Best of Barbados

Sat on the beaches of the West Coast this restaurant is a must if staying in Barbados. It offers a relaxed atmosphere combined with fantastic food. You might also spot the odd celebrity or two (apparently known as the Ivy of the Caribbean). Wonderful food, great wine, fantastic location - especially if you want to watch the sunsetting over the Caribbean sea!

Available from most Hotels and Villas/Apartments. Picked up by boat and taken along the coast to snorkel with the Turtles. They throw in bits of fish, so Turtles are guaranteed - amazingly gentle for such large creatures. The kids will love it - we got a glass bottom boat, so if you have any nervous swimmers they can see it all through the boat. The boat owner usually gives you a guide to the properties along the coast and which celebrity owns which large villa! They will sometimes also stop over one of the shipwrecks and again allow time for snorkellers to explore. The trip takes approx 2 hours and costs approx $bds 300 for 2adults and 2 children. Well worth it and the kids will love it!

A lovely restaurant on the beaches of Holetown. There's also plenty of artwork on the walls which is available to buy if you've got a few thousand dollars with you! The staff are very welcoming and will do everything to make your visit enjoyable. The food is very nice and they are happy to provide smaller portions or childrens options instead. Relaxed atmosphere with great food.

If you've hired a car and have kids with you stop off at the Animal Reserve which is inland. Not a huge range of animals admittedly however the tortoises, deer etc all roam freely around you. There is also a reptile house with Iguana, snakes etc. The main attraction is the wild green monkeys. The best time to get there for is 2pm - which is feeding time. Head towards the centre of the reserve (near the reptile ctre) and at 2pm an enormous pile of food is laid out. You will soon be surrounded by the monkeys which come in from the surrounding countryside. They will sit and eat their bananas - great photo opportunities and the kids love it. If for some reason you do not see the monkeys, if you advise the entrance staff they will give you a free pass to return again. A nice change if you want to get away from the sunshine, as you are under cover of the giant trees

Water ski-ing on the west coast is great. We thoroughly recommend a guy called Rupert (probably known by the local hotels etc). We had two children who wanted to water ski and were new to it. Rupert's boat comes with a boom attached to the side, so for the first five minutes you ski holding onto the boom with Rupert giving reassurance and technique guidance all the time and building their confidence. Once they've got the idea he throws them the rope and they have approx 10 minutes behind the boat - all the while Rupert giving them instructions on how to hold their arms, legs, balance etc. I wish we'd had Rupert to teach us the first time we went. Its worth trying to use Rupert if you're new to it.

This is a new facility so give it time! Based over near the airport Ocean Park consists of aquarium and miniature golf. The Ray pool is great - 2pm is feeding time so you will be able to touch them. Beware in the Mangrove/Swamp section - on the walkway there is a tank on your left with what appear to be Piranha in... they are Piranha, so dont dangle any fingers in - surprisingly there are no warning signs so beware with inquisitive children! There are lots of smaller tanks etc to see and a small walkthrough tunnel with fish and a couple of shark swimming above you. There is a larger tank with shark, ray and nasty looking baraccuda and a sheltered seating area where you can watch the activity. There is a small cafe/bar and shop on site. There is also a miniature golf course open - two courses of 9 holes each - kids enjoy it. It was obviously very new when we visited and we're sure it will only get better as time goes on - but again, if you've got kids and want a trip away from the pool, try Ocean Park.