barbados: top tips for travellers

August 24th, 2009

If you’ve never been to Barbados before and want to know what to do and where to go The Babee Blog has some top tips for you and here they are.

I have been twice so far, once back in 2002 with a best friend who convinced me to take a charter flight to a series of beautiful islands even though I am phobic about flying. After much coercion I agreed and nearly fainted when I saw the pilot was younger than me, I was only in my mid twenties at the time but this guy looked a complete pup! Even worse was to come, he fancied my friend so promised to let her sit in the pilot’s seat on the way home and take control!

The islands are stunningly beautiful and we sailed on a catamaran all day drinking rum punch and listening to reggae, on the way home my friend did as the pilot promised and sat up front, hands on controls. She took one look back at me, saw the sheer terror on my face, my hand clutching the door lever and decided she had put me through enough.

I will never forget that experience for as long as I live! To make it up to me I made her drive a mini-moke across the island in blazing heat to what I can only describe as heaven, Crane Beach (voted one of the world’s best 10 beaches), this is on the Atlantic side of the island and is everything you would imagine of paradise, beautiful blue seas, white surf and sand so bright it’s blinding.

The second time I visited Barbados was in October last year for my honeymoon, one week of absolute bliss (hubby’s idea was solely baby making but my idea was copious amounts of sleep, pina coladas and Caribbean food!).

There are lots of things to do in Barbados and the people are so beautiful, smiley and welcoming. We drove to Sunbury plantation house, swam with turtles (although I was a complete baby and wouldn’t swim far enough out for fear of Jaws), went on a night time cruise, stopped at Foul Bay (only me, hubby and our two friends on the entire beach) and to top it all off, had Sunday brunch at the Crane Hotel whilst being sung to by a gospel choir.

My travel tips:

- Rent a mini-moke and drive up the coast to Bathsheba
- Visit Sunbury plantation house
- Swim with and feed the turtles
- Take a night time cruise with limbo dancers
- Sample the local lobster
- If your budget can stretch – visit the surrounding islands for the day
- Go to Oistins fish market on a Friday night and eat until you have to be rolled home
- Sunday brunch at Crane Beach Hotel with gospel choir singing harmonious notes in your ear
- Dinner at Daphnes (they do the most amazing granny smith sorbet, that really is indescribable!)

Make sure you enter our lastminute.com good stuff giveaway and you may be taking yourself and nine friends to Barbados on holiday.