THE WINDWARD ISLANDS, “MAGNIFICENT CARIBBEAN”

BARBADOS IS "BIM"


BY CLAY LARROY

Across the America many couples are having wonderful wedding after months of planning. The bride and groom will need a honeymoon to rest and recuperate.  Vacations are so important, as it gives us a way to connect with each other in a stress free relaxed environment. Couples that take vacations together build memories that will last a lifetime. Couples vacations and travel can be a most rewarding experience especially in the Caribbean. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!

Fringed by talcum powder-white beaches and azure seas, Barbados fulfils the clichéd image of a tropical Caribbean isle, but peel back the exterior and the island offers far more than a mere beach holiday destination.

Endowed with 113km (70 miles) of beaches, however, first time visitors can be forgiven for heading straight for the sand and surf. Most tourists flock to the island’s legendary Platinum Coast to the west, which is lined with world-class, luxury resorts, spa hotels, sophisticated restaurants and manicured golf courses, all lapped by the limpid Caribbean Sea. The south coast has some of the best beaches while the east coast, pummelled by the Altantic Ocean, is less developed and attracts mainly surfers.

Although Barbados’s interior is unremarkable compared to its Caribbean neighbours, a jeep safari provides the best way to discover crumbling sugar mills, historic plantation houses, traditional churches reminiscent of England and colonial Bridgetown. The capital, and the nearby Garrison site, were granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 2012.

Combine this with Barbados’s indelible laid-back vibe, its passion for rum (over 1,500 rum shops dot the island) and calypso-infused festivals, and it’s no wonder people return here time and time again.

Shopping & Nightlife in Barbados

Shopping in Barbados offers a varied experience. As a duty-free island, prices are typically 30 to 50 per cent less than in Europe and North America. Shoppers must have their airline or passport ticket when purchasing duty free goods. Most of the duty free shops and large, western-style shopping malls offering high quality goods and excellent service are found along Broad Street in Bridgetown. Here you can buy everything from designer clothing to gold and silver jewellery.

Popular souvenirs include local handicrafts, such as straw bags, batiks, paintings, rum and woodwork. Speciality craft and gift shops can be found in Pelican Village, outside Bridgetown, as well as Holetown, Speighstown and St Lawrence Gap. The Crane Village on the south-east coast is the latest upmarket shopping destination, which includes duty-free shops.

Opening Hours

Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 0900-1300 or 1400. Some stores are open until 1800 or 2100 on weekdays and until 1530 on Saturdays.

Nightlife

Bajans love to party with nightlife options in Barbados ranging from clubs, beach bars and pubs to rum shops, dinner shows and twilight boat cruises. Music ranges fom calypso and reggae to the latest R'n'B. 

Most of the main nightlife spots are concentrated around the south and west coasts. St Lawrence Gap is the liveliest nightlife spot on the islands; it's a one-street affair lined with smart pubs, clubs and bars. If you want to party with the locals, head to Oistins Fish Market on a Friday or Saturday night, where Bajans dance to the early hours in the open air with music ranging from country and western to the latest calypso.

REFERENCE SITES:

http://www.travelresearchonline.com/blog/index.php/destination-guides/

“Word has traveled quickly that just because you're on island doesn't mean you have to be stranded---as long as you have cash.”

― Doug Cooper

Enjoy life and travel often, the more you travel, the more memories you create!