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Barbados: the best of the Caribbean
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Barbados is often described as a 'slice of middle England' in the Caribbean, with its cricket greens, Anglican churches, polo matches, and colonial history. But the sugarcane fields, calypso and rum shops that dot this tiny 430 square km island have a distinctly Bajan flavour, and you won't find spotless sandy beaches like this on the other side of the Atlantic.
Many tourists flock to the exclusive all-inclusive resorts that make up the island's "platinum" West Coast, and spend weeks roasting in the sun, rum cocktail firmly in hand.
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If this sounds like your dream holiday, then hotels such as Escape at the Gap, and Almond Beach ensure you never have to leave the resort. But it's well worth venturing away from the beach for at least a day or two, in order to truly get to know the most historic and unspoilt of the Caribbean isles.
In contrast to its gaudier neighbours, packed with American fast food outlets and ritzy hotels, Barbados remains a model of discreet development, where even the touristy south and west coasts manage to retain an authentic Bajan charm. Head to the bustling capital Bridgetown, for pastel coloured chattel houses, locals playing cricket at Kensington Oval, and duty free shopping in Cheapside.
Rum has played a crucial role in the development of the island for three centuries, and just north of Bridgetown lies the Mount Gay Rum Factory, well worth the tour for the free samples given out at the end of the visit. Coach tours around the island often stop off here, before heading on to Harrison's Cave, a labyrinth of underground streams and limestone caverns, and Welchman's Gully, a gorge of fruit and spice trees, where you can spot the infamous green monkeys swinging from tree to tree.
If you truly want to get away from it all, then Ragged Point in the East boasts acres of unspoilt coast, but be sure to avoid swimming in the dangerous currents and riptides.
Barbados is far safer for travellers than some of the other Caribbean islands, with less crime, poverty and safe drinking water. However, it's well worth ensuring you have good travel insurance that covers at least medical treatment, theft and loss of baggage, before you go.
If you plan to take part in the myriad of water sports or snorkelling on offer, you will also need extra cover. Try AA or Go Travel, and choose the right travel insurance to suit your trip, whether you spend your days languishing under palm trees, or hiking along the island shore.
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