Caribtours kindly thought of us for their incredible seven-night luxury trip to the beautiful island of Barbados – showcasing the best hotels the destination has to offer. When Sharron and Julian kindly offered me the chance to go, there was no way I was turning it down!
The trip began at Gatwick Airport, meeting the rest of the amazing group who I would be spending the week with, and our lovely, excited host Danny from Caribtours.
After an eight-hour flight with British Airways – where I was lucky enough to travel in Club – we landed at Grantley Adams International Airport. Greeted by St James Travel and Tours, who whisked us through fast track and straight onto our transfer, it wasn’t long before we arrived at Saint Peters Bay – our home for the first three nights.
‘Oh wow, this is going to be amazing’ was my first thought when shown to my three bedroom apartment. Luxurious but comfortable, with everything you needed from apartment style living; 24 hour concierge, a restaurant on site, kids club, activities and a regular water taxi to their sister property Port Ferdinand.
Port Ferdinand has an exclusive and private vibe. Upon reaching the property by car - or if you’re feeling plush then by private yacht, which you can moor up outside your apartment - Nikki Beach will soon be on your doorstep (it’s under construction as I write).
After a wonderful dinner at the Colony Club, we were treated to a cruise on the most beautiful catamaran I have ever seen. With stunning interior and our own private chef and crew, we were truly spoilt. Starting in Bridgetown, we sailed along the western coastline and took the chance to jump in the water with a snorkel and search for turtles.
Sadly it was time to check out of St Peter’s Bay, but I was excited for our upcoming two nights at Coral Reef Club. Before check in we had a look around Cobbler’s Cove, Treasure Beach and Fairmont Royal Pavilion – where we were hosted for lunch.
On arrival at Coral Reef Club the lovely owners, the O’Haras, were there to greet us. All my sadness at leaving St Peters Bay was wiped away by the homely, traditional feel of this place. Cynthia O’Hara looks after the beautiful gardens and you will often find her wandering around and tidying them up. I was shown to my luxury junior suite overlooking the sea and we were treated to the hotel’s weekly BBQ and Floor Show with steel drums, dancers and fire-eaters.
The next morning we were up and out visiting Coral Reef’s sister property that sits next door, The Sandpiper. It holds a similar feel to the Coral Reef but on a slightly smaller scale. A quiet, tranquil atmosphere, it’s also home to beautiful gardens surrounding the property. We rounded off the day with a relaxing foot ritual – what a way to end our last night at the hotel. I will definitely be visiting again.
After a short visit to see The House/Tamarind, followed by a delicious meal at Daphnes, the day had finally arrived to check into Sandy Lane. However this not being a holiday, we had a few more items on the itinerary before we could get really excited.
Mount Gay Rum Tour is a hugely popular excursion on the Island and is very informative, even for non-rum-lovers. The tour lasts two hours and I couldn’t recommend it enough – the highlight is definitely the part where you taste test all the rums!
After a short stop to explore Crystal Cove and lunch at Waves Hotel & Spa, the time had finally arrived… Sandy Lane here we come!
Pulling up at the grand entrance I instantly fell in love. The gorgeous sea view, the unfailing attention to detail and the staff were equally incredible. I wandered into my sea view room and decided that I need to live here. With Etta James playing in the background, a bathroom the size of my home and stunning bed linen, the room had every mod con you could possibly think of. Dinner was hosted by the wonderful general manager Randall and followed by a fantastic evening of live music.
We were lucky enough to get a sneak peak of the private 5-bedroom villa, which is out of this world – I can see why celebrities return to Sandy Lane year after year. We then hopped on golf buggies to explore the 2 stunning golf courses that are so well looked after - any golf fan would be pleased.
We dashed back to Sandy Lane for, in my opinion, the best Brunch EVER. With an endless choice of food you could have been there for hours but we couldn’t stay all afternoon as we had one last surprise… a full body massage. And it was exactly what I needed.
Our last day was spent visiting Little Arches and Turtle Beach, before grabbing lunch at Ocean Two in preparation for our flight home.
I truly had the best time with a fantastic group of people and I was sad to see the trip come to an end. Thank you Caribtours for the most incredible and memorable trip.
