Basking in Beautiful BARBADOS
Written: Jun 07 '00 (Updated Jun 07 '00)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Weather, Beaches, Sites, Beautiful Scenery
Cons: Pride of their people can be mistaken for unfriendliness
|
|
|
| jaedykes's Full Review: Barbados |
Are you longing for a tropical Caribbean paradise that has it all? Barbados is a good bet! The British atmosphere is maintained with several traditions of the colonial era. Barbados was ruled by Britain for 350 years until gaining their independence in 1966. They are a proud, English speaking people of approximately 260,000 in population. The capitol city, Bridgetown, is full of office buildings, shops, and restaurants with plenty of night spots. Barbados has it all ~ beautiful sandy beaches line the borders of the Caribbean, rare and exotic flowers bloom in tropical gardens, dark caves exist for exploring, and jungles are full of monkeys and parrots.
HISTORY:
The first thing my husband and I like to do when visiting a foreign location is find out about its history, and Barbados is full of history. The word Barbados means "the bearded ones" and was named for the shaggy exposed roots of the ficus trees that grow there (they certainly don't live in my living room!). This 14 by 21 mile paradise was first discovered by a Portuguese explorer in 1956. At the time, inhabitants were Tainos, whose ancestors had migrated to many Caribbean islands from South America years before. Barbados remained without a ruler until the English arrived in the 17th century. Captain John Powell claimed the island for the king of England. Colonists then gradually arrived and settled in Jamestown (now called Holetown). At one time, 26 forts lined the coasts and evidence of early British occupation is still visible on the island.
A few years later, thousands of slaves were brought from Africa to work the large sugar cane plantations. Tourism actually gained popularity at this time. In 1751, George Washington and his ill half-brother visited Barbados for a "change of air". Sadly, George contracted the smallpox that took his life.
On November 30, 1966 Barbados became an independent nation. It was the most significant achievement for Barbadians since the freeing of the island's slaves in 1834. The Duke of Kent presided at the ceremony as the Queen's Special Representative and handed over the Constitutional Instruments to Errol Walton Barrow, the Prime Minister of Barbados. Our first visit to this country was weeks before their 29th Independence Day and they were busy preparing for parades and festivals.
SIGHTSEEING:
Bridgetown is laid out in a grid of busy one-way streets so your best bet is to explore this town on foot to avoid traffic. You will not be barraged with anxious cab drivers and tour guides clamoring for your business. The Barbadians have a stronger economy, with tourism only accounting for about 60% of their income (significantly lower than most Caribbean islands). This was a refreshing change and made exploring on our own much easier and more enjoyable.
The roads are fairly easy to navigate, but parking downtown could be a challenge. Trafalgar Square is at the heart of downtown and honors Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson, a British naval hero who defeated Napoleon in the battle of Trafalgar. Within walking distance is The Careenage, the old harbor. It is now lined with a number of restaurants and boutiques.
If you enjoy the beauty of architecture, you will love Bridgetown. Several Victorian-Gothic buildings are north of Trafalgar Square. Both the Assembly Building and the Legislative Council Building were rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1860. The Financial Building is more modern in contrast to the other two. Behind it stands the St. Michael's Cathedral which was originally built in 1665. It has been rebuilt twice as the result of hurricanes. They say that President Washington worshipped here.
About a mile outside of Bridgetown is the Barbados Museum, formerly a military prison. It features Taino artifacts, old maps, antique furniture, and other historical collections. Next door is the Esplanade Pavilion, a charming Victorian bandstand. We were fortunate to catch an afternoon concert by the Royal Barbados Police Band (founded in 1889).
If you catch a cab, visit Queen's Park just east of Bridgetown. You can get some great photos in this lush garden. A 1000 year old baobab tree inhabits the grounds, measuring over 61 feet in circumference. No one knows how it came to grow here, as it is indigenous to Africa. Make sure you stop at the nearby military cemetery that dates back to colonial times.
There are many more sites that we did not get a chance to see. There is a Wildlife Reserve set in a mahogany forest; Harrison's Cave (highly recommended tour by the locals); the Andromeda Gardens, the 17th century St. John's Church, and many sugar plantations open to the public, to name a few.
BEACHES:
Miles and miles of white sandy beaches surround Barbados. The best beaches are on the west side of the island, where the Caribbean's calm waters attract sunbathers, swimmer, and snorkelers. Carlisle Bay hosts several popular beaches, and we spent one entire day Browne's Beach. It is worth paying a small fee to rent a lounge chair for the entire day ($5 each). We left our towels there and found several opportunities for water sports (snorkeling, glass bottom boat tours, wind surfing, water ski-ing, jet ski rentals). My husband struck a deal with a local gentleman with a small Hobie Cat, which is similar to a miniature catamaran, and was perfect for three people. We paid him only $15 and he took us out for an hour. I had my water proof disposable camera with me and got some terrific shots.
We love to snorkel and found another man to take us out by ourselves for over an hour to snorkel over coral reefs. Including the equipment and boat ride, this only cost us $15. Those individual excursions for two people would cost you well over $100 if you booked them through a tour company.
On a separate trip, my sister talked me into scuba diving. Underwater Barbados is recognized as a P.A.D.I. Five Star Dive Centre and offers instruction and excursions for first time divers. We went to the Long Beach Club location where training consisted of a video and classroom setting, teaching us how to "equalize". Then we went to a swimming pool and practiced. When we felt comfortable, we boarded a boat and they took us out to a shipwreck and coral reef. We paid $75 each and this included equipment, training, and the trip. There were three certified instructors with us at all times in a group of about twenty, and two additional instructors snorkeled above us ready to help anyone in trouble.
ACCOMMODATIONS, DINING, AND SHOPPING:
There are many hotels and resorts to choose from in Barbados, ranging in price from $50-$250 per night. Unless you have free airfare, I suggest looking for a travel package that includes airfare. We stayed at the Southern Palms Beach Club and paid roughly $2,000 for a seven day stay and airfare for two. This hotel has 1000 feet of white sandy beach and is surrounded by gardens. Almost every room has a view of the water. Included in our price was live entertainment and watersports. This is a significant value because you can enjoy kayaks, snorkeling, banana boats and more which would normally cost you around $30 per person per activity.
The hotel has two swimming pools, two tennis courts, complimentary High Tea everyday, gift shop, a beauty salon, and restaurant. The room was very nice by Caribbean standards with ceramic tile floor, air condition, television and phones. Service was very good.
Lucky for us, seafood is a staple of Bajan cuisine. We enjoyed crab, lobster, and snapper. Cou-cou is a popular side dish that is made by boiling corn meal and sliced okra together into a creamy consistency. It is topped with Creole sauce and is delicious. The resort restaurant was a little pricey, but very good. We ate at several different restaurants and cafes throughout the island and only had positive experiences.
Shopping is duty free, and you will find good deals on alcohol. However, we have found much better deals on other islands. (I will go into more detail when I finish my review on St. Martin and St. Thomas). Fine jewelry and watches are for sale by many retailers and it was wonderful trying on beautiful sapphires, emeralds and rubies. It is common practice to haggle and "deal" with retailers throughout the Caribbean, but the Barbadians were not as willing to bargain.
If you are looking for a honeymoon spot, a romantic getaway, or a fabulous vacation that has something for everyone, Barbados is for you!
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
jaedykes
|
|
Location: The Buckeye State
Reviews written: 28
Trusted by: 33 members
About Me:
Check out my Travel Reviews ~
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.