The climate is tropical marine with little seasonal temperature variation. The islands experience hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October), and periodic droughts.
The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak and Carib Indians populated the islands when Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English who formed a colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981.
Officially 230V 60Hz. Most outlets are the standard British type. Generally speaking, U.S. and Canadian travellers should pack adapters for these outlets if they plan to use North American electrical equipment in Antigua & Barbuda.
'''However contact your hotel and ask to be sure. Many places are now built to North American standards.'''
Also in use are non-grounded North American outlets. These require an adapter to work with plugs that have the third grounding plug. Older North American outlets may not be polarized (with one slot wider than the other). To remedy this, the wider vertical blade on a polarized plug may be filed down to match the width of the other. Otherwise, adapters are available which accept a polarized plug and adapt it for use with a non-polarized outlet.
'''V.C. Bird International''', ({{IATA|ANU}}) ({{ICAO|TAPA}}) located in north eastern Antigua on the outskirts of St John's, is the country's main international airport. The airport serves flights into the United States, Canada, Europe and other Caribbean islands.
LIAT (Leeward Islands Air Transport Services), [http://www.liatairline.com/] headquartered in Antigua, operates flights to various destinations in the Eastern Caribbean.
The following international airlines serve the airport:
'''To the US:''' American Airlines/American Eagle (San Juan, Puerto Rico), BWIA (New York-JFK) , Continental Airlines (Newark, NJ), Delta Airlines (Atlanta, GA), US Airways (Charlotte, NC),
'''To Canada:''' Air Canada (Toronto, Ontario) , BWIA (Toronto, Ontario)
'''To Europe:''' British Airways (London-Gatwick), BMI (Manchester), Condor (Frankfurt, Germany), Virgin Atlantic (London-Gatwick , BWIA (London-Heathrow) XL (Gatwick)
'''To Caribbean:''' American Airlines/American Eagle (San Juan, Puerto Rico), BWIA (Kingston, Jamaica) , BWIA (Trinidad)
Many excursionist come in via cruise ships and enjoy their day in Antigua. Many cruise lines travel to Antigua.
'''Windward Islands''' [http://www.windward-islands.net] - Windward Islands, one of the worlds largest yacht charter companies, can take care of all charter requirements, from bareboat to crewed in Antigua and Barbuda. Operating from 8 international offices (USA, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, Caribbean, Monaco).
Tourists mainly get around by taxi or tour operators. However for the tourist on an economy budget the bus service is fairly good.
'''To/From Barbuda:''' The Barbuda Express offers ferries from Antigua[http://www.antiguaferries.com/].
Languages spoken are English (official) and local dialects. There is also an expanding Spanish-speaking migrant population.
The national dish is fungie (pronounced foon-gee) and pepper pot. Fungie is a dish very similar to the Italian Polenta being made mainly of cornmeal. Other local dishes include ducana, seasoned rice, saltfish and lobster (from Barbuda). Local confectionaries include sugarcake, fudge, raspberry and tamarind stew, and peanut brittle. The various restaurants around the island sell both local and international food.
? Lunch might be anything that can be easily bought from a nearby shop, especially a bakery.
? Dinner will typically be rice,macaroni or pasta, vegetables/salad, an entree (fish, chicken, pork, beef etc.) and a side dish like macaroni pie, scalloped potatoes or plantains. Local drinks are mauby, seamoss, tamarind juice, mango juice and coconut water. Adults favour beers and rums, many of which are made locally.
On Saturday be prepared to find many drive-by barbeques at important road crossings all over the island. They are serving rice and chicken, dumplings, soup, and alike. Sometimes they even have a sound system for entertainment.
Sunday is the day when the culture is most reflected in the food. For breakfast one might have saltfish, eggplant, eggs, bacon, sausages, or lettuce. Dinner may include pork, baked chicken, stewed lamb, or turkey, alongside rice (prepared in a variety of ways), salads, and a local drink.
The only american style fast food chain operating on Antigua is KFC with two shops in St. John's.
Learn about local heritage and culture. Learn a bit of dialect along the way. Buy a copy of the local newspaper "The Observer": they have a nice cartoon in local dialect which helps with the weird grammar and vocabulary of Antiguan English.
Though Antigua is a very safe place, secure your purses and wallets. Walk only with the necessary money, avoid street urchins and vagrants and don't be afraid to ask for help. If you rent a car, park in a well-lit area.
Avoid taking unusual risks, eat more from packaged goods. However the public market is a great place to mingle and get inexpensive provisions.
There are some signs on the road of St. John's, providing you with the ten principles of healthy living:
# Breathe deeply # Drink water # Sleep peacefully # Eat nutritiously # Enjoy activity # Give and receive love # Be forgiving # Practice gratitude # Be accepting # Develop a relationship with God
The locals are very friendly and respectable. Approach them in a courteous manner and it will undoubtedly be returned to you. Approach them with a smile and remember please, thank you, good afternoon.