A family vacation; A cruise half way around the
world; One of the severest winters seen by Europe; The warm Caribbean weather
living up to its name; Captivating Caribbean is where I will be covering the
stops we made in this 14-day cruise with some photographs and the occasional
tips to make your cruise day stop worthwhile.
Barbados is where it all started. The lead-up to the cruise was full of hysteria and frantic running around as no one was able to tell us if Indians needed a visa or could get one on arrival. The authorities from the country said we could get one on arrival since we had the cruise booked, whereas everyone else said that we needed one in=order to board the plane to Barbados. In the end we ended up getting one beforehand and that was the right decision as the airline would not have allowed us had we not managed to get the visa.
The Caribbean Sea, calm and no sign of pirates, ready for adventure we set off into the great unknown. Okay, not exactly since we knew people in Barbados and my father had been there earlier, but for the rest of us it was all new.
The Caribbean
islands are known for their beautiful beaches and the abundance of nature is
spectacular. That is probably also the reason why a drive around with a knowing
taxi driver, you can spot houses owned by the who’s who of the rich and famous
from around the globe.
Here’s a tip though, before you step into that taxi make sure you have the price fixed. Also make sure you have the currency of payment discussed along with whether charging is for the whole day or by the hour, and if it is for the whole day make sure you check what exactly does the “whole day” mean. We ended up paying by the hour and in US Dollars and trust me, it was only then did we realize why we were taken an hour into the country side to see what may or may not have been Brian Lara’s house which was weirdly on sale.
It’s hard to pack in everything when you are visiting any place only for a day, so choosing wisely is what makes the difference. The choice on most cruise stops comes to either cramming in all the famous touristy spots for a little while or going for one big activity. We decided on the former in Barbados and it turned out to be a nice calm drive around the island picking on some well known spots and enjoying a relaxing day;
For any cricket fan a drive to the Kensington Oval is a must. Not sure if it is worth the entry fee, but a picture from the outside worked just fine for me.
A drive by
Sandy Lane and Holetown is enough to make you get back to your life and work
hard to hopefully become a millionaire and then come to this part of Barbados
and see how you can spend those millions that you have earned in the most
luxurious way possible.
The region of St. Lucy is a scenic drive from the port where River Bay gives you a glimpse of the fierce nature of the Atlantic Ocean as compared to the much calmer Caribbean Sea. It’s worth climbing up to one of the cliffs to get an amazing view, but don’t go too close to the edge lest you are bound to get thrown off by the furious winds that accompany the waves. It’s a lovely little spot and perfect for a picnic if you have time for it.
Cherry Tree
Hill and Carlisle Bay Beach are two spots that further showcase the beauty of
Barbados. While the former gives a glorious view of the eastern parts, the latter
is a glorious white sandy beach.
While driving
around if you notice bus stops with names of girls, don’t be confused. Or maybe
do get confused because then you will ask and find out that Barbados has an “adopt
a bus-stop” scheme where local businesses take over the care of a bus stop and
in return name them, usually after one of the female members of their family.
No trip to Barbados should be without witnessing St. John’s, the “oldest church in the Caribbean” which is a strikingly antique building and also a great viewpoint to see more of Barbados’ pretty landscape.
So, be it for
a day or a week, Barbados seems to have a lot to offer. Although we never got
to enjoy the luxury of relaxing endlessly by the beach, but that’s a dream to
live by and hopefully the next time I am there, I am wealthy enough to enjoy
the high life that Barbados has to offer.
