Travelling with Virgin, so checked in on-line the day before the flight which also meant that I got to pick the seats, it felt good knowing I had printed off our boarding passes, another task done, so excited now going on holiday with the family in less than 24 hours…..
I went last year to Barbados with the tourist board got to look round lots of different hotels which made picking where to go for my holiday nice and easy 2 adults and 1 child age 16 (name’s Summer). We were going to the Almond Beach Village; I liked the feel of this hotel when I visited it with the Tourist Board last year.
The flight was good and only 8 hours which is one of the shortest of all the Caribbean Islands. The service on the flight was great with a complimentary bar service and a great selection of films, before I knew it we are ready to put our shoes on again and prepare for landing.
The transfer was waiting for us when we exited the airport and the ride to the hotel only took 50 minutes, the roads in Barbados are brilliant for the Caribbean, not bumpy and they drive on the same side as us.
Upon arrival a welcome drink awaited us, and as the hotel is a premium all inclusive there were no silly wrists band stating you are on all inclusive. The bell boy shows us to our room with a quick tour on route. Our room (that had just been refurbished) was a superior deluxe beachfront room; nice big size, clean and fresh looking with a king size bed and a pull out double sofa bed with a nice thick mattress on it, the bathroom was a good size as well and the balcony was enormous and had a fabulous view of the crystal clear ocean.
The variety of restaurants at Almond Beach Village was another reason I chose the hotel.
Enid’s is fab and La Samaritta and The Reef are also amongst my favourites…. the hotel also held a Beach Party and Saturday Night Party where fabulous Bajan food was available in abundance whilst overlooking the ocean.
Sunday – We arrived at hotel late evening, the hotel had made a reservation for our first nights meal at The Horizon restaurant after a lovely meal of Caribbean cuisine we explored the hotel before retiring to bed.
Monday – After a hearty breakfast in the Horizon restaurant we decided to explore the hotel .As we walked through reception we noticed people with lap tops chilling on the sofas, the hotel has free WI FI – great for keeping in touch with people back at home and brilliant with having a teenager with us! After grabbing a towel we decided to chill on the sun loungers located around the pool. Summer went to explore the Teen Centre as there were computers and pool tables etc in there, it not long before she made friends. The kids club was great for kids of all ages and was open until 10pm each night with films and activities constantly.
Tuesday – Promised I would go dancing with Summer so at 10am Calypsocise class, it was great fun learning how to dance Caribbean style – very exhausted after 30mins of laughing and trying to dance at the same time. That evening it was the Managers Cocktail Party in the Reef Courtyard outside Enid’s; there was lots of food set up on big tables with steel drums being played, we got to meet all the managers which made us really feel at home.
Wednesday – The hotel provides a complimentary shopping tour of Bridgetown (Don’t forget to bring your travel documents for duty free shopping in the city). The tour is 3 hours long and you then have the option of going back to the hotel or visiting one of the hotels sister properties; we decided to visit Almond Casurina Beach for the afternoon whilst there we chilled by the pool and went for a stroll into St Lawrence gap, along the beach. The hotel has shuttles every couple of hours between the 3 Almond hotels which was great if you fancied a change of scenery or a different restaurant to eat in. That evening our hotel had a beach barbecue party with band and singer: good fun and a good night had by all.
Thursday – Back again for more fun at a 10am Calypsocise class, learn bit more of the routine but still ended up in fits of giggles.
11am booked in for free hair-braiding before strolling along the beautiful beach to the adult’s only pool area. Before you knew it the Sun was going down and time to take a drink back to the room to watch the Sunset from our balcony.
That evening we went to The Reef Restaurant which was located on a decked area overlooking the beach, the torches were lit which gave the restaurant a great ambiance, this along with fabulous food and the warm, relaxed service made the evening very special. After our meal we went to Tommy’s Sports bar for a drink.
Friday – Today we went on a Sea Safari Tour; this involved a 5-hour catamaran cruise which was great for all ages and provided us the opportunity to explore both the South & West coasts of Barbados. The catamaran included an open bar and buffet lunch was provided. We got to view the elegant coastal properties of St. Peter and St. James, the Deep Water Harbour and the historic Carlisle Bay. The highlight of the trip was Snorkelling with the loggerhead turtles and at the wreck in Carlisle Bay. Back to the hotel for evening meal at Enid’s for traditional Caribbean cuisine, afterwards we watched the hotels entertainment which was a talent show. The entertainment team were brilliant and managed to get several guests involved.
Saturday – Today we went on the Outback 4×4 tour and also got to experience a journey to the Animal Flower Cave, which is named after the sea anemones found in the pools of the cave. On the way we stopped at the picturesque Cherry Tree Hill and the Old Morgan Lewis Mill (the only working windmill on the island). This tour provided a very different view of Barbados as the off-road adventure us through the nooks and crannies of the island and through several small towns and fishing villages for an up close and personal tour of Barbados. We all thoroughly enjoyed the experience…….
Back at the hotel in the evening we dined at La Samaritta before exploring the craft market that the hotel had organised in the courtyard. There were lots of stalls offering local crafts and with a great live band playing everyone was getting involved and dancing the night away.
Sunday – Last day today, we checked in on-line for our Virgin Atlantic flight and again picked our seats for the journey home. We had a last chance to chill by the pool and beach before leaving and also a last chance for afternoon tea and cake – yum. The transfer taxi was prompt and back at the airport we managed a bit of duty free shopping, before boarding the plane for the journey home. Will all agreed that we will definitely come back here again………..
We all loved this holiday the hotel was fantastic for our needs and the people are so friendly. Barbados and Almond Beach Village are definitely worth visiting.
