A First-Hand Look at Barbados and Its Resorts
All Inclusive Outlet knows how important it is for its Travel Consultants to gain first-hand knowledge of a destination and of the resorts in the All Inclusive Outlet product line. Therefore, in May 2013, Travel Consultant Anna Cropper traveled to Barbados. Her trip was part of the “Top 35 Travel Agents Under 30” Award she won from Travel Agent magazine in 2012 for her achievements in the travel industry and for her dedication and hard work as a travel agent. The trip was courtesy of Travel Agent magazine, the Barbados Tourism Authority, and Questex Media Group, who sponsored the “Top 35 Travel Agents Under 30” contest.
Anna’s trip to Barbados allowed her to get a feel for Barbados and to understand all that Barbados offers to travelers. This knowledge helps when clients ask her about this destination. In addition, Anna has already shared her new-found knowledge about Barbados with all of the Travel Consultants at All Inclusive Outlet so that they can better assist their own clients.
During the trip, Anna visited the following resorts offered by All Inclusive Outlet: The Hilton Barbados, and The Crane. Additional resorts not yet in the All Inclusive Outlet product line that Anna visited included: Ocean Two, Sea Breeze, Tamarind, The House, and West Coast Villas. Anna’s favorite resorts were the new Couples Barbados and The Crane.
All of the trip attendees stayed at Ocean Two, which is a high-quality boutique hotel with 86 rooms and suites, one restaurant, three bars, and a beautiful beach. Since Ocean Two does not offer an All Inclusive Plan, guests can have the hotel stock their kitchen with groceries, for a fee, if they are staying in a suite and plan to cook while on vacation.
The Crane
Anna visited The Crane for a tour and dinner at one of its restaurants. Originally built in 1887, The Crane hotel has been expanded to have residences by the sea and in the park. The Crane is a premiere luxury resort with 184 rooms and suites, five restaurants, several bars and a café, and palatial architecture and a unique history. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous declared Crane Beach to be “one of the 10 Best Beaches in the World.” Meanwhile, CNN ranked it at 23rd out of the “Top 100 Beaches in the World,” and BBC’s Holiday Programme put it in its “Top 50 Places to Go Before You Die.”
“It is a large European Plan (accommodations only) resort with some of the most beautiful grounds and architecture I have ever seen at a resort,” said Anna. “All of us in our group agreed on this, even though it was already dark when we toured most of it. It was that impressive.”
Exploring Barbados
While there, Anna was able to tour the island on a safari truck with the company Island Safari, and she toured the local waters on a catamaran cruise with Jammin’ Catamaran Cruises. “The island safari was a perfect way to see a lot of the island—the coastline, beautiful scenery, local homes, churches, and the culture in general,” she said. The group rode to the highest point of the island overlooking Bathsheba, which is an area on the east coast known for surfing competitions in what is known as the Soup Bowl.
Bathsheba was the next stop, where they walked along the beach and viewed the famous Mushroom Rock. (Note: Swimming and walking into the ocean at Bathsheba is not recommended due to a strong, and possibly dangerous, undertow.) “I felt like the area had the most beautiful and unique geography of the entire island,” Anna added.
Anna’s experience on the 5½ hour catamaran cruise was also unforgettable. Anna commented how friendly the staff was and that upbeat music was played the entire time, leading to some fun, spontaneous dancing on the boat. Unlimited drinks, a lunch buffet, roundtrip transfers between the hotel and the catamaran, and three stops were included. “The crew made three stops throughout the tour, and guests were able to snorkel each time if they wanted to do so,” said Anna.
“We snorkeled with sea turtles, near a coral reef, and at the site of a sunken ship. At the last stop before heading back to the port, the crew served a delicious lunch, and guests were able to swim to a nearby shore and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The crew even swam out to guests to deliver cups of rum punch. The catamaran was incredibly fun.”
During Anna’s time on the island, she learned about more places to visit and things to do. For Anna’s Top 5 Things to Do and See in Barbados, visit http://bit.ly/11RZPoU.
Barbados: Full of Charm
One nickname for Barbados has been Gem of the Caribbean. One can see where this nickname came from. The locals pride themselves as being friendly, and this friendliness has been called one of the islands best assets.
Anna really enjoyed interacting with the locals. “Everyone I came across during my visit to Barbados was so friendly and warm, and they seemed truly happy to interact with tourists,” she explained.
“Even the man working the cash register at a convenience store cracked jokes, welcomed us to the island, and asked where we were from,” Anna continued. “The locals have a huge sense of pride in their country, and it shows everywhere you go. When asked how big Barbados is, locals will tell you, ‘21 miles long and a smile wide.’ ”
Anna said she can’t wait to return to Barbados. “During a meeting with the Barbados Tourism Authority, we learned that Barbados is the most revisited Caribbean destination,” she said. “After experiencing it for myself, I can understand why!
“I had never been to Barbados before, and I really want to go back again so I can experience more that the island has to offer. Just a few days there were not enough!”
All Inclusive Outlet currently offers nine resorts in Barbados. For more information on Barbados and places to stay, please visit http://bit.ly/15cGzDG. If you wish to talk to one of All Inclusive Outlet’s Travel Consultants, please call 888-403-2822, Monday through Friday, 9 am-5:30pm.
