Barbados

Travel Destination #6: Barbados  May 2009

After cruising in the fall, we decided to spend a full week in Barbados with our two little princess' and this was the second time we invited my wonderful mother in law to join us.  We weren't bringing her along to babysit, but really so that she could see some of this world with us.  Being 5 months pregnant with our little man, I must say I was lacking a little patience :)  Once again, we booked our stay thorough RCI {timeshare management company} and stayed at the Plum Tree Club at Rockley. 

We had a great 2 bedroom condo that was set on a golf course and outside of the hustle and bustle of town.  Have a mentioned how much I LOVE having a kitchen where we can have breakfast, prepare lunch and eat dinner ???  I really do!  So Barbados doesn't have an exceptional amount of eco tourism but that was fine by us.  We wanted to wander around the island and discover every little corner.  This time again, we travelled with our Mia Moda stroller, our two carriers {which you can see in earlier posts}, and of course our beach tent.  We knew we wouldn't need anything special as I tend to plan out our week ahead and make a list on things to do and places to go :) 

We arrived late at night and we had rented a van for the week.  They met us at the airport with the vehicle and we asked for a map.  At this point, we were used to traveling and thougth with a map we'd be good as usual...hmmm we ended rethinking our theory :)  The maps aren't detailed by any means, there are no street names, it took us about 5 days to realize that the signs for the streets were indicating where you were going and where you were going through...!  Thankfully my husband has a great sense of direction and was able to get us wherever it is we were going :)

So our first day is always a layed back day so that we can recup a little from our flight and all so off we were to find a nice beach for us and the kiddos.  I have to say that Barbados in May is HOT HOT HOT!!!  Which is jus the way we like our caribbean vacations :)  So our first stop was at Brandons beach wich is on the west coast.  We spent the day and had fun.  I knew I wanted a better beach as there were some little waves and with our 2 almost 1/2 year old who is a little skiddish in water... it wasn't perfect.

So first off we went to Harrison's Cave which was pretty cool.  The girls really liked this tour.  We were on a trolley and it made several stops so that we could get out to touch and see the crystalized limestone.  It was pretty amazing.  The grounds were equally beautiful.

Barbados has what they call the "Barbados Wildlife Reserve"...The kiddos and even us adults loved this place!  All sorts of animals just roaming in the wild.  It was so interesting adn cute, mother monkeys with their babies just inches away from us.  We had a blast.  Definitely worth the trip:)

Beach time :)   We all love soaking up the sun and splashing in the water so it was a perfect outing!

We tried two restaurants while we were there.  They were both pretty phenomenal.  The Brazilian Steakhouse just had massive amounts of food and desert...oh boy!  We also tried the Black Pearl Steakhouse {I think that was the name}.  Right on the water, so it was a little pricier but the food was also very good.

Then it was off to do the same Catamaran tour we did when we came to the island via our cruise. {That's how much fun it was!}   The Tiami Tail is the name of the company.  They accept young children which is fun.  The girls had a blast during the ride dancing and singing :)

As always, we did a little bit of driving throughout the island.  We love going around and visiting the places we visit {not only the tourist areas}.  I have to say that I felt safe everywhere we went.

A little more beach time :)  This time we went to Brandon's Beach which was perfect for us.  Seemed like the gathering grounds for the locals.  We didn't get bothered at all.

We ended our stay with a trip to the animal flower caves on the North end of the island.  Some pretty breathtaking views were found here :)  Going down inside the cave was a little dangerous for this pregnant lady and the girls but we were able to walk around outside.  We let daddy go down and bring back some pretty nice pictures.

Few pictures from the ride to the airport !

Well, there you have it.  BARBADOS!   Beautiful island with pretty beaches and friendly people.  As a family with young ones, we felt totally safe.  Not much in form of eco tourism but all in all it was a great vacation.  

Tune in for our next destination...