Barbados

Barbados - The popular tourist destination of Barbados is the easternmost island in the Caribbean and perhaps the most strongly influenced by the British, witnessed in the national passion for cricket, the sprinkling of parish churches, the neat gardens and Saturdays at the races. The Bajan identity is strong, however, and calypso, rum shops and West Indian cuisine combine with the English infrastructure to produce an exotic, if somewhat tame, mix. Most of the landscape is covered in sugar-cane fields, and the remaining native animals include bats, whistling frogs and red-footed tortoises. Huge numbers of green monkeys, originally introduced as pets, inhabit the remaining forests and make nocturnal assaults on crops in bands of up to a dozen. Barbados' population is around 254,000, and over 90% are of African descent. Visitors from the USA, Western Europe, Venezeula, Colombia and Brazil do not require visas.

Bridgetown, the capital, is set on the island's only natural harbour, Carlisle Bay. It's a busy city, with commercial structures nestling next to restored colonial buildings and characterful residential areas not far away. It's a great place for a saunter but isn't bursting with attractions, and accommodation is pretty limited. Sandy beaches, local colour and budget accommodation can be found the south coast from Hastings to Maxwell. Between the two is Worthing, a good base with a gorgeous white-sand beach and just a five-minute walk to the nightlife centre of St Lawrence. Luxury hotels are found on the west coast at Paynes Bay, Sandy Lane Bay and Holetown.