The Best of the Caribbean by Day and Night

With crescent-shaped beaches and translucent turquoise waters, who wouldn't want to spend their dream honeymoon on a tropical island in the Caribbean? 

Barbados

This sophisticated former British outpost has miles of pristine sand beaches and quaint traditions like afternoon tea, but maintains its own distinct West Indian vibe and a buzzy bar scene.

barbados
Photo courtesy of Barbados Tourism Marketing

Day: Spend the day on a catamaran cruise, go snorkeling with sea turtles above a 19th-century shipwreck and afterwards enjoy an onboard Bajan-style buffet lunch. Back on terra firma, explore Barbados’s lush highlands known as the Scotland district, and stop at a rustic rum bar to chat up some locals. Rum lovers can also visit and tour the Mount Gay Rum distillery, which makes the world’s oldest brand of rum.

Night: At the Friday night fish fry in Oistins, tuck into grilled frying fish and pigeon peas, and sip ice-cold banks beers while listening to the infectious sounds of steel drums. For a more intimate experience, dine on fresh oysters and coconut-crusted yellowfin tuna at the elegant waterfront Tides Restaurant (dinner for two, $150), then head to St. Lawrence Gap, a rocking nightlife strip, for live music and dancing until the wee hours.

the tides restaurant barbados
Photo Credit: Dan Christaldi

Where to Stay: Expect to be pampered at the ultra-luxurious, 112-room Sandy Lane. Perks include a Rolls-Royce airport pickup, beach butlers dispensing sorbet and icy towels, a hydrotherapy pool in the spa and an award-winning golf course. plus the staff will arrange for a torchlight dinner on a private area of beach, complete with chilled champagne, prawns and foie gras. Room rates start at $1,200 a night.

barbados sandy lane
Photo courtesy of Sandy Lane Hotel

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