The island of adventure! Barbados is not just a stunning destination for those who love to laze by the ocean with a good book and cocktail. Travel writer Andy Allen not only found paradise in this gorgeous Carribbean island, but also a bountiful collection of amazing new experiences and adventure!
When it comes to choosing one of the most special holidays of your life, it’s important to think about what memories you are going to create and share on your honeymoon. There are plenty of far-flung destinations that can offer you paradise beaches and warm turquoise waters, but Barbados can offer you so much more.
The world-renowned hospitality of the Bajan people make a holiday here so unforgettable. Every local that you encounter takes pride in making sure that you have an amazing time. They are eager for you to return again and again.
The tropical beaches, lined with palm trees and cool blue waters are everything you could wish for.
Not only did I get to enjoy those chilled moments, but I jumped at the opportunity to experience what the locals call a ‘soft adventure’. So what fantastic activities are on offer in Barbados?
Barbados ninja throwdown
This is like TV show, Ninja Warrior, but with a Bajan twist! It was great to see the athletes competing in this gruelling course at close hand. Various ages participated; the oldest contestant being 65 years old – they got a huge cheer! barbadosninjathrowdown.net
Mountain bike trail ride
A bright and early start ensured the temperature was not too hot for a cycle ride through the sugar plantations of the St. Lucy area. Our guide, Monique, was friendly and informative as she pointed out various points of interest. You can choose how far you would like to travel with various routes and options, catering for all fitness levels. My bike ride lasted an hour. This was a beautiful way to start the day. (This activity was organised by the same company as those that did the Ninja Throw Down.) bikecaribbeantours.com
Harrison’s cave
An underground limestone labyrinth of breathtaking views and deep pools, this is one of the most popular attractions on the island. There are many different tours available here, ranging from a tram tour that allows you to sit down and leisurely explore all of the sights, or there is an ‘eco tour’, which involves tracing the original cave entrance that early explorers would have used back in the 1700s. Some parts of the tours involve wading through deep pool and crawling on hands and knees through a narrow gully of stalagmites and stalactites. Don’t worry – guides are on hand! Helmets, elbow- and knee-pads are all provided. This is an amazing experience for those with a strong sense of adventure! harrisonscave.com
Horseback riding
Jah Works Riding Stables provided the horses and tour guide for a wonderful, relaxing experience.
I’d never ridden a horse before, but Empress, our guide, explained the basics to me then we took a slow, relaxed walk over the hills of St. Andrews and down onto the beach below.
As the horses trotted along the seashore, waves lapped against their hooves – this made for an extremely enjoyable experience. jahworks@caribsurf.com
Segway polo
I knew of Segways, but I never thought I’d have the pleasure of riding one, let alone playing polo on one! Barbados had some of the best Segway polo players in the world, and some of them were on hand at their training ground at the University of The West Indies to teach the basics to us. Half an hour after grasping how the Segway moves, turns and brakes, we split into teams for a fun, friendly game of polo. It was superb to mix with some local sportsmen for an amusing afternoon. segwaypoloclubbarbados.org
Watersports
As an island, Barbados is surrounded by water and people really enjoy all the activities on offer in the warm Caribbean Sea. I headed to Pirate’s Cove at St. Michaels to try out a selection of equipment. Jetskiing, paddle boarding and fly boarding were on offer. Riding the jet ski and paddle boarding were great, but fly boarding was a totally new experience for me and something that I genuinely loved. Allow me to explain: it’s when the water expelled from a jetski is funnelled through two tubes that are attached to boots on your feet. Once the you are in position in the water the jetski instructor powers up its motor and (probably with a few failed attempts!) you will soon get your balance and be shooting out of the air like a super hero! It’s a tremendous thrill when you finally learn how to balance, rising steady out of the water. At one point, when I was in the air I looked down and happened to see a sea turtle swimming below me. www.spyswatersports.com
Off road buggies
This was such a brilliant activity, with fun galore to be had in these buggies with your partner/co-pilot! We blasted along the sugar cane plantations over rough terrain, taking a break half-way around the circuit for a driver change.
offroadfurybarbados@hotmail.com
CATAMARAN tour and turtle feed
The catamaran tour was the perfect mixture of partying, eating, drinking rum cocktails alongside snorkelling over coral reefs, shipwrecks and finally swimming with (and feeding) the sea turtles. The catamaran on the way back had a superb party atmosphere with everyone dancing away in the sun to the tunes! coolrunningsbarbados.com
Accommodation
I stayed at the wonderful Sugar Cane Club, which is in St. Peter in the north-west of the island. It had fabulous staff, gorgeous food and spotless facilities. The playful green monkeys that enjoy eating from the mango trees added even more charm and character to the place.
sugarcaneclub.com
FOOD
An abundance of amazing seafood is on offer. The national dish is flying fish (see the pictures, above). I found the food both healthy and delicious, all washed down with a couple of rums – Mount Gay being the most popular brand on the island. Ahh, life in the Caribbean is a delight!
Barbados fact file:
Flights
: around eight hours travel
time from the UK. Virgin Atlantic flies daily from London Gatwick to Barbados, and twice a week from Manchester to Barbados. Return economy fares start from £453 per person. For further information and to book please visit virginatlantic.com
Capital Bridgetown
Language English
Population 277,821
Currency
Barbadian Dollar and US dollars. Current exchange rate is £1 = $2.63 BBD
Barbados Tourism
Marketing Inc.
visitbarbados.org
Temperature
Averages of 21C-31C
