Dear Editor,
Good evening,
I am a tourist who regularly visits Antigua and Barbuda, and I recently had one of the worst experiences of my life on a Caribbean island. My family and I arrived on Monday and are staying at an Airbnb in the village of Buckleys. Because of the horrific experience we had today, we are now considering cutting our stay to just three more days instead of our original plan of two weeks in Antigua.
While driving on the road from Buckleys to All Saints, it appeared that the road had been dug up intentionally for some reason. Our car, with my husband and young children inside, began sliding in the dirt because it’s a front-wheel drive vehicle.
We nearly ran into a lamppost, and my children started screaming and crying because they were terrified and thought we were in danger. I have never driven on such a road in my entire life—it was unacceptable and unbelievable. My husband and I are still traumatized by the ordeal.
To make matters worse, a kind passerby driving a pickup truck helped pull us to safety onto a paved road. We thought we were finally safe until my husband drove toward a white apartment on an incline, where there was a very deep trench.
Our car got stuck _again_ because of how low the rental vehicle is and how deep the trench was. We had to call the rental company, explain the situation, and wait for a tow truck—which took about an hour to arrive due to the heavy rain that fell today. The person responsible for Buckleys Village should be ashamed of the condition of the roads. It is horrific, to say the least.
When we finally got to safety again and started driving down Buckleys Main Road, we encountered another nightmare. The water on the road was so high that we couldn’t pass, and the road conditions made it impossible for our rental car to continue safely.
We had to face three disasters in one day. In some sections of Buckleys Main Road, only one car can pass at a time because the road appears to have been dug up. For a family unfamiliar with Antiguan roads, the number of potholes—literally everywhere—was shocking.
Our day was completely ruined, and we eventually had to turn back and return to our Airbnb in Buckleys. I believe the authorities responsible for the road network in Buckleys must do better.
The poor road conditions are a terrible look for tourism. To the rental car company, we thank you for your professionalism and compassion. And to the people of Buckleys who helped us, we are grateful. Our first impression of Antigua is that the people are kind—but the roads, unfortunately, are a 0/10, especially in Buckleys.
Signed,
_Julia Moltovia_ United States Tourist