Our Antigua Honeymoon: Ten Days, One Painting and Zero Tummy Aches

Jonny Wall

4 days ago

8 min read

Worth It: Ten days of sunshine, love and banana pancakes – and for once, not a single tummy ache to show for it.

If you've been here before, you'll know how this blog works. I'm sober, I've got a list of food intolerances as long as a Caribbean beach, and I write about the moments that are worth the tummy ache. (A real allergy is never worth it, but an intolerance? Now and then, for the right plate, I'll take the hit.)

So here's a plot twist I didn't see coming. In March 2026, Kelly and I finally went on our honeymoon. We got married at Preston Court in August 2025, and from 3 to 12 March we swapped Kent for Antigua: ten days of sunshine, English Harbour and some of the best food we've ever eaten. And I didn't get one single tummy ache. Not one. Well, apart from the ones I gave myself by binging snacks in the room during downtime, but that's a professional idiot problem, not an Antigua problem.

Grab a (virgin) rum punch. This is a long one.

Getting there: premium economy and a full English

The adventure started the way all good adventures do: with a very yellow suitcase packed in the living room the night before.

On the morning of the 4th we were at Gatwick bright and early, making the most of lounge access with my Priority Pass (one of the perks of being an Amex Platinum member). Kelly clutched her passport and I got stuck into a full English. Honeymoon rules: calories don't count before take-off.

We flew with British Airways in premium economy, and honestly? Incredibly comfortable. A proper treat, and the right way to start something this special.

A little booking tip too. We booked the hotel through Booking.com rather than direct. Booking direct would have got us a small discount, but going through Booking.com earned us far more air miles, which felt like the better deal. Future Jonny and Kelly will thank us.

By quarter to six that evening we were grinning under the Pillars sign at our hotel, with a welcome drink in hand.

The hotel: Admiral's Inn & Gunpowder Suites

We stayed at Admiral's Inn & Gunpowder Suites, right in the heart of Nelson's Dockyard in English Harbour. We picked it because it looked so picturesque and was exactly the vibe we wanted: a secluded part of the island, but still within walking distance of some really good restaurants. It turned out to be even better than that.

We were in the original Admiral's Inn building (rather than the Gunpowder Suites), and it was absolutely stunning in every single way: the furnishings, the decor, the paintings on the walls, the old brick-and-beam lounge. You feel like you're staying inside a piece of history, just with better Wi-Fi.

The welcome was something else. Our welcome drinks were alcohol-free, a twist on a classic rum punch, which is always a lovely thing for a sober guest to be handed without having to ask twice. Then we got to the room and found "HAPPY HONEY MOON" spelled out in rose petals on the bed. That was entirely the hotel's own idea, and it came with a handwritten card to "Mr and Mrs Wall" from the team. I'm not crying, you're crying.

Over on the Gunpowder Suites side is the pool, and the pool restaurant and bar, Boom. There are hammocks slung out over the harbour, an infinity pool, and alcohol-free frozen piña coladas that are, quite frankly, amazing. We drank more than a few across the holiday. (Okay, more than a lot.) The service team got to know us very quickly and were kind to us the whole way through, especially Cordia, who looked after us at Boom (and, as it turned out, at Colibri too). She was so wonderful to us that we're still in touch to this day.

Days on the island

Night one: steel pans and superyachts

After our first dinner at Pillars (more on that below) and a steel pan band that made it feel like the island was throwing us a welcome party, we went for a wander down Yacht Club Drive to gawp at the superyachts lit up in the dark. What struck us straight away was how friendly everyone was. There was just a vibe. We also spotted a few places we wanted to eat at, which is my version of sightseeing.

Dockyard mornings and pool afternoons

The next morning we took a stroll along the historic quayside of Nelson's Dockyard (I spotted a pirate bust in one of the shops and was very tempted), then spent the afternoon at Boom doing absolutely nothing, which is harder than it sounds when there are hammocks involved and you have to choose one.

St John's: off the beaten track

One day we got a taxi up to St John's, the capital, which is about 45 minutes away. We did Redcliffe Quay, the V.C. Bird monument in Heroes Park and the cathedral, and to be honest it all felt very touristy at first. So we went off the beaten track, and that's where we found real Caribbean food at Patty Delight. It was exactly what we were after.

Pigeon Point, Fort Berkeley and a Primark bucket hat

Pigeon Point became our happy place. It's a walk down the road from the hotel: soft sand, a little wooden jetty, and we even found a starfish. We had lunch at Catherine's Café, right on the beach.

Another day we decided to get there the scenic way. We started at Fort Berkeley and trekked across the hillside along the Middle Ground to Pigeon Point in absolutely blistering heat. The views over the harbour were unreal, and they almost made up for the sweat. Almost. My trusty Primark bucket hat was a staple all holiday and earned its keep that day. Then we flopped into lunch at Catherine's again, and into the sea.

Boats, Jolly Harbour and a very lazy Wednesday

We hopped on a boat round to Galleon Beach one day (the details are a bit of a sunny blur, which I'm taking as a sign of a good holiday).

Another day we headed west to Jolly Harbour for some walking and exploring. We also had a nosy at properties and investment opportunities. We'd genuinely love to get something out there one day. Watch this space.

And on our last full day? We literally just rotted in the sun at the pool all day. No photos, no regrets.

The food (and the tummy ache that never came)

Right, this is the bit you're really here for. Brace yourselves, because I have to say something I've never said on this blog before: nothing was a letdown. Not one meal.

Pillars was our hotel restaurant, and it was consistently great. I could have eaten there every single day. Our first night was a proper celebration, complete with a dessert that arrived with a sparkler. (There was also a plate piped with "Happy Anniversary", which I didn't even notice at the time, so clearly it didn't bother us!) We went back more than once, including once purely for the bread and butter pudding, which is on a different level. The breakfasts were absolutely EPIC too. And now for the big confession: the banana pancakes. By every law of my stomach, they should have floored me. They did not. I've no idea what sorcery was going on in that kitchen, but I'm not complaining.

Boom: as well as the best mocktails of the trip, Boom does an amazing Caesar salad. Pool, piña colada, Caesar salad, repeat.

Colibri had a garden full of candles and fairy lights, live music, and an owner who is a genuinely fascinating guy. I had the steak and it was top tier. Plus, Cordia was working there too, so it felt like dinner with a friend.

Flatties Flame Grill is the piri piri place, and we loved it so much we ate there twice. It's so good and so consistent, with huge portions and super high quality. Kelly's face next to that mountain of ribs says it all. (Flatties also plays a starring role in the next section…)

Catherine's Café at Pigeon Point was our beach lunch spot: sand between your toes, something cold to drink, and a table full of food to share.

Patty Delight in St John's was our dose of real, local Caribbean food, and exactly what we were after.

Los Cabrones is no frills, fast service and a real party restaurant. It was a lot of fun, and exactly the kind of loud, happy dinner you need in the middle of a holiday.

Piccolo is a very small place with beautifully presented food and a great view over the harbour. It was a lovely, intimate way to spend one of our last evenings.

And the tummy ache count? Zero. Zilch. Nada. For a blog built on "worth the tummy ache", it's a bit awkward to report that Antigua simply didn't give me one. I'll take it.

The painting: when the universe makes it happen

This is the part of the trip I'll be telling people about for the rest of my life.

It started with rain. We'd planned to go out for piri piri chicken at Flatties, but it was far too wet, so we stayed in at the hotel instead. And that's where we came across a painting of the harbour by the artist Alexandra Telgmann.

Alexandra came over to chat, and we hit it off instantly. I can't really explain it, but something about that painting just felt right.

The next morning, we bumped into her husband again, even though their hotel was miles away from ours. I turned to Kelly and said, "If the universe wants us to have it, it will make that happen."

That night, after a day at Pigeon Point, we finally made it to Flatties, the piri piri place we'd originally planned to go to on the rainy night. And who should appear at the foot of our table? Alexandra, her husband and their friends.

That was all the signs I needed. We agreed to buy the painting.

Alexandra then showed us exactly where she'd painted it and told us the story behind it, and a few days later we met up for coffee at our hotel. We went on holiday to celebrate our marriage and came home with a painting, and with friends for life. If you want to see more of her work, her Ocean Creatures collection is well worth a look.

All because of a rainy evening, a dinner plan that fell through, and the universe quietly doing its thing.

The verdict

On our last morning, Cordia took some photos of us among the Dockyard pillars and on the hotel jetty. It was the perfect full stop, and a reminder that it's the people who make a place.

Our flight home wasn't until 8pm. We tried the lounge at V.C. Bird airport, but it was busy and, honestly, a bit mid. That's the closest thing to a complaint I've got about the whole trip, which tells you everything.

I honestly can't remember a single thing going wrong. The whole holiday was full of joy and love, which is exactly what a honeymoon should be. Kelly and I will be going back, ideally next year. Admiral's Inn, get the petals ready.

⭐ Worth It score Overall: 12/10. We WILL be going back. Food-intolerance-friendly: Surprisingly, zero tummy aches. Sober-friendly: Alcohol-free welcome punch and the best frozen piña coladas going at Boom. Rough cost: About £6,000 all in for 10 days (the hotel was around £2,500), paid for with our wedding-gift money.