Barbados: Beaches, Bajan Fishcakes and BLISS....

I was first introduced to Barbados in 2007 by great friends who own an apartment there. I've since returned three further times as it simply captures your heart and I now can't imagine a year or two going by without a trip there! When December arrives and the Daily Mail Showbiz site is covered with celebrities donning revealing Melissa Odabash swimwear on Sandy Lane beach, I can't help but be totally consumed with jealousy!

I have only ever stayed on the West coast in a lovely little village called Speightstown, but from what I've seen of the island, it's pretty much the place to be! Barbados itself isn't huge, only 166 square miles, which makes it perfect for exploring. A car is a necessity and All Inclusive is definitely NOT - you need to get out and about, see the island and visit as many of the incredible restaurants the island has to offer!

First things first, the basics...

* The locals are known as Bajans and will totally make you feel welcome. Always happy to help and very friendly, some would say too friendly (!) but it's their nature to chat, flirt and be inquisitive; I find this endearing and all part of the Barbados charm. 

* Currency - Bajan dollars and US dollars can be used.

* Local beer - Banks, you can't beat a Banks beer on the jetty at sunset. 

* Good car hire company - we always use Stouts and have never been disappointed!

* Best time to visit is between December to May, you should then be pretty safe in terms of hurricane season.

Our perfect Barbados holidays mainly consist of sleep, sunbathing, food, drink, relaxing and laughing! You can definitely go there and do much more, but my 3BM whistle-stop tour will be totally based around those 6 necessities!!

Beaches...

Crane - cited as one of the top 10 beaches in the world, we all love a spot of Crane, Bajan fishcakes and a few lunchtime glasses of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc! I won't go into detail on this one as Natalie has blogged on this one already, see all the details here!

Gibbes Beach - I would say one of my everyday favourites on the west coast - a long stretch of golden white sand, peaceful and quiet with only a few locals and villa renters to be seen. No toilets or food/drink amenities however that's perfect for us, a cool box packed to the brim with Pimm's supplies and snacks - done! Top fact - Michael Flatley's house is on this beach - we call it the yellow and green house (simply because that's the colour of the outside...!) and when he's there it looks like the perfect beach house EVER! Right on the beach, treadmill on the terrace along with a hot tub, huge sofa with millions of cushions and big balls that light up at night! 

Reeds Bay - a very similar beach to Gibbes, but minus Flatley! A beach that we have called 'The Deserted' for years as we didn't know the real name! You can often go and be the only ones there for a whole day...bliss! Top Tip...Only one tree for shade so bring your cream and don't stand under it when it rains as it's poisonous!

Mullins - trot on down here if you fancy a more 'people friendly' beach! Mullins  is just opposite Royal West Moorland's and has places to get food, drink and sun beds. The beach is not nearly as pretty as others but the people watching's good, the Mullin's restaurant does killer cocktails at all hours and you can even get a massage on your sunbed!

Paynes Bay - very similar to Mullins but on a much bigger scale - lots of restaurants, lots of people and if water sports are your thing head down here for some fun!

Others to try that are still on my to-do list....

Enterprise Beach
Bathsheba

Accra Brach

Restaurants...

One of my favourite categories of all time, especially in Barbados as firstly there are so many different places to try and more importantly, the food is second to none - I honestly have had the BEST meals of my life on holiday here! My top picks that absolutely must feature in your schedule are...

Groots - a cute Bajan shack on Trents road, you will recognise it by the white and turquoise painted wooden shutters and the 'feel happy' palm tree sign! This is by no means fancy food or surroundings, it has a kick back and relax atmosphere (to the point where you are offered a sharpie to scrawl a message on the walls of the shack, they are literally covered from floor to ceiling with pictures and notes) and get served up the best freshly caught Bajan fish and chips with divine minted peas, all topped off with a freezing cold Banks! It will set you back little more then £10 a person!

Fishpot - one of Michael Winner's favourites, this is a gorgeous little restaurant attached to a boutique hotel, Little Good Harbour. You will find it down a long, windy road glinting in the distance. It has an idyllic setting right on the water so you can hear the waves running up and down the beach as you eat! Dress up a bit more for this one, and if they're on the menu definitely opt for the scallops on crushed pea puree! Approx £40 pp.

Image via www.travellerinspire.com/

Mews - I am a great lover of Mews - they used to have a gorgeous courtyard with sweet wrought iron tables round the back of the restaurant which sadly has been roofed in now but the food is still amazing! Incredible International cuisine,  with a dimly lit cosy interior and on Friday nights there is live jazz. My favourite is the seared yellow fin tuna, cooked to perfection. Last year we even bumped into Coleen Rooney having cocktails with her friends....if it's good enough for Coleen...

The Cliff - every visit we have saved this one until the last night because it is simply AMAZING! The setting, the food and the service are all impeccable. We always dress up to the nines (no shorts, sportswear or flip flops) and have a pre-dinner glass of champagne on our balcony! Book your table in advance of your trip as you won't be able to walk in and get a reservation, we book a few months before to secure an ocean front table and it's well worth it! As you walk in you are lead down to the restaurant area set in a cliff (hence the name) overlooking the sea, the only light is the flares set along the edge of the restaurant and the candles on the tables and it's all open air (don't worry if it rains there is a very slick awning system and you are covered in a jiffy!) You pay a set amount (either BDS $285 for 3 courses or BDS $245 for 2 courses) and can then pick anything from the menu. Believe me, although pricey, it is well worth it and the whole evening is one you will always remember. 


My highlight dishes over the years have been scallops, beef carpaccio and beef tenderloin with a roquefort sauce WOW! The last 2 years, Paul the chef (and part owner) has come out and had a drink (or seven) with us, lots of fun but the flight home the next day, not so much!

Cariba - this is hidden just a little past the Cliff on the left hand side of the road. From the outside it's just a Bajan restaurant/shack, the interior is relaxed and comfy but the chef is ex-Sandy Lane, which means that the food is very special. You get the top culinary creations minus the ponce and 'try hards'! Glen and his wife run the restaurant which makes it all the more relaxed and enjoyable - you get a real sense of love and pride. My favourites have to be the prawn curry with a yum mango chutney and to top it all off....the banana spring rolls with homemade peanut butter ice cream - you have to try it to believe it!

Tides - this is another that we always leave until the end of the holiday because it is one of our favourites! It is not only set over the water so the waves can be heard at your table, but when the restaurant was built they didn't want to cut down several huge trees slap bang in the middle of their plot of land, so instead they built the restaurant around them - amazing! It is part art gallery, part restaurant so on the walk in you can look at lots of gorgeous paintings before the culinary works of art arrive! Dress up for this one, the interior and atmosphere is gorgeous. If you visit Tides you HAVE to get the lobster and mushroom risotto with white truffle oil and lobster bisque, it is by far the BEST starter I have ever tasted ever, ever, ever, EVER!!!

Image via www.tidesbarbados.com

Coral reef BBQ - this was a new entry from our last visit and it didn't disappoint. Head down to Coral Reef Hotel on a Thursday night and join the incredible Bajan BBQ. The restaurant is set right on the beach and is open air, lit by flickering candles and has that real 'I'm on holiday' feel to it. You pay a set amount and then can eat whatever you like. The starters come in the form of a buffet, but don't let that word scare you...It is a buffet like no other, platters piled high with huge king prawns, lobster and thick slices of amazing smoked salmon, bowls of fresh salads, rices and much more! Then for the main course...the BBQ! Go up, pick your raw meat and/or fish and see it BBQ'ed to perfection before your eyes, then stock up on sauces, salad and sides. I had an incredible steak with homemade Bearnaise sauce and a seafood kebab (salmon, king prawns, maui maui, tuna and scallop) DELISH! While we ate  someone was playing the bajan steel drums in the background and as the night went on the entertainment ramped up to fire eating and bajan dancers! 

Sandy lane - if you want to pretend you're famous for the night, head down to Sandy Lane and dine in one of their four restaurants. It's quite an experience! Just to see inside the celeb-famous hotel is exciting enough but the people watching is second to none! Rich families, bratty kids and the outfits!! We ate at Bajan Blue without realising it was a buffet night - ring before you book and they can inform you what's on each night. It was incredible and really tasty but for about double the price of Coral Reef and I'd actually rate Coral Reef over this one. Totally worth it though to see inside the world of Simon Cowell's favourite hotel in Barbados!

Image via www.sandylane.com

Raggamuffins - there is no explaining this one - however I describe it I will just not do it justice! A restaurant with three transvestites who dress up in the best outfits, shoes, wigs and make-up and perform for you whilst you eat! The best bit, they don't just do this as a job, this is how they live their lives, one works at Tiffany's in Bridgetown as a woman! Safely the funnest night out in Barbados! 

Others you should try...

Mangos
The Lone star
Daphnes

Lunch...


If you can fit any more food in then you obviously need to consider lunch! We don't have to worry much about this as our routine is...wake up, put our bikinis on, pack the cool box up with alcohol and lunch and off we go! However my number one lunchtime spot to hit up has to be...


The Roti shack - you can pretty much visit the majority of restaurants above for lunch - Lone Star is a fab one for this. However if you fancy opting for something a little more local why not go to the Roti Shack! Flat bread pancakes filled with chicken, potatoes, even goat if you like, in a delish bajan sauce! This will not disappoint but beware rotis make me very full and sleepy for the afternoon sun - suncream at the ready!

Bars...

I won't pretend to be an expert on Barbados bars, firstly we go more for post-dinner cocktails in the restaurants that we're in as we're always so full and they're so amazing! And secondly most of the going out is on the East coast in St.Lawerence's Gap which I haven't visited too many times. But here are a few pointers...

Lexi's is practically next door to Raggamuffins and is a piano bar (and karaoke some nights apparently!). Laid back, chilled out fun...beware though it's not the  location for dresses and heels...flip flops for sure!

If you visit Raggamuffins / Lexi's / Mews on a Sunday then you will find a party takes places in the square of streets here. Everybody is out on the pavement with a Banks, having fun, singing, dancing and chatting! You definitely have to head down and pretend to be a local dancing well into the night!!

Oistins is a must when you visit Barbados. Every Friday over on the South Coast, you'll find the Oistins Fish Fry. It's a big square of food shacks, bars, a stage, dancing (older couple with traditional dancing and young locals break dancing) with yet again copious amounts of Banks drinking (a theme here!) The food is seriously good - esp Mo's for Tuna steak, salad, mac pie and homemade slaw, and the atmosphere is so much fun. Simply an easy night out where you get a real insight into Bajan life...keep your eyes peeled for Rihanna!

Colony Club Hotel pool bar does a great happy hour every evening between 5-7pm. Grab a table on the ocean front and drink your way through the half price cocktail list whilst watching an amazing Bajan Sunset!

As mentioned previously St Lawrence's gap is where all the young, rowdy nightlife is - lots of bars, clubs and late nights to be had. One widely mentioned is Harbour Lights - a club on the beach. I've never been but might be worth a try if the hype is to be believed.

Extras....

Bridgetown is your daytime destination if you fancy a spot is shopping. The capital of Barbados (where the airport is located), Bridgetown is full to the brim with shops - from food markets, to stalls selling clothes, jewellery and even fake watches and sunglasses right up to the real deal with the likes of Tiffany's and Cartier!

So there's my Mini Round-up of the most magical, beautiful paradise you can visit...make sure you go to the West coast and I guarantee you will not be disappointed. There is so much more to tell you about, but the beauty of Barbados is exploring and finding all the hidden gems before everyone else finds out! However seeing as I've shared the majority of mine it would only be fair to trade me some Bajan secrets too, I await your tips and promise not to share (well only to our loyal blog readers of course.).......

Sun, Sand, Sea and Pimms O'clock

We spend the vast majority of the year here in Hong Kong complaining about the heat and humidity.  I step out of my front door in August my make-up slides off my face, my hair frizzes into an enormous afro and I generally arrive at wherever I’m going looking like a sweaty, dishevelled mess.  At times like this, I long for the cooler weather.  It feels as though there’ll never again be a time when I’m able to straighten my hair with lasting results.  As the rest of the world go A/W crazy in September I stare longingly at the furs,jumpers, coats and boots knowing I’ll be wearing my bikinis and sundresses for a few months still.  It’s a hard life.

But as soon as the cold weather rolls in and the novelty of wearing Uggs and a leather jacket has passed (which takes approximately a week) I immediately start looking forward to the sun and warmth again.  I guess the grass is always greener and all that.

So having been in full winter dress for just over three whole months now, I’ve been dreaming of my favourite beaches.  Which got me to compiling my top five beaches list.  Here's my run down...

CRANE BEACH, Barbados

Where: South East coast of Barbados

How to get there:  You’ll need to take a car here (taxi or hire car).  Its approximately ten minutes from Barbados’ main airport, Grantley Adams International Airport.  Getting down to the beach from the road or car park is via stepping stones and requires a bit of agilty, be careful not to lose a Havaiana on the way.   

Why: often featuring in 'top ten beaches in the world' lists, Crane is absolutely picture postcard perfect.  Palest pink tinged, powdery sand with white crested turquoise waves; it’s truly the stuff of Caribbean fable.  Being on the East coast of the island, the surf is fierce (unlike the much calmer Western coast)  even paddling is highly likely to end in being knocked over.  Bad Mice experience leads me to recommend wearing a swimming costume rather than a bikini and removing sunglasses before approaching the water… you have been warned!

Bad Mice Beach Bar Spots: The Crane Resort pretty much has a monopoly here (although you can buy cold Banks beers from the guys on the beach who rent out beach beds and boogie boards).  The Crane Resort is perched up on the Cliffside right next to the beach and has two restaurants, Zen for sushi and L’Azure for seafood and their famous Sunday Gospel Brunch.  The Bad Mice recommend L’Azure for killer bajan shrimp dumplings and the photo op of your trip (bag a table out on the terrace).  The Bad Mice also like to pack a cool box of Pimms, lemonade and pre-chopped fruit and cucumber for smugly producing while reclining on the beach when Pimms O’clock strikes.

TAI LONG WAN, Hong Kong

Where: New Territories, Hong Kong

How to get there: the lazy route is via speedboat from Saikung – if you head to Saikung harbour you can hire a speedboat taxi which depending on how choppy the water is, should be able to take you directly to the beach in around 30 minutes.  If the water’s too rough the boats won’t go (and having been on a moderately rough journey, I really wouldn’t recommend it).  The more energetic route is to take a taxi to Saikung Country Park and hike in.  The hike takes around an hour and a half and is hilly.  The beach awaiting you at the end is well worth the effort though and the views on the way in are very pretty too.  For the high rollers, there are helipads on the beaches and there are always a couple of sunseekers moored just off the beach.

Why: If you ask the majority of people what Hong Kong’s like you’ll generally be told that its full of giant skyscrapers and that it's turbo-paced, noisy, crowded and truly 24/7.  While this isn’t at all inaccurate, its not the full story – a short hop outside of the city centre and you have green country parks, breathtakingly beautiful walking trails and really very pretty beaches.  While a lot of Hong Kong’s beaches are also pretty bustling and can be a bit dirty, Tai Long Wan is a real slice of paradise.  Its not the easiest place to get to which means that it's often really quiet, verging on deserted, the sand is fine and buttery yellow, the water’s clear and clean, you could easily mistake it for a beach on one of the calmer Thai islands.  Heading out for a day trip is entirely possible but for a real getaway, you can rent camping equipment for a very a reasonable price from the beach bars down there which means that you can camp right on the sand.  There’s nothing nicer than ending a day of sunbathing and swimming with a few Tsing Taos around the campfire under a starry sky and then waking up the next day with the waves lapping a stone’s throw from your tent. 

Bad Mice Beach Bar Spots: Not much choice and to be honest there’s not much to choose between the basic beach bars/restaurants but that’s half the charm.  The bars down here serve up cold beers to wash down noodles, fried rice and basic seafood (don't expect lobster and scallops).  If you're not feeling that sort of scene, the Mice recommend bringing a picnic.

SEMINYAK BEACH, Bali 
Where: Seminyak, South West coast of Bali

How to get there: Seminyak is located just West of Denpasar airport.  Traffic in Bali can be a bit of a killer so depending on what time of day you're trying to get to Seminyak and from where, travel time's going to vary.  We'd recommend (a) staying in Seminyak and (b) hiring a little moped.  Most of the accommodation in Seminyak is within a fairly small area but zipping around on a moped cuts out hot and bothered wandering around and means you're less likely to get distracted by the gorgeous boutiques (our fav is Magali Pascal).   



Why: Seminyak beach is a long, wide, silver sand beach (ok, its grey, but silver sounds better...) with ok surf.  While its pretty, its not the most beautiful of the Bali beaches.  The beaches towards the Southern tip of Bali are of the white sand, crashing turquoise wave variety, our top picks for beauty are Balangan Beach and Padang Padang (if you head to the latter we suggest walking a bit further round from the main beach just past the rocks for a stretch of perfect beach away from the crowds).  But if Balangan and Padang Padang are the beauties of the family, Seminyak's their cooler, wild, party-girl younger sister.  Packed full of restaurants, bars and boutiques, Seminyak is the more chic, hedonistic corner of Bali (as opposed to Kuta which offers more of a Magaluf brand of hedonism).  Here the days are spent lounging on the beach in large, dark Gucci shades and Melissa Odabash Kaftans recovering from the champagne-fuelled night before.   


Bad Mice Beach Bar Spots: There's so much choice on Seminyak beach with everything from the super cool, Ibiza-esque Ku de Ta and Potato Head where the beautiful people recline on day beds and sip passion fruit Caipirinhas to shacks on the beach serving up cold beers and nasi goreng on the sand.  Our top tip for sundowners is a bar just in front of Chez Gado Gado which as the sun begins to sink, lays out big bean bags surounded by little Balinese parasols illuminated by fairylights.  We guarantee that a couple of Bintangs down, nestled in your beanbag watching the world go by, you'll feel just as zen as all the yogis up in Eat, Pray, Love central, Ubud. 

WIJAYA BEACH, Sri Lanka
Where: South West Coast of Sri Lanka nr. Galle

How to get there: Wijaya is about a ten minute drive south of Galle.  The friendly tuk tuk drivers are our fav way to hop from beach to beach around here.
  

Why: The stretch of coast just South of Galle is home to the most beautiful, golden beaches which are generally long and uncrowded.  If its seclusion you want, you can definitely find it here, but for a bit more buzz and atmosphere, head to Wijaya.  By no means a party beach, this is the place for a laid-back, snoozy afternoon accompanied by a couple of Lion beers.  The surf can get choppy and currents can be dangerous along this coast but Wijaya is protected by a reef so it's basically a natural swimming pool.    

Bad Mice Beach Bar Spots: Tumbling onto the sand is the Wijaya Beach Bar, a relaxed but buzzy bar/restaurant.  Serving up the best wood-fired pizzas and mango mojitos to die for, by day it has a loungy, boho vibe which kicks up a notch at night (but only marginally so).  Attracting a mixed crowd of mainly expats and tourists, this bunting clad wooden beach bar has a great terrace for chilling-out to laid-back tunes while sunset gazing.     

PARADISE BEACH, Mykonos
Where: South coast of Mykonos (Mykonos is a Greek island South-East of the mainland lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos). 

How to get there: you can get to the beach by car/taxi or if you're on a budget, there's a bus that runs here.  You can also take the watery route and catch a boat-taxi from Plati Yialos (boat taxis run regularly throughout the day serving all the main Southern beaches).

Why: Mykonos is one of our favourite places in the Mediterranean.  It looks just as Greece is supposed to look.  Cliffsides adorned with sugar cube houses and whitewashed windmills swoop down into sapphire seas, crescents of golden sand are peppered with tavernas serving up souvlaki and ouzo and the towns are mazes of whitewashed alleys full of stylish bars and chic boutiques.  It's touristy but not in a Faliraki way.  The crowd here are a mix of island-hoppers and monied Europeans. The beaches range from sleepy coves to packed, party sands.  Paradise is definitely in the latter category.  It's a beautiful beach with crystal clear, calm waters but its less snoozy, more insomniac.  By day, grab a sunlounger and catch up on some sleep, because you probably won't be leaving until the sun is back up again.

Bad Mice Beach Bar Spots: It has to be Club Tropicana.  Set right on the beach, this place looks like any other beach bar but as the day wears on the music gets louder and people start to flock away from their sunloungers towards the killer cocktails served up by the Tropicana bar staff.  Pretty soon you're likely to get a sighting of the "elephant man".  No, we're not talking a severely deformed man here, don't worry, this is Tropicana legend, Sasa who parades around the bar with just a microphone and his tiny, silver elephant thong... Let's just say that every night is a guaranteed party night full of strong drinks, skinny dipping and dancing on the bar in your bikini.  Pack dark glasses and aspirin in your beach bag for the boat ride back in the morning...