Beautiful Barbados

Finally wrote a trip report about my 7 days in Barbados. This was our first trip to Barbados and we absolutely loved it - great beaches, great food and great people! Even the Cricket which we were lucky to go and watch on the 1st day was an amazing experience to see England v West Indies test match at Kensington Oval.

Flew from Manchester airport with Virgin Atlantic, great service on board and was able to sample the extra legroom seats in Economy outbound and the Premium Economy service on the return which we were surprised and were able to fly in the "bubble" which was a great experience as it’s a smaller cabin and felt quieter, more intimate.

We stayed at South Beach Hotel which offers a gorgeous location, easy access to the beach, and access to the south coast’s boardwalk. There is one swimming pool, great bar area, lovely restaurant and the location is very near to St. Lawrence Gap (an area with lots of restaurants and fun nightlife), easy access to public transportation and plenty of bars and restaurants within walking distance if you don't want to venture further.

South beach offers white sand and beautiful warm Caribbean water, it has a long stretch of public beach, with ample sunbeds and umbrellas plus a great bar offering rum punches, beer and lots more, it also offered simple West Indian and other selections of food at lunch time.

One thing I would definitely recommend was the Catamaran Cruise where we were able to snorkel around a small shipwreck/reef and swim with the turtles (truly amazing) and a large variety of fish, great day out with lovely crew, lots of food and plenty of rum!!

Highly recommend a trip to Oistins (Friday night fish fry in Oistins, a small fishing village) you can take the local bus, we found lots of people and rows and rows of stalls selling food, mostly fresh fish, crafts and beer. We decided to sample several different dishes, eating delicious flying fish, salad and my very favourite macaroni pie, Barbados’ version of macaroni and cheese. After dinner, we sipped Banks Beer and listened to live music, watching people dance and celebrate. Another recommendation would be the beautiful restaurant Champers which sits atop the cliff. A great spot for a romantic dinner or a cocktail! And the views and sounds are amazing in the evening, all in walking distance from South beach.

The south coast of Barbados features an excellent public transportation system of small mini-vans that stop frequently and cram as many folks in as possible. Each ride is $1 and usually includes some fun music. Great way to see the island and get you about from place to place.

So much more to list - what a wonderful place for relaxation, great beaches, lovely people, and not forgetting Mount Gay Rum!