RUMBRELLA
I visited the friendliest Caribbean island with ‘pink’ beaches, direct UK flights and the world’s oldest rum distillery
Make sure to stop at Rihanna Drive
“IT COULD be winter one day in Barbados,” our tour guide tells us as he persuades us to drink a sip of warming rum.
I certainly hope not. I’d left the freezing UK seeking that Caribbean sun.
7
7
7
The alcohol is in the fabric of this beautiful island, being home to the oldest rum distillery in the world, Mount Gay.
They certainly aren’t short of rum bars — there are about 1,500 of them, with one next to every church on the island. (That’s a lot of booze stops for the world’s 13th smallest country).
So it would be rude to deny myself a rum punch after a trip to Harrison’s Cave, one of the island’s most popular attractions.
After a quick tram tour underground, above ground is where you can find Mount Gay taster sessions.
READ MORE ON TRAVEL
Our guide gave us a hilarious insight into the famous booze, explaining how locals love a drink, seeing as rum quickly overtook cane production.
“Did you know that rum came from the word rambunctious?” he joked (not true, we later found out, but we believed every word he said at the time).
That’s certainly how we felt after too many tastings, after all.
That rambunctiousness was why we ended up in a KFC after being told that it’s much better in the Caribbean.
Most read in Beach holidays
The island has a population of just 280,000 people, which might have been why there was no one at the drivethru counter.
But no worries — our driver Earl quickly whipped out his phone to call “Ryan KFC”, with a server coming to the Tannoy just moments later.
Discover the Allure of Barbados: Your Guide to a Perfect Island Holiday (S)
Pity he couldn’t do the same for Rihanna, who was on the island just days before us.
As a consolation, we made sure to stop at Rihanna Drive, named after the singer with a sign outside her childhood home for tourists.
There’s also the National Heroes’ Square in the capital Bridgetown, where she is one of the locals celebrated after being added in 2021.
And for hardcore fans, you can take a picture at the bus stop named Monica (the majority of stops have female names) after Rihanna recently posed there.
We even tried to go to the famous Boatyard beach club, her favourite one on the island, only to be told they were full by 11.30am due to it being cruise season.
7
7
7
But it was no matter, as our hotel had its own beach too.
One of many Marriott properties being renovated on the island, Waves Hotel & Spa overlooks the tiny strip of sand at Prospect Bay with just a few loungers and umbrellas nestled into the palm trees.
I was content to watch the Barbados sunset from my sea-view room balcony, turning the golden sand pink before the last of the warmth left us for the day.
The beach is slim, as are many on the island, so make sure to hold onto your sandals — an errant wave attempted to take mine.
I thought I had got away with it, until I realised the two lifeguards were laughing at my awkward British dash.
Despite my embarrassment, it’s the locals that truly make a Barbados holiday. They’re known as some of the friendliest people in the world, which was evident no matter where we went.
Happy island vibe
From the coconut vendor on the side of the road who offered us a freshly cracked one, to the hotel receptionist who called me “Honey” every time I came with questions, the happy island vibe was ever present in everyone we met.
There’s more than enough to keep you busy in Barbados too, from boat trips around the coastline to off-road safari tours exploring the natural side of Barbados.
Or you can hop on the hotel’s free water taxi that takes you to any of the other Marriott resorts, where all-inclusive guests can dine and swim for free.
That’s if you can drag yourself away from either of the two pools at Waves, or its luxury spa with personalised massage treatments.
Even the bedrooms do everything to tempt you to stay, with huge king-size beds facing the balcony and massive walk-in showers in the en suite bathrooms.
Read More on The Sun
But if you need me, I’ll be embracing my Barbados rambunctious self at the bar with a rum cocktail, or two.
As RiRi said, This Is What You Came For!
GO: BARBADOS
GETTING THERE: Return flights from Heathrow with Virgin Atlantic are from £529. See
STAYING THERE: Rooms at Waves Resort & Spa cost from £395 a night, based on two sharing on an all-inclusive basis. See
OUT & ABOUT: Nature Trail, Tram & Rum Tasting at Harrison’s Cave from £122.83. See
7
Topics