"BARBADOS - white sandy island seeks pasty-faced
foreigners to swim in its azure blue waters and soak
in temperatures known to perform better than a bottle
of St Tropez.
That used to be my doubtful impression of Barbados because holiday brochures can often 'enhance' images
to make the most of its destinations and when you get there, often you will experience that stomach sinking
thought; "it didn't look like this in the brochure".
I previously imagined Caribbean sands to be more of a yellowy colour in reality and the sea to be a navy/green colour.
I thought this because I'm a 'dab hand' at Photoshop. I can make a derelict 70's building in Belfast's
Castle Street look like an ancient Greek monument set off by a bright blue sky and a delightfully scorching sun!

So I had my doubts about the Caribbean or more so about the glamourous pictures I had seen of it in many long-haul brochures, but my cyncism was thrown back in my face on a recent break there.
The white sand is the first thing you'll notice about this island as your aeroplane descends into Grantley
Adams.

The island is delicately embroidered in Johnson's Baby Powder-coloured sand while the lapping sea is indeed as aqua-blue as the eyes of a Johnson's Baby.

here were 12 of us lucky enough take ourselves off to the warmer shores of lovely Barbados and we were understandably excited as we waited to check in at Manchester Airport. We flew with BWIA and thanks to our charming Barbados Tourism Rep, Nan Short we began our holiday as we meant to go on - First Class. Flights are noticeably shorter when you travel first class. Either the front of the plane travels a lot faster than the economy section or my encounter of first class travel was so pleasurable that the eight and a half hour journey, to me, was similar in length to an Eastenders episode!

We spent six nights in the island of 'the bearded ones' sleeping in the Southern Palms Beach Club in the
Christ Church area of Barbados and an effortless itinerary allowed us to become accustomed to the laid
back lifestyle of the Bajan people.

Barbados is the ideal place to relax. It's a destination suited to those who wish not to be plagued by all-day excursions. It provides a dreamlike environment for the traveller who commands surroundings, weather and a pace of life that is completely foreign to anything back home, whether that's the hustling noise of over populated city life, or the demanding tasks of your job. It can offer relaxation in multiple forms should it be a Spa, or
golfing in one of its four courses or simply soaking in the rays on its famed beaches.

We did two of the latter but dragged ourselves away from the beach to see what lay beyond the golden coast!

On our first day, after a hearty buffet breakfast at our host hotel, we departed for an Island Safari Tour.Our tiger-striped jeep was only one of about 13 others on the tour and our driver Andrew's cool supply of rum punch complemented our sundrenched pit stops!
Barbados is Portuguese for 'the bearded ones'. The island was christened this by one of the first ever
visitors there - the Portuguese who arrived in 1536. The name came from a peculiar tree which is still
plentiful today on the Island known as the Barbados Tree. This tree grows beardlike branches downwards
that eventually implant into the ground.
However, the Portuguese did not settle there and left the island in isolation until the British arrived in
1625 and ruled what was to become a very prosperous island for the next 300 years.Riches came from Barbados' sugar cane which was its main export for many centuries and today, albeit on a much smaller scale this industry is still alive.
ndrew filled us in on everything about the 22 x 14 mile habitat entity. He told us about the variations
in coastlines such as how the West of the island was the most sublime and the east the most turbulent where
currents from the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Oce$an can create hazaradous swimming conditions.

The 'Chattels' - Caribbean domestic properties became a cute asset to the island whereas before I left
Belfast I'd have ignorantly frowned upon them and labelled them nothing other than wooden wrecks or
shanties but when you hear about their history and mobility, your opinion will change!

We stopped for lunch at Chattel House Restaurant which is included in this tour and ate fly fish with rice
and macaroni along with salad and the most divine banana cake. You'll notice when in the Caribbean that
chicken and fish dominate most menus as beef has never been popular there and so Ronald McDonald discovered
when he opened his famous burger joint only to sell McChicken sandwiches as opposed to the internationally
favoured Big Mac - needless to say Ronald shut down !
Afterwards we were picked up by Peter, our personal driver for the stay who took us to Harrison's Cave.
Here there are engaging formations of Stalagmites and Stalactites and a train-like vehicle will take you on
a history tour of the caves which at their deepest are 160 feet underground!

We enjoyed ourselves on a Catamaran cruise where some of the group got close to the island's captivating
sealife and when the sun set we explored the bars and clubs in St Lawrence's Gap. We watched Caribbean acts
at a Roots and Rythms evening and took to the sand for fabulous night-long beach party!

What makes Barbados the perfect break besides the sunshine and beaches are the people. Bajans are very
welcoming and appreciative islanders. They will greetyou when you walk past and toot their horns at every
opportunity. They have an intense willingness toplease the visitor due to their overwhelming
appreciation for their tourism industry. This ispresent in bars, restaurants, shops and even on the
streets.

Rum shacks are located almost everywhere on theisland. These colourful wooden bars are filled with
friendly Bajans and offer a true Barbados experience.They serve up excellent rum, beer and top spirits. Our
driver told us that many of these are located besidechurches which keeps the spirits together!

It would be a sin to leave Barbados without tastingits rum. Barbados is the home of rum and Mount Gay rum
- it's signature manufacturer has been producing thespirt since 1703. You can see the rum making process
at the Mount Gay Rum Distillery in St Michael's Parishwhich will take you on a tour.

If its shopping you crave when in Barbados, hitBridgetown - the capital and take advantage of envious
duty free prices. Cave Shepherd department store inBroadstreet offers a fulfilling retail outing. Here
you will find everything from housewear to menswearand bargain perfumes. Remember you will need your
passport here when purchasing items at duty-free ratesand it helps to bring your flight ticket.

Bridgetown is not the most modern capital you willencounter but it does have a special charm. Stalls
sell perfect souvenirs but you must practise yourhaggling! If you wish to see what sights the capitalhas then visit the Lord Nelson statue on National
Heroes Square or the first church in Barbados - StMichael's Cathedral (1628) and the Barbados national
Museum which was once a prison.
We stopped here for lunch at the Waterfront Cafe wherewe were served delectable tapas. This was to be our
last meal together before hitting the airport and thepleasurable atmosphere of this harbour-side eaterie
topped off our holiday where one agent in particulargot a little tearful!

We travelled to Barbados direct from Manchester withBWIA. BWIA offers weekly flights from Manchester and
London Heathrow. It has intentions of redirecting itsManchester flight via Belfast this coming winter.


WHEN IN ROME
If you wish to leave your resort during the daytime to sample some Barbados offerings then book yourself on a
Catamaran Luncheon Cruise.
Now I'm not an ardent swimmer but 'when in Rome...' Itend to attempt what I can and that sometimes involves
facing lifelong phobias. So when we set out on our five hour Catamaran sailing from Bridgetown Port my pre-thoughts were 'don't beat
yourself up if you decline opportunities to swim with anything bigger than your little toe'.
In Belfast I'm terrified of basically everything that isn't human. I will cross roads to avoid a pigeon and
pat myself on the back if I trap a wasp in a spare room so those acquainted to me will know that Emma
swimming with sea creatures is nothing short of a tall story. That kind of experience needs proof, evidence,
witnesses and possibly a slot on UTV Live. But I did. I clung on with my life to the Catamaran host with scuba diving equipment on so tight I had a
red ring around my eyes for an hour. My lifejacket was so well inflated that I was in danger of floating out
of the hemisphere and that would be a new article altogether.

The rep took me to a spot in the ocean where turtles were swimming. I didn't want to look down because I
knew the sight of a fish within a metre of my body would chill me but I did and what a sight it was! It was like being a camera woman for a sealife
programme, albeit a shaky, pathetic camera woman but being so close to an endangered and awe-inspiring
species was an experience I'll never forget. The sheer size of the three turtles gliding below me was an
unforgettable scene so much so that I gasped in awe only to consume a pint of brine!

We then moved on to a man made shipwreck site where thousands upon thousands of exotic fish swim in
schools bigger than St Louise's.Here you can choose to feed them and or swim with
them. I was on a high after my teenage mutant hero turtle episode that I had developed insatiable bravery
that even He-Man would be jealous of. I jumped in with Lazer Travel's Lawrence Loney only to
be targeted by the other agents who threw bread by the bakery load. Initially I was terrified but eventually
got used to swimming 110 mph to avoid the incoming loaves and fish.

After this the Catamaran served up fly fish, chicken, rice and all day long drinks were free and flowing.
Although that day it rained heavily my ordeal left me so proud that I had an ear to ear grin but
unfortunately no photos to prove it.

Other interesting things to do when you want to leave your hotel is visit the Barbados Wildlife Reserve in
the Parish of St Peter where intriguing species roam freely or avail of a safari drive.

But if you are a keen golfer then don't miss out the chance to play on one of four wonderful courses here.
Sandy Lane invited two members of our group to play on their perfectly manicured course while the rest of us
checked out the hotels, not fair I hear you say!

BY EMMA DEIGHAN