Travel blog: Bajan Dreams - Barbados
Recently my family and I enjoyed a wonderful holiday in beautiful Barbados. Famed for its white sandy beaches and turquoise waters, not to mention its A list clientele, its a holiday destination that certainly doesn't disappoint as much to our delight we found out for ourselves during our stay. We flew to Barbados with Virgin Atlantic who I’ve never flown with before but had heard great things about. As a nervous flyer I can tell you the experience was fantastic! Not only because Freddie was an absolute dream for the whole nine hour flight (he fell asleep for just over an hour and then watched movies and played with his trains for the remainder) but because the staff were brilliant and the aircraft felt really spacious, which allowed you to actually relax. The experience was the same on our return journey. Flying on the latest virgin aircraft I actually enjoyed the flight which really says something coming from me. The staff were so accommodating, the food was great and the selection of in-flight entertainment had me laughing my head off as I chose to watch Spy starring Melissa McCarthy (anyone who’s a fan of Bridesmaids will love this film!) I would definitely choose to fly with Virgin again and can completely understand why I’d heard such great things in the first place. It was amazing to be back in Barbados as I’d had such a brilliant time with the team at This Morning back in August, however this trip was even better as I had my family with me. I couldn’t wait to show James and Freddie all the great things about the island. Whilst in Barbados we stayed at the Tamarind by Elegant Hotels which was gorgeous. Situated on one of the most beautiful bays in Barbados, the Tamarind benefits from stunning white beaches which fall into turquoise waters, incredible views and in particular some of the most gorgeous sunsets I have ever witnessed in my life! Paynes Bay also houses Number 1 Sandy Lane, an exclusive property that is frequently inhabited by Rihanna. The hotel itself is relatively intimate having two pools each with their own bar and three restaurants which serve from an all-day menu. The food was fantastic! One of my favourite things about Barbados is the food, I love eating fresh shrimp with rice and peas or blackened fish with caesar salad which you can pretty much get at most eateries as the fish, shrimp and lobster are freshly caught every day. The hotel has a really relaxed vibe and is fantastic for families – one of the reasons we chose it in the first place. Pretty much all of the staff knew Freddie’s name by the end of our trip and even made sure he was never parted from his new BFF Woody (from Toy Story) who was nearly left behind several times after finishing up meals. It would have been an absolute disaster given that they are almost inseparable! Woody even made it onto the beautiful catamaran we took around the island. Speaking of sailing around the island we had the most incredible time aboard the Cool Runnings luxury catamaran. With its private chef and fantastic crew, it’s definitely a treat I would highly recommend to anyone visiting the island. The crew – in particular chef Mariel – were amazing with Freddie, allowing him to steer the boat, draw pictures in the beautiful air conditioned cabin and finally introducing him to the wonderful sea turtles….he absolutely loved it, as did we! We sailed back to our hotel just as the sun was lowering in the sky which created a beautiful backdrop to what had been an amazing day that I felt incredibly grateful and thankful for.It was an absolutely fantastic holiday which ended with a cocktail party and BBQ held by the Tamarinds management and included live music, stilt walkers and a little audience participation during the limbo act…yes I did partake in a little limbo action. It was also a trip where Freddie really progressed with his swimming, spending pretty much all of his time in the pool and finally conquering the doggie paddle…hurray! We had such a great time and a really unforgettable holiday.