The Virgin Atlantic Barbados crew dropped by various local businesses, schools and street corners to distribute cupcakes, ice cream, water bottles and other little tokens to remind people that flying with Virgin offers extra touches and unexpected perks that elevate their customer experience beyond the usual. The company strives to ensure that flying with them is a little more exciting, comfortable, delicious, refreshing and memorable than other airlines.

“At Virgin, we challenge ourselves to fly in the face of ordinary every day. And we’ve found that it’s the little things that bring the biggest smiles,” says Andre Bello, Marketing Manager of Virgin Atlantic Caribbean.

Virgin Atlantic has always prided itself on being a bit different, a cut above the rest, even a tad sassy. Since their launch in 1984, company founder Richard Branson set out to challenge the status quo with the simple premise of putting people first. He wanted his passengers to remember the journey as well as the destination, and believed that getting from A to B should be part of the fun. It’s this kind of visionary thinking that has led to such innovations as jet fuel from recycled industrial waste and commercial space flights!

On May 3, Virgin Atlantic launched a brand new Airbus A330 on the Barbados route, and it’s decked out with some extraordinary features to make flying a pleasure. Each seatback sports a state-of-the-art touch-screen Panasonic EX2 in-flight entertainment unit, giving access to over 50 choices including the latest blockbusters, critically acclaimed indie films, award-winning documentaries, popular TV programmes, varied music channels, games and plenty to keep the kids occupied for the duration.

You can even plug in your own devices and watch whatever you choose, and with in-flight WiFi you’re as connected as you are on the ground. Unlike other airlines, Virgin runs the in flight entertainment before take-off until landing, which could amount to an additional 2 hours of entertainment time each flight.

Upper class cabins feature 33 new and improved “Dream Suites” with all-aisle access and 50% more incline on their extra-cushy espresso leather seats. You can actually lie flat, stretch out and drift off to your destination.

So if you want to travel in comfort and style, to enjoy superior food and service, to sit back, zone out and be entertained in the skies, remember that Virgin Atlantic strives to sprinkle a little extra magic into each and every flight. That’s FITFOO – Flying in the Face of Ordinary.

Check out Virgin Atlantic’s most recent FITFOO promo:

The post Virgin Atlantic shows Barbados how it Flies in the Face of Ordinary (FITFOO) appeared first on Barbados Property List.

This is a much anticipated international rally, consisting this year of over 100 competitors.

Stages on June 1st include: French Village to Four Hills, St. Peter; Luke Hill to Pickerings, St. Lucy & Dark Hole to Spring Vale, St. Andrew.

Stages on June 2nd include: Todds to Cliff, St. John; Padmore Village to Golden Grove, St. Philip & Tappy Pond to Bonwell, St. Joseph.

Date: June 1st and 2nd
Time: All Day on both days
Admission: FREE
Venue: Visit Rally Barbados website for additional info
Contact: rallyoffice@rallybarbados.bb

Betty West Kadooment band fete

Betty West holds a  weekly fete to promote her Kadooment band costumes. Fetes and limes are held every Saturday at different locations until Kadooment day.

Food and drinks are on sale and there are guest appearances by popular Calypsonians.

Date: June 1st
Time: Doors open at 8:00 PM
Admission: $10 BBD
Venue: Carib Beach Bar (check their website for additional venues)
Contact: 246-420-5784

Brewster’s Road Crew 2013

Brewster’s Road Friday night parties are held at various locations up until Kadooment day. The 2013 Brewster’s Road Crew Events are part of many Crop Over fetes & limes held for the festival’s season.

Date: Every Friday night
Time: 10:00 PM
Admission: Visit Brewster’s Road Crew website for additional info
Venue: Various
Contact: Email them here

Oistins Bay Gardens Movie Night

Oistins Bay Gardens Movew Night is an open air beach-side theatre, right in the middle of Oistins Fishing Village. As many as 100 or more tourist and locals attend these Wednesday movie nights. Drinks and food are on sale.

Date: Wednesday nights until Kadooment
Time: 7:00 PM
Admission: FREE
Venue: Oistins Bay Gardens

Harbour Lights Blue Box Cart Kadooment Band Fete

Every Friday night until Kadooment, Harbour Lights holds a “Drinks Free night” to promote their band. Costume viewing and payments can be made at the club.

Date: Friday nights until Kadooment
Time: Doors open at 9:30 PM
Admission: $50 BBD (Age limit is enforced)
Venue: Harbour Lights, Bay Street, St. Michael
Contact: 246-436-7225 or email

Crop Over 2013 Calypso Tents

Various Calypso “tents” are held throughout the Crop Over season. From Junior Monarch to the Super Gladiators and Bacchanal Time, these performances have something for everyone. Attendees can hear music from the likes of MADD, Peter Ram, Alison Hinds and Adonijah to name a few.

Date: Various dates
Time: Most performances start at either 7:00 or 8:00 PM
Admission: Approximately $30 BBD
Venue: Various
Contact: Visit their website to get the most up to date info on these tents

First Annual All Star Swing for Change Charity Golf Tournament

The Barbados Tourism Authority is partnering with Visionary Concepts Global Management to raise funds to cure Sickle Cell and Lupus patients.

This golf tournament will consist of A-list pro-athletes, celebrities and locals. NFL veteran players form the Jets and Ravens as well as International comedians are all on the line up of guest players.

Date: TBA
Time: Various times (check their website for exact times)
Admission: $250 to $500 BBD
Venue: Hilton Barbados, Lions Castle Polo Estate and Apes Hill Club
Contact: 1-77-354-5942 (Chalayia Rivers, Event Manager)

BEMEX 2013 – Barbados Manufacturers Exhibition

BEMEX 2013 is Barbados’ premier exhibition for the manufacturing industry, with booths from both local and regional manufacturing companies.

It’s advisable to go as early as you can to see the booths, as after lunch tends to get quite crowded.

Date: June 27th to June 30th
Time: 10:00 AM until 10:00 PM
Admission: $15 BBD Adults | $5 BBD 12 yrs and under
Venue: Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Two Mile Hill
Contact: bmex@bma.bb

SOL Go Further June Safari

The Mud Dogs Motoring Club of Barbados put on a navigational rally island wide. Participants usually drive 4 x 4’s, and are expected to navigate around and through very muddy and rocky terrains.

This event is very entertaining for spectators. Pack a cooler and park out at one of the checkpoints.

Date: June 29th and June 30th
Time: Starts at Midday on June 29th
Admission: FREE
Venue: Visit their website for further info
Contact: rallyoffice@rallybarbados.bb

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Hurricane Janet was only a tropical wave located just off of Barbados up until September 21st, when within a 12 hour space of time it strengthened suddenly to a category 1, then a category 2 hurricane, and then hit the island as a category 3 with winds of 120 mph!

Janet went on to become the most powerful hurricane of the 1955 season, reaching a category 5 storm with winds of 175 mph, killing 38 people in Barbados alone, and nearly 700 people overall.

In fact, Hurricane Janet caused the loss of the only hurricane hunter plane in history. On September 26th the pilot lost radio contact at 10:15 PM, before flying into the storm. By 11 PM, the US Navy classified the plane as overdue and the crew was officially missing. Neither the remains of the plane or any sign of the crew has ever been found.

The damage was stunning, with the bill to repair the destruction in Barbados only, being BBD $5 million! It was reported that as many as 2,000 Bajans were left homeless afterwards.

Some families were reported to have stayed in shelters for as many as 10 weeks, for fear of returning to their homes. Government eventually had to ask them to vacate so that children could start going back to school.

With hurricane season soon here, we thought it fitting not only to show how destructive hurricanes can be, but to also remember all those who lost their lives in this tragedy.

The images below were sourced from the The National Archives UK, and show a glimpse of what the scene was like on our tiny island after Hurricane Janet passed.

School rooms used as shelter

Sorting clothes for donation

Destroyed homes

Seawell Airport shed

Pilgrim Holiness Church

Survivors of Hurricane Janet

Santa Nita Masion in Hastings

Bridgetown

The Royal Hastings Theatre

The post Hurricane Janet in Barbados appeared first on Barbados Property List.

Did you know that there were only six Parishes in Barbados back in 1629; Christ Church, St. James, St. Lucy, St. Michael, St. Peter and St. Thomas. It wasn’t until 1645 that the other five Parishes were formed.

St. Thomas has a lot to offer, and we thought we would showcase a few of the most interesting things to do and see in this Parish. We have included historic sites, as well as some fun places to visit for a cold drink or simple meal as well.

St. Thomas Parish Church

St. Thomas Parish Church was built in 1629, and has since been destroyed by hurricanes three times (1675, 1780 and 1831) and rebuilt. Of all the churches in Barbados this one has embraced the changing times and not only has an email address, but a Facebook page as well!

Sharon Moravian Church

This beautiful and historic Moravian church is one of the last remaining 18th century buildings left in Barbados. It was constructed back in 1799 with the help of the slave congregation. While the original church was destroyed in 1831, it was rebuilt, and kept its authentic style.

Harrison’s Cave

For those of you who aren’t aware, Harrison’s Cave was discovered back in 1795, and for nearly 200 years was forgotten about, until Ole Sorensen and Tony Mason “re-discovered” them. They were named after Thomas Harrison who owned the land on which the Cave’s were located. Harrison’s Cave was developed by the Government in 1974, and officially opened as a tourist attraction in 1981.

Welchman Hall Gully

The only real “tropical forest” Barbados has is the Welchman Hall Gully. This piece of Barbados real estate was purchased by the Barbados National Trust back in 1992, to emphasize the importance of the local environment and to preserve it for future generations. The Gully is a great place to explore and to have a look back at what Barbados must have looked like to the early settlers.

Fisherpond Great House

Fisherpond Plantation as it was known, has changed hands so many times since the 16th or 17th century that it’s hard to keep up! At the moment, the property is owned by John & Rain Chandler and is THE GO TO PLACE for an authentic plantation style Sunday lunch. The house has been kept in amazing shape, and you can easily spend hours in the gardens taking pictures, and walking around the stunning property. Fisher Pond Great House has been visited for lunch not only by the British Prime Minister, but also the Queen of England.

Bagatelle Great House

This Historic house in St. Thomas was originally built in 1645 and was previously known as “Parnham Park House”. The property has changed hands several times over the years and is now home to Chatters Tea Room, and other eateries.

Lion Castle Polo Field

Lion Castel Polo Field is a relatively new, world-class field spread over twenty acres. This polo field is part of a sixty-four acre Barbados development built by Kent Cole. International tournaments are played here between November and May, depending on the weather conditions.

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We all need a little perspective from time to time. Something that forces us back from chipping away at the coal faces of our daily lives. Well, this video is all about seeing the world differently from some folks who have actually experienced it first hand.

Earth gazing

Next time you’re enjoying sundowners, gazing at the sunset or marvelling at the clear azure waters on a sunny day, remember that this is merely a more localised form of Earth gazing. There are probably Astronauts on the International Space Station gazing at the planet with us, right now. Currently there is a particularly prolific chronicler of ICS Earth gazing called Commander Hadfield. Follow him for daily reminders about how beautiful and fragile our collective home is.

Spaceship Earth

You might ask what this has to do with real estate or Barbados in general? Well, I’ve always felt that given our small population and geographic size, we – of all nations – have one of the best opportunities to create a society completely in-tune with our environment and responsible for it. If you would like to get more involved in local environmental issues, a few options spring to mind like The Future Centre Trust and the Barbados Horticultural Society. Take this opportunity to start living responsibly yourselves and managing your own lives better, buy local produce at the markets, grow your own vegetables and recycle all non-bio waste at B’s Bottlin’.

Construction

The construction industry can be one of the worst offenders of environmentally unfriendly practices, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Check out what Eco Structure Barbados are up to. Eco Structure have built several green houses to date and have also helped many other local developers build more responsibly.

Link it up

If you’re a Barbados company offering green solutions to everyday problems, tell us about it in the comments… We want to know!

The post The overview effect appeared first on Barbados Property List.

Yours for $16,000 BBD (on nearest offer).

Arrange a viewing/ test drive or call 256-0770.

Google map location of car

The post Suzuki Grand Vitara for sale appeared first on Barbados Property List.

Great deals on family vehicles, luxury sedans, compact cars, soft top jeeps & large vans on your next Barbados car rental!

• Mini Moke for $31.00 USD per day
• Suzuki Jimny for $41.00 USD per day
• Suzuki Grand Vitara for $70.00 USD per day
• Chevrolet Spark for $31.00 USD per day
• Suzuki APV for $45.00 USD per day
• Mitsubishi Lancer for $58.00 USD per day
• Suzuki Swift for $38.00 USD per day
• Toyota Voxy for $58.00 USD per day
• Suzuki SX4 for $45.00 USD per day
• BMW 116i for $81.00 USD per day
• Mercedes Sedan for $135.00 USD per day
• Rent a Suzuki Grand Vitara from us and get 40% off your green fees at The Barbados Golf Club

The post Drive-A-Matic Summer Special 2013 appeared first on Barbados Property List.

The Atlantis Submarine always has great offers on, not only for visitors but Barbadians as well. Just check out their specials here. Tours in the Atlantis Submarine are very popular so we would advise you book in advance!

Enjoy a few of their images below:

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BRC Mud Dogs Safari Championship – May Day Mudfest

Date: May 1st
Time: 2:00 PM
Admission: Free

Venue: Check out their website for more info

Contact: rallyoffice@rallybarbados.bb

(Photo compliments of The Barbados Rally Club)

Regional semi-finals and finals cricket matches

Date: May 2nd | May 9th
Time: 10:00 AM
Admission: Check their website for additional info
Venue: TBA
Contact: 481-2450 or email wicb@windiescricket.com

Hike Barbados – Hackleton’s Cliff

Date: May 5th
Time: Morning hikes 6:00 AM | Evenings hikes 3:30 PM | Full Moon hikes 5:30 PM
Admission: Free
Venue: Starting point is North of Villa Nova to Malvern and follow signpost to Hackleton’s Cliff
Contact: 230-4818 or email reservations@hikebarbados.com

(Photo compliments of Himal Reece from Hike Barbados)

Polo in Barbados

Date: May 5th | 12th |14th | 16th |18th | 19th
Time: Games start at 3:30 PM
Admission: $20.00 BBD per adult | $5.00 BBD per child
Venue: Lion Castle on May 5th and Holders all other days
Contact: 432-1820 or email clubmanager@barbadosploclub.com

(Photo compliments of Ian Bourne – BajanReporter.com – 2013)

Scotiabank King of the Hill warm up rally

Date: May 26th
Time: Start time is at 10:00 AM (road closes 1 hour before)
Admission: Free
Venue: TBA or visit their website for more info
Contact: email rallyoffice@rallybarbados.bb

(Photo compliments: Chefette Speed Team)

Barbados Celtic Festival

Date: May 23rd through 29th
Time: View website here for additional details
Admission: See their Facebook page
Venue: Many, including Atlantis Hotel, The Waterfront Cafe, Blakey’s and others
Contact: +44 (0) 131 718 6022

More Barbados activities to fill your fun filled beach holiday

Oistins Fish Fry: Every Friday is the customary Oistins fish fry at Oistins on the South coast.
Harbour Lights beach party & show: Every Wednesday is the Harbour Light beach extravaganza.
Atlantis Famous Buffet: Every Wednesday and Sunday is the Atlantis Bajan lunch Buffet.
Brighton Farmers Market: Every Saturday morning from 6:15 AM is the Brighton Farmers market

The post Events in May in Barbados appeared first on Barbados Property List.

Reggae on the Hill 2013 schedule:

Digicel Reggae Beach Party

Date: Sunday April 21st, 2013
Start: From 3pm
Venue: Brandon’s Beach, Spring Garden Highway
Hosted by: Jamar ‘The Star’ & Peter Coppin
Early Bird General Ticket: $ 60.00 BBD
VIP Ticket: $200.00 BBD

Digicel Vintage Reggae Show & Dance

Date: Friday April 26th, 2013
Start: Doors open at 7 PM, show time 9 PM
Venue: 3Ws Theatre, Kensington Oval
Hosted by: Admiral Nelson
General Ticket: $70.00

 Digicel Reggae Party Cruise

Date: Saturday April 27th, 2013
Start:  9 PM
Venue: The Jolly Roger will Dock at Carlisle House
Tickets: $ 50.00

Deejays:

• Jon Doe & Assassin
• Dooley Unruley
• Peter Coppin & Monsta Piece Federation
• Sheldon Pap & Level Vibes

Digicel Reggae on the Hill

Date: Sunday April 28th, 2013
Venue: Farley Hill National Park
Start: Doors open at 11 AM
Hosted by: Peter Coppin & Jamar ‘The Star’
General Tickets: $80.00
Early Bird VIP Tickets: $250.00
VIP: $300.00

Thanks to Alwyn Kirk Photos for the amazing images of this event from last year. You can see more of his work here.

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Here’s a bit of the history behind the changing of the Sentry:

When Britain declared war on the French back in 1793, there was a shortage of troops, and to make up the short fall, slaves were recruited. Two regiments made up of 1,000 men each were formed, and they were called ‘The West India Regiments”.

As incentive to enlist, each slave was given their freedom and paid as soldiers in the British army. These regiments served the British Army for 120 years.

The Changing of the Sentry has been around since December 14th 2011, when it was launched to celebrate Tourism week in Barbados.

Our Changing of Sentry in Barbados is similar to the Changing Of The Guard at Buckingham Palace – just on a smaller scale. Below are a few pictures of the ceremony supplied to us kindly by Kaspar Coward. If you would like a preview to what it’s like, just click this link to view a short video on the Barbados National Trust’s website.

For regular updates The Barbados Garrison Historical Consortium has a Facebook page with info on latest news about the Garrison Historic Area Project.

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Here’s a list of our Bajan favourites and picks from some of our followers:

• Mangoes
• Bajan Cherries
• Fat Porks
• Gooseberries
• Sea Grapes
• Sour Sop
• Shaddock
• Mammy Apple / Sugar Apple
• Golden Apples
• Dunks
• Bajan Plums
• Hog Plums

We would like to thank everyone who commented on our Facebook post!

• Lachelle Farrar
• QueenBee Hinkson
• Miranda Douglas
• Emma St.John
• Simone Thompson
• Camille Hutchinson-Harewood
• Cheryl Bellamy
• Weight Loss (Barbados)

The post Local Barbados Fruit appeared first on Barbados Property List.

Palm Island, Dubai

The Barbados government and a team of developers have just announced plans for a Barbados version of Dubai’s man-made Palm Island!

The island is scheduled to be constructed off the coast of Speightstown and sources tell me that it will be designed to resemble the shape of a flying fish.

A team of expert Belgian and Dutch dredging and marine contractors, some of the world’s specialists in land reclamation, are due to start the project in a few months.

There’s little doubt, that once completed, “Flying Fish Island”, will be a huge boost to tourism and the Barbados real estate market alike.

The post Flying Fish Island appeared first on Barbados Property List.

The celebration this year falls on a Sunday… meaning that most people in Barbados will be getting their green on at a local bar or pub! Our University of the West Indies students are known for getting together and showing their Irish friends a good time… as you can see below!

The only island in the Caribbean that officially celebrates St. Patrick’s Day (as in get’s the day off as a bank holiday) is Montserrat, and they celebrate it for the whole week!

So if you are visiting the island OR living here, why not dress up and make a day of it, or simply grab a few cold ones at The Carib Beach Bar this weekend?

Learn the St. Patrick’s Day Toast!

Here’s to a long life and a merry one
A quick death and an easy one
A pretty girl and an honest one
A cold beer — and another one!

Happy St.Patrick’s Day to you all!

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