Gorgeous beaches, fish fry parties, bikini babes, rum shops… Barbados’ attractions are endless

ON most safaris you’d hope to see elephants, lions and hippos. But not on this one.

I’m in Barbados on a very different kind of off-road adventure.

The Island Safari 4x4 tour takes us on a wild ride along the spectacular coastline and lush green gullies that make up this Caribbean gem.

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Currently celebrating 50 years of independence, Barbados is known for the friendliness of its people.

It’s certainly rubbing off on our ten-strong tour group. We’re all chatting to each other as though we’ve been friends for years. It’s only been four hours.

Our guide, Ian, helps. He wastes no time in making us feel at home, cracking jokes from the off as we weave our way through rustic villages.

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En route we pass a number of wooden shacks. They’re actually rum shops.

It is said that for every church in Barbados, you’ll find one of these stalls — and that’s good news on an island of churchgoers.

Rum is the national drink and the Mount Gay brand was born here in 1703.

Suddenly, Ian tells us to hold on tight . . . not because we’ve had too much of the strong stuff, but because our 4x4 is now hurtling across uneven terrain through dense forest.

The bumpy ride is an adrenalin-filled hoot and we’re in hysterics. We pull up in front of a banyan tree, known locally as the bearded fig tree, from which Barbados inherited its name.

According to Ian, the Portuguese arrived in 1536 and thought the roots at the top of the tree looked like the beards of the Spanish noblemen.

He explains: “Barba in Spanish means beard, Barbados means bearded ones, so the Portuguese then named the island Los Barbados.

“When the English arrived, they then pronounced it closer to English — Bar-bay-dos.”

Next we’re on the road to Bathsheba, arguably one of the prettiest parts of the island.

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Here, the east coast’s dramatic Atlantic waves crash against the shore and it is where local surfers line up to ride the famed break known as Soup Bowl.

The view is magnificent. The sun is blazing and the temperature is almost 27C — the year-round average.

Before I left England I’d consulted the weather apps which showed rain every day.

Yet the sky is a glorious blue and I’m in need of a drink.

My eye falls on a cart of large green coconuts. I hand over three Bajan dollars — about £1 — to its owner.

Using a machete, he slices open the top and I drink the water straight from the shell. “Like a true Bajan”, he laughs, before handing me a straw. During our ride home Ian cranks up the reggae on the stereo.

We pass the west coast’s palm-fringed, white sandy beaches, popular with celebrities like Simon Cowell and one of the country’s biggest exports — Rihanna.

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Back at the family friendly, all-inclusive Savannah Beach Hotel I unwind in a spacious plantation-style room that has a huge balcony overlooking the pool and beach.

Parts of the building date back 200 years and the architecture and design reflect that history.

On such a small island — just 21 miles long by 14 wide, you are never far from the glimmering turquoise sea on Barbados.

If you’re looking to boogie board, head to the livelier south coast beaches of Dover and Accra, where the waters carry a little swell. Otherwise seek out the west coast.

The beaches here tend to be smaller but are wonderfully deserted, as I discover when I spend the day on Heywoods, a sandy haven situated in front of Almond Beach. I take full advantage of the free paddle boarding and kayaking equipment for hotel guests before a boat drops me off to swim with sea turtles in the wild.

I count at least five of the elegant creatures gliding beneath me. It is an incredible experience.

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So is the traditional fish fry street party held in Oistins every Friday night.

Here tourists and locals “lime”, a term for hanging out, in between wooden stalls selling the catch of the day.

Native flying fish as well as king fish and red snapper are on the menu alongside macaroni pie, a local favourite, and rice and peas.

The delicious food is served up against a soundtrack of upbeat calypso tunes.

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Everywhere you turn people are “wukking up” — a suggestive sort of dance which involves gyrating the waist.

RiRi is great at it. Even tourists are giving it a go.

Needless to say, I try and fail miserably.
My final few nights are spent at the adults-only Sugar Cane Hotel — a stunning, boutique type spot just off the West Coast tucked away in the picturesque parish of St Peter.

I head straight to the award-winning spa, complete with rainforest-inspired courtyard, for a 60-minute Swedish massage known as a Barbados Rumba.

It’s one of the best I’ve ever had.

No wonder everyone smiles in Barbados. It’s paradise.