Barbados
Barbados has been bombarded with an influx of interest thanks to songstress Rihanna depending on it for her sanctity. Before Rhianna pulled the media’s eye to the Island, it has served as a secret hideout for a slew of Hollywood elite including Jemima Khan and Hugh Grant, Simon Cowell, the Beckhams, Andrew Lloyd Weber, Michael Bolton, and Joan Collins. But more than a celebrity hideout, Barbados is a vegetation brimming island with an innately eco attitude.
Wave at Little Bay
Thankfully, it’s not just the glitterati who get the star treatment. I escaped busy LA to the star-studded getaway and spent the day on the back of an open air vehicle, taking in the dramatic coastline then venturing into the lush jungle where the off-roading began. We explored fields of organic sugarcane, plantain and bread fruit while learning about how the locals use them (and it’s not just for food). Papaya is known for its blood pressure regulating ability. Aloe is harvested and smeared on the face for its anti-aging properties. Noni is chewed and considered an immune booster. Need a hangover cure- green coconuts. Green Bananas are high in iron and consumed by pregnant women. And then there’s bread fruit which is said to enhance fertility. Finally we got to sample the local fare- a feast of macaroni pie (a local favorite), flying fish, yam pie, and of course rum punch- made from organic sugar cane.
Barbados
Full and slightly jarred (thanks to the jungle trek), I sought sanctuary at The Spa at the Coral Reef Club. The newly opened, colonial-inspired spa designed by British designer Helen Green, combines modern aesthetic and classic charm amidst acres of lush gardens. And even the spa flaunts the island’s indigenous ingredients in its treatments thanks to products made by the West Indian Soap company, whose body scrubs are made with local ingredients like ginger, lemongrass, coconut and pineapple. I settled into one of the spacious pool-side treatment pools and allowed my body and mind to succumb to the ‘C’ing is Believing Natura Bisse body ritual. The Vitamin C body wrap and scrub, enhanced with Green Tea and Rosehip Oil, is a potent protective treatment that regenerates and revitalizes the skin, restoring it to its healthy, elastic yet firm, hydrated self- perfect after an afternoon in the sun! In an indiscreet state of haze, I just ‘had’ to plop down in the indoor/outdoor open air relaxation area and lounge on a chaise while noshing on delectable spa menu items like freshly cut fruit with homemade guava sorbet (Made fresh daily. Fruits vary seasonally) and seared tuna sashimi until my wits returned as I was able to re-emerge into the innately laid back groove of Barbados.
Barbados
You must GO to Barbados and luxuriate in its “island time” pace while saturating yourself in the sumptuous ingredients that naturally imbue locals and guests with indigenous beauty (I mean really, could Rihanna be any more beautiful?!). www.coralreefbarbados.com
Little Bay
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