dierenarts
Contributor
Day 1
Stayed at 703 South Ocean Villas in Hastings, ChristChurch, St. Michael. Penthouse was beautiful overlooking the sea with sunsetsoff to the right. Took local van taxi for $1 per person no matter how far onset route to fishing village of Oistin for their weekend fish fry. Had thoughtit was just one place, but was open air area with multiplevendors/restaurant/grills. Michaels Bar and Grill. He told us 4 of the local beers, Banks, was$10 bajun which is only $5 US. We onlywanted two as the other two would get warm. He said if we brought the empties back hed remember. So I thought there goes $2.50 but sure enoughno hassles when I returned for the second round. Finally we selected the stall with the longestlines (as one local told us those are the best) Uncle Georges The Fish Net. Longline, fun conversation, was even warned about soup nazi tactics if you asktoo many questions. Had Marlin, KingFish and shrimp. Came with sides of coleslaw, garlic potato,mac pie (aka mac n cheese), and potato salad. Was grilled so we thought it was healthier until I saw them lather it upwith butter, and the tartar sauce was great.
Day 2
Drove up highway 3 on the west coast after passing through thecapitol Bridgetown..aka just town. Folkstone Marine Park in Holetown, St. James parish was supposed to be the best snorkeling. Unfortunately mostly rock with only @10%coral and some smallish fish. This pattern was repeated in most places we snorkeled, so non-divers take note. Did see a nice gold-spotted eel though, first time forus. Went as far as Speightstown home of the Reefers and Wreckers dive shop. Nice little village worth a visit and check out an awesome bakery across from the dive shop there.
Back to Hastings to walk a very nice new 1 mile long board walk. Blakeys down theboardwalk from our condo for dinner.Food was not too hot and expensive for what it was, but $2.50 old gold rumdrinks all night and live music average was OK.
Day 3
Reefers and Wreckers Dive shop - did not have a good experience. Received pressure to do the Stav as our first dive since last Spring. We declined and had to hear the dive master and captain argueing out back for a while. Dive master was not very attentive below. Dove Bright Ledge and Great Ledge dives sites near Speightown. Reef was in fair shape some nice honeycomb cowfish, scrawled filefish, whitespotted file fish and a spiny crab.
Two rounds of fantastic rum punches next door to dive shop and got the recipe (fresh lime juice, simple syrup (not too sweet is best), dark rum, angstrom bitters, and nutmeg).
Drove toeast coast Atlantic side, walked the beach, lots of trash from our poor oceanswashed ashore. Lots of plastics always sad to see. The only comic relief amidst this was adestroyed suitcase marked fragile. Andromeda botanical gardens tour is a must do. Nicely donewith two trails well marked and were provided with detailed information sheets (of coursestarted with a rum punch)!
Back in Hastings walked down boardwalk to Tiki Bar - sounds really touristy but had the best mojitos, best shrimp anywhere and reasonable prices.
Day 4
Toured Sunbury plantation, rum punches before noon, Four Square Rum Distillery tour, snorkeled Carlisle Bay whichhas several artificial reef wrecks. Not much coral to see for snorkelers, but we did get to see some smallish fish including bluespotted coronet fish, nice school of very healthy ballyhoo plus a sand covered scorpion fish that looked all but dead..but of course, I had to make sure so made him move. Thought it would not be worth diving as some others have posted here. However, we did dive it as our second tank last dive and found it enjoyable and worth while with the right dive master.
Brown Sugars (in Bridgetown) bajan buffet on Monday night, moderately priced but all you can eat and a great way to sample true local bajan recipes. Nice atmosphere, good service and great food. Especially liked souse (melt in your mouth pork with spicy greens), cinnamon plantains, pudding (dark, yam based), steamed flying fish, okra, pepper pot (beef stew, etc), lamp stew, split pea and pumpkin soup, corn cou-cou, bread pudding with a rum sauce to die for.
Day 5
A must do is a visit to St. Nicholas Abbey plantation a sugar canefarm and rum distillery, 15 year old barrel aged rum with etched glass bottle, cork with mahogany and leather stopper to go home. Tasted the 10 year which was awesome. Great little home movie from the 20s which was very informative narrated by the last owner Colonel Chase. British humor. Include stories of young kids grabbing and riding the blades of windmills around. Continued our tour with fields of sugar cane everywhere, mahogany treelined road up to Cherry Tree Hill overview down to Morgan Lewis sugar mill (only working windmill left), to Grenade Signal Tower and forest with Barbados Wildlife Reserve Barbados green monkeys lots of tortoises etc. Then down to Ape Hill Polo club for 2 games, bottle of Cote de Provence and home too tired for restaurant.
Day 6
Diving with John Moore formerly of divebarbados.net but now dives with The Dive Shop (located right at Carlisle Bay). Castle and Asta dive sites. Much nicer than up north. Still just small stuff folks, but we got some great videos as the diving was long and slow and the fish werent spooked by video. John seemed very excited to point out two lion fish, but having dived the Carib further north that was hoohum other than the sad fact that they've made it this far down. Nice smooth trunkfish, hawksbill turtle, candy cane shrimp, shy hamlet, sanddiver, etc.
Dinner Tapas more fancy than weve done so far but not the most exclusive one. Panko encrusted warm goat cheese and tuna tartar apps. Jumbo shrimp and risotto and was supposed to be Mahi Mahi that came out waaayyy over cooked, returned for fresh one that was much better but no comps. Moderately expensive, not really as great as advertised.
Day 7+8
Dove at Boot Reef and Lobster reef - again small but really neat stuff and healthy corals. Our firsts included Flying grunards, sea horse, web burrfish, and sharptail eel. Also the usually wrasses, chromis, trunkfish, filefish, indigo hamlets, puffers and a stingray with puffer fish following looking for left overs.
Very good but pricey restaurant called Champers. Atmosphere and food were good. Pat had seafood pasta (a bit heavy on the pasta) I had panko-encrusted barracuda yum and had thai coconut mussels to die for.
Day 9
Last of two dives with John Moore. Shark Reef and Carlisle Bay wreck dives. Entered several wrecks (our first) lots of fish and fun corals/anemonies (including carpet anemone). Nice scorpion fish and huge spiny lobster! Again folks you'll not see anything bigger than us due to over fishing etc. But I enjoy the small stuff and healthy colorful reefs.
Last Day
Just caught the last tram ride at Harrisons Cave tour, bit pricey and hokey but fun. If you have the time schedule the "eco-tour" for more traditional caving experience.
Dinner at Water Side restaurant in The Gap. For a splurge I would highly recommend this for great food!
Would like to post a video, but not sure what the size restrictions are on this site!
CHEERS!
Stayed at 703 South Ocean Villas in Hastings, ChristChurch, St. Michael. Penthouse was beautiful overlooking the sea with sunsetsoff to the right. Took local van taxi for $1 per person no matter how far onset route to fishing village of Oistin for their weekend fish fry. Had thoughtit was just one place, but was open air area with multiplevendors/restaurant/grills. Michaels Bar and Grill. He told us 4 of the local beers, Banks, was$10 bajun which is only $5 US. We onlywanted two as the other two would get warm. He said if we brought the empties back hed remember. So I thought there goes $2.50 but sure enoughno hassles when I returned for the second round. Finally we selected the stall with the longestlines (as one local told us those are the best) Uncle Georges The Fish Net. Longline, fun conversation, was even warned about soup nazi tactics if you asktoo many questions. Had Marlin, KingFish and shrimp. Came with sides of coleslaw, garlic potato,mac pie (aka mac n cheese), and potato salad. Was grilled so we thought it was healthier until I saw them lather it upwith butter, and the tartar sauce was great.
Day 2
Drove up highway 3 on the west coast after passing through thecapitol Bridgetown..aka just town. Folkstone Marine Park in Holetown, St. James parish was supposed to be the best snorkeling. Unfortunately mostly rock with only @10%coral and some smallish fish. This pattern was repeated in most places we snorkeled, so non-divers take note. Did see a nice gold-spotted eel though, first time forus. Went as far as Speightstown home of the Reefers and Wreckers dive shop. Nice little village worth a visit and check out an awesome bakery across from the dive shop there.
Back to Hastings to walk a very nice new 1 mile long board walk. Blakeys down theboardwalk from our condo for dinner.Food was not too hot and expensive for what it was, but $2.50 old gold rumdrinks all night and live music average was OK.
Day 3
Reefers and Wreckers Dive shop - did not have a good experience. Received pressure to do the Stav as our first dive since last Spring. We declined and had to hear the dive master and captain argueing out back for a while. Dive master was not very attentive below. Dove Bright Ledge and Great Ledge dives sites near Speightown. Reef was in fair shape some nice honeycomb cowfish, scrawled filefish, whitespotted file fish and a spiny crab.
Two rounds of fantastic rum punches next door to dive shop and got the recipe (fresh lime juice, simple syrup (not too sweet is best), dark rum, angstrom bitters, and nutmeg).
Drove toeast coast Atlantic side, walked the beach, lots of trash from our poor oceanswashed ashore. Lots of plastics always sad to see. The only comic relief amidst this was adestroyed suitcase marked fragile. Andromeda botanical gardens tour is a must do. Nicely donewith two trails well marked and were provided with detailed information sheets (of coursestarted with a rum punch)!
Back in Hastings walked down boardwalk to Tiki Bar - sounds really touristy but had the best mojitos, best shrimp anywhere and reasonable prices.
Day 4
Toured Sunbury plantation, rum punches before noon, Four Square Rum Distillery tour, snorkeled Carlisle Bay whichhas several artificial reef wrecks. Not much coral to see for snorkelers, but we did get to see some smallish fish including bluespotted coronet fish, nice school of very healthy ballyhoo plus a sand covered scorpion fish that looked all but dead..but of course, I had to make sure so made him move. Thought it would not be worth diving as some others have posted here. However, we did dive it as our second tank last dive and found it enjoyable and worth while with the right dive master.
Brown Sugars (in Bridgetown) bajan buffet on Monday night, moderately priced but all you can eat and a great way to sample true local bajan recipes. Nice atmosphere, good service and great food. Especially liked souse (melt in your mouth pork with spicy greens), cinnamon plantains, pudding (dark, yam based), steamed flying fish, okra, pepper pot (beef stew, etc), lamp stew, split pea and pumpkin soup, corn cou-cou, bread pudding with a rum sauce to die for.
Day 5
A must do is a visit to St. Nicholas Abbey plantation a sugar canefarm and rum distillery, 15 year old barrel aged rum with etched glass bottle, cork with mahogany and leather stopper to go home. Tasted the 10 year which was awesome. Great little home movie from the 20s which was very informative narrated by the last owner Colonel Chase. British humor. Include stories of young kids grabbing and riding the blades of windmills around. Continued our tour with fields of sugar cane everywhere, mahogany treelined road up to Cherry Tree Hill overview down to Morgan Lewis sugar mill (only working windmill left), to Grenade Signal Tower and forest with Barbados Wildlife Reserve Barbados green monkeys lots of tortoises etc. Then down to Ape Hill Polo club for 2 games, bottle of Cote de Provence and home too tired for restaurant.
Day 6
Diving with John Moore formerly of divebarbados.net but now dives with The Dive Shop (located right at Carlisle Bay). Castle and Asta dive sites. Much nicer than up north. Still just small stuff folks, but we got some great videos as the diving was long and slow and the fish werent spooked by video. John seemed very excited to point out two lion fish, but having dived the Carib further north that was hoohum other than the sad fact that they've made it this far down. Nice smooth trunkfish, hawksbill turtle, candy cane shrimp, shy hamlet, sanddiver, etc.
Dinner Tapas more fancy than weve done so far but not the most exclusive one. Panko encrusted warm goat cheese and tuna tartar apps. Jumbo shrimp and risotto and was supposed to be Mahi Mahi that came out waaayyy over cooked, returned for fresh one that was much better but no comps. Moderately expensive, not really as great as advertised.
Day 7+8
Dove at Boot Reef and Lobster reef - again small but really neat stuff and healthy corals. Our firsts included Flying grunards, sea horse, web burrfish, and sharptail eel. Also the usually wrasses, chromis, trunkfish, filefish, indigo hamlets, puffers and a stingray with puffer fish following looking for left overs.
Very good but pricey restaurant called Champers. Atmosphere and food were good. Pat had seafood pasta (a bit heavy on the pasta) I had panko-encrusted barracuda yum and had thai coconut mussels to die for.
Day 9
Last of two dives with John Moore. Shark Reef and Carlisle Bay wreck dives. Entered several wrecks (our first) lots of fish and fun corals/anemonies (including carpet anemone). Nice scorpion fish and huge spiny lobster! Again folks you'll not see anything bigger than us due to over fishing etc. But I enjoy the small stuff and healthy colorful reefs.
Last Day
Just caught the last tram ride at Harrisons Cave tour, bit pricey and hokey but fun. If you have the time schedule the "eco-tour" for more traditional caving experience.
Dinner at Water Side restaurant in The Gap. For a splurge I would highly recommend this for great food!
Would like to post a video, but not sure what the size restrictions are on this site!
CHEERS!
