After touring Sunbury Plantation, a gorgeous 300-year-old sugar plantation house with a 60-by-20-foot dining room, I headed back to my hotel, where I went swimming in the sea. Or tried to. Whap! The mighty ocean -- the Cariblantic, I'd taken to calling it -- knocked me to my knees. I retreated to the hotel pool, settling in among the resident British families who congregate here for weeks on end. Americans are in the minority at the Casuarina, so instead of being surrounded by little Brittanys and Ambers, you get kids with names like Harry and Felicia, which somehow makes them more bearable. When they whine in Masterpiece Theatre accents, the effect is charming. "Mummy, cahn't I swim a bit longer?" "Sorry, darling, Daddy's waiting." Personally, I was rooting for Felicia.
My last day on the island, I had one goal: to go snorkeling in the calm Caribbean waters. This involved taking the hotel shuttle to the capital of Bridgetown and a half-hour public bus up the west coast, but it was worth it for the glimpse it provided of everyday island life. Ad on the bus: "For Health and Vitality, Drink the Original Tisane de Bourbon EVERY Day! A sure way to avoid constipation, spotty skin and other troubles. Available from supermarkets and pharmacies islandwide."
The bus dropped me at Folkestone Park and Marine Reserve, a public park with a narrow beach where a friend and I seemed to be the only customers. Flippers and mask strapped on, I duck-walked into the tranquil, clear water. Finally, an ocean I could manage. Soon I was floating contentedly above a coral reef as schools of bright blue and yellow fish flickered past in a dazzling neon display. I could have stayed out there for hours, but I wanted to get to a supermarket and find some Tisane de Bourbon.
K.C. Summers will be online to discuss this story during the Travel section's regular weekly chat tomorrow at 2 p.m. on www.washingtonpost.com.
Details: Barbados
GETTING THERE: BWIA flies nonstop to Barbados from Washington Dulles three times a week and is quoting a round-trip fare of $635. US Airways, American, Air Jamaica and other airlines also serve Barbados from the Washington area, with connections through Miami, San Juan and elsewhere.
GETTING AROUND: Don't park yourself at your hotel -- exploring is a must. If you're not up to driving on the left (there are lots of roundabouts and rush hour traffic can be daunting), you can travel anywhere on the island via the excellent public bus system for 75 cents.
Taxis and private tour companies abound. Lokai Tours (246-231-2669), for one, offers half-day, personalized excursions, including all-terrain-vehicle tours, for about $50 per person.
WHERE TO STAY: Lodging on Barbados is expensive, especially on the west (Caribbean) coast. The premier hotel, frequented by movie stars and other luminaries, is the posh Sandy Lane (St. James, 246-444-2000, www.sandylane.com), with a luxury spa, walled grounds and championship golf course. During high season, roughly January to April, rooms start at $900 per night (but hey, breakfast's included). Also on the west coast, Almond Beach Village (St. Peter, 246-422-4900) is a popular all-inclusive with nine swimming pools and a mile-long beach; rates start at $600 double per night.
Lodgings are more affordable on the south coast, but the downside is the ocean is rougher. Among the best hotels in this area: the Casuarina Beach Club (Dover, St. Lawrence Gap, Christ Church, 246-428-3600, www.casuarina.com), with lush landscaped grounds, a strong environmental focus and lots of amenities, including a pool, restaurants, bars, live entertainment, free Internet access, weekly crafts market and an impressive local art collection. Rooms, while not fancy, are clean and spacious and include full kitchens. Rates start at $195 double for a pool or garden-view studio and drop to $115 in mid-April.
WHERE TO EAT: For the best fish dinner on the island, don't miss the Oistins Fish Fry, held outdoors Friday and Saturday nights in the south-coast fishing town of Oistins. Dozens of grill shacks (and bars) ply their wares next to the fish market, and there's often a band or disc jockey. The Fish Net Grill serves up a heaping plate of grilled flying fish, grilled potatoes and salad for $7.50.
In St. Lawrence Gap, the Whistling Frog (Dover, Christ Church) is a cheerful pub with checkered tablecloths, whimsically painted furniture and sports on the telly. Entrees include fish and chips, pepperpot stew and pasta dishes; dinner for two, with a couple of beers, runs around $30. The Bean-n-Bagel (Dover, Christ Church) is a popular spot for all-day breakfasts, salads and sandwiches; lunch runs about $10 a person.
In Bathsheba, the Bonito Bar and Restaurant (St. Joseph) overlooks the rugged Atlantic coast and offers an authentic Caribbean buffet for about $15, with down-home staples like rice and beans, breadfruit pie and local fish.
WHAT TO DO:
Harrison's Cave (St. Thomas, 246-438-6640) is a spectacular underground network of caverns that you tour via tram. Admission is $8.50.
Barbados Wildlife Reserve (St. Peter, 246-422-8826) is home to a colony of unfettered green monkeys as well as turtles, deer, peacocks, flamingos and other free-roaming animals; there's also a walk-in aviary and an iguana village. To be sure of seeing the monkeys, time your visit for around 3 p.m., when they are fed. Admission is $12 (with subsequent free admission for up to two weeks, if you don't see any monkeys).
Sunbury Plantation House (St. Philip, 246-423-6270, www.barbadosgreathouse.com) is a 300-year-old sugar plantation house open to the public. Guided tours are $6.
Folkestone Park and Marine Reserve (Church Point, St. James, 246-422-2314) is a public park offering snorkeling and diving in a protected area; snorkeling equipment rents for $10 per person.
INFORMATION: Barbados Tourism Authority, 800-221-9831, www.barbados.org.
-- K.C. Summers
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