Warm glow of wellbeing

Being suspended hundreds of feet above a tropical rainforest in Antigua, held up only by an apparently flimsy harness, seemed an unlikely place to consider one's well-being. More appropriately perhaps, I should have been considering my survival.

Normally my hectic lifestyle juggling work and a family excludes the luxury of dwelling on that 21st century fad of "personal wellness". I've occasionally grabbed a snatched break in a spa for a massage spent listening to soothing music mimicking whales gossiping, but even that aura of floaty calm usually evaporates in the car on the way home.

On a dreamy Caribbean island, however, the "wellness" is more than skin deep. Attached by my zip-wire, I was feeling a surge of extreme, if rather surprising, joie de vivre as I jubilantly conquered my fear of heights and swung and swooped, getting a bird's eye view of the lush treetops on the Rainforest Canopy Tour.

"I knew you could do it!" said Michel, my guide, beaming and offering me a fresh pineapple smoothie to toast my achievement as I bumped down to earth.

He was probably secretly relieved that after all my fuss about hurling myself into space – well you do cross a gorge 300 feet across with a drop of 350 feet – had been just as he'd reassuringly promised: "Man, it's so safe children do it."

Swooping around like a bird was just one of the surprising moments – another involved cuddling a stingray called Martha, but more of that later – during a break designed to help people kickstart a healthier lifestyle, launched at Antigua's new Verandah Resort and Spa. I felt I'd stepped away into another – sun-baked – world far away from the UK's interminable winter as soon as I landed at the small airport, near the capital of St John's. I was serenaded by a steel band and greeted by a local who welcomed me to "our paradise island" and boasted that there are 365 beaches, one for each day of the year. The island, smaller than the Isle of Wight, is home to some of the most exclusive resorts in the Caribbean, and they shelter discreetly in its inlets and coves. Tycoons and celebrities flock there for sun and sailing, while stars such as Oprah Winfrey and Eric Clapton use it as a winter retreat.

After a short drive along windy roads, past forests of mango trees and villages full of brightly painted houses, I arrived at my home for the week. The Verandah Resort lies on the north-eastern coast, perched high on a cliff next to a nature resort and with spectacular views over the ocean. I was in one of its private, white painted bungalows with a spacious lounge area and sea-facing balcony which tiny, colourful local birds frequently used as a landing strip.

My expectation that the health and wellbeing programme would involve lots of "umming and aahing" on yoga mats, vegetable juices and detoxes, and my having to sneak off like a naughty schoolgirl for an evil cocktail or an illicit midnight feast, was swiftly banished. In a charmingly laid-back atmosphere, you are invited to join a sunset yoga class, an aqua aerobics session in the warm sea, or to stretch your muscles with tennis, water sports or walking, but there's no compulsion to do anything. Eating healthily is delightfully easy, as a health bar in the hotel's main restaurant offers salads, fruit and freshly cooked calorie-conscious meals that are so delicious it's easy to stay on a low-carb path.

But if you want to break out, there are also plenty of meals on the normal menu, featuring Caribbean dishes that often include freshly caught fish that aren't too sinful. While low-sugar cocktails are offered, I was able to treat myself every night to the island's signature drink: a punch made from rum with lime juice and brown sugar, as well as enjoying wine with my meal. It probably helps the unwinding process that an all-inclusive package allows you to wander around like the Queen, without any thought of money, and you are frequently greeted by ever-helpful, friendly staff.

As tensions slipped away I felt energised enough to sample the two pools, and gently jog along to the far end of one of the resort's beaches to see a local landmark, Devil's Bridge, where the sea thunders under a natural outcrop of rock.

Some mornings I took a short stroll out of the resort's gates to Long Beach, which is an accurate description of the swathe of golden sand. It's ideal for snorkelling, but I merely lounged, looking out to sea, enjoying a leisurely cappuccino at the stone and timber Beach House caf.

An opportunity to brighten my pallid, sun-starved complexion was too good to miss, and I had a luxurious pampering session in Verandah's Spa Tranquility.

A caviar and pearl facial promised a youthful look, and after 80 minutes I certainly felt like a different person and vowed privately to make sure my body matched my face, and continued the skin brushing to eliminate toxins and stimulate circulation, which I'd been doing every morning and evening on the advice of Suzi Grant. I'm not sure whether it was my newly sleek, toned body that made me appeal to a large stingray at Stingray City. You reach this attraction by boat and climb off a floating pier into the shallow waters encircled by a coral reef. As you do the water comes alive with large rippling dark shapes tempted by the handfuls of calamari you're carrying. It was an extraordinary experience to have Martha, a well-known regular at this feeding area, lie docilely between my arms, although I kept a wary eye on her lethal tail. Exploring the island, with its colonial history of slavery and sugar farming, is fascinating; there are still sugar mills dotted all over its landscape, as well as posters about cricket matches and local players and pitches which are clues to its real sporting passion. A museum in St John's showcases the legendary Viv Richards bat used for a record-breaking innings in 1986.

Friends had warned that whenever they visit St John's they are digging the road up, and my experience was no different. The rather down-at-heel but quaint capital, with its markets and teeming shopping mall next to the deep harbour where the huge cruise ships dock, is less than relaxing. It was more enjoyable to go to English Harbour, Antigua's historic district, where English-Georgian architecture is interspersed with the

colourfully painted local-style homes. Horatio Nelson was a frequent visitor, but now the seafarers are a mix of American, Australian and British and their modern yachts bob in the blue waters of the marina. I enjoyed a fresh fish feast and a local beer, Wadadli, for only 12.50 in the Passion Fruit Caf, a favourite with local residents, which at night turns into a venue for diners and local musicians.

By the last day I felt it was entirely normal to start the day with a cup of lemon juice and hot water, brush my skin as well as my hair, snack on nuts and fruit and to meditate for five minutes to clear my head.

While I was only too aware that on my return I'd soon slip back into my wicked ways of coffee-on-the-go and an addiction to stress, the break showed me how just great I could feel.

I am determined to maintain some of the good habits which I learned, even though some of the wellbeing highlights – flying like a bird or snuggling with a stingray – will have to remain a hugely enjoyable memory.

All-inclusive – but exclusive

Gabrielle Fagan was a guest of Thomas Cook Signature which offers seven nights all-inclusive at the four-star Verandah Resort & Spa in Dian Bay from Gatwick with return BA flights from 1,199 on departures until June. The same package from Manchester starts at 1,259.

Reservations: 0844 879 8014 and www.ThomasCookSignature.com.

YP MAG 8/5/10