June 29th 2015
Our British Airways flights in both directions were very comfortable as we travelled in their premium economy cabin, which they call World Traveller Plus. This really is a very good in-between product, giving you an extra 7 inches of legroom over their economy seats, they have a smaller, quieter cabin on the aircraft and one less seat in a row across the width so you have a little more elbow room too. Food and entertainment is the same as their economy product which is very comprehensive. I would say definitely worth the little extra cost to travel in comfort.
We stayed at two of Elegant Hotels on the island – Tamarind Cove and Turtle Beach Resort. Tamarind is a small hotel with 104 rooms located on the glamorous West Coast and best suited to couples. Turtle Beach Resort is larger and all-inclusive, located in the South's St Lawrence Gap, where you will find great nightlife – a very good family property with plenty of activities to keep the young ones amused. Elegant Hotels have their Taste of Elegance Dine Around Programme allowing you to dine at any of their 4 participating properties.
Our first full day saw us visiting several hotels, including the famous Sandy Lane Hotel, where all the celebrities stay. After these visits, we were treated to a CPL T20 Cricket match at the Kensington Oval. My first time – what a great atmosphere!
The next evening we enjoyed a sunset cruise with Tiami Catamaran Cruises. Setting sail late afternoon we sailed up the West Coast towards a spot where we hoped to swim with turtles. We spotted one! It is apparently better to visit these spots in the morning before they have been fed by other visitors! As the sun went down, we enjoyed a buffet meal with drinks and danced the night away.
On our Activities Day, we visited much of what Barbados has to offer. First we were off to Bushy Park, home of Race of Champions in 2014, for some go-karting in the sun. This was my first time go-karting and whilst it took a few laps to get used to it, I soon gained confidence and was whizzing around the track.
Next we headed to Harrison's Cave, one of Barbados' greatest wonders. We took a 1 hour tour on board a tram into this crystallized limestone cavern where we saw flowing streams, deep pools, waterfalls and towering columns.
After lunch we headed to the famous Mount Gay Rum Visitor Centre where we enjoyed a short tour to learn the history of Barbados' finest and most celebrated spirits. We sampled a few of the different rum and then took part in a cocktail mixology class. This was great fun for a group to do with a little healthy competition to see who could come up with the next classic rum cocktail.
All in all, I would say there is a part of Barbados to suit everyone, and accommodation to suit everyone's budget. Beautiful beaches, especially the calm waters of the West Coast. Plenty on their calendar of events, including Crop Over Festival and great sporting events. I will never forget the great atmosphere at the Kensington Oval – a real family event. And don't forget the great shopping in Bridgetown too! I visited nearly 20 hotels during this trip so have a lot of information and a few pictures too so please ask to see them if you are interested in this lovely island.