We stayed at Escape at Prospect Bay which was booked through Virgin Holidays. A full review of the hotel can be found here.
Our flight from Gatwick to Barbados departed on time and the transfer from the in refurbishment Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados to the hotel was swift and took approximately one hour. The hotel is situated on the west of the island and offers stunning views over the Caribbean sea. The water of the Caribbean Sea is warm and crystal clear. At night a beatiful sunset can be witnessed, whilst during the day sufficient loungers are provided for all guests. An offshore raft is within easy swimming reach to soak up some more rays. Dining is offered in either the Garden Restaurant or the Seascape Restaurant whilst all three bars are well stocked. All facilities are included in the price of the holiday.
Whilst on the island we went swimming with the turtles on one of the many catamaran cruises on offer. We choose the services of Cool Runnings who limit the number of guests on their catamaran to just 28 in comparison to other operators who had in excess of 40 guests on board. Service on board (lunch and unlimited drinks are included in the price) is impeccable.
A tour was made to Harrison's Cave where a tram takes you down deep into the cave for some breathtaking natural wonders.
No visit to Barbados is complete with a trip to Bridgetown and in particular to Broad Street where some excellent duty free shopping can be done.
We hired a softop jeep for the week to explore the natural beauties of this lovely island. We stopped at the Northpoint of the island where the Atlantic Ocean crashes into the shoreline. Refreshments can be bought from the refreshment bar. On the way to Bathsheba, your journey takes you through Cherry Tree Hill where a stop is a must to take in a marvelous view of the east of the island. At Bathsheba we made a stop at the newly refurbished Edgewater Inn Hotel for a well deserved Bajan lunch. Where else can you enjoy views like these whilst eating your lunch!
At Bathsheba (on the East of the Island) a cooling wind makes it that much easier to appreciate the beauty of the East of the island. It warrants quite a few pictures that can be viewed here, here, here, here and here
After having viewed the surfers at Bathsheba, we made our way to St. John's Church which is open to the public all days of the week. It is one of the oldest churches on the island. It is situated on top of a hill and offers, once again, beautiful views over the east of Barbados.
We also payed a visit to the Animal Wildlife Reserve where all animals, bar some exotic birds, roam free within the perimeter fencing of it. It gives a great opportunity to get close to the green monkeys that are native to Barbados which in turn results in pictures such as this, this and this. If you are unfortunate enough not to see the monkeys (like we did on the first occasion) you get free admission to the reserve to return within 2 weeks.
We also paid visits to Crane Beach and Bottom Bay, both on the South Eastern tip of the island. We also had a 2 hr horse ride booked through Caribbean International Riding School which takes your horses for a gentle stroll on a deserted beach.
No trip to Barbados completes the experience without a night out to the Friday's Oistins Fish Fry - it is a great outdoor party attended by locals and tourists alike in the fishing town of Oistins. Freshly caught fish is grilled in front of you which can be washed down by a cold bottle of Banks or Rum Punch.
We also paid a visit to the Cliff Restaurant which has been voted as one of the top 50 restaurants in the world. Prices are not cheap, but the service was the best we ever received in any restaurant anywhere. Even when my other half did not quite like the choice of her main meal, this was promptly refunded by the manager without us even requesting it.
All in all, we once again enjoyed our stay in what is slowly becoming our second home.
The flight home with Virgin Atlantic departed on time with some 150+ seats unoccupied resulting in lots of room for the majority of economy class passengers. The flight arrived back safely in Gatwich some 20 minutes ahead on schedule with the bagage on the carousel by the time we walked off the plane and through immigration - excellent service yet again by Virgin!
If anybody has any questions about Barbados or about the hotel Escape at Prospect Bay, please feel to ask them here and I will be happy to give you an honest answer.
Mark
