Antigua holiday villa: Red Hill, Willoughby Bay

We spent 10 relaxing days in July 2009 at the villa as a family of 2 adults and 2 small children. The view across the bay with the morning sun streaming in is breathtaking.

The location means that it is essential that you have transport (i.e. a rental car), because there are no shops, bars or restaurants within reasonable walking distance. However, that is its charm - it is very calm and not overlooked by any neighbours - you will not be bothered by anyone. With a car it is 6 mins to English harbour and the grocery stores and 15 mins to the stunning Half-Moon Bay. We used the villa as a base to explore the island's many beautiful beaches for which it was perfect, coming back to spend time in the pool as the sun set.

The property is well maintained and breeze-cooled, but the two main bedrooms very helpfully have air-conditioning. And everything worked.

The only disappointment we found self-catering was the quality of food it was possible to buy in Antigua. Very little food is produced in Antigua - the mangos and bananas sold by the side of the road are great - but if you want meat or fish you are more likely to end up with frozen packages imported from the US. But you quickly adapt. In contrast, there is no difficulty in obtaining almost any kind of champagne, wine or beer.

For us, this villa was a much better option than a 5 star hotel, because it had a lot of space for the children, a wonderful pool overlooking a beautiful bay and a tremendous amount of peace and quiet - and it gave us the flexibility to do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted.

I would also add that the owners were always at the end of a phone line if needed, which was very helpful.

Our favourite beaches: Half-Moon Bay, Long Bay (great for children's snorkelling), Darkwood Bay, Carlisle Bay - all easily accessible by car.

We would have no hesitation to recommend this villa to like-minded travellers.

Enjoy!

A great well equipped villa for a home away from home. Really nice pool, constant breeze, no mosquitoes and beautiful view! An easy drive to beaches, restaurants,supermarkets etc. Enjoyed our stay.
Jan & Pete

We spent Christmas '06-New Year's '07 at the Willoughby house with our four adult children (ages 23-30) and two of their significant others. We had plenty of room(s) for everyone and especially enjoyed our meals around the spacious dining room table (cooking was easy with well-equipped kitchen). We felt far enough removed from all the hubbub, but also close enough (10 minute drive) to enjoy the nightlife and amenities of English Harbor. There were several restaurants in the the town offering everything from fine cuisine to delicious local fare. We roamed all over the island and took advantage of as much as we could of what Antigua had to offer (including the brand new eco-adventure spot). The airport was a bit of a pain to get to (the kids had numerous arrivals), but it was all worth it. They especially enjoyed the pool and beaches we found and still love to talk about all we did. The landlords were wonderful (oh those gardens) and provided anything we asked for. An added treat was my husband getting to sail in a regatta near the end of our stay - he found a boat that needed a crew member and he joined in for a second place finish! Truly a great way to spend a holiday!