Barbados

St. James Parish Chruch Kensington Oval

21. Dive into the Island’s History…

History is everywhere in Barbados. The island may have been discovered by the British, but it was settled well before this by the Arawak Indians. You can learn about this, and much more, in the Barbados Museum in the Historic Garrison area. Actually, the entire area around the Garrison is a UNESCO heritage site, with George Washington House, the Clock Tower, and the Military Graveyard all within walking distance of each other. Fascinating, and very interesting.

22. Sweet Bajan Sounds…

Calypso, Soca, Reggae, Dancehall… the vibrant, melodious tunes of Barbados have influenced music around the world. Even the sounds of the steel pan have infiltrated popular music culture! No visit to the island is complete without enjoying some live music, be it at the popular Oistins Fry Fish, in a local bar/restaurant, or at a dedicated concert. Bonus points if you plan a trip during our ‘Kadooment’ (Crop Over) festival in the summertime - the tunes never stop playing!

23. See the Traditional Churches…

Barbados is home to over 100 religious denominations and some say more than 300 churches. Whether religious or not, some of these said churches are magnificent architectural delights, with distinguished heritage and their own history. And some are found in the most unusual of locations like the St. John Parish Church, which offers extraordinary views of the East Coast.

24. Unwind in the Spa…

Tired of the sun, fun and rum? Need some relaxation? Then a day at the spa is just the ticket! Singita Wellness Spa, found opposite Mullins Beach on the West Coast, is a boutique wellness centre offering indulgent pampering sessions, wellness classes and much more. Plus, many of Barbados’ fabulous hotels offer in-house spa services well worth investigating, and you can even have a massage on the beach if you fancy it!

25. And Last But Not Least… SPORT!

Did you think I would the forget one of the most fantastic things about Barbados, the very foundation on which this magazine was built?! Barbados is BURSTING with phenomenal sports, from cricket to golf, tennis to football, horse-racing to horseriding, surfing, swimming, diving, and so very much more. Just flip through the pages of Sporting Barbados to see what’s going on in sport on the island, and I can guarantee that if sport is your thing, you won’t be bored for a moment.

We’d love to hear your favourite things about Barbados… be them the beach or otherwise! Search for Sporting Barbados on Facebook or Instagram and send us a message with your top picks.

Photo: Randy Brooks

FIVE IRISHMEN WALK ONTO AN ISLAND...

and into Kensington Oval...

Last year, five seasoned cricket enthusiasts travelled to Barbados from Ireland to watch the West Indies take on England at our famed Kensington Oval. While each was an experienced cricketer in their day, now these retirees prefer to sit on the sidelines and enjoy the game from the stands. And enjoy they do, with their passion for cricket lasting long into the twilight of their lives. Sporting Barbados sat down with the Irishmen to quiz them not just on the cricket, but on their entire Barbados holiday experience. What is it about Barbados that entices them… and why should other travellers follow suit?

Harry, Colin & Clarence

First up - Colin. Colin has been to Barbados many times, with his recent trip marking his 20th visit! He has many friends on the island, including some famed cricketing personalities, and since retiring from his real estate business he makes a conscious effort to return whenever he can.

“I first visited this wonderful island in 1986 on a club cricket tour, and I’ve been returning ever since. Barbados has many different faces… from the Atlantic coastline and Bathsheba, to the lively South coast and St. Lawrence Gap, to the capital Bridgetown, and of course the glitzy West coast. For this trip, I travelled around. First, I stayed with friends in the centre of the island, St. George, enjoying magnificent views of the countryside. Then I ventured to The Crane - a wonderful resort on the South-East coast, which benefits from spacious apartments, several pools, and multiple restaurants including fine dining at L’Azure or Zen, and the more casual Coach House or Don Offrio’s. The Crane Beach is world famous, though the waves are high and swimmers should exercise extreme caution. Also, it has been plagued by sargassum seaweed in recent years, which can dull what is otherwise one of the Crane’s finest features! We finished our stay on the island in Mullins Grove on the West coast, and loved it. Walking distance to Gibbs Beach, and close to brilliant restaurants.”

While on the island, Colin attended five T20 internationals between the West Indies and England, sitting in the 3Ws stand and soaking up the atmosphere. Though, he said, it would’ve made the experience all the more enriched had more locals been in attendance, something Sporting Barbados hopes to see improve in the coming years.

When not at the cricket, Colin is a regular at hotspots across the island. “Champers is my very favourite restaurant, both in the quality of the food and the friendly service, and I also love the rum shop Shakers, near Rockley Golf Course. You can’t go wrong! For something a little bit different, this trip my wife and I went to the Barbados Magic Lounge at Castaways in St. Lawrence Gap, for the intimate Hans Grane Magic show and dinner. The theatre only has space for 30 or so people, and this magician is superb - he is a member of the famous Magic Circle.

“Whilst staying on the West coast, we were walking distance from Seashed, in which we enjoyed many a sundowner and evening cocktail… and the food was spectacular too! The Lone Star never disappoints, and for casual dining, Limegrove Shopping Centre offers many spots.

“To end our trip, a group of us took a private catamaran cruise on the Silver

Photo: Randy Brooks Photo: Randy Brooks

Moon, which only holds twelve. We spent a magical afternoon snorkelling with the turtles or at a shipwreck, with luxurious picnic food opposite Sandy Lane beach, all made more enjoyable by the friendly staff.”

“Barbados is magnificent - and I’ve already planned my 21st visit!”

Harry (pictured above) spent a lifetime in the hotel business, so he knows a thing or two about hospitality! Since retiring, he spends his time between England, Portugal and Cyprus, squeezing in a few trips to Barbados along the way.

“I first visited the island in 2008, with my late wife Glyce, to watch a full five day Test match between England and the West Indies. We traveled with an official MCC Members Group, and were escorted through the airport on arrival and taken straight to our hotel, the Colony Club, which was lovely - friendly staff, good location. This escort service is something I missed when I arrived last year, with the airport busy and quite hot! Once through, I hailed a taxi to return to the Colony Club. I find taxis on the island fairly priced, and the drivers friendly and knowledgeable.”

Harry again stayed at the Colony Club, though felt the recent pandemic may have hindered the hotel upgrading certain facilities, as few (or no) overseas guests resulted in little revenue. Though he enjoyed the location, positioning him close to a bevvy of restaurants he felt were generally good value for money. He even visited the famous Cliff Restaurant, which was expensive, was declared “very good”.

Golf is a particular passion of Harry’s, and he has visited numerous courses across the island. “I played Royal Westmoreland on my first visit, and found it great. On this trip I visited the Old Nine Sandy Lane course a few times, but next time I want to try the championship Sandy Lane course. It looks fantastic!”

Most significant of all of Harry’s observations of Barbados was his admiration for the locals and how welcome they made him feel. “Never in my time in Barbados did I feel unwelcome, or unsafe. This is very different from other countries I have been to! I can understand why the island has a large expat community - it is a comfortable, safe place. Oh, and it would be remiss of me not to mention the local dark rum! Outstanding when enjoyed neat on the rocks!”

We’ll raise a glass to that Harry!!

This was Guy’s (pictured above) first trip to Barbados, and he travelled solo, staying at the Radisson Aquatica Hotel though connecting with other friends whilst here. He recently retired from the retail buisness, and paints an idyllic picture of his time spent on the island…

“My ten days in Barbados were punctuated with long swims in the turquoise blue sea, trips to watch the cricket at Kensington Oval, and many sumptuous meals across the island. I had a fantastic taxi driver, Drakes, who was so knowledge on all aspects of Barbadian culture and seemed to know everyone. I then found out he was Chairman of the Barbados Taxi Association, which explained all the flashes, toots, shouts and waves as we drove around! He was such a character and a fabulous representative

for the island.

“I highly recommend spending a day exploring the entire island - our day-trip was delightful and solidified that we will be back!”

And we can’t wait to welcome you Guy!

Graham (pictured above), a retired Radiographer, travelled to the island with wife Liz and two good friends. He certainly has his cricket credentials as a former International wicket-keeper for Ireland, and therefore thoroughly enjoyed his experience at Kensington Oval, though commented that the steep ticket prices may be what are keeping locals from being able to attend and enjoy the games - an interesting observation!

Graham stayed at Royal Westmoreland, and had no complaints. “It’s an excellent venue, and the staff were helpful both in the office, and on the golf course! We had a lovely contact called Jodie who couldn’t do enough to help us, booking restaurants, giving advice, arranging car hire.” And from this base, Graham and co were able to explore all the West coast has to offer. “Shopping is expensive, but there’s a good variety at Limegrove and we loved the Chattel House village. The swimwear at Beth & Tracie is great!

“We went to several restaurants - Paul Owen at the Beach House does a great curry, and Quattro Passi boasts an excellent view, though is pricey! The beach tables at Seashed are lovely, and you can’t go wrong with a trip to Tides. We were disappointed at the Mullins Beach Bar, but more so because the sand on the beach has practically gone!”

Graham and his family are already looking forward to their next visit.

Peter (pictured above) was the owner of a property firm, and being the wellorganised businessman, he kept a diary of his visit! We asked for the abridged version, and he entertained us with how he and his buddy Steve ended up on the island, and what their experience was like…

“We took a ‘flyer’ (guess) that the second Test match would be played in Barbados, and booked our trip before it was confirmed. As a result, we got our flights and hotel for a fraction of the cost of what it would have been had we waited until it was confirmed! We stayed in the Southern Palms, and found the food and service to be excellent throughout our stay! We’d definitely return. Though we didn’t always eat in the hotel - on our first day we went shopping for provisions and did find butter to be very expensive - it became the ‘butt’ of a lot of jokes during the week!”

Peter and Steve ventured across the South coast for meals, recommending Harlequin (the favourite!), Primo, Castaways as well as a little bar called Pronto, which he described as basic but did a wonderful lager shandy!

Undoubtedly, the highlight of Peter’s trip was the cricket - in particular seeing Stokes score 100 off of 114 deliveries. “It was a superb innings, and it was a pleasure just to see it.” As well as seeing Root get his 100.

Peter’s trip was not short of comical mishaps - he had a sore throat at one point (“I blamed the air conditioning, my friend Steve blamed the bottle of wine I’d had!”), a nasty sunburn, and even broken flip-flops that ended up in the bin, but he described it as the “trip of a lifetime” and that he would definitely be back. We couldn’t ask for higher praise than that!

Thank you to Colin, Harry, Guy, Graham and Peter for taking the time to share their experiences - I think we can all agree that five Irishmen walked onto an island… and loved it!

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