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Friday Feature: Barbados

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Barbados

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It’s hard not to instantly picture bright white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters when you hear the word Barbados. But this beautiful Caribbean island offers guests a rich history and culinary scene as well! It’s location in the southern Caribbean also means it is not at risk for hurricanes during that time of season – making it a great spot to consider if you are looking to travel between June – November! How do you get to this sunny paradise? All flights to Barbados land at Grantley Adams Intl. Airport (BGI), which is located in the parish of Christ Church.

Best Times to Visit: The best time to visit Barbados is between July and November. Though these months fall within the Caribbean’s hurricane season, hurricanes rarely hit the island!

Things to do:

Taste the local flavors. Barbeque is the preferred cooking method of Bajans and you will smell the delicious aromas throughout the island. This is also a great way to immerse yourself in the culture and locals! Just follow your nose to one of the many roadside or beachside barbecues and taste some of the nation’s best food.

Go on a rum tour. Mount Gay Rum is the country’s pride and joy! Mount Gay Distillery puts on excellent rum tours where you can learn about the history of rum production in Barbados, while trying a few samples along the way.

Visit Harrison’s Cave. Located in the central uplands, Harrison’s Cave showcases breathtaking limestone that drips water into impossibly clear pools. Pictures hardly do it justice. The cave itself is located far away from most tourist hotels, however there are plenty of tour options that will take you straight to this natural wonder.

Stroll St. Nicholas Abbey. St. Nicholas Abbey is an old plantation home set on a beautiful property of tranquil gardens, gullies and orchards with the adjacent Cherry Tree Hill. The home itself has some beautiful antique furniture and decorations transporting you back to the 350+ years of history that this wonderfully preserved plantation home offers visitors.

Soak in the sunshine on Carlisle Bay Beach. While there are plenty of beautiful, white sandy beaches along the coast of Barbados, Carlisle Bay is one of the best! The waters are always calm with plenty of places to pick up food and alcohol to sit back and enjoy the day with!

Check out more ideas HERE.

Feature Hotel: St Peters Bay, Sandy Lane Hotel, Sandpiper

Things to know before you go…

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  • Leave the camo at home. While it has become pretty mainstream in today’s fashion, camo is illegal to wear in Barbados. The print is exclusively reserved for use by the defense force in Barbados.

  • English is the primary language. It may be a little hard to understand at first, but Barbadians speak a form of broken English know as Bajan. It consists mostly of words which have been shortened or joined together, excluding “r” sounds and replacing “th” sounds with “d”.

  • Look but don’t touch the turtles. Barbados has an amazing population of hawksbill and leatherback turtles, which were once endangered and are now protected and monitored throughout the island.

    For more information, click HERE.

Follow the adventure!

@explorateurtravel