Page 8 - DreamScapes Magazine | Winter/Spring 2022

TOUR THE ISLAND(S)
DURING A WORKOUT
One great way to get a workout is to tour the island with Antigua-based Triflexcursion. The company offers hiking, cycling and kayaking and some tours combine all three. Bikes, kayaks, bike helmets and bot- tled water are all provided, and the company can also customize tours. triflexcursion.com
Hotels and Resorts Catering
to the Wellness-Minded Guest
As important as the geographic destination itself are the local hotels and resorts that welcome and cater to wellness-minded visitors. For instance, if beach and oceanfront are what you crave, you cannot get much closer to shoreline than the upscale all-inclusive Curtain Bluff. With four championship tennis courts and on-site instructors, the 72-room luxury boutique resort is a big draw for tennis enthusiasts, but there are also fitness options for wellness-minded travellers not so much into tennis. Classes, including yoga, Pilates and aqua aerobics, are offered several times
a week. Squash, basketball and pickleball are also available. curtainbluff.com
On the island of Barbuda, Barbuda Belle is a luxury, eco-friendly boutique hotel, blissfully embraced by peace and quiet. Travellers seeking an out-of-the-way experience will find it at this full-service property located on a secluded beach, a 17-minute flight from Antigua to Barbuda, followed by a 20-minute speed- boat ride to the destination. The collection of eight upscale guest bungalows plus a Club House and an on-site restaurant—much of it built of bamboo
and other natural materials—has a Bali feel.
barbudabelle.com
Nature Beyond the Beach
Yes. The beaches are beautiful but there is so much more beyond the sandy, wave-washed shores. One example is Walling’s Nature Reserve. Part of Antigua’s Green Corridor, the reserve is a community project opened in 2018 that offers guided nature tours as well as walking and hiking trails, ranging between five and 22 kilometres. wallingsnaturereserve.org
Another nature-immersive option is the Frigate Bird Sanctuary. A refuge for the national bird and an easy, guided kayaking excursion off the Barbuda coast, the sanctuary allows travellers to get close to hundreds of these massive birds—some with a wingspan of up to two metres. The best time to experience the Frigate Bird Sanctuary is November through April when the frigate birds travel thousands of kilometres from the Galapagos Islands to mate in this Caribbean sanctuary. visitantiguabarbuda.com/destinations/ frigate-bird-sanctuary
Fitness in Nature
Beyond hiking in Walling’s Nature Reserve and kayaking to the Frigate Bird Sanctuary, fitness activi- ties abound on these two beautiful islands. As just one example, local tour operator Adventurous Hikes and Tours offers various hikes including the three- hour tour to Mount Obama (formerly known as Boggy Peak), the twin island nation’s highest elevation. adventuroushikes.com
Among a number of other fitness activities, the all- inclusive St. James Club, Antigua, offers a 45-minute guided Float Fit Class that incorporates yoga and Pilates poses as you try to maintain balance on a stand-up paddleboard (SUP). As the waves and wind gently rock the SUP, it’s definitely not as easy as it looks! stjamesclubantigua.com
8 DREAMSCAPES WINTER/SPRING 2022