Last winter I was lucky enough to visit the wonderful island of Barbados.
This was my first trip to the Caribbean and I loved it even more than I expected. As we were travelling as two women, we choose Barbados as being one of the more 'safer' islands. After a lovely flight in Thomas Cook premium we landed to the warmth of the island.
The people in Barbados are some of the friendliest, most welcoming people in the world.
They have got a fantastic sense of humour and will go out their way to show you their country.
We met with our transfer driver who told us all about the history and what to do in Barbados while he drove us to our accommodation in Holetown. I was really pleased we chose Holetown as it wasn't too busy but there was enough going on and there was also great transport connections to explore other places. We arrived at night so had a quick dinner before getting a good nights sleep.
The following day we headed out to explore what the island had to offer. We first walked down to the Mango Bay hotel to have a quick look around. The hotel has a beachfront location and the restaurant looks out onto the sea.
We then caught the reggae bus and headed South to the capital Bridgetown. The buses are by far the best way to get around the island. They are super cheap and you get to experience how the locals travel.
Once the fireworks were over we headed to catch the bus back up the Holetown. We had been standing for around 20 minutes when a minibus pulled up to offer us a lift and it just happened to be our transfer driver who had recognised us from the previous day! He drove us all the way back up to our accommodation while asking us how we had enjoyed our first day. True Bajan hospitality!
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Our next day started with an excursion to Harrisons Cave which was great!! Before you enter the caves you visit a little information centre which tells you about the history of the attraction. The stalagmites still grow in the cave if only a tiny bit per year. The tram tour takes you into the heart of the caves. We had a fantastic guide who really did seem enthusiastic about the information she was giving us. The stalagmites had grown to create all different kinds of shapes including one the call the 'table cloth'. She told us the importance of not touching as the natural oils created by the body would wear away the stalagmites over time which could led to the sharp ends falling off. One of the most impressive features of the caves is one of the waterfall rooms where we were allowed to walk around in the dark and even touch the water. The caves were warm even though they were so deep underground, with a temperature of around 26 degrees Celsius.
After our morning trip out, we headed back to Holetown to grab some lunch at what ended up being our favourite food spot. 'Just Grillin' was good for value, good quality Bajan food. Catch of the day was flying fish which tasted perfect in a white bun accompanied by grilled potatoes, carrots and corn.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing by the pool.
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Our third full day started with pancakes and milkshakes at the local shopping centre before looking round the local supermarket. Holetown has lots of high end stores including Hugo Boss and Ralph Lauren. The centre was never that busy, perhaps because of the high prices! Next was a walk along Holetown beach before relaxing for a while, talking to the locals. There are plenty of exclusive beachfront hotels and restaurants along the boardwalk.
Lunch was back at Just Grillin with Mahi Mahi catch of the day before spending the afternoon at the hotel pool. After dinner at the hotel, an early night was in order before a trip to Sandals the following day.
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A day pass to Sandals lead to a well enjoyed day at the popular All-Inclusive resort on the South coast of the island. We experienced a handful of the restaurants, pools and activities available at the resort. Sandals has a beautiful beach where you can watch the aeroplanes arriving and departing from the nearby Grantly Adams airport. Kayaking was our chosen watersport although they also offer sailing, scuba diving, snorkelling and paddle-boarding. After a long day lazing on the beach , eating at the many restaurants and trying out some Bajan cocktails we sadly headed back to our little Holetown apartment.
After a great few hours, it was off to the airport for the flight home.
This was my first trip to the Caribbean and I loved it even more than I expected. As we were travelling as two women, we choose Barbados as being one of the more 'safer' islands. After a lovely flight in Thomas Cook premium we landed to the warmth of the island.
The people in Barbados are some of the friendliest, most welcoming people in the world.
They have got a fantastic sense of humour and will go out their way to show you their country.
We met with our transfer driver who told us all about the history and what to do in Barbados while he drove us to our accommodation in Holetown. I was really pleased we chose Holetown as it wasn't too busy but there was enough going on and there was also great transport connections to explore other places. We arrived at night so had a quick dinner before getting a good nights sleep.
The following day we headed out to explore what the island had to offer. We first walked down to the Mango Bay hotel to have a quick look around. The hotel has a beachfront location and the restaurant looks out onto the sea.
We then caught the reggae bus and headed South to the capital Bridgetown. The buses are by far the best way to get around the island. They are super cheap and you get to experience how the locals travel.
Our first day was a bank holiday so a lot of attractions/shops/restaurants were closed as they were celebrating 50 years of independence. Luckily for us the Barbados museum of history was open and we had already planned on visiting. The museum was very good value for money and was well set out. I learned a lot about the history of the island and the people who came to live and thrive in Barbados. We were the only people in the museum so could take our time to look round.
After we left the museum we walked around the Garrison and the famous racecourse. Lunch was pizza and chips, (A typical Barbados dish of course!) followed by a walk along one of the many beaches.
A small look around the not so exciting Bridgetown led us to a bar to pass some time before the big celebration of the night. Prince Harry joined the celebrations at the racecourse to celebrate the Caribbean nations independence from the UK. His entrance and speech was followed by music, poetry, dancing and fireworks. It really was a once in a lifetime to be surrounded by the locals as the danced, sung and cheered along with the festivities.
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Our next day started with an excursion to Harrisons Cave which was great!! Before you enter the caves you visit a little information centre which tells you about the history of the attraction. The stalagmites still grow in the cave if only a tiny bit per year. The tram tour takes you into the heart of the caves. We had a fantastic guide who really did seem enthusiastic about the information she was giving us. The stalagmites had grown to create all different kinds of shapes including one the call the 'table cloth'. She told us the importance of not touching as the natural oils created by the body would wear away the stalagmites over time which could led to the sharp ends falling off. One of the most impressive features of the caves is one of the waterfall rooms where we were allowed to walk around in the dark and even touch the water. The caves were warm even though they were so deep underground, with a temperature of around 26 degrees Celsius. After our morning trip out, we headed back to Holetown to grab some lunch at what ended up being our favourite food spot. 'Just Grillin' was good for value, good quality Bajan food. Catch of the day was flying fish which tasted perfect in a white bun accompanied by grilled potatoes, carrots and corn.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing by the pool.
**********************************************
Our third full day started with pancakes and milkshakes at the local shopping centre before looking round the local supermarket. Holetown has lots of high end stores including Hugo Boss and Ralph Lauren. The centre was never that busy, perhaps because of the high prices! Next was a walk along Holetown beach before relaxing for a while, talking to the locals. There are plenty of exclusive beachfront hotels and restaurants along the boardwalk.
Lunch was back at Just Grillin with Mahi Mahi catch of the day before spending the afternoon at the hotel pool. After dinner at the hotel, an early night was in order before a trip to Sandals the following day.
************************************************
A day pass to Sandals lead to a well enjoyed day at the popular All-Inclusive resort on the South coast of the island. We experienced a handful of the restaurants, pools and activities available at the resort. Sandals has a beautiful beach where you can watch the aeroplanes arriving and departing from the nearby Grantly Adams airport. Kayaking was our chosen watersport although they also offer sailing, scuba diving, snorkelling and paddle-boarding. After a long day lazing on the beach , eating at the many restaurants and trying out some Bajan cocktails we sadly headed back to our little Holetown apartment.
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Our penultimate day was a super laid back day spent by our hotel pool.
For the last day, snorkelling was on the cards. After being cancelled a few days previously due to lack of numbers, I had to wait till a few hours before the flight to do the one activity I really wanted to do on the island. But it was worth the wait and something I will always remember. Turtles were promised and turtles were seen a long with a lot of fish!! The sea was beautifully blue and we had a few stops at different snorkelling stops. The water was pleasantly warm and the weather was perfect.
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