Beautiful Barbados

I was extremely lucky to be part of a small group of Travel Counsellors visiting the beautiful island of Barbados. From the moment we landed in Bridgetown we were met by such friendly and genuine people. One of the things that makes any visitor instantly welcomed to the island.

We stayed for two nights at The Turtle Beach hotel (by Elegant Hotels) on the south coast, where we enjoyed a fabulous buffet dinner as well as being entertained by local dancers.

The beach here is stunning with golden sand shelving gently into the ocean. The sea is a little rougher than on the west coast, but still excellent for swimming and beautifully warm. The best thing about staying on the south coast of Barbados is that it is so close to St Lawrence Gap where you can party the night away with the locals. Well worth a visit.

We stayed then for a further five nights on the west coast at Crystal Cove and Tamarind (Elegant Hotels). Once again we were made to feel so welcome by everyone.

On most days we were transported around the island on various excursions. The island is only 34 kilometres long and 23 kilometres in width so it is very easy to get around, whether it be by local transport or the famous "mini moke" buggies that you can hire.

My highlights of the excursions were zip wiring along a 1000ft of track at AerialTrek, learning to surf with famous Bajan surfer Brian Talma, a polo lesson at the famous Ape's Hill and of course no trip to Barbados is complete without a visit to the Mount Gay Rum distilleries.

Whether you choose to go all-inclusive or just bed and breakfast in one of the many fabulous hotels around the island, you cannot fail to be amazed at the quality and choice of some of the best restaurants I have ever been to. There is so much to do on this small island and seven nights really wasn't long enough. I just can't wait to go back.