CARIBBEAN VILLAS

About Island Hideaways

Island Hideaways has specialized in Caribbean villa vacations since 1986. We represent hundreds of luxury vacation villa rentals throughout the Caribbean islands. Island Hideaways was named "A first-rate agency that specializes in Caribbean properties" by BusinessWeek magazine, and our website is a Best of the Web pick by Forbes Magazine. Please call us toll-free at 800-832-2302, or email us at villas@islandhideaways.com with any questions, suggestions, or comments.

Passport Reminder

With recently implemented exceptions for special cases*, all travelers must present a passport to enter the United States. This includes U.S. citizens returning from the Caribbean. U.S. citizens visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico do not need a passport because they are U.S. territories. Obtaining a passport can take a month or more, so plan ahead for holidays in the Caribbean.

* Announced by the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security on September 4, 2007: The temporary Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) accommodation, allowing U.S. citizens to travel by air within the Western Hemisphere, including the Caribbean, using a Department of State (DOS) official proof of passport application receipt, ended as scheduled at midnight on Sept. 30, 2007. U.S. citizens who departed the country under this travel accommodation prior to Oct. 1 with a Department of State official proof of passport application receipt and government-issued identification will be readmitted with these same documents if returning to the United States after Sept. 30.

Effective Oct. 1, 2007, U.S. Citizens traveling by air to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda must present a passport or other WHTI-compliant documentation to enter or depart from the United States. It is always strongly recommended that U.S. Citizens verify the specific documentary requirements for their destination country.

Past Issues

April 2008
Destination of the Month
Featuring Jamaica with The Royal Villas at Half Moon, Visiting Dunn's River Falls, and Sugar Mill Restaurant.

March 2008
Caribbean Villa Newsletter
Featuring Mystique Villa in Anguilla, Horseback Riding along the beach, and Koalkeel restaurant.

February 2008
Destionation of the Month
Featuring Turks & Caicos with Villa Lynda, Scuba Diving, Whale-Watching, and Da Conch Shack restaurant.

More Newsletters

Destination of the Month

May 2008 Edition - Barbados

Welcome to Island Hideaways' Destination of the Month newsletter, a new series highlighting the very best villa vacation destinations across the Caribbean. In the same vein as our Villa of the Month newsletter, this monthly column will take you to some of the world's most beautiful tropical paradises. Once you're there, we'll introduce you to the area's top restaurants, activities, and villas so that you can make the most of your dream vacation. We still encourage you, however, to contact our Villa Consultants when you're planning your Caribbean villa vacation because they have personally inspected many of the properties we represent and know the islands intimately. If these newsletters are a road map to the best of a destination, you can consider our consultants your tour guides.

Barbados

People world-renowned for their hospitality. Long, secluded stretches of pink- and white-sand beaches. A rich and sophisticated West Indian culture steeped in history. And some of the world's finest restaurants. This is Barbados, and what better way to discover it than by renting your very own luxury villa, where you'll be at home in paradise.

This island jewel hanging on the eastern end of the Caribbean necklace offers a stimulating nightlife and dreamy days spent on beautiful beaches. The natural beauty and the scenic variety of Barbados are magnificent. You'll find dramatic natural caves, rocky cliffs with blowholes by the sea, and miles of sugarcane fields. While it has just about everything travelers look for in a tropical vacation-world-class golf courses, sea excursions, and excellent snorkeling and diving-Barbados is quite different from most Caribbean islands because of its West Indian culture. Commonly referred to as "Little England," the island nation features a strong British influence, making afternoon tea and dressing up for dinner common. So for a different kind of Caribbean experience, try Barbados, and better yet, try a villa vacation in Barbados.

For more information about this destination, please go to our Barbados guide.

Whether you're looking for the traditional tropical retreat, or you want to explore the heart of Barbados and discover its charm, a villa vacation can allow you to experience the destination on your own terms. We represent nearly 200 villas on the island, and our villa consultants can help you decide which is right for you. For a superb luxury vacation, we recommend the following:

Fosters House

This brand new, beachfront villa is perfect for your Barbados escape. When you stay here, you'll enjoy one of the most beautiful parts of the island. Take peaceful walks along Mullins Beach, just steps from the property, and then go for a refreshing dip in the villa's swimming pool. The pool area also has a Jacuzzi. The beach and the pool are only a couple of the many exciting highlights of this Barbados vacation rental.

Ideally situated less than two miles from historic Speightstown and a 45-minute drive from the airport, Fosters House has four air-conditioned bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms on the second floor. The main floor includes a family room with a sofa bed and large living and dining area that opens onto a furnished patio surrounding the pool. The home also features a security system, a new exercise room, high-speed Internet access, a fax machine, a covered dining terrace, and a full-length balcony offering a stunning, panoramic view of the Caribbean Sea.

Like all of our Island Hideaways' rentals in Barbados, Fosters House is staffed with a cook and maid. With a staff to cater to your needs, you can forget about errands and spend your vacation as you please. Let the professional chef prepare a gourmet meal to order and then enjoy it on the dining terrace as you watch the setting sun. You may find yourself thinking, a Caribbean vacation experience doesn't get any better than this.

For more information, please go to the Fosters House listing on our website. It would be our pleasure to further describe this exquisite property to you; please call us toll-free at 800-832-2302 for more information or to make a reservation.

Best Bets: What to Do in Barbados

When you're able to tear yourself away from luxurious villa living, you'll find a whole world of opportunities enlivened by the Barbados spirit. Whether you prefer a quiet vacation relaxing on beaches or a more boisterous, action-packed experience, Barbados has it. While the island is known for its beautiful beaches, exciting nightlife, and some of the Caribbean's finest restaurants, there is much more to see and do. Adventurers can enjoy just about any watersport; nature lovers will discover an array of beautiful attractions, including the famous Harrison's Cave and the stunning Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary; for golfers, Barbados has several internationally-ranked golf courses, like Royal Westmoreland and Sandy Lane Golf Club. It's no wonder that Barbados boasts more return visitors than any other Caribbean island.

If you're interested in sightseeing, Barbados has more attractions than most Caribbean islands, so choosing one over another can be difficult. That's why we recommend one of the island's most popular activities…

Mount Gay Rum Tour

Travel back in time at Mount Gay, the world's oldest operational rum distillery. More than any other Caribbean island, Barbados is known for its rum, and Mount Gay is the place to go to learn all about the history of rum-making and Barbados' colonial past. After taking your free tour of the distillery, you can visit the nearby visitors' center where you can view a multimedia presentation about the history of Mount Gay and receive a crash course in the secrets of rum-making. Saving the best for last, the tour ends with a complimentary tasting of some of the finest rums in the world. In addition to the tour, the Mount Gay Visitors Center also has a restaurant and a gift shop.

The tour of the visitors' center, including the tasting, takes about 45 minutes and runs regularly Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.; admission is only $6 (USD). As a reminder, this center is actually separate from the actual distillery where you can make reservations for an admission-free tour.

Best Bets: Where to Eat in Barbados

A long day in the sun can really work up an appetite, which is why it is good that villa vacations provide a diverse range of dining options. You aren't forced to choose between room service and the same hotel restaurant that you dined at the previous evening-or worse, the table you've been assigned to on your cruise. Instead, after a tiring day of play, you may decide to enjoy a meal-courtesy of your personal chef-in the comfort of your own villa. If you're up to it, you can always venture out to any of the nearby world-class restaurants, such as The Cliff and The Lone Star, where you can savor authentic Bajan cuisine. We also recommend this up-and-coming addition to the island's dining experiences…

The Restaurant at Southsea

Since opening in 2003, The Restaurant at Southsea has been winning fans, rave reviews, and awards. In fact, shortly after it opened, it made Condé Nast Traveler's prestigious "Hot List Tables" as one of the best new restaurants in the world. Situated on the south coast of the island overlooking a gentle bay, The Restaurant at Southsea operates out of a traditional Barbadian home that has been elegantly and fully updated to give it a decor that scored highly in the 2007 Barbados Zagat guide. The restaurant's service also received Zagat's top ranking.

Aside from its beautiful setting and decor and excellence in service, the restaurant owes its reputation to the delicious range of international cuisine it offers. From the inventive to the traditional, the menu options are diverse and change often. There are some mainstays, however, like deep-fried alligator pieces and Carpaccio of Ostrich Tenderloin. The menu does include several plates that most likely would appeal to less adventurous diners, including plenty of fresh seafood, and there's even a vegetarian menu. The restaurant also boasts an outstanding wine list, a large cigar menu, and "the Caribbean's most extensive vintage rum collection." For more information, visit the establishment's website.

The Restaurant at Southsea is open Monday through Saturday, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is available for private functions. Due to the restaurant's popularity, reservations are highly recommended, and we at Island Hideaways would be happy to make them for you. We can also recommend other restaurants in Barbados; please contact us toll-free at 800-832-2302.

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