More fantastic KDHamptons Travel Diaries keep flying in from haute Hamptonites who escaped the chilly winter season of the Hamptons by jetting off on fantastic adventures. This week, I heard from my glam Southampton friend Melanie Brandman, who shares a travel diary from Barbados, her second home. Melanie is a luxury travel expert, owner of The Brandman Agency, founder of www.thetravelcurator.com and co-founder of the hottest new hotel booking site www.WantMeGetMe.com

 

Enjoy Melanie’s KDHamptons Travel Diary below!

 

 

 

Melanie shares: Since moving to New York thirteen years ago, Barbados has become my go-to destination for New Years and it has quickly become my second home. Each year, I host a great mix of friends and family from around the world.  I love showing them around the island as much as spending a lot of down time decompressing on the beach.

 

 

 

 

Barbados is the most easterly island in the Caribbean and has fantastic daily nonstop airlift from New York – making it a breeze to get there. It’s so much more than sun, sea and sand – so I have included my list of my Top 25 Things to do on the island at the end of the travel diary.

 

 

 

 

For me it’s all about Beachy Head – a gem of a beach on the east coast of the island. I have rented the same amazing house every year and love going back.  It’s a beautiful old coral stone house perched on a cliff, in a private compound, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.  I rent it for 2-4 weeks over the holidays and while I love to explore the island, it is very hard to leave the house.

 

 

 

 

It is also a 15 minute walk down the beach to The Crane Hotel should we want a bit more excitement, plus our local rum shack delivers to our loungers!. The beach at The Crane is regularly voted as one of the most beautiful in the world [above].

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The east coast of the island is more ‘rugged’ – very windswept and picturesque. It is a little more remote, which is why I like it, as you really feel like you are getting away from it all.  Some mornings we drive up the coast to Bathsheba which has the best surf on the island.  I don’t think many people know that Barbados is on the world surfing circuit and attracts many famous surfers.  Do not try Bathsheba if you are a beginner, it’s quite treacherous, but there is plenty of easy surfing on the south coast – a great place to learn.  Our ritual is have breakfast at The Roundhouse in Bathsheba as we love the warm banana bread and fabulous views.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I also love about the location of our house is that it’s a stone’s throw from the best rum punch on the island, served at Cutters! Every restaurant says they make the best rum punch, but after 10 years of trying many, many, many rum punches in the Caribbean, Cutters Rum Punch is by far the best. I don’t know what his secret ingredient is but do not drive after a couple!  Thank goodness we can walk home – although best to avoid the cows in the field next the house at night. If you find yourself in Barbados, make sure you drop in and say hi to Roger Goddard [above] who owns this little deli.  Live music on Sunday afternoons!  He also serves great food and delivers to Crane Beach!

 

 

 

 

So moving onto the other side of the island I have to start with the stunning west coast – also known as the Gold Coast – super posh and gorgeous. Its home to the famous Sandy Lane Hotel [where Tiger Woods got married] and the Green Monkey golf course.  Over the holiday season the hotel [above] is closed to non-guests to keep the paparazzi out, but since all beaches in Barbados are public, you can walk to Sandy Lane beach from other spots to for some celebrity spotting. I suspect a Simon Cowell or Rihanna sighting is more than likely over the holidays!

 

 

 

 

The restaurant scene is fabulous in Barbados – so much so that Zagat did a guide! The Cliff is by far my favorite on the island, but do book it well in advance if you are there for the holiday season as it’s packed every night.  Voted as one of the best restaurants in the world – it’s hard to know what’s better, the food or the setting.  Be warned, not cheap!  I also love stopping by for pre or post dinner cocktails at the bar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other great restaurant choices include London import, Daphne’s [above], located just down the road from the Cliff, smack on the beach with delicious Italian/Bajan cuisine.  The beach front favorites of mine include: The Tides, Cin Cin, Champers, Lone Star, Fish Pot, Lobster Alive,  Café Luna and the list goes on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another holiday tradition my guests and I have is a Christmas Eve Rum Shack Tour! Well, what started as a rum shack tour years ago is now much more posh and we stop into all our favorite hotels, bars, restaurants on the west coast to do a little tasting and watch the sun set.  We start at the top of the west coast at Little Good Harbor’s Fish Pot and work our way down to the boardwalk [south of the capital Bridgetown] and end the night with dinner at another great spot – Tapas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every Friday night is Oistins Fish Fry [above] at the Fish Markets for the freshest seafood on the island. If you want to try some flying fish and cou cou with the locals, this is the place.  Live music and souvenir shopping on the beach.  Always a popular vote in my household.    It starts early, so make sure you get there before sunset.

 

 

 

 

While my house is surrounded by some of the most beautiful beaches you will ever see, the household loves to head over to Miami Beach and spend the day there [p.s. it’s right near Oistins Fish Fry, so if you want to make a day & night of it, go on Friday].  We LOVE this beach – love that it is flat for the most part – with some waves – but no currents. It’s a great place to spend the day.  There is lots of shade, lounge chairs to rent, and Mr Delicious [above], the local food truck, offers local fish cakes and- of course- Rum Punch!

 

 

 

 

My 25 Things to Do in Barbados~ by Melanie Brandman

 

1. Oistins Fish Market
Visit the Oistins Fish Market on a Friday or Saturday night and enjoy the excitement and buzz of Barbados’ most popular market place.

Enjoy rubbing shoulders and partying with locals to the sweet strains of Calypso music coming from the dance hall in the middle of the markets.  Bajans dance arm in arm to music from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Of course all that dancing builds up an appetite, so head for the food and beverage stalls and enjoy traditional Bajan fare such as fish cakes, Jug-Jug (guinea corn and green peas) fried fish and Pudding, all washed down with a cool Banks Beer. Local arts and crafts can also be found in abundance as local craftsmen take the opportunity to display their wares.

2.    Flying Fish & Cou Cou
Sample the delicious local Bajan fare of Flying Fish with Cou Cou (a popular corn meal and okra dish) at the Atlantis Hotel and the Waterfront Café.

3.    Mount Gay Rum Tour
Enjoy one or more cocktails with expert shakers at the Mount Gay Rum Barbados distillery, and discover the colourful history of Mount Gay Rum.  Learn how the world’s finest rum is made and enjoy tasty Bajan cuisine in the Verandah restaurant overlooking the sea.

Watch as the Distiller shows you how to create this precious spirit, and become a rum expert yourself as you explore the subtleties of flavors that will tickle your palate.

4.    Island Safari Tour
Visit the highest cliff on the island where Jim Hackleton, devastated by unrequited love, rode his horse off the edge and crashed into the sea below killing himself and his horse.

Professional guides take tours through the gullies, forests, remote bays and road with coastal views exposing the hidden secrets of Barbados. Embrace the nature, history, culture and folklore of Barbados at captivating places of interest, usually inaccessible to ordinary vehicles, posing no challenge to the fleet of 4×4 Land Rovers.

5.    The Crystal Room in Harrison’s Cave
With an abundance of stalactites, stalagmites, streams, lakes and waterfalls, leading speleologists consider the Crystal Room Cave to be among the finest showcases of its type in the world.

The Caves are located near the geographical center of Barbados, in the parish of St. Thomas and are a natural phenomenon in the tropical world. First mentioned in historical documents in 1795, the caves were virtually forgotten for nearly 200 years, until Barbadian Tony Mason and Danish speleologist Ole Sorensen rediscovered them in 1976.
In 1981, Harrison’s Cave was officially opened to the public as a “show” cave, providing visitors an opportunity to view a variety of natural features unique to the geography of Barbados. Electric- powered carts take guests through the caves and commentary provides an amusing background to the different halls in the Caves.  Keep your eyes peeled for “Mirror Lake.”

6.    The Nidhe Israel Synagogue
This 350-year-old synagogue in Bridgetown was built in the 17th century (1654), was destroyed by a hurricane in 1831, rebuilt, but fell into disrepair and was later sold in 1929.
In 1983, it was bought back by the local Jewish community and is now restored, complete with beautiful Gothic arches. The synagogue is now a Barbados National Trust protected building and an active place of worship that is open year round.

7 & 8. St. Nicholas Abbey and Sunbury House
St. Nicholas Abbey, located in the parish of St. Peter, was built in 1660 and is one of only three genuine Jacobean mansions in the Western Hemisphere.

A video shown hourly in the old stables, features unique footage about the history of the family and the early days of St. Nicholas Abbey.

Sunbury Plantation House is more than 300 years old. The House is steeped in history, featuring mahogany antiques, old prints and a unique collection of horse-drawn carriages.

Both are working plantation houses, beautifully restored; each demonstrating the history of Sugar Cane, how it was grown, harvested and eventually turned in to sugar.

9.  Welchman Hall Gully
Welchman Hall Gully, located in St. Thomas parish, is a three-quarter mile long gully that is home to a number of tropical plants and trees, including nutmeg, bamboo, clove and palms.  The gully was formed by the collapsed roofs of caves and is still geologically connected to Harrison’s Cave.

10.  Open House Program
The Barbados National Trust’s Open House program enables the public and visitors alike to visit Barbadian private homes, ranging from historic treasures and amusing abodes, to lap-of-luxury mansions. Open House takes place every Wednesday afternoon from 2:30 to 5:30, beginning in January and lasting through early April.

Tours are similar to an English garden party, as the National Trust staff circulates about the house, anxious to exchange tid-bits about its history and unique features.  This offers tour guests a fascinating way to see magnificent architecture normally un-accessible to the public.

11.  Sunset cocktails anywhere on the Caribbean Sea-side of the Island
Barbados has many fantastic hotels with glamorous lounges, from which to view a spectacular Caribbean sunset.

12. Catamaran Cruise on the Caribbean
Picture yourself relaxing on the deck on a luxurious catamaran while gliding over the sparkling crystal-clear Caribbean, past beautiful palm-fringed beaches.

At lunchtime each Catamaran is anchored in one of many beautiful coves on Barbados where visitors can enjoy a sumptuous meal prepared by some of the Caribbean’s top chefs. After lunch, gently ease yourself over the side and enjoy snorkeling in the light blue waters.

13. Crop Over Festival Every Summer
Crop Over, a five-week summer festival, is Barbados’ most popular and colorful festival.  Its origins can be traced back to the 1780’s, a time when Barbados was the world’s largest producer of sugar. At the end of the sugar season, there was always a huge celebration to mark the culmination of yet another successful sugar cane harvest – the Crop Over celebration.

The festival begins with the Ceremonial Delivery of the Last Canes and the crowning of the King and Queen of the Festival – the most productive male and female cane cutters of the season. Calypso is one of the main features of the Crop Over Festival. The calypsonians are organized into “tents” (Conquerors, Untouchables, House of Soca, Pioneers, Stray Cats, etc) and these “tents” are sponsored by Barbados businesses.

Calypsonians compete for several prizes and titles, including the Party Monarch, the Road March Monarch and the Pic-O-De-Crop Monarch. The semi-finals of the Pic-O-De-Crop competition are held at the picturesque East Coast Road.  As calypsonians perform on a stage with the Atlantic surf as a backdrop, spectators gather in the hillside with their picnic baskets. This magnificent spectacle should not be missed! The finals of the Pic-O-De-Crop competition are held at the National Stadium followed by the “Fore-Day Morning Jump-Up!”

Crop Over features many activities during the festival. These include Arts and Crafts markets in Bridgetown, and Cohobblopot, a huge carnival-like show with members of the Kadooment bands displaying their elaborate and stunning costumes.The grand finale is the Grand Kadooment! This carnival parade features large bands with members dressed in elaborate costumes to depict various themes. Designers compete for the coveted Designer of the Year prize while the revelers seem more intent on having a good time! Crowds make their way from the National Stadium to Spring Garden accompanied by the pulsating rhythm of calypso music. When they reach Spring Garden, the party continues with more fantastic music, plenty of food & drink and, for some, a quick swim at the nearby beach.

 

14. Surfing the Soup Bowl at Bathsheba in November
Kelly Slater, world-renowned Surfing champ, has declared The Soup Bowl in Bathsheba on the North East Atlantic coast as having some of the best surfing in the Caribbean. The Soup Bowl comes alive when the swells arrive from the North or North East, and break over a shallow reef, producing the perfect barrel or “tube” that surfers relish so much. Surfers from the United States, Jamaica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Trinidad, and the US Virgin Islands “match their lefts and rights” each year with top local surfing talent competing for a prize of USD $10,000.

15. Golf at any of the five top international courses
For those who want to play golf while visiting the Island, Barbados has some of the region’s most luxurious and breathtaking courses and has received unprecedented attention from golf aficionados.

15 (i) Barbados Golf Club: In June 2000, Barbados’ first championship public golf course opened. The course, which was created in 1974, was re-designed by architect Ron Kirby, one of the most respected and experienced golf course architects in the world. Kirby reconstructed the 18-hole, par-72 golf course to be fair and challenging, yet pleasurable and relaxing.

15 (ii) Sandy Lane Golf Club: The prestigious five-star Sandy Lane Resort added two 18-hole courses in 2001 for a total of 45 holes of championship golf.  Sandy Lane now ranks among the top golf resorts in the world.  The two new courses were designed by world-renowned Tom Fazio, are located on a luxurious tropical estate, replete with beautiful homes amid lush landscape.

15 (iii) Royal Westmoreland Golf & Country Club: Designed by Robert Trent Jones II, this superb 18-hole championship course has established itself as one of the Caribbean’s finest, with the front and back nine holes offering contrasting challenges, stunning scenery, a constant view of the sea and a succession of “feature holes.”

15 (iv) Rockley Golf Club: Set amid the South Coast’s all-inclusive Club Rockley Resort, this course features a simple nine-hole, 18-tee layout, with a second nine holes playable from varying tee positions.

15 (v) Almond Beach Club Resort Golf Course: The Almond Beach golf course is the only course on the island featuring a par-three, nine-hole layout.

16. The Spa at Sandy Lane
The Spa is housed within a splendid Romanesque building of 42,000 square feet fronted by a spectacular waterfall cascading into a large, freeform swimming pool.

World-class facilities include VIP treatment suites enhanced with honed granites, warm woods and mood-enhancing light. Each suite offers a private shower, bathroom and changing facilities where visitors can relax and unwind. Nine suites feature private landscaped gardens and three have hydrotherapy pools.

17. George Washington House
Visit the only house that young George Washington lived in outside of the United States. George Washington and his sick half-brother Lawrence resided in this historic plantation house, also known as Bush Hill House, for two months in 1751.

Barbados was the only country outside of the U.S. ever visited by the future “First Father” of the USA. This visit is a little known but very important chapter in the life of the then unknown 19-year-old man, who would go on to become, as later described by Light-Horse Harry Lee, “first in war, first in peace, first in hearts of his countrymen.”

The Barbados National Trust is restoring the house and outlying buildings, creating a heritage site on the historic Garrison, celebrating the visit and the role that Barbados played in the settlement of America.

18. Scuba Diving in Barbados
Come face to face with Turtles and Sea Horses. The fringes and reefs found off Barbados’ coast blossom with sponge, coral & plant life. There are several types of reefs, each one unique in its own special way.

The barrier reefs, located approximately one mile off-shore, contain large coral heads that form the habitat for thousands of beautiful fish. Larger marine creatures also exist on these reefs, feeding on the smaller fish.

The Hawksbill Turtle, Frog Fish and Giant Sand Eels can also be found on these reefs. Fringes and patching reefs are located closer to shore and have smaller coral formations and more abundant plant life than the barrier reefs.

Shipwrecks have created fascinating habitats for marine life. Barbados has several excellent sites for wreck diving; Carlisle Bay, which has more than 200 reported wrecks, and the Stavronikita, located at Folkestone Marine Park, are two of the most popular dive sites.  Each features an artificial reef, purposefully formed by the sinking of the ship Stavronikita, which was destroyed by a fire in 1976. The ship rests in 120 feet of water, less than half a mile from the shore. As a result of its depth, diving the Stavronikita is recommended only for experienced divers in the company of others.

19. Sunbathing at Crane Beach
There is nothing better than getting a large fluffy beach towel from your suite in the luxurious Crane Hotel and strolling over to the pure, white, sandy beach on the ocean side of the Island.
Crane Beach has been named as one of the “10 best beaches in the World” by the television show, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”.

20.  Sushi at The Crane
In keeping with the eclectic range of cuisine in Barbados, a new Sushi restaurant called “Zen,” right next door to L’Azure at the Crane, has a delightful selection of Japanese and Thai delicacies.  Its black lacquered tables and sumptuous interiors offer a wonderful contrast to the rolling turquoise waves below.

21. Fall in love again at The Cliff Restaurant
The Cliff is neatly perched above the lapping waves of the Caribbean Sea and is lit by fiery lanterns that burn brightly high above the tables.   The Cliff opened in 1996 and in April 2004 was voted in at number 28 as one of the 50 best restaurants in the world by Europe’s industry magazine, The Restaurant.  It is currently ranked #1 in the 2008 Barbados Zagat Guide.

Its exquisite multi-tiered setting complements Chef Paul Owen’s menu, strongly influenced by the Caribbean, Europe and Asia.  The Cliff boasts an extensive wine cellar and groovy cocktail lounge, perfect for watching Barbados’ cognoscenti from. There is also a large choice of cigars from an imposing humidor.

22. Visiting Local Rum Shops
Visitors can stop by to taste some rum, from a choice of over 1,600 Rum shops dotted across the island.

23. Romantic walks on the beach
Barbados has many wonderful long beaches, just made for long romantic walks either during the day or in the cooler hours of the early evening, underneath millions of glistening stars set to a chorus of tree frogs.

24. Barbados Gold Cup Every March
The Barbados Gold Cup is one of the most renowned events in the Caribbean. It is preceded by a week of activities, headed by stunning performance by Broadway stars. The day of races is marked by a parade through the streets of Bridgetown.

25. The Barbados Jazz Festival Every January
Each year a number of luminaries from the international Jazz scene arrive in Barbados to perform in the annual Jazz Festival.  The festival runs for six days and nights and provides visitors and locals alike with the smooth sounds of contemporary and traditional Jazz.  Past headliners have included Alicia Keys, Erykah Badu and Anita Baker, among others.