Our latest competition saw holiday-lover Jackie Akerman jet off with husband Barry in tow to the sunny isle of Barbados to enjoy the premium all-inclusive luxury of Turtle Beach by Elegant Hotels, the perfect setting for a special occasion and the best of both worlds for a couple who like something a bit different for their escape away. Here’s what Jackie got up to during her time away in paradise.
Day 1:
Touching down in the long-awaited Grantley Adams Airport we felt that beautiful Caribbean heat hit us as we stepped off the plane. We’d won a holiday of a lifetime for two to an all-inclusive 4* getaway in Barbados and, with our 37th wedding anniversary coming up, it was the perfect celebration and the perfect excuse for the two of us to jet off into the sunshine. For me, this was going to be 7 days of pampering before the chaos of Christmas. Barry however, had something else on his mind…adventure!
After our pick up, it wasn’t long before we were taken to our home for the next 7 days, Turtle Beach by Elegant Hotels, situated on the south coast of Barbados. Welcomed with warm smiles, a cool flannel and some delicious rum punch, we’d truly arrived in paradise. After savouring every drop of rum punch, we were shown to our beautifully spacious, sea view room as we found everything we could need for a holiday of rest and relaxation. Stepping out onto our own private balcony we soaked in the view and wondered what more we could possibly ask for. Setting out to explore the resort, we met the friendly staff along with some amazingly colourful crabs on our wanderings, with the hotel sitting right on the beach making such a stunning sight.
As the sun started to set it was time to try out one of the five hotel restaurants. We headed to the buffet which doubled as an a la carte restaurant in the evenings. Delicious and plentiful, the buffet featured fresh island foods accompanied by some more familiar tastes.
Day 2:
After a sound night’s sleep, we were awake at 6:30 am to the sound of the rolling waves, it’s worlds apart from the hustle and bustle of home. Eager to explore we took an early morning stroll in the beautiful peace before the day started. Wandering the beachfront we came across a few people who had had the same idea. Taking in the breath-taking views, smiling and living the dream with the waves crashing against the shoreline and the sound of wildlife beginning to stir in the early morning hours, we knew we had arrived in Paradise.
By 9:oo am, my husband, Barry had already set himself up for the day, his Bajan break was all about adventure. He had booked a number of dives and even planned a trip aboard the Hobie Cat, an activity part of the hotels all-inclusive offering. The time came for his trip out on the Hobie Cat and off he went, skimming the waves looked amazing and he said the high winds added a massive amount of excitement, I’m not quite brave enough for that!
The afternoon brought its own excitements as we set off to explore the legendary St. Lawrence Gap. Boasting a variety of fine dining restaurants, the islands nightlife hotspot and plenty of quaint craft stalls selling beautiful trinkets, the gap is a vivid array of colour and a true experience of Bajan culture, well worth the wander as it’s only a 10-minute walk from Turtle Beach.
Day 3 & 4:
As day three made its start, we took the opportunity to head out for another early morning stroll before heading down to breakfast on a brilliant choice of fresh, hot and cold food with plenty of variation. Afterwards, I went to soak up some sun by the pool whilst the hubby set off for another jam-packed day of dives. Lounging by the pool, I found my perfect spot to relax whilst taking in the sights, sipping on my cocktail of choice and sitting down with a good book, bliss. Moving between the pool and the and the beach was the perfect way to relax whilst the other half took advantage of the water sports on offer.
Our fourth day brought a change in the weather in the form of a spectacular storm. I had planned to carry on living like royalty, whilst my husband set off on a dive, but instead we spent the afternoon marvelling at the magnificent storm and beating the heat with an amazing cappuccino frappe in hand whilst sampling ice cream from the Freeze Ice Cream Parlour, life can be so difficult in paradise sometimes.
Day 5 & 6:
Day five was one for venturing out to discover Barbados. If you want to explore the local area, the hotel offers a shuttle service for only $6pp, that takes you to the capital Bridgetown. The rep was bursting with Bajan knowledge and told us all about the culture and local ways of living, we even picked up a few bargains from the duty-free shopping areas. (Remember to take your passport for this). After heading back to the hotel, we spent the rest of the evening down at the beach watching the turtles in the shallow waters. A truly unique experience to see in their natural habitat as they pop their heads up out of the water. After the excitements of our time exploring the island the previous day, we decided to spend the morning of day 6 relaxing on the beautiful beach before taking an afternoon stroll around the colourful St. Lawrence Gap and indulging in a bit of rum shopping in the numerous establishments there, need I say more?
Day 7:
The Turtle Beach Resort offers an organised, educational walk where you can learn all kinds of fascinating things about the island, its nature and wildlife so we spent out morning discovering the Worthing area as part of the tour which even included a tour of the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary where we were shown the local life, I didn’t know caterpillars could be that big! For our afternoon outings we headed over to Dover Beach to encounter the local turtle life there as we snorkelled in the waters and managed to capture some incredible footage for our last day at the resort, I really couldn’t believe we were here.
Our 7 night island getaway was sadly coming to an end but not before one last lounge in the sun with a cocktail. We were determined to savour every drop of Bajan beauty we could. All in all we had an absolutely amazing prize of a holiday. We couldn’t have asked to spend our anniversary any other way. A great big thank you to Blue Bay Travel for the opportunity to visit the beautiful Barbados.
Jackie’s Top Tips for Holidaying at Turtle Beach Hotel:
- – Check out the buffet restaurant for lots of choice and high-standard entertainment every evening
- – Remember to carry your passport with you if you want to indulge in some duty-free shopping
- – Try one of the amazing frappes at the Half Moon coffee shop along with the lattes, selection of teas and cold drinks
- – Freeze Ice Cream Parlour had amazing milkshakes and sundaes which I have to admit we sampled quite frequently
- – If you like a quiet evening meal, skip the Waterfront restaurant and book in to the Italian restaurant for excellent food and service with a smile
Fancy treating yourself to an escape to Turtle Beach by Elegant Hotels? Or looking to explore more of what Barbados has to offer? Click ‘Discover Turtle Beach’ to get started or click here for more Barbados Escapes.
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