Colourful Caribbean a great family escape

Colourful Caribbean a great family escape
By admin


There are many ways to blow a four-year-old's mind, but looking down at her pink thongs and suddenly noticing they've turned purple is a pretty big wow moment for my daughter on holiday.

We're 46-metres below sea level and experiencing 'colour change' on board our Atlantis Submarine.

I had only just recovered from the little prank the crew made on our way out to the dive site. Being the gullible, panicky holiday mum I am, my eyes widened as I heard the words 'get changed into your wet gear and swim across to the submarine' towards the end of the safety preamble.

We were on a boat – just me, my four-year-old and my beloved camera. We had no swim gear, my daughter can't yet dog paddle and my camera's not waterproof.

As I looked around at the other passengers, desperately eyeing belongings for signs of towels and swimsuits, I noticed a few smirks. Our instructor was joking, of course.

They like to do that a lot here in Barbados.

As we take our seats, there's a feeling of claustrophobia and excitement when the captain yells, "Dive! Dive! Dive! Dive! Dive!", and we plunge into the depths of the ocean.

We swirl past a shipwreck and bob around coral, while yellow goatfish, blue tangs and trumpetfish swim busily past our porthole. Children taller than 90-centimetres are all welcome on board and will delight at seeing what really is at the bottom of the deep blue sea.

With year-round average temperatures of 28C, beautiful beaches, friendly people and fabulous family accommodation, there are few reasons not to give it a go.

The plush Royal Villas at the Royal Westmoreland resort make a great base on the Platinum Coast – so called because this is where all the rich people own property. Oodles of sports stars and celebrities have homes in the area.

Even at busy times, the resort's 300 hectares, gorgeous greenery and vast facilities mean you barely see a soul.

We share an entire pool area with about half a dozen other people. You can smugly turn up at any time of day and have an array of sun beds to choose from – a welcome change from the European resorts where you're lucky to find one after 9am, let alone four together.

Other nice touches include a fired-up barbecue on your arrival, complete with a cheery chef to cook it for you. So once you've tucked the tots into bed, you can put up your frazzled feet, crack an award-winning bottle of Bajan brewed Banks beer and be waited on hand and foot – they even wash up afterwards and leave you with the leftovers!

The rather stunning 6440-metre championship golf course is worth a visit, and lessons can be organised with Roger Beale, who represented Barbados in the 2006 World Cup of Golf.

And, of course, you can hop on the shuttle and head down to Mullins Beach and Spa. The sparkling turquoise sea is tepid enough, even for teeny toes, all year round.

Grab some beds and whenever you need a strawberry daiquiri (virgin concoctions are available for small people), just wedge your yellow flag in the sand and it will appear in a matter of moments.

For older kids, the floating inflatable swing/slide/climbing wall set-up looks immense fun and days can easily be spent building sand castles and taking in vitamin D.

For a day with a difference, though, try a trip to the Barbados Wildlife Reserve. Turtles hide away in their shells or pant in the heat, while deer and agouti are everywhere – all within touching distance.

Much to the relief of my four-year-old, the only snakes we see are in cages, but it's only at the very end of our visit when we finally sniff out the monkeys. Big families of them play at our feet, scarpering up on rooftops and into trees, grooming each other and generally behaving better than my little monkeys!

Grown-ups in need of time out can book a babysitter and pretend to be young and rich in Rihanna's homeland. We play Spot The Celebrity while indulging in dinner at the renowned (and hugely expensive) The Cliff.

Businessmen fly their private jets in for a meal at this restaurant, overlooking the ocean. If you're lucky enough to book a table on the deck, you can listen to the waves crash against the side, while tarpon, stingray and a plethora of tiddlers swim right beneath you.

But if spending US$125 (AUD$135.24) on a couple of courses of food doesn't float your boat, you can always opt for a Tiami Catamaran cruise. The rum punch flows as you take in the sites of Barbados, have fun with the crew and snorkel for turtles.

It might just be the ultimate family holiday. And it's certainly a great place to blow the mind of a four-year-old.

IF YOU GO

Staying there

The writer stayed at the Royal Westmoreland (www.royalwestmoreland.com), which offers seven nights in a three-bedroom Royal Villa on a self-catering basis from $A1230 a person, based on a family of four sharing. Prices valid until December 14, 2014.

Playing there

The Atlantis Submarine (www.barbados.atlantissubmarines.com) experience starts from about AUD$87 per adult and AUD$45 per child.

Entrance to the Barbados Wildlife Reserve costs about AUD$13 an adult, AUD$7.50 a child.

There are numerous operators across the island offering catamaran cruises. A daytime snorkel with lunch cruise costs around AUD$97 an adult.

* For more information on Barbados, visit www.visitbarbados.org. 

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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