Getting to Barbados

We (my husband and I) flew from our local airport, Gatwick North, on Virgin Atlantic.  Our outbound journey was in Economy Delight, which is economy but it gives you extra legroom, a slightly bigger seat and you can use premium economy at the airport to check-in.  On the return, we flew Upper Class which offers a flatbed, onboard bar with free drinks, access to the Virgin Lounge and some of the upper-class fares include a chauffeur service to and from your destination. I was very happy with both classes.

We had prebooked the fast track service through Barbados Airport upon arrival.  Barbados airport can get very busy and can take quite a while to get through.  To be honest it wasn't that busy when we arrive but we were still happy we took this option.  We were met at the arrivals hall by a lovely lady holding a board with our name on, she took us through the 2 sections of passport control (one electronic and the other via a person) within 5 minutes and waiting by the baggage carousel.  While waiting for our bags, which took a little while but we were on Caribbean time, we were able to talk to our host and get lots of ideas for our stay in Barbados.  Not that I needed any more ideas as I was fully researched up. The bags arrived and our host sped us through customs, which involved another passport check, we had our own line for passengers using the meet and greet service. Our host then made sure we met our private transfer before leaving us. 

Our transfer driver was so lovely and gave us so much information about the island, it was more like having a guided tour.

Where we stayed

Our choice of hotel was The Colony Club on the West Coast.  The Colony Club is currently owned by Elegant Resorts but is changing hands to Marriott Bonvoy. 

As soon as our transfer arrived we were greeted by the concierge staff who seated us in the lobby, bought us a rum punch and advised the receptionist of our arrival.  It was lovely to sit and have a drink to check-in rather than have to stand at the desk.  Check-in took no time at all, the receptionist went through all the points we needed to know about our hotel and called the concierge over to show us to our room. 

We had the Garden View room (which is the lead-in room type) and couldn't be more pleased.  The bathroom had a massive sunken bath with shower and twin sinks and toiletries, the bedroom had a large and very comfortable 4-poster bed, then step down into the lounge area then through to the spacious balcony with 2 sunbeds and a table and chairs to seat 4.  The view was spectacular and even though it was garden view we were lucky enough to see the ocean too. There was plenty of wardrobe space and drawers, a large TV which could be seen from the bed and sofa and a free bottle of rum punch.  Every evening there was a turndown service which included fresh bottles of water and a little card with different Bajan sayings on, I love those original little touches. 

The hotel is currently on a bed a breakfast basis and breakfast was held between 7.30 - 11 am so plenty of time to get there.  It had everything from fresh egg dishes, eggs benedict, the full sausage, bacon, beans etc, smoked salmon, cereals, fresh fruit etc.  They had gluten-free bread and muffins out too.  Another lovely touch is that they give you a daily hotel newsletter and the daily news headlines. 

The pools are lagoon-style and there was a swim-up bar.  Both the beach and pool have ambassadors to look after your pool/beachside needs and bring round little treats such as ice creams and fruit during the day.  The sunbeds are really comfortable.  The hotel is positioned right on the beach and there are non-motorised watersports and snorkels available for use free of charge (motorised watersports are available for a fee).  They hold several themed dining events during the week as well as their normal eating restaurants.

The location of the hotel is very good as you are in walking distance from Holetown which, although not a large town, is good both day and night. 

Out and about in Barbados 

Our first full day (as we arrived late afternoon/early evening) we did a catamaran cruise with Cool Runnings.  This was so much fun - we were collected from the hotel and taken to Bridgetown to meet the boat, the first stop was within about 10 minutes in Carlisle Bay where we were supplied with snorkels to see the turtles, colourful fish and stingray.  We then moved along the coast for a couple of minutes to don your snorkels again and see shipwrecks.  The shipwrecks there allow a nice home for the fish as there is not a lot of coral in that area. After that, we headed up the west coast with drinks flowing and music playing until we anchored for lunch and swimming.  The lunch was tasty and plentiful and the crew are so helpful.  The vibe on the boat was so much fun and heading back to Bridgetown was quite a party atmosphere.  There was a wide range of age groups on the trip and everyone enjoyed themselves.  In total, the trip was about 5 hours and included being taken back to our hotel too.  We had plenty of time to have a sunbath on the beach upon our return to the hotel before getting ready for a really fun night out at Oistins Friday night fish fry. At Oistins, there are loads of huts selling freshly caught fish along with plenty of bars.  The queues for the food are very long so it is best to get there early or eat much later.  There are music and dancing going on all over the place and stalls selling souvenirs.  We went into one of the bars and danced for hours, everyone was so friendly and it's such a carnival atmosphere.

On day 2 we decided to hire a mini moke (which was really a roofless Kia Picante) and explore the island ourselves.  Armed with a map and moke we set off in a Northerly direction and our first stop was the Animal Flower Cave which has the most stunning views over the Atlantic Ocean.  There's a small fee to be taken down into the cave by a guide - we didn't do this as we were happy with the views we had seen, you can also have snacks, drinks and light lunch there. Back in the car (which wasn't easy to get in and out) we carried on North and around to the Eastside.  Stopping for photo opportunities on our route, which we sometimes got lost on but always felt safe, until we got to Bathsheba, this was about halfway down the East Coast and has absolutely stunning views, where we stopped for a drink and snack at Dina's bar on the coastal road, the staff were so funny and friendly.  We kept to the coastal roads where possible.  After our refreshment stop, we headed inland towards Gun Hill then down to St Lawrence's Gap in the South.  We only drove through The Gap, as the best time to visit it is in the evening, but it gave us a good insight into the bars and restaurants.  Back up the West Coast with a short stop for a late lunch then a bit of a swim and a cocktail or 2 at our hotel before getting ready for dinner. 

For our last full day in Barbados, we chose to spend it on the beach at our hotel and take advantage of the free snorkels.  There is a small marine reserve next to the hotel so there were plenty of different types of fish to spot and if you wanted to see turtles, they would take you up the coast on a boat trip.  We spent the evening in Holetown.

Our final morning, as we were being collected at 1345 to go home, we were planning to use the water taxi that took you between the 4 Elegant Resort hotels along that coastline.  You can go to the other hotels (with a pass) to use their facilities including eating and drinking there.  However, the sea had got quite chopping overnight so the water taxi wasn't running so we spent the day around the lagoon pools, enjoying a few last Banana Daiquiris before checking out time. 

Where we ate

Night 1 - The hotel were holding a themed Lobster and Jazz evening on the Terrace Restaurant, so we thought it would be nice to do that and what a good decision.  The menu was extensive, not just limited to lobster, but we both had lobster and it was so meaty and gorgeous.  The sound of the sea from one side and lovely Jazz music was the perfect start to the holiday. 

Day 1 - Lunch was on the Catamaran cruise which was fish and/or chicken with rice and a choice of salads.  They had made me a separate plate due to my intolerances.

Night 2 - We had a lovely room service meal as we were going to Oistin's Fish fry.  My husband did have a KFC after the Fish Fry and he said it was much tastier than in the UK.

Day 2 - We had a late lunch at The Beach House in Holetown, situated on the beach with a very tasty menu.

Night 3 - Dinner at one of the best fine dining restaurants on the Island - The Cliff.  The service, setting and food were amazing.  It's right on the water and the staff cannot do enough for you.  This is definitely a 5-star restaurant and a lovely venue to get dressed up. We booked a table for 830 so there was no rush but if you go earlier your table is for 2 hours. 

Day 3 - The hotel was holding a Sunday Buffet Lunch with Steel band event.  The food was delicious.  They had plenty of fish and seafood choices as well as steak and carvery meats including Yorkshire puddings.  You could either eat on the decking on the beach where the dress code was more beachy but if you wanted to get dressed you could eat in the restaurant, either place was lovely. 

Night 4 - We ate in Holetown at Surfside's on the beach, as on a Sunday evening they have a brilliant steel band and dancing.  It's very casual and is also a sports bar.  Although it's casual the menu has a lot of choices and the food is lovely, just a note - do not book this restaurant via OpenTable, although it looks like you can it doesn't filter through to the restaurant.  We had to wait a bit, but they did manage to seat us.  After this we had a short walk to 2nd street to the Red Door Lounge, this is a small club serving fancy cocktails, you can book a table here and have bottle service and, on the night we were there, they had a band instead of DJ.  The band consisted of a drummer, 2 guitarists, a sax player and someone on the flute. They were so good, and the music was really up to date, everyone was up dancing.  When we left both 1st and 2nd street was buzzing from the bars and karaoke. 

Day 4 - as this was our last morning on the island, we grabbed a club sandwich (gluten and dairy-free for me) before we had to depart. 

And our trip came to an end.  It was a great break and no matter where we ate and where we went the people were friendly and the food was delicious.

Barbados has more to offer than we did such as Harrisons Cave, Rum and Banana Plantations, shopping malls and beautiful gardens.  You can see Green Monkeys running around (we saw 2 when we were out in the Mini Moke) these are only found on Barbados and they actually are a greenish colour.  For any golf enthusiasts, there are plenty of golf courses to choose from and if you like Cricket or horse racing you might even be able to go to one of those events.

The peak season for Barbados is December to April, although these are not the hottest months, it is still around 30 degrees but less humid and less likely to be affected by hurricane season.    

As well as the flights, transfers and hotels I can also book excursions, airport hotels, parking and lounges, travel insurance and am happy to make *reservations at restaurants for you. 

*If you make a restaurant reservation with me, I cannot be held responsible for anything not to your satisfaction.