I love the Caribbean. I love the weather, I love the history, I love the cultures. I love the beaches, the forests and mountains of each island. My dream is to visit every island in the Caribbean and understand their unique landscape, people, food and general…let’s call it ‘vibe.’
Being brought up Jamaican, this famous island was my introduction to the Caribbean and I anticipated similar food, traditions, music and more on other islands. Being Jamaican, I was always told that we were the best islanders in the Caribbean. I’m not saying that isn’t the case (got to respect my roots), but as I visit more Caribbean destinations, I’m discovering the quirky differences between them all.
Pregnancy is tough both emotionally and physically. Mothers have a very difficult job growing a human, going through labour, breastfeeding and everything that comes after. Mothers need to take every opportunity to be pampered and indulge in some kid-free quiet time- especially with their partner. So to celebrate this new and exciting phase of life, my husband and I decided to take a babymoon somewhere hot with baby number two. Although there was a Zika scare in the Caribbean two years prior, after a discussion with my midwife and doctor, we decided that a trip to Barbados was totally fine.
We had never been to Barbados but had heard it was a calm, friendly, accessible island where Rihanna lived and Tiger Woods got married. (We may or may not have driven past Rihanna’s house a few times…) Unlike many other Commonwealth nations, this country seemed to have coped well with gaining their independence. Barbadians seem content, happy, well-looked after by their government and that satisfaction is clear- especially within the service industry.
Although there are larger all-inclusives on the island, we took advantage of the small, boutique hotels Waves Hotel and Crystal Cove both by Elegant Hotels, a sophisticated brand of properties on the island. Both had a restaurant onsite and were in close proximity to many different types of food offerins just waiting to be explored. A small hotel also meant that the staff new our name, due date and which lounger in the sun would make me happiest. An extra cushion here, a midnight snack there and special fruity mocktails made us feel like we were at home away from home.
Barbados is a self-sustainable island, which means that the fruit, the fish and the meat is all super fresh. We dined at renowned fancy restaurants like Cliff Beach Club, Hugos, and Lone Star on the beach, and explored smaller delicious digs like Orange Street Grocer or ocean side, Round House. Regardless of where we chose to eat, we were always enjoying healthy, fresh food that we felt really feel good about.
There were lots of pregnant friendly activities on Barbados that soothed both my sense of adventure and also my tired pregnant feet. I almost forgot that I couldn’t drink! Almost…
We took in a live traditional Barbados singing and dancing show at Harbour Lights on the beach and spent an afternoon in the spa. We went cruising and swam with turtles before snorkeling along the colourful reef. We explored the historic St. Nicholas Abbey where my husband sipped the signature rum on both our behalf’s and we bought an engraved bottle for our unborn little one. We also went deep under the earth into the natural beauty that is Harrison’s Cave (on a tram…don’t worry- no caving). We strolled along the beach and floated in the perfectly blue sea ‘discussing’ whether or not we would add my maiden name to our son’s full name. (Update: We did. Obviously). Regardless of what we were feeling, there was always something for us to do.
Although I’ve officially ticked another island off of my list, I still feel like there is more Barbados for me to explore. Surfing, cocktails, golf and the weekly Fish Fry are all calling my name. That being said, it was the perfect destination for a babymoon. A babymoon in Barbados is by far the best way to relax, rejuvenate and celebrate the pending arrival of our new bundle of joy.