As part of our trip to Barbados, the Tourism Authority wanted us to experience a variety of the sights and sounds on offer around the island, and boy did they deliver on that account! In the space of a day we managed to traverse the island – both above and below sea level, just to be sure no option was left undiscovered.
The morning started with another eye-watering 6am wake up, fortunately made easier by the glorious early morning sunshine streaming into the room, reminding me that the wonderful tropical climate awaited me outside of the chilled hotel room. A leisurely saunter down to the restaurant revealed the ever-striking panoramic views of the beach and horizon, viewable as you sit out on the decking chowing down on a full cooked breakfast and basking in the warmth of the aforementioned Caribbean sunshine. Once breakfast had become a fleeting memory, it was time to head to the hotel lobby for the morning head count before boarding our transport for the first fun-filled excursion.
It was at this point that the tone of the day was set in stone. We were not to be transported to the garrison by the plush air-conditioned coach we had become accustomed to, but rather a beautifully restored 1960’s psychedelic Bajan bus! After a somewhat bumpy but energetic journey to the garrison, we were greeted by an enthusiastic chap who goes by the name of James, who delivers the tours of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. He is the brother of the owner of Coconut Court Beach Hotel, and is extremely passionate about preserving the history and ecology of the island. We were led to Washington House, the only stop (for 6 weeks) of George Washington outside of the continental United States. As we meandered through the meticulously restored house, James recited a wistful recollection of George Washington’s time in Barbados, which lay the foundation of thought that eventually led to the establishment of the garrison. The Caribbean is full of secrets, and one recently revealed is that Barbados has the world’s rarest collection of 17th century English iron cannons, most of which are stored at the garrison and make for a spectacular historical display for visitors to wander around. The captivating tour ended with a sneak preview of the excavation site for the tunnels that run beneath the garrison, which should be open for safe public exploration sometime in September 2014.
The next stop of our whirlwind tour of the island was the Marina, to board a boat that glided us out to the open waters of the Caribbean ocean to rendezvous with a sleek and modern tourist submarine – no humming of old Beatles tunes needed for this trip! The submarine rapidly descended into the depths of the ocean, making the journey all the more exciting, until we reached 144ft below sea level and encountered the natural coral reef that exists on the ocean bed. We gently drifted along the ocean floor, using the currents as a guide to where we were most likely to encounter some of the tropical marine life that calls the shores of Barbados its home. As we progressed through our journey we encountered eels, turtles, a plethora of tropical fish and a sunken vessel – everything required to feel as though we were certified deep sea explorers.
All of this exploration causes you to work up quite an appetite. It’s just as well the itinerary was naturally working towards a lunch break, and where else better to have lunch in Barbados than at the Mount Gay rum factory? To the delight of the group we were treated to a tour of the establishment before heading for food. This was the perfect time for anyone developing nerves about the more adventurous activities planned for later in the day to put them suitably at ease with a sharp rum based antidote. The tour started with a brief history of the Mount Gay distillery, shortly followed by a tasting session of some of the brands’ best production. Once the tour guide had managed to prise the group away from the coveted tasting room, a delectable selection of food was served in an outside courtyard which had a wonderfully chilled-out atmosphere as people people tucked in to chicken, pasta and locally caught fish. It is of worthy note that the Mount Gay distillery is the best place to purchase a bottle (or two) of rum to take home with you, as the lowest prices on the island can be found here.
Post lunch and rum, came the time for the more adventurous activities of the day. It was time to get the heart pumping and the adrenaline flowing with a bit of zip-lining! The experience is located at Walkes Spring Plantation and is built around the canopy of trees within a gully. From the moment of gearing up to landing on the last platform, the whole undertaking felt very safe and the course lends itself to a gentle learning curve, ensuring you do not feel uncomfortable completing the course once you have started. Having said that, it was an exhilarating experience, even if it did seem to be over a little quicker than I thought – but what can you expect when zipping through the tree canopy at the speed of Usain Bolt? There was a total of 7 zip lines and I was told the tallest platform was 100 feet above the ground, so not an activity for an acrophobic or even someone with agoraphobic tendencies for that matter. If this activity is one on your bucket list, why not check out the GoPro (head-mounted camera) footage I captured that is on our YouTube channel.
To round off the afternoon of activities we boarded a Jeep to join a caravan of vehicles for an island Safari. This is a tremendous way to see the more unusual sights of the island as plenty of the adventurous, and bumpy, journey is spent off road. Our driver was highly entertaining with his commentary about the island, it’s people and their culture and lifestyle during the tour, to the point where I believed he may have missed a great career opportunity as a comedian. We travelled to a variety of vantage points dotted across the island landscape, perfect for some stunning photo opportunities, and making for an utterly captivating and thrilling experience from beginning to end. This is an activity that would be on the top of my list of recommendations for everyone visiting Barbados.
Overall, the day has given me a delightful insight to the plethora of exhilarating, yet captivating, activities that are available on the island. It proved to me, as someone who is inexplicably unable to sit still on a beautiful beach for more than a couple of hours when on holiday, that Barbados has something to offer everyone, no matter what type of holiday you are seeking.
