I visited the friendliest Caribbean island with ‘pink’ beaches, direct UK flights and the world’s oldest rum distillery

“IT COULD beryllium wintertime 1 time successful Barbados,” our circuit usher tells america arsenic helium persuades america to portion a sip of warming rum.

I surely anticipation not. I’d near the freezing UK seeking that Caribbean sun.

The alcohol is successful the cloth of this beauteous island, being location to the oldest rum distillery successful the world, Mount Gay.

They surely aren’t abbreviated of rum bars — determination are astir 1,500 of them, with 1 adjacent to each religion connected the island. (That’s a batch of booze stops for the world’s 13th smallest country).

So it would beryllium rude to contradict myself a rum punch aft a travel to Harrison’s Cave, 1 of the island’s astir fashionable attractions.

After a speedy tram circuit underground, supra crushed is wherever you tin find Mount Gay taster sessions.

Our usher gave america a hilarious penetration into the celebrated booze, explaining however locals emotion a drink, seeing arsenic rum rapidly overtook cane production.

“Did you cognize that rum came from the connection rambunctious?” helium joked (not true, we aboriginal recovered out, but we believed each connection helium said astatine the time).

That’s surely however we felt aft excessively galore tastings, aft all.

That rambunctiousness was wherefore we ended up successful a KFC aft being told that it’s overmuch amended successful the Caribbean.

The land has a colonisation of conscionable 280,000 people, which mightiness person been wherefore determination was nary 1 astatine the drivethru counter.

But nary worries — our operator Earl rapidly whipped retired his telephone to telephone “Ryan KFC”, with a server coming to the Tannoy conscionable moments later.

Pity helium couldn’t bash the aforesaid for Rihanna, who was connected the land conscionable days earlier us.

As a consolation, we made definite to halt astatine Rihanna Drive, named aft the vocalist with a motion extracurricular her puerility location for tourists.

There’s besides the National Heroes’ Square successful the superior Bridgetown, wherever she is 1 of the locals celebrated aft being added successful 2021.

And for hardcore fans, you tin instrumentality a representation astatine the autobus halt named Monica (the bulk of stops person pistillate names) aft Rihanna precocious posed there.

We adjacent tried to spell to the celebrated Boatyard formation club, her favourite 1 connected the island, lone to beryllium told they were afloat by 11.30am owed to it being cruise season.

But it was nary matter, arsenic our hotel had its ain formation too.

One of galore Marriott properties being renovated connected the island, Waves Hotel & Spa overlooks the tiny portion of soil astatine Prospect Bay with conscionable a fewer loungers and umbrellas nestled into the thenar trees.

I was contented to ticker the Barbados sunset from my sea-view country balcony, turning the aureate soil pinkish earlier the past of the warmth near america for the day.

The formation is slim, arsenic are galore connected the island, truthful marque definite to clasp onto your sandals — an errant question attempted to instrumentality mine.

I thought I had got distant with it, until I realised the 2 lifeguards were laughing astatine my awkward British dash.

Despite my embarrassment, it’s the locals that genuinely marque a Barbados holiday. They’re known arsenic immoderate of the friendliest radical successful the world, which was evident nary substance wherever we went.

Happy land vibe

From the coconut vendor connected the broadside of the roadworthy who offered america a freshly cracked one, to the edifice receptionist who called maine “Honey” each clip I came with questions, the blessed land vibe was ever contiguous successful everyone we met.

There’s much than capable to support you engaged successful Barbados too, from vessel trips astir the coastline to off-road safari tours exploring the earthy broadside of Barbados.

Or you tin hop connected the hotel’s escaped h2o taxi that takes you to immoderate of the different Marriott resorts, wherever all-inclusive guests tin dine and aquatics for free.

That’s if you tin resistance yourself distant from either of the 2 pools astatine Waves, oregon its luxury spa with personalised massage treatments.

Even the bedrooms bash everything to tempt you to stay, with immense king-size beds facing the balcony and monolithic walk-in showers successful the en suite bathrooms.

But if you request me, I’ll beryllium embracing my Barbados rambunctious aforesaid astatine the barroom with a rum cocktail, oregon two.

As RiRi said, This Is What You Came For!