From the sea to the distillery: a Barbados walking holiday | A Guides Journal, Part 2 of 2

Leading Beautiful Barbados always means variety, walking one day, sightseeing the next, and rarely knowing exactly what shape the day will take.

A glass bottomed boat trip from Folkestone, Barbados

From Folkestone on the west coast, we set off aboard a glass bottomed boat, our own lifeguard alongside a friendly local captain who knows these waters well. Beneath us, tropical fish drift through clear Caribbean water, catching the light as they weave between coral, and several of the group cannot resist the chance to swim and snorkel alongside them. There's a quiet thrill in watching guests who'd never normally get in the sea slip into the water without a second thought. Rum punch is passed round before we head back to shore, disembarking directly onto a beautiful sandy beach. 

Barbados rum distillery tour and tasting

No visit to Barbados is complete without learning how the island's most famous export is made, and a tour of a rum distillery, with plenty of tasting, is one of the most popular stops on this Beautiful Barbados tour. Alongside the plantation houses, botanical gardens and cliff top walks that fill the rest of the week, it's another reminder of just how much variety this tour packs in, sightseeing, walking and a little indulgence, all in one trip. As one guest put it afterwards: 

"The daily excursions were all excellent and great overall value for money. Plenty of variety, amazing scenery, interesting colonial history, local heritage and the opportunity to explore all parts of the island. Not forgetting plenty of vitamin R (Rum)!" 

By the time we leave the distillery, glasses empty and spirits high, we understand exactly what they meant.

Oistins Fish Fry: Barbados' Friday night tradition

Friday night belongs to the Oistins Fish Fry. We gather at the waterfront for a traditional fish supper, choosing from the many stalls that line the harbour, the smell of grilled fish drifting over the crowd before we've even ordered. Once plates are cleared, we find a spot near the stage, where live local talent takes over as the evening wears on, drawing everyone in front of the stage before the night is through, guests and leaders alike. It's loud, unpolished in the best way, and entirely local, exactly the kind of evening that never quite translates into a brochure.

Why Barbados feels truly rambling worldwide

Stepping off the plane into Barbados feels entirely different to our usual European destinations. The climate, the people, the food and the music all combine to give the island a character all its own, and it's in moments like these, a rum punch on the water, a Friday night at the Oistins Fish Fry, that we feel we are truly rambling worldwide. Two very different days, two very different sides of the same small island, and by the time we fly home, it's never quite enough.

If you would like to experience it for yourself, Ramble Worldwide's Beautiful Barbados explores the island with expert leaders and a small group who will, likely, become people you are glad to have walked with.