Travel Guides
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Barbados
(Barbados)
This part of the Caribbean hasn't quite lost its British accent.
Barbados is the 'Little England' of the Caribbean, but not so much so that the locals have given up rotis for kidney pies, or rum for bitter ale. Bajans, as the islanders call themselves, are as West Indian as any of their Caribbean neighbours, and have tended to selectively borrow rather than assume English customs.
Barbados sits almost a hundred miles east of its closest neighbour, so when the Spaniards, Danes, French and others were busy fighting over the rest of the Caribbean, Barbados sat back with its Pimm's on ice, remaining solidly British.
To Do
Barbados is blessed with beaches and has good swimming, snorkelling and diving. Some of the island's prettiest beaches and calmest waters are along the western coast; top spots include Paynes Bay, Sandy Bay and Mullins Bay. For a drier approach, you can take hikes or horseback ride along the beach.
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Welchman Hall Gully
(garden)
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Welchman Hall Gully is a thickly wooded ravine with a walking track and nearly 200 species of lush tropical plants. Gullies like this were virtually the only places planters were unable to cultivate, and thus represent an important remnant of the forest that covered Barbados before the arrival of English settlers.
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Barbados Wildlife Reserve
(wildlife)
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Barbados Wildlife Reserve is a walk-through zoo opposite Farley Hill, with short paths that meander through a mahogany forest of scurrying green monkeys, sluggish red-footed turtles and a caiman pond. Other creatures that may be spotted include brocket deer, iguanas and agoutis. The monkeys are most lively during their afternoon feed. There's also a small aviary with macaws and cockatoos, as well as some caged parrots, and uncaged peacocks and pelicans. To top it off, there's an orchid display and an iguana sanctuary.
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Tyrol Cot Heritage Village
(village)
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Tyrol Cot is a traditional Bajan village built on the former home of Sir Grantley Adams, first premier of Barbados. This National Trust-listed site includes examples of chattel houses, a unique Barbadian style of portable dwelling dating from the brutal slavery era. There are also local artists working and selling their crafts and a working blacksmith. The stables have been converted into a restaurant, and sandwiches are available in a replica rum shop.
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Sunbury Plantation House
(significant house)
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Built between 1660 and 1670, the handsome Sunbury Plantation House was painstakingly restored after a 1995 fire. The house has 2ft-thick (60cm) walls built of local coral blocks and ballast stones, the latter from the ships that set sail from England to pick up Barbadian sugar. The interior retains its plantation-era ambience and is furnished in antiques, many made from Barbadian mahogany. In the area behind the house is a collection of horse-drawn carriages. Tours are given by guides well versed in local history. Have lunch or tea at the Courtyard restaurant, or a five-course dinner served on Sunbury's 200-year-old mahogany dining table.
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Barbados Museum
(museum)
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Housed in an early 19th-century military prison, this museum has engaging displays on all aspects of the island's history, with good treatment of the colonial era, slavery, emancipation and military history. There's also an African culture gallery and a children's gallery.
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Content Source:
Lonely Planet
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