IgoUgo

<div id="${ContainerID}" class="${ContainerClassname}" style="left: ${ContainerLeftOffset}; top: ${ContainerTopOffset};">
			<ul id="suggestionItems">
				{if responseData.Result.TotalResultsAvailable > 0}
				{if responseData.Result.Locations !== null}
					{for item in responseData.Result.Locations.Location}
						{var oHighlightedResult = SearchAssistantUtil.highlightSearchResult(item.Name)}
						<li name="${item.Name}">
							<a href="${item.DestinationURL}">
								<span>${item.ParentLocation}</span>${oHighlightedResult}
							</a>
							{if item.Categories}
								<ul>
								{for category in item.Categories}
									<li class="suggestCategory"><a href="${category.URL}">${category.Name}</a></li>
								{/for}
								</ul>
							{/if}
						</li>
					{/for}
					{if responseData.Result.BusinessCards !== null}
						<li class="break"><h4 class="dotTop">Businesses</h4></li>
					{/if}
					{/if}
     				{if responseData.Result.BusinessCards !== null}
					{for item in responseData.Result.BusinessCards.BusinessCard}
						{var oHighlightedResult = SearchAssistantUtil.highlightSearchResult(item.Name)}
						<li name="${item.Name}">
							<a href="${item.BusinessCardURL}">
								<span>${item.Location}</span>${oHighlightedResult}<em>${item.Type}</em>
							</a>
						</li>
					{/for}
					{/if}
					{else}
					<li class="ac_warning">${NoResultsMessage}</li>
				{/if}
			</ul>
		</div>

Best of Barbados

Idler, the 2004 IgoUgo Member of the Year, has been accused of false advertising. "You're not idle!" fellow travelers exclaim. True, but in this turbulent world, it's oddly satisfying to aspire to idleness. Travel is the one thing she likes nearly as well as curling up with a good book. Well, that and live musical performances.

Barbados is an island tailor-made for beach lovers, with the dazzling white sand and swaying palms that are the Caribbean's siren call. Add sparkling turquoise waters, balmy temperatures, and clear blue skies, and the winter-weary traveler finds Barbados simply irresistible.

Three hundred years of colonial rule have left a veneer of Britishness on the island, but beneath this is a vibrant culture that is truly unique. Bajans are lively yet sophisticated, relaxed yet reserved. With a healthy tourist-based economy and a long history of stable government, Barbados attracts visitors from the UK, Canada, and Europe as well as the U.S. The exclusive resorts, especially along the west coast, cater to the wealthiest visitors, though more modest accommodations can be found in the south and east.

Although the island is only 21 miles long and 14 miles wide, it's full of natural wonders and points of historical interest. At least three fine botanical gardens, countless pristine beaches, numerous great houses and former plantations, multiple sports and recreation complexes, and English-style parish churches are the pride of the island. Bajans have a penchant for orderliness and decoration, which manifests itself in the gingerbread-work "chattel" houses painted in pastel colors and surrounded by neat gardens, not to mention the well-maintained roads and tidy public spaces. The capital, Bridgetown, is one of the most dynamic cities in the Caribbean, while nightlife at nearby St. Lawrence Gap attracts visitors and locals alike.

Perhaps Barbados' biggest draw, however, is the local people. Bajans excel at the art of making visitors feel welcome. Don't be surprised when a local cab driver points out his picture-perfect home or asks if you'd like to see his parish church. Strong community bonds and even stronger family ties run deep on the island; even the annual influx of tourists doesn't alter the island's essential character.

With abundant natural beauty, an idyllic climate, and enviable cultural resources, Barbados truly is an island with everything.

Barbados at a Glance

Location: Barbados sits in the Caribbean Sea, about 100 miles east of the Windward Islands and 280 miles north of Venezuela.

Getting There: Many major airlines fly into Bridgetown, including US Airways, Air Canada, American Airlines, BWIA, Air Jamaica, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic.

When to Go: While wintertime is high season, perhaps the best time to travel is during the shoulder season in the spring and late fall. The rainy season, running roughly June through October, is also hurricane season.

IgoUgo's Best of Barbados

Best Fun-Filled Excursions

Glide on crystalline waters along the palm-tree-clad coast on a Tiami Catamaran Sailing Cruise.
Member Holiday Jo recommends getting up close and personal with exotic wildlife—and being amused by the antics of green monkeys—at the Barbados Wildlife Refuge.
Bounce along back roads by jeep to find stunning vistas overlooking the island, with the help of a jovial crew from Island Safari.
Surf's up! According to IgoUgo member James Vaughan, one of the most memorable places in the Caribbean to catch a wave is on the east coast at Bathsheba.

Best Spots for Romance

Take a picnic lunch to enjoy with your sweetie under a hilltop gazebo at enchanting Andromeda Botanical Gardens.
Have a perfect, crescent-shaped beach of powdery white sand all to yourselves at little-known, remote Bottom Bay on the southeastern coast, the favorite island hideaway of seasoned Barbados traveler Ben the Grate.
Ben the Grate also recommends the panoramic views, lichen-covered buildings, and evocative setting of Codrington College, a quiet theological seminary far off the beaten path.

Best Places to Connect with Locals

Dance the night away—and enjoy wonderful Bajan cuisine—as member Parramore did at Oistin's Fish Fry, a weekly event held near St. Lawrence Gap.
Take part in the lively social scene that converges each year on the Barbados Jazz Festival.
Get around the island the way Bajans do, on a reggae bus. As well as being inexpensive and practical transport, this bus features music blasting from the driver's boom box—a veritable Top-40 hit parade of the locals' favorite tunes.