son his first lesson, see picture below), six swimming pools, a fitness centre, cinema, and a host of water sports including scuba diving, sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and (if your tummy muscles are up to it!) paddle boarding.
An exhaustive list of activities is on offer – including land-based activities such as Caribbean cooking, morning power walking and sunset stretch classes – and is pinned on the notice board every day.
For a four-star luxury resort it’s not at all stuffy. It has more of a family feel than many other hotels I’ve stayed at and it’s clear from the minute you arrive that this is a place where children are welcome.
The quick buffet evening meals at the Dockside restaurant help parents with young kids. One night when mine were getting tetchy we were able to sit down and had them fed five minutes later. What a God send.
But for those who don’t want to spend their holidays with little ones getting under their feet, there are superior Royal suites – a peaceful adult-only ‘micro resort’ at St James’s.
Because I work full time and don’t see mine during the week, I didn’t want to leave them in the kids’ club.
But they enjoyed face-painting, swimming pool water games, kite flying and chocolate hunting so much that most mornings they were begging me to go.
It left me free to start the day with a hearty breakfast from the very good Rainbow restaurant buffet (thick-sliced French toast with maple syrup was a highlight).
After breakfast, I would slope off to the main pool for an aqua workout to dance music to get the blood pumping.
After such an active start, my days usually descended into afternoons lazing by the pool and sipping pina coladas.
Well, what’s the point of an all-inclusive if you’re not going to take advantage of the free rum?
One night we booked a babysitter and ate at the al la carte Piccolo Mondo restaurant near the beach where locally-sourced steak with pinot grigio went down very nicely.
And if you go, a visit to the Tranquility Body & Soul Spa is an absolute must. Go for a ‘de-stress’ massage on the verandah overlooking Mamora Bay (see view below)
Every morning after breakfast guests at St James’s Club can head down to the main pool for a quick aqua workout to dance music to get the blood pumping. After that you feel like you’ve earned your pina colada on the sun lounger in the afternoon
Despite everything the resort has to offer you must get out and see the island and some of its 365 beaches. The Sandersons took a visit to Shirley Heights overlooking English Harbour where people gather each Sunday night for sundown and a party with steel bands, barbecues and dancing
Antigua – which is just 14 miles long and 11 miles wide – is probably best known for its jaw-dropping strips of sand and despite all our resort had to offer, this was my first trip to the Caribbean so I needed to see more of the island’s 365 beaches.
And the best bit? That’s obviously far too many to visit in one trip.
Oh well, I’ll just have to come back and chalk a few more off…