TRAVEL HOTSPOTS
DISCOVER THE SUN-SOAKED CARIBBEAN PARADISE OF BARBADOS
Asoft tropical breeze wafts its way up from the beach and eases through the wooden shutters of your hotel suite.
silver moon rises high above the waving palms into a sky of endless twinkling stars. At The Crane Residential Resort in Barbados, as you drift off to a gentle sleep, it’s easy to think that paradise does exist and it’s located right here on a tiny island in the eastern Caribbean.
In his bestselling book The Geography of Bliss, journalist Eric Weiner explored the planet looking for the “happiest country in the world.” After journeys ranging from Bhutan to Switzerland his ultimate discovery is that happiness is not just a place but also a state of mind.
Yes, there are always basic human needs that must be met to be happy — sufficient food and money, good health and job, strong relationships — but fame and fortune are not among those necessities.
This realization may explain why Barbados is one of the happiest places in the world, and why so many Canadians are making this delightful little island a winter home.
I begin my own exploration of bliss at The Crane, one of the oldest continuously operated resorts in the Caribbean.
Perched high on a cliff above what Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous has called one of the most beauti- ful beaches in the world, L’Azure restaurant, at The Crane serves a breakfast that includes a view of forever.
On a good day you can see halfway to Africa.
Every day, far below, the pink sands of Crane Beach whisper seductive sounds of romance. You could spend your entire vacation on this gorgeous beach but, of course, I have the island to explore.
The Crane Beach dates back to 1769, when it was considered improper for ladies to be seen bathing in public. Steps were cut into the cliffs protecting its secluded cove. Today a glass elevator whisks guests down to the sea.
In 1790 a mansion was built atop the cliffs, still standing. In 1890 the mansion expanded into an 18room hotel.
In the early 1990s Torontonian Paul Doyle bought the property and expanded it into more than 200 rooms, with major plans for more residences and two more beach resorts.
Painted a muted pastel pink, the various fourstorey towers of the resort blend harmoniously among the many pools and lush gardens, all connected by little bridges like a tropical Disneyland.
I count five restaurants scattered around a central plaza with a grocery store, retail shops, a nightclub playing soft jazz, ice cream parlour and bakery, fitness centre, camera shop and a central plaza where local craftspeople sell their wares. It’s a real village.
The Crane, I discover, is not a typical holiday resort. It’s actually a community, with many of the units owned by Canadians. Shared ownership is available to those lucky folks who discover this hidden gem, and many Canadians have bought luxury real estate for what turns out to be a modest amount.
If I were to come to Barbados every winter when the winds blow cold up north, then I need to discover what other activities there are besides chilling at The Crane. So I engage the services of a driver, a smiling and happy Bajan named Randy, and off we go to circumnavigate the entire 34-kilometre-by-23-kilometre island, easily done in a few days.
First stop is Harrison’s Cave, a gigantic underground cavern that all tourists to Barbados need to see.
Next is Hunte’s Gardens, a tropical wonderland of exotic plants where I am invited to share a rum punch with the very outgoing Mr. Hunte himself, an elderly British expat who has created a thriving jungle garden in the depths of a limestone sinkhole.
Around the island I ramble, stopping to watch surfers challenge some of the world’s best waves on the east coast at Bathsheba Beach, with lunch at The Roundhouse where I discover crispy flying fish with breadfruit chips. Then a quick sojourn at peaceful Naniki Resort, an eco-retreat secluded high on a hill with a view of the Atlantic far below. Next, a walk around St. Nicholas Abbey, a magnificent former plantation house that displays what life was like on Barbados when rum and sugar cane were principal exports. Nowadays, tourism and banking drive the economy, and they drive it very well indeed.
Barbados has a strong middle class boasting an amazing 99.7 per cent literacy rate, low unemployment and little crime.
Many students graduate from college and most tourism operations are managed by Bajans. Life is good, almost as good as the weather, which averages about 25-30 C all year round, with almost constant sunshine. The west coast of the island is home to luxury resorts, swank golf courses and fancy restaurants, but we are behind schedule. I am due to ride a mini-submarine out of Bridgetown and they won’t wait. The craft sinks down 40 metres to examine the coral reefs and spectacular reef fish that live there. The next day I dive with sea turtles from a catamaran. Frolicking face to face with a giant turtle in the ocean is a thrilling experience. Along the main harbour known as the Careenage you’ll find deep sea fishing charters that catch marlin, sailfish and yellowfin tuna in season (December to March).
Bridgetown is a bustling city of nearly 100,000 with shops, museums and the usual tourist attractions but I’m off to enjoy the local farmers market. In Cheapside I find bustling outdoor stalls where vendors sell everything from fish to bananas. Tourists don’t usually shop here, but I’m welcomed with open arms by an army of friendly faces eager to talk. Oh, Canadian, are you? Welcome! Bring your friends!
The Mount Gay rum factory is a must see as is the Friday night fish fry in the tiny fishing port of Oistins, a riot of music and flavours with flying fish, veggies and mac ’n’ cheese sizzling on most menus. Bajan food is not fancy; for fine dining you must venture forth to continental high-end restaurants like Cin Cin in Bridgetown.
It’s at the Monday night with a full kitchen, washers and dryers, widescreen TVs and all the amenities of home. In fact, these suites are winter vacation homes for those Canadians lucky enough to have heard of The Crane.
For every week purchased, I learn, points are assigned which may be spent, just like money, on food, groceries, or spa appointments.
The United Nations Human Development Index places Barbados in the highest category of “very high human development.”
A recent survey in The Telegraph in Britain named Barbados as “one of the Top Ten countries in the world to live.”
Who knew? Well, I decide, my own global explorations certainly put friendly Barbados at the top of my list of favourite countries.