Almond Casuarina
We spent the first 9 nights of our Barbados holiday at Almond Casuarina and had a Superior Deluxe Room with Ocean View. These rooms were located in Block 1 which does not accept children under 12 years of age, the rooms had recently been refurbished and had a nice modern feel to them. The hotel is situated on the gorgeous Dover Beach, and as the hotel is situated on the south coast of Barbados, it is where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic, and is therefore quite choppy; however this makes it a great spot for kayaking and many other water sports. You also have a great choice of land sports as there are tennis courts on site too for those who like to stay active whilst on holiday.
There were 3 restaurants to choose from, including the popular Dover Grill, which was the Seafood restaurant, located right by the beach. You also have Enid’s which is the classic Bajan cuisine and Waves which is the international restaurant. I would recommend this hotel to families, couples, groups of friends and also single travellers as there really is something for everyone. The evening entertainment in Barbados if fairly low key, so we made our way into St Lawrence Gap on a couple of occasions, it was about a 10 minute walk from the hotel, and there was something to suit everyone from an Irish pub, to night clubs and bars.
Harbour Lights
After hearing about Harbour Lights from colleagues that had been to Barbados before, I knew I had to visit it at least once during my stay in Barbados. Even more reason to try it out that my one of my colleagues was also out in Barbados with me, and was celebrating her birthday; it was a Wednesday night, which is one of the main “party nights” at Harbour lights.
We paid $50 Bajan Dollars to get in which is around £18 per person, and the night is then all inclusive until 2am. You can arrive from around 7.30pm and the night starts with a BBQ, then your evening entertainment will begin, starting with a band, and then fire dancers and dancers on stilts, and to finish it off the DJ then comes to life until the early hours. This was a fantastic night and I would highly recommend this to anyone after a lively night out whilst on the island of Barbados.
Turtle Beach
During our 5 night stay at Turtle Beach, we were accommodated in one of the Oceanfront Junior Suites. The views from these suites are stunning, we were lucky enough to be on the ground floor and just a few steps away from the beach. The rooms are all newly renovated and have a very stylish theme to them. The food here was excellent, my favourite being Asiagos, which is the Italian fine dining restaurant. If I had spent more time at Turtle Beach, I would definitely have dined here twice!
The location of Turtle Beach is again fantastic, on the lively South Coast of Barbados. You have an abundance of water and land sports to chose from including football, volleyball, boogie boards and windsurfing. The service and standard at this resort was great; I personally loved the Beach Concierge service, where they come round with fresh fruit in the morning, icy lollies during the day and drinks later in the afternoon. I would say this hotel is perfect for families & couples especially, the children even have their own playground on site and also the flying fish kids Club, which also hosts a games room including a Wii.
The House and Daphne’s Restaurant
We made our way to the House, which is a 5 star chic adults only resort on the West Coast of Barbados. Here is where you can start your day with a complimentary champagne breakfast, then go on to enjoy your free jet-lag massage. You have your concierge service on hand to help with everything from dinner reservations to helicopter tours; the level of luxury you receive here is amazing! We enjoyed an iced mojito before heading to Daphne’s for our dinner reservation.
I had heard of Daphne’s before my trip to Barbados, and again this had come highly recommended from colleagues that have previously been to Barbados, so I had eagerly awaited tonight! We enjoyed a 3 course meal for around $80 Bajan Dollars per person (roughly £30) however it has to be said it was worth every penny. During my 14 night stay in Barbados, this was without a doubt the best meal I had encountered. I enjoyed lamb ravioli for starter, followed by Spaghetti and Meatballs for main, and not to forget my delicious Crème Brule for desert. For honeymooners, couples celebrating anniversaries or birthdays or anyone celebrating a special occasion, I would highly recommend making a reservation at this restaurant; it was one of the highlights of my holiday.
