Bucket list trips: Barbados // AD

When it comes to travelling, most of mine has been city breaks or pool holidays in Europe. I've been further afield a couple of times, but there's still so much of the world that I'm desperate to explore. Somewhere I've always wanted to venture to is Barbados, in the eastern Caribbean - it's definitely on my bucket list, put it that way. Luxury Retreats have some gorgeous Barbados holiday rentals and the clue is in the name: they are properly luxurious. So I wanted to put together a post about the (or rather, my) ultimate bucket list trip to Barbados......maybe one day.

Starting off with getting to Barbados, I'd want to fly first class - this is a bucket list trip, after all. I'm struggling to find exact prices to go first class from Manchester to Barbados but I think it's in the region of *about* five grand. Which is eye watering, to say the least, but a girl can dream right? If you fly first class with British Airways you get to board first, and you have your own little suite with a proper bed and pyjamas and everything. You also get a Liberty goody bag with Aromatherapy Associates stuff in, and proper plugs to charge your electricals, and actual decent food. You also get extra baggage allowance which means you can take as many shoes and bikinis as you please.

Photo taken from Luxury Retreats website

If I was going to Barbados, I would really really really want to stay in this gorgeous yellow villa called Paradise Found which has its own pool, four en-suite bedrooms (with four poster beds and en-suite bathrooms) and loads of other amenities. Also it's yellow. And the views are to die for. And it's only a four-minute walk to the beach. I think with a proper nice bucket list holiday to somewhere like Barbados, a villa is the way to go because it's so relaxing to not be surrounded by strangers, to do things in your own time and to just chill the f*ck out for a bit.

So you've flown to Barbados and set yourself up in a boujee-as-hell villa with a stack of books and some SPF50 - what now? Well, relaxing for a start: tunes on, cocktail in hand, eyes closed. But if you know me, you know there's no way I could do that for a full two weeks (which is how long this bucket list trip would be, by the way). I'd definitely love to SCUBA dive, or at least snorkel, in the Caribbean sea; the water is soooooo blue and clear, and there's coral, sharks, turtles and loads more. I loved diving when I was younger, and the last time I did it I was a bit nervous but I'd 100% give it another go somewhere like that! Barbados is also the home of a good rum, and I don't really drink rum but I bet you can go rum-tasting, and any form of alcohol-tasting experience is really fun.

In terms of actual specific things you can do that look really fun, there's a 'turtles at sunset' cocktail cruise which combines four things I love: turtles, cocktails, a pretty sunset, and being out at sea. Amazing. You can do a Natural Wonders of Barbados tour, too, which is a full day long so it would be pretty tiring, but you get to see green monkeys and go into caves and visit a flower forest. Definitely worth it for those Instagram pics, am I right? Another thing you can experience is seeing the baby turtles hatching on the sand like everyone does when they go on a gap year, and the videos are so cute - I'd be so up for that.

Loving life out at sea

I've also had a quick look on Atlas Obscura for things to do in Barbados, and I know I mention AO in loads of my travel posts but I promise they're not sponsoring me (hi I wish) - I just think it's so cool, wherever you're travelling to, to venture slightly off the beaten track and do the things that not everybody does. The popular tourist spots are obviously popular for a reason, and definitely cool to check out, but it's exciting to see some lesser-known places and *stuff* - in Barbados these include the Chase Vault, where coffins apparently used to get thrown about violently and therefore it's a bit of a ghost-hunting spot, and the Project HARP Space Gun which was made in the 60s (I think) in order to shoot things into space. It's really hard to get to and quite hard to actually see but if you're looking for a bit of an adventure, it's pretty cool.

For me, at least, a bucket list trip to Barbados wouldn't be complete without some duty-free shopping - I'm talking Jo Malone perfume, Miu Miu sunglasses (how dreamy are these) and a Givenchy lipstick or three. You'd also have to (obviously) take your most high-end beauty products with you, for such a glamorous holiday; for me that would be Charlotte Tilbury quads and Magic Cream, my favourite Tropic sun cream and the By Terry Light-Expert Illuminating Flawless Foundation which is sooooo beautiful and glowy and therefore perfect for the Caribbean sunshine. Tell you what, too, I'd want a fancy suitcase for this kind of holiday - you can't exactly fly first class with a Primark suitcase, can you? I am head over heels in love with the Horizon 70 by Louis Vuitton, and I'm not even gonna mention the price but just know if I was rich, I'd own it.

Holiday make up

So there you have it - the low-down on my pipe dream bucket list trip to Barbados. Maybe one day, if I win the lottery, I'll make it a reality but for now, I'm more than happy with EasyJet flights to obscure Polish cities, high-rise Airbnb apartments and not even buying a bottle of water in the airport because it's so bloody expensive.

Where would YOU go on your ultimate bucket list trip? Also let me know if you want me to do posts like this for any more places - I know it's been a really long one, but I had a lot to say!