News
Barbados – Island Life
Our trip to Barbados was really quite a revelation. We still have plenty more to tell you about the diving, but as a light interlude, with thought we would tell you about some other aspects that we really enjoyed. Whilst most of our daylight hours were spent under the water, our evenings and our day before flying were spent seeing the rest of what the island had to offer.
What surprised us the most was the food. It was simply wonderful. Barbados is a gastronomic delight. Even better, there was loads of choice for vegetarians too. From street food to fine dining, Barbados has something for every occasion. We were only on the island for five nights, but managed to sample a little flavour of everything. One of our first experiences was lunch on our first day of diving, when Barbados Blue handed us each a roti, filled with either chicken or chickpeas, full of flavour and wonderfully messy to eat. On the same evening we dined at Cocktail Kitchen, where the chef was recently crowned “Chef of the Year” in the Caribbean. On top of this, as the name implies, they make a pretty mean cocktail too, with our favourite being the Mango Chow, made with scotch bonnet chilli infused rum, mango, lime, coriander and brown sugar! Located in the popular Saint Lawrence Gap area, you can go on and listen to live music and party the night away, but we were diving, so we had a couple of cocktails and retired to bed!
Friday night is the night to head to the famous Fish Fry in Oistins. You do not have to eat fish, there is a wide range of freshly BBQ’d food on offer, but it is the atmosphere and entertainment that brings the crowds here. Amazing live music, dancers and a vibrant buzz fills the place from early in the evening to early the next morning. Sunday, why not try a traditional Bajan buffet at Atlantis Hotel, with a huge choice of food and THE best Caribbean IPA we have ever tried (Round Rock IPA by Brew House). If fine dining by the sea is more what you are looking for, to celebrate a special occasion or simply to treat yourself, then we can heartily recommend either Fish Pot or Champers. Both have lovely settings, overlooking the Caribbean Sea, and both offer a very special dining experience.
The island of Barbados has lots to offer. It is the home of West Indian cricket, and whilst we did not get time to catch a game on this trip, we have done so once in the past, and it is a great experience. If you want to spend more time in or on the water, there are loads of sports to try. Barbados Blue also offer freediving tuition and the Carlisle Bay site is perfect for both beginners and the more experienced alike. You can sail, snorkel from a pirate ship, kayak, paddle board, pose on a speed boat and more. The beaches are pristine and uncrowded. We toured Harrison’s Cave, which is a great place to spend a few hours. The tour takes you through a large excavated underground section of caverns with stalagmites and stalactites lit up as you progress with your guide through the system.
We also visited the Mount Gay visitors centre, for a tour about how they make the oldest rum in the world, and, of course, to taste a few samples too! Finally, we also got the chance to tour the island, taking in the wild Atlantic coastline, as well as the gorgeous Caribbean shores. As we toured inland, and the vegetation became more lush, we came across a few mongoose and green vervet monkeys.
We could have spent weeks exploring and tasting our way through Barbados. It has so much to offer, and we have only just scratched the surface both with the diving and above the water. But what we have experienced, we have loved. In our next feature, we will get back to the diving, but we wanted to give you a flavour of what the rest of the island of Barbados has to offer. Talking of flavour … the hot sauce on Barbados is epic…
For more information and inspiration visit:
http://www.atlantishotelbarbados.com/
http://champersrestaurant.com/
http://www.caribbeanbrewhouse.com/
http://www.littlegoodharbourbarbados.com/
https://www.visitbarbados.org/
For more from Nick and Caroline, visit www.frogfishphotography.com
News
Dive Worldwide Announces Bite-Back as its Charity of the Year
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
Gear News
Scubapro Free Octopus Promotion 2024
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
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