Cricket is another popular sport that you can take part in while visiting Barbados. The national sport of Barbados and the West Indies is cricket. Each year thousands of people arrive in Barbados to watch the world cricket tournaments at the famous Kingston Oval.

There are plenty of opportunities for water sports while visiting Barbados. The beautiful, crystal clear water and beaches will keep you outdoors in the sun for hours, going inside only in the evening as you enjoy some of the find dining experiences unique to Barbados. Some of the water sports available include:

(1) snorkeling among the rocks and reef close to shore, (2) kayaking near the shoreline, (3) water skiing through the calming waters, (4) wind surfing as the wind comes up, (5) sailing in one of the many scenic coves, and (6) boogie boarding for the more adventurous.

If you love to play in the water, you won’t have time to partake of all the water sports available in Barbados unless you plan to take an extended holiday.

The best time of the year to visit Barbados is during February to May when the weather is cooler and drier than at any other time of the year. One thing that you will have to remember is that this time is considered tourist time and will be very busy with tourists from all over the world. This also means that the prices of everything will be higher than at any other time of the year.

There are a number of festivals and events happening in Barbados year- round. The Crop-Over Festival began in colonial times. It lasts for several weeks, starting in July, and celebrates the sugar cane harvest. During February, if you are there, be sure to enjoy the Holetown Festival. This commemorates the arrival of the first English settlers in 1627.

Other festivals and events include the Oistins Fish Festival during Easter and the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts that takes place in November.

When it comes down to the bottom line, it really doesn’t matter when you go to Barbados. It is always beautiful, exciting with lost of activity.

Christ Church – it is located on the south coast of the island. Like St. Micheal you would find major restaurants, bars, hotels as well as tourist attractions. If you come by plane you will land in the parish of Christ Church. The name of our airport is the Grantly Adams International Airport.

There are some great beaches in this parish such as the two most popular one Accra beach and Miami beach.Also in this parish you would find the swimming centre and the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium.When you make your way from the airport you can make a stop in Oistins. Oistins is also a very popular place in this parish because it is known for its nightlife.

St. Philip – it is located on the far east of the island. This parish enjoys the cooling breeze from the trade winds.Some of the major attractions in this parish are Sam Lord’s castle, Sunbury Great House and Bushy Park. If you are not familiar with bushy park it is where rally drivers’ race on a very interesting circuit.From the airport to St. Philip takes on about 1 minute literally speaking and from the Bridgetown port to St. Philip it takes about 25 minutes.

St. Peter – it is located in the west of the island. The main town in St. Peter is called Speightstown and this is the second largest town on the island. Some of the beaches located in St. Peter are Mullins and Heywoods. St. Andrew – This is probably is the most beautiful parishes on the island. What makes it so beautiful is the it is lined with huge rock cliffs which over look the almost the entire east coast.

In this parish you would find the Morgan Lewis Mill, one of the last remaining windmills on the island. In St. Andrew you would also find the Farley Hill National Park where the remains of one of the oldest mansions once stood. Nowadays it is used for special events and it is also a very popular spot for picnics.

St. Joseph – this another parish located on the east coast of Barbados. For persons who just want to get away from everyday life this would be the best place for you to be. Although this parish is would we call the ” real country” it stills has some of the things you would find in town just not as much. There are restaurants, one or two hotels and there are of course the famous rum shops.

It is home to one of the famous beaches in the world Bathsheba and also there is a small tropical rain forest.St. Thomas – this parish is basically in the middle of Barbados and it is the greenest of parishes because it accentuated with natural habitats.Some of the places of interest in this parish are the popular and world renowned Harrison’s Cave, Welchman Hall Gully, Clifton Polo Field etc. St. Lucy – is the most northerly parish on the island. It is relatively flat and has some of the most ridged coast line in Barbados and also in the Caribbean.

History

Evidence will show that the first indigenous settlers were the Arawaks, who lived seemingly peacefully on the island for many years. They were recorded to be particularly good at practising agricultural techniques that included growing corn and cotton. They had designed and created advanced tools of their own to aid them with the agricultural farming and for fishing.

The Arawaks were believed to have been the settlers of Barbados until 1200 AD, when the seemingly violent and aggressive Carib groups had almost wiped out the Arawak settlers. The Spanish and Portuguese had then entered into the country, with the Spanish deciding not to settle in Barbados. The Portuguese colonized the island in the 16th century, with these settlers cam the name of Los Barbados meaning ‘bearded one’ on account of the fig trees that would grow on the island.

The English would not follow suit in the colonization until 1625, in which they claimed the land as their own in the name of King Kames I. Two years later settlers were brought in to the land, with the worlds third parliamentary democracy formed. 80 settlers and 10 slaves were brought to the island, with many of the settlers being rich and wealthy.

It was not long before the Dutch had introduced the sugar cane, and very quickly, the crop became the main sources of making money. This also included cotton and tobacco crops. The island became the place, which would dominate the sugar industry until around 1720. This was also the period in which slaves from West Africa were introduced to the island to work along on the crops and fields.

The end of slavery came about around 1834 whereby some had decided to continue working on the crops. However, 1838 saw their freedom become imminent, and many of the Bajan (Barbadian) people began taking on high roles and filled high ranking jobs on the island.

The quality of life reduced dramatically on the island during the period of the Great Depression. Jobs were lost and rioting had developed amongst the people in the streets, the sugar industry was thriving up until this point and the English had stepping to fund the island keeping it as it was. However it was evident that the people of Barbados wanted to take control of their island, and so independence was granted in 1966.

Today

Tourism became a lucrative business in the Barbados resorts, with its diverse history and many different cultural influences this has become one of the most popular destinations to visit. The island exhibits a rich British culture, with cricket being its main sport. The people are religious and resemble an Anglican culture, and surrounded by Georgian and Victorian housing.

The African slave had helped in building the foundation for the sugar plantations, with many of the African people having built some of the first chattel houses to move from one plantation to another. Other lasting impressions of the African culture are in their art, crafts, food and music of Barbados.

As well as being an oasis for tourists, it is also one for those seeking property in Barbados, as well as residents. Barbados houses, apartments and villas have a high quality design and there are a number luxury residential resorts around Barbados. Properties are popular for many stars from the US and the UK who have bought luxury Barbados villas here and have stayed in the country over many years.

Due to high demand for Barbados properties, since 2004 there have been many more built; Many more people want to live in Barbados from across the globe and in particular from countries such as Canada and the UK. Barbados holds a high quality perception with property buyers, and this has inevitably attracted new residents and buy-to-let investors to take advantage of the tourist demand.

In Barbados, properties can vary in price and size. Luxury Barbados villas can cost up to £5 million sterling, however a one-bedroom Barbados apartment can cost from as little as £50,000, so there is a wide range to suit potential buyers looking for property for sale in Barbados.

When thinking about buying property in Barbados, purchasers should consider that the cost to purchase property is about 2 percent of the value of the property.

Barbados has a solid reputation in the overseas property market and property in Barbados continues to sell, although the market has slowed somewhat with the global economic slowdown. This inevitably means there will also be good value Barbados property for sale, combined with the leverage in making deals when buying properties in Barbados. Barbados apartments, houses and villas have good quality design and finish and there are many resorts across the country.

Those buying properties in Barbados to let to tourists may be able to yield an average annual rental income of five percent. Investors, should also focus on achieving capital growth with their Barbados property in order to gain a maximum return on investment over time.

Hiking on a brown sugar coloured crunchy sandy east coast beach, one can explore the sandy shoreline, and may discover “sea coconuts”, “lucky seeds”, a washed up Portuguese Man of War, just to mention a few likely findings. Venturing inland, there are different walking surfaces, namely grassy uphill footpaths, and rugged sandy clay trails. One continues to climb to a height of 167m (547 feet), to reach the very breezy lookout point, that offers a wide sweeping panoramic view of fifteen per cent of the island.

Descending from this lookout point along more rugged footpaths, which give way to paved roads one enters a typical Barbadian village. A village of timber chattel houses, concrete houses, at least five small churches, in this small community, and of course not forgetting the rum shops, surprisingly only two serve this village. Visit a village resident who is an accomplished potter and is a descendant of potters going back 200 years.

These hills of the Scotland District, are a fusion of sand stone, clays, and alluvial muds. This part of the island actually looks like another country, compared to the other eighty five per cent of the land mass. In fact geologists refer to this Scotland District as Ancestral Barbados, and it is really the material of another country, that is three hundred miles south of Barbados. Out of this, apparently inconsequential material, Barbados was formed, rising like a sphinx out of the Atlantic Ocean, just two million years ago.

Learn about Manjak, its various uses as you visit what is left of this mine. Manjak is a type of hydrocarbon that was utilized as a fuel in the furnaces of the local trains, it was also exported to be used as a main ingredient in the manufacture of black paint, as well as in the production of the the earliest, but brittle, 33 1/3 vinyl music records.

On a Barbados hiking vacation one may visit a national park, the location of the ruins of a historic Great House, and by way of cart roads a wild life reserve. An outstanding, highlight, is a heritage site, a 355 year old Jacobian styled plantation great house, chock full of history, stories of greed and murder to name but a few. It’s a functioning sugar plantation, with a fully refurbished and working 19th century steam mill used for extracting sugar cane juice. Just last year 2008 this old plantation won an international award for its very fine rum, it’s outstanding stories continue.

In this area there are cozy country villages, a very scenic lookout point that offers a majestic view of the Scotland District. a two hundred year old sugar wind mill, which operates during the local sugar harvest season, effectively demonstrating how sugar cane juice was extracted using wind power. There is also an interesting goat farmer, who is a popular newspaper columnist, and a musician in a local music band, outstanding personality in his own right.

There are down hill trails for those who do not want to engage up hill terrain, as well as trails that are flat coastal, rugged and scenic. Barbados offers trails leading between sugar cane fields, and into gullies (also known as ravines) with rock formations such as stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and flow stone.

A hiking vacation on tropical Barbados, is rewarding in so many ways, healthy fresh air, and exercise, with vitamin D from the sunshine, a welcomed relaxing change of pace, as you discover a new land and it’s people. Being out in the natural environment, is relaxing, and has proven to be therapeutic for spirit soul and body. A healthy and rejuvenating way to spend a vacation.

There are a variety of stores to choose from when you’re shopping in Bridgetown.

Some of the stores on Broad Street are:

Bionic Shop is one of the stores which have great clothes to choice from. This store is a men store and it sells everything like tuxedos, shoes, belts ties etc. If you are looking for a stores a bit more casual in terms of shoes you should check out Shoe Locker also at the top of Broad Street.

If you want basically everything in one place should check out Cave Sheperd. This store is located in the middle of Broad Street. It has three floors. On the bottom floor is where you would find beach wear, shoes and also a music store. The second level comprises of clothes for both ladies and gentlemen. The third floor has sports attire and things for the kitchen. On this floor you would also find a restaurant. This restaurant is very popular with the locals and you should really try it when you’re in cave Shepard.

Other shopping malls on this street are Mall 34 and Norman Center and if you get hungry these are several restaurants to satisfy your taste buds.

If you are shopping for jewelry Broad Street is the right place to be. Some of the jewelry stores located in Barbados is:

1. Little Switzerland
2. Colombian Emeralds
3. The Royal Shop
4. Diamonds international

If you want to take home a souvenir you could find it in the Pelican Craft Center, the airport and also the Bridgetown Port. Pelican Craft Center is a great avenue to get local arts. It is located in front of the Bridgetown Port and should only take like five minutes to walk.

Shopping is not only in Bridgetown but also on the west coast and south coast. The shopping areas on the west coast are Sunset Crest Shopping Center, Chattel House Village etc and all of these are located in Holetown, St. James.

On the south coast you would find Sheraton Centre, a branch of Cave Sheperd and Quayside Center.

What are your choices?

The Government owned Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) is Barbados’ only full service hospital, with intensive care facilities, located just outside of the capital Bridgetown. It also has a reciprocal arrangement for British nationals on the National Health Service (NHS) scheme, where you would be treated and cared for in a Public Ward. Be advised that QEH is often crowded and the wait can be long and sometimes frustrating if your medical needs are not deemed to be of immediate attention. Telephone 436-6450 or 511 for emergency dispatch.

FMH Emergency Medical Clinic is a private accident and emergency medical centre. Located in Belleville, St Michael, this facility offers X-ray, MRI and care for serious but not life threatening injuries. FMH is open from 8 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. and will handle most emergencies or refer patients to the QEH as needed. Telephone 228-6120.

BayView Hospital, a privately owned and operated facility, with seven private rooms and four four-bed semi-private rooms, has been operational since 1989. Situated on the outskirts of Bridgetown and within close proximity of many leading hotels, BayView Hospital offers private non-emergency medical care in a variety of fields including cardiology, dentistry, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, ophthalmology, orthopaedic surgery, plastic surgery and urology. However, you must be admitted under the specific care of a physician who holds admitting privileges at this hospital. Please call 436 5446, or visit their website BayViewHospital.com.bb for more information.

A new state of the art, privately owned facility has opened its doors on the West Coast – Sandy Crest Medical Centre in Sunset Crest, St James. This ultra-modern complex offers 24 hour comprehensive emergency and non-emergency care service, x-ray, ultra-sounds, CT technology (by the end of the year), access to an ambulance service, 24-hour pharmacy access, as well as an asthma bay. This emergency clinic has employed the services of five of the island’s leading emergency room practitioners, one for every shift. Please call 419-4911, or visit their web site SandyCrest.net (under construction) for more information.

The island has two private ambulance services, Island Care Ambulance (246) 435 9425, and Get Help Ambulance Service (246) 438 4357, and the QEH Ambulance Service (246) 436 6450 or 511, all of which are located in the Bridgetown area. However, there is a QEH Ambulance service out of the Arch Hall Fire Station in St Thomas, to service the West/North coast of the island. In extreme cases, patients will be air-ambulanced to either Canada or the USA.

The popularity of golf in Barbados has grown so much, that it’s no surprise the island will host the 2006 World Golf Championships – known as Barbados World Cup– from December 4th to 10th, 2006. This will be the first time a World Golf Championships event and the historic World Cup has been played in Barbados. The Country Club course at the world renowned Sandy Lane Hotel will be the host venue for this week long event.

The world’s top ranked golf professionals will be competing for the first ever Barbados World Cup. Along with this field of Golf’s elite, expect a gallery of celebrities and business leaders to be on hand to add to the excitement of the dramatic setting at the Sandy Lane course, where Tiger Woods was married two year’s ago.

If you do find a company that engages in Barbados Property Sales & Rentals, then ask and search for possible answers on your questions like how the Barbados Property Sales & Rentals business works and the like. This means asking where the best Barbados Real Estate can be found on the island, whether the properties they will offer to you are properties that have been on the market for a long time or have been put on sale just recently, and the history of the Barbados Real Estate property you are eyeing.

It is also very important to know what rules, regulations and laws exist that governs Barbados Real Estate Sales to people like you (especially if you are not a citizen of Barbados). You should check both with your home country and with your Barbados Real Estate Sales agent so you would know if there’s a need to provide any vital documents. Understand that some countries may permit sales of their land to foreigners but may impose certain restrictions. Fortunately for Barbados Real Estate, there are no existing restrictions forbidding foreign nationals from purchasing Barbados Real Estate, but you do have to get permission first for your Barbados Real Estatepurchase from the Central Bank of Barbados. Though this is just a formal way of dealing with such business, it is best if you follow this rule for your protection as well.

Finding a reliable agent is also a best way to hold business in Barbados real estate. Ask your Barbados Real Estate Sales agent if you need to make a deposit of any kind once you have secured permission from the Central Bank of Barbados. Ask too if you will get your deposit back should the sale fall through. There will probably be taxes to pay too, such as the stamp duty of 1% and the property transfer tax equal to 10% from the total purchase price.

You will then need to register the purchase price amount with the Central Bank of Barbados. Do not forget to get the services of a good lawyer, especially one who is well-versed in laws governing Barbados Property Sales & Rentals. You can expect to pay as much as 2% of the property purchase price for the legal fees of your Barbados Real Estate Sales lawyer. Some people may also opt to buy their Barbados Real Estate via a company which was incorporated outside Barbados territory (also called an offshore company).