8 BARBADOS CALLING - PART ONE


November/December 2020 Travel News BEAUTIFUL BARBADOS


In the first of a two-part series contributor CHELSEA COUSINS discovers the abundant beauty of Barbados on a fam trip with Barbados Tourism & Marketing and TravelMedia.ie...


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OMETIMES when life gives you lemons, you have to say “Keep the lemons but give me Beautiful Barbados!”. The universe felt my want and need to visit this stunning destination in October when Travel News was invited by travelmedia.ie who represent Barbados Tourism & Marketing Inc to join a group of media and agents attending the British Airways Heathrow Inaugural Fam Trip to Barbados. I was a little bit sceptical traveling during cov… well you know. What I didn’t realise was that I wasn’t actually scared off flying or visiting another country, I was actually uneasy about what people would say. In the time of ‘travel shaming’ I wasn’t sure I wanted to open myself up to the potential criticism.


The island has been very vigilant, cautious and productive when handling the current situation. Implementing a great set of regulations and protocols for when the Island opened up again to keep everyone safe and protected. On July 12, the eastern Caribbean Island invited visiting tourists back within its Parishes by asking tourists to follow a few tiny steps to gain entry. The media were invited on this trip to see for themselves


how seamless and easy it is to follow the government protocols when entering and enjoying Barbados, along with how the Ministry of Health and Wellness have handled the management of the pandemic. Barbados has 4 different risk categories; High Risk,


Medium Risk, Low Risk and Very Low Risk. Each country is placed within a category and depending on where you fall, there are similar but slightly different protocols you have to follow.. I know you might expect a lengthy, time consuming process but honestly, you’d be wrong! I understand most people can’t be bothered with the hassle but TRUST ME, it is anything but and completely worth a little bit of effort to walk down that air plane isle and step foot on Bajan soil!


BEFORE YOU TRAVEL


When traveling from the UK, here’s what you have to do before you travel… 1.Book a PCR test. It is required you take a covid-19


test 72 hours before you arrive in the country and obtain a negative result. I took a covid-19 PCR in-clinic swab test in the Tropical Medical Bureau in Dublin, organised by TravelMedia.ie. This test cost €180 and came with a safe travel certificate, this is needed for the immigration and customers process. It can take around 24/48 hours for the results to come back and can be seen on your account with TMB (they will assist you with this during your appointment)


2.Once you have obtained a negative result, next step is to complete the immigration and customs paperwork. The online form can be found at www.travelform.gov. bb. This is a quick and easy form to complete; fill out the questions and upload your negative result certificate. My advice with all this documentation is to print everything out, have a hard copy of everything. I know in this day and age we have everything on our phones and handy but once you disembark from the plane, you are asked to show your negative result and fumbling through your phone holds up the process and it’s also the start of


your trip… don’t start it stressed! With my forms completed and a negative result in the bag, my trip started; albeit in my head.


IN THE AIR On the October 17, I trailed my VERY heavy suitcase


up to the British Airways Check-in Desk at the Belfast City Airport and the excitement started to bubble, the very thought of travelling again had me giddy! As I boarded my connecting flight from Belfast to Heathrow and walked the aisle for the very first time in 2020 (everyone has seen the meme, I lived the meme) I was ready to jet off and see Barbados!


After a hiatus of more than 15 years, British


Airways once again offers a direct flight to Barbados from London Heathrow. This direct service creates more accessibility for holidaymakers and promotes connecting flight from Belfast City. The group was treated to a ride on a brand new BA Boeing 777 aircraft . British Airways serves Barbados daily in the summer and up to 12x weekly in the winter months with gateways also in Gatwick, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t be booking a flight and heading off to see what the Island has to offer! On the flight, BA requires masks are worn at all time excluding consumption of food and drink and must be changed every 4 hours. Announcements were made regrading the sanitisation of the aircraft and measures put in place to keep everyone safe. These include; Surface disinfection and refreshed air every 2-3 minutes via HEPA filters. Upon boarding any aircraft, every customer is given a personal protection pack which includes antibacterial wipes and hand sanitiser to use once seated. I thought this was a great idea and very appreciated. Regarding hospitality, BA have altered their food options to reduce physical contact, each customer is given individually pre-packaged foods. We all know the BA standard, they did not disappoint with the snacks and meals on both my flights. Breakfast snacks on my early morning flight and then a great lunch and pre-flight landing snack!


On board, the BA crew where fantastic. Each setting the example of how to wear masks correctly and obtaining a safe distance between themselves and customer. The flight to Barbados is around 8 hours with some


change but I will be honest with you, the 8 hours flew! It was a movie marathon for myself with BAs inflight entertainment and then some tunes to stop my brain going to movie mush. Also, for the those that didn’t know, you can play games on the inflight entertainment.


SANDALS ON THE GROUND Landed and on Island time, the group bolted off the


plane and were greeted with so much joy. Being the first flight since the restart of the direct service, we where greeted in the best way… with a huge welcome party and a brass band! This was such a sweet touch and we were truly welcomed to Barbados!


After a photoshoot with the British Airways Crew


and Barbados Tourism to mark the occasion (the pictures can be seen on the BTMI Instagram page, I’m the one in white), it was time to get our bags and get the trip started! Upon entrance to Grantley Adams Airport, Heath


Officials where stationed to check PCR results. Having the paper copy came in handy at this point, a quick check of my certificate and I was through, no fuss, no hassle. The whole way through the airport it was required you wear a mask, before entrering we were each temperature checked and asked to sanitise. This was a frequent occurrence throughout the whole trip. From this moment it sort of became a game between a few of guessing the temp, sounds dull but it was actually


Chelsea relaxes by the beautiful blue ocean in Barbados rather entertainment.


Just to note: every establishment on the Island


requires temperature checking and sanitisation upon entry, most ask for personal details for track and tracing and mask are worn at all time except when eating and drinking; masks were worn on all transport, entering and exciting businesses, during all tours and moving around hotels.


The journey through the airport was simple and straightforward. First step was to complete a tourist locator form. This asked for information regarding the length of your stay, accommodation and personal contact information. This took 2 minutes to complete and sign.


Next, get your immigration papers at the ready,


these where scanned by customs and immigration and that was you sorted. When visiting Barbados, they require you to get temperature checks twice daily for the first 7 days of your stay. Along with the hotel, you are asked to keep record of this and send it each day to the Ministry of health and Wellness (This is something that is straightforward, your hotel will temperature check you and you record the results and send it via whatsapp). In relation to this, the next thing you will do in the airport is hand over you locator form to Health Officials and they will give you the temperature checking documentation with full details on how to do this successfully. After this, grab your bags, find your transfer and start your restricted movement period.


The whole process through the airport took around


an hour, with he assistance of the staff, you will have no problems when you booked your flight and touch down.


RESTRICTED MOVEMENT


What is restricted movement and why did you have to do this Chelsea, I hear you ask? Well, as part of the protocols Barbados have set it in place for visitors. It is a requirement that you restrict your movement until you receive a 2nd PCR test and obtain a negative result. It is mandatory that every single visitor coming from a high or medium risk country to the Island takes a 2nd PCR 5 days after your first negative result. (this includes the UK & Ireland). This means, until you obtain that 2nd negative result, you must restrict your movement. It is kind of like a 2-day quarantine but not… let me explain. This is not as annoying as it sounds, trust me. You have 3 options on how you wish to do this. You can use a government facility free of charge until you get the all clear, you can use a designated Covid restricted hotel at your own expense or you can get approval to complete this 2 day chill period in a villa, again at you own expense. There are several hotels around the island that can provide facilities for visitors participating in restricted movement, this can be found on the government website.


In the event that you test positive on your second


PCR test you will be required to self-isolate until the Barbadian authorities are satisfied you have recovered and show a negative result. This may be undertaken at an approved hotel or villa, at your own expense.


COBBLERS COVE The seating area in the gardens of the stunning Cobbler’s Cove


For the duration of the trip, I stayed at Cobblers Cove hotel. This hotel is an approved property for restricted movement and I will level with you all, I was really ok with spending 2 days in this hotel. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL and having recently won the World Travel Awards’, Barbados’ Leading Hotel 2020 for the 3rd year running, it is clear that this stunning establishment with its powder pink walls and candy stripped parasols is a stunning option when visiting Barbados. Once we arrived at the hotel it was a quick


temperature check and a brief on the restricted areas. For Cobblers Cove, they had a designated lounge area, dining area and patio area for us to use, along with access to the tennis court, spa treatments and fitness centre upon booking. Other hotels will have facilities like designated pools. Depending on the size of the hotel and the facilities they have, will depend on the designated areas. It is important to note that during this period the sea is off limits, everywhere. This fantastic hotel is located on the North West


Coast of Barbados, along the Platinum Coast. With its endless charm and character, you are transported to paradise. The property boasts the most stunning gardens that make you feel like you are in a tropical country club and with the accompaniment of a rum punch, you physically feel the stress leave you and embody Island life. Having something for everyone, Cobblers Cove holds a treasure chest of perfect rooms. With every room having a spectacular view, you will have trouble deciding which room to pick! In my opinion, The Great House is where you want to be! With 2 suites available here, Camelot and Collection, they are just next level! Both having a private terrace with spectacular views and the most tasteful decor, spending 2 days here is no chore. The Collection Suite has a private pool so just imagine… you are sipping a rum punch, the sun is bright, the sea is sparkling and you are enjoying all this while soaking in a private pool… WOW! A small piece of information about myself, I am the fussiest eater known to man. Annoying, yes I know but I can honestly say that I had no problem with the food in this hotel or anywhere in Barbados for that matter, it was all just so fabulous and delicious. The Camelot Restaurant at Cobblers Cove has a spacious and relaxed vibe with an ocean front view, you cant help but want to sit all day and embrace the view while enjoying copious amount of the most amazing fresh, locally sourced food! Chef Jason Joseph is a magician in the kitchen, creating dishes that embody Barbados and what the Island and people have to offer. What made my experience at Cobblers Cove was


the people. Owning this 1940s little slice of heaven is Hugh and Sam Godsal. Having the chance to speak to the pair was a delight, it is clear that both Hugh and Sam love Cobblers Cove and are the passion behind everything it stands for. Chatting with Hugh I got the chance to ask the meaning behind the name of the hotel. Hugh informed me that ‘Cobbler’ came from the Cobbler birds that live around the bay, this little fact is so charming and makes the hotel even more unique. Sam kindly offered to give us a garden tour around the property, this was one of my highlights of the trip. It was so interesting to listen to Sam explain how important the greenery was and that it isn’t as simple as ‘plant some trees’. Sam was so passionate in explaining which plants could withstand the assault of salt water and how coconuts where extracted, along with why it was so important to keep a wide variety of plants and trees on the grounds.


On the tour Sam, Hugh and Donovon the Head Gardner took us to view their Palm Garden, during this we got the chance to see the monkeys that live in the trees beside the property. Although they pelted fruit at us, it was awesome! I may not have any picture proof of this experience because well they where lobbing fruit at us but it is engraved into my memory and something I wont forget.


At Cobblers, myself, Michael Collins from travelmedia.ie, Amy Atkinson from OK! Magazine, Albert Evans from The I and Cheryl Carter from BTMI aka The Cobblers Crew, spent 2 days in our own little bubbles of relaxation. Meeting for breakfast, lunch and dinner was really the only times we where out of our rooms, it was a nice little bit socialisation for us all while waiting for that 2nd PCR test.


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