Barbuda definately is at the top of my list for vacation spots, the only problem being that one must recieve an invitation of some kind from the owners of the resort. Should you, however manange to find a visit to Coco Point Lodge a possibility, you will have the most relaxing vacation possible.When you land in Antigua, you will exit the plane straight onto the tarmat and are immediately greeting inside the airport by friendly Lodge staff. Once with them, you are ushered straight through all lines, so there's no wait involved, and within a half hour you are on a small plane en-route to Barbuda. That flight takes about twenty minutes. Apon arrival the owner of the Lodge (who's name escapes me) will greet you with a couple of Land Rovers on the landing strip (a field) and will take you to the Lodge. There you're greeted with some sort of snack, and of course an open bar, and then shown to your rooms or house (depending on what you reserve.)I myself stayed in two person room close to the lodge, although there are houses that extend furthur up the beach that are perfect for traveling groups (ex: families or groups of friends...) My room was simple but beautiful. There is no air conditioning, although I never found it necessary nor was I ever uncomfortable. Each room has shuttered and screened windows and ceiling fans, and even without the AC you'll need to sleep under the provided blankets... so don't even worry about that.BESIDES most of your time is spent on the beach! Each room/house has it's own beachfront access, litterally you can walk in the front door to your room, straight out the back door onto a small patio (complete with footbath to rinse your feet and table and chairs where you can eat breakfast) and out onto the beach! There you'll see numbered "wikies" which are large umbrella-esque structures made of wood and palm fronds. (Excellent for those with sensitive skin or bad sunburn!) And of course lots of chairs etc. to sit/sunbathe on, and infront of every few rooms as well is ancored a large floating raft in the water which you can walk out to and lie on in the water if you so desire. The beach itself is nice and quiet... the waves are practically non-existant, the water of course crystal clear, warm and very salty and refreshing.ANYWAY... at any point in the day you can walk up to the lodge and order whatever drink you could want (a bartender is always on hand.) I recommend "Ting" (the Caribbean drink... sort of Sprite/Fresca BUT BETTER.) For lunch you can throw a cover-up over your bathing suit and walk up (shoes aren't ever required) and order. Usually there are a few specialties on the menu as well as a grill which has shrimp... fish... hamburgers... chicken, veggies ETC... the food is ALWAYS excellent and varied, the service always friendly (the staff is made up of island natives who are truly kind and helpful people!) Before dinner there's always cheese and crackers or something along those lines and you are given a chance to meet and greet with the other guests, or sit on a couch and enjoy a coctail. EVERYTHING is open by the way. There are no closed rooms except the bathrooms... so you can walk up the beach or whatever after or before meals back to your room, or up the path... whatever the case, whatever you're doing you'll always be enjoying the area... ALSO- at dinner you can ask for a breakfast menu on which you check off what you might like and what time you want it to be brought. A member of the staff will come and place the tray of food on your patio table and knock on the door... there's no need for alarm clocks here!As for activities, there are tennis courts, a dock and fishing boat. You can reserve a time to have your nails done or hair braided, or even for a picnic at Spanish Point. (Someone packs a lunch, chairs, umbrella, etc. and takes you in a boat from the dock across to Spanish Point and will set everything up for you, and retern at whatever time you request... should you want a private outing... very nice!) Also, there's a hut with small sail boats, snorkling gear, and a speed boat for water skiing, tubing, etc... a great opportunity to learn!OVERALL I would give this place an A++... although there are no TVs, no AC, etc, there really is a lot to do if you are feeling active, but it's also an excellent place to just relax and do NOTHING at all. I would definately recommend this place as a vacation spot... above Barbados, Bermuda and other commercialized Caribbean "resorts." I do, however, recommend buying a Coco Point, Barbuda T-Shirt because whenever I tell people about it... they think I'm talking about Bermuda or something.... ANYWAY- this place is definately worth a visit! You won't want to go home.




