Barbados

Barbados has a wonderful climate, great beaches and a variety of good quality restaurants and bars as well as the lively nightlife in the South of the island. Barbados is the most easterly island in the Caribbean chain and as a former British colony, it retains many familiar characteristics. Don’t be surprised when you stumble across Nelson’s column in Trafalgar Square of strangely familiar place names such as Hastings or Scotland!
The famed west coast offers white sand beaches lapped with warm, turquoise waters and some of the most sophisticated hotels in the Caribbean. South of the capital, Bridgetown, the coast boasts palm fringed beaches and foaming surf, a combination favoured by windsurfers and beachlovers alike. The east of the island provides a dramatic contrast with the rugged beauty of the treacherous Atlantic coast.
Venture away from the resorts and there is much to captivate you from familiar cricket grounds, plantation houses and a multitude of nature reserves. What’s more the Bajan people are full of life and are renowned for their warmth and hospitality, creating an all-round carnival atmosphere.

Great Britain takes steps to improve the economies of its West Indian dependencies, inaugurating an agricultural revolution on Barbados that brings new prosperity. The island begins to diversify its economy, adding sectors such as light industry and tourism. Barbados achieves full independence within the British Commonwealth and joins the United Nations in 1966.
Picturesque , a tram will take you through a cavern of stalagmites and stalactites.In the area is another botanical showplace: the Flower Forest at Richmond Plantation. Splendid views of the sea and Scotland district compete with horticultural attractions from ginger lilies to cabbage palms.
The fish and seafood is unbeatable. You'll be tempted by crab backs, which are crab shells stuffed with a spicy crabmeat filling. Shrimps are wonderful, whether deep-fried, served in a cream sauce, or grilled. So is spiny lobster. Be sure to try flying fish, a speciality of Barbados: it's lightly fried and served with lime wedges and tartare sauce or cut into fingers and deep-fried. Red snapper, scallops, swordfish and kingfish are prepared in every imaginable way, from sautéed or fried to poached or baked.

The outstanding meat dish of Barbados is pepperpot, a pork and beef stew. If you're very hungry, try sancoche; it's a hearty "soup" of pork and pig's tail, beef, cassava, yams, potatoes, peppers, and perhaps a splash of coconut milk.

Fresh fruit provides a host of refreshing desserts. Mangoes, passionfruit, soursop, pawpaws and pineapple, bigger than you ever imagined, are just a few of the luscious possibilities.

Rum is the obvious drink all over the Caribbean. But in Barbados, try some mauby at a street stand, a popular beverage with heavy lacings of cinnamon, clove and other spices.
Duty-free buys include electronic goods, cameras and Swiss watches, as well as a sparkling selection of china, glass and crystal. You'll also find tobacco, cigarettes, perfume and spirits, with Barbados rum featuring right at the top of the bestseller list.

Other items of interest include clothing, particularly chic sportswear and beachwear, but also sarongs, caftans and sundresses. Crafts range from reed or straw mats to ceramics, batik and woodcarvings.