Wild Lotus Glamping

This is a very romantic place to stay in Antigua, the owners couldn’t do enough to make our stay memorable. Highly recommend it. We had a BBQ on the beach whilst watching the sunset which was magical, waking up meters away from the clear blue warm waters was breathtaking.

Am I glad I went and stayed at the Wild Lotus, yes, would I stay there again no. It was a great experience sleeping in a lovely bed in a tent on the beach but there are a few other things I wish I had known. The Good Stunning sunset on a deserted beach Comfy bed Sleeping and waking up to the sound of the waves It felt very safe and there is a good security Proximity to the beach The Bad You’re not on a private beach, it is a private section set back. Everyday hundreds and I mean hundreds of people arrive for the day from 11 until 4 from the cruise liners. They are everywhere and even though the campsite is private they were in it changing out of their Speedos, taking pics etc. Because of the above and day tripper boats coming in and out all day, there are loads of jetskis screaming up and down the sea right where you swim. Making a racket, hassling you to get one and then having no thought for the swimmers. The shower is not at all strong and is solar heated. It is luke warm at best for 3 minutes then cold. Also, not as private as you’d like nor is there a light. There is also one toilet for all the tents and that is a porta loo with no light I could find. A power bank is provided which has a light on it however, the WiFi never worked and the other lights in the room were Christmas ones so provided little or no light. We used our phones. Stuff also to consider. Paul the owner whilst a nice chap, was not around for the 2 days of our 3 day trip so we couldn’t get the BBQ offered nor have breakfast one of the mornings. Breakfast is: fruit a croissant and a coffee. We were also promised a firepit which never materialised. In summary if you fancy something different it is cool but beware of the waves of tourist that swarm around you. On one occasion when it rained, they decided to join us under our parasol. Oh and whilst chair are provided by Wild Lotus, if you want to go to the beach next to the water and get a bed you have to pay $25 US. Jolly Bay doesn’t have much to offer either apart from a few restaurants and a supermarket.

For my 50th birthday, my husband asked me what I wanted. I said if I could have anything it would be views of endless blue and a totally new getaway experience. He found Wild Lotus and our glorious 16 night stay here is the best holiday I've ever had. This is next level glamping for people who want to be right there amongst breathtaking tropical nature with a touch of luxury. Our Lotus Belle tent was airy, roomy, and very comfortable with unique touches that swing between 'ingenious castaway' and 'British summer house'. The beach is one of Antigua's most beautiful (we visited many). The water is warm and clear with no strong currents - perfect for swimming safely. Showering outside, looking through hibiscus and bourgainvillea at the got-to-be-seen-to-be-believed turquoise of the Caribbean Sea, felt completely decadent. It is the best kind of shock, to see nature's beauty framed with more of the same. It takes time to realise how much thought and planning has gone into emphasising this effect. Clever positioning of the tents and plants offers both privacy and an 'at one with nature' experience that makes it feel very special indeed. Delightful hosts Paul, Vennetta and Chloe provide delicious food, detailed local knowledge and go out of their way to take care of their guests. They helped us organise day trips and offered great suggestions for places to visit and eat. A power cube allows you to charge gadgets and it has 3-pin plug sockets if you want to use a hair dryer, for example. Each tent also has a cool box for storing drinks. Lots of battery-powered fairy lights make for very romantic evenings once the sun has gone down, before lapping waves lull you to sleep. There are breakfast and dinner options available at the camp. During the day, you can eat at The Nest beach bar or venture out to one of the many places close by. There is also a supermarket for snacks at Jolly Harbour. We woke with the sunrise every day to the cooing of Zenaida doves. After a beach walk - where we saw stingrays, turtles, starfish and more - the promise of our delicious breakfast always made us walk back a little faster. Once a week there is a jazz and curry night right on the beach. The camp twinkles with a gazillion tiny lights as you sway to dreamy live music against the drama of the sunset. The beach BBQ is something you should definitely do as well ... everything arrives beautifully prepared and you cook it yourself. When people wandered up to us on the beach curious about the camp, two questions were asked most: "Is it hot in there?" and "Is there a toilet?" We didn't get hot at all. There is a small air con unit that we never used. We were always out exploring in our jeep by lunchtime so never experienced the heat of the day inside the tent. At night, the beach cools down a lot. I even used one of the blankets over my sheet to sleep. There are a few toilet options. There are 'portaloos' at the camp and a proper, plumbed in toilet block at The Nest b