Family Vacations--Small Hotel Children’s Program Review

People think that going on vacation to Barbados with the entire family seems like the epitome of perfection. Relaxation and fun with loved ones is something that a lot of people constantly look for in today’s busy and fast-paced lifestyle, nothing could possibly go wrong, right? Well, whoever thinks this way obviously does not have any children or at least the experience of taking care of one.

It is actually a terrifying and stressful experience to bring little children along to a foreign country. There are a lot of risks involved, especially when it comes to security and safety. And children aren’t exactly angels all throughout the day. They can be cantankerous, demanding, stubborn and temperamental. Do you know what every parent’s secret worst nightmare is? The answer is a big, big tantrum in a public place.

How can Mom and Dad enjoy their much needed holiday if this is the case? The answer is simple. Book your stay at a Barbados small hotel that offers Children’s Programs. These programs offer a combination of different fun activities that usually include arts and crafts projects, scavenger hunts, nature discovery expeditions, and so on. These programs vary everyday to provide the youngsters with productive diversions to allow their parents to take a breather and actually enjoy a worry-free island experience.

Here are some accommodations such as a Barbados small hotel that offer this wonderful program in their establishment:

• Sam Lord’s Castle Resort
• Almond Village
• Coral Reef Club
• Bougainvillea Beach Resort
• Cobblers Cove Hotel
• Turtle Beach Resort
• Sandy Lane
• Almond Club & Spa
• Amaryllis Beach Resort
• Crystal Cove Hotel
• Kings Beach Hotel
• Coconut Court Beach Resort
• Tamarind Cove Hotel
• Sandy Beach Island Resort
• Royal Westmoreland
• Southwinds Beach Resort

The details of each of these accommodations are available on the internet. It is advisable that you go online check each of them out to determine which would be most suitable for you and your family.

Cobblers Cove (I’d Rather Stay at an Barbados Apartment Hotel)

My wife and I just stayed at Cobblers Cove, a high rated hotel in Barbados which was very expensive. But after a few days, I felt like we should have just chosen a good old fashioned Barbados apartment hotel.

Of course there were a lot of good things going on for that hotel. The breakfast that they served was really good. In fact, I loved it. Aside from the breakfast, I enjoyed the afternoon tea they served, which was an immortal English custom in keeping with the English country style theme of the hotel. The beach view from the hotel was also top notch since this place was a prime location. Also, there were a lot of amenities such as spas. Over all, the look of the place was wonderful.

However, the hotel was not big. I felt that spending that much money would have gotten me into a bigger hotel with bigger rooms. But the fact is that I have been to some Barbados apartment hotel establishments that was of the same size but was just as cozy and almost as excellent. The only difference of course was that the rates for those other hotels were not as gargantuan as the rates in Cobblers cove. Also, the beds were not at all comfortable.

I also had problems with the rooms since they reeked of cigar even though they were supposed to be non smoking accommodations. Telephone lines were always down. The air conditioning in some places did not seem to work. The beach was not so big. And finally, there was no water at night! It was horrible; they should have at least notified the guests beforehand. What was that all about? They had to make us go to the desk and ask before we were informed and so I couldn’t take a shower at night and had to sleep feeling sticky and dirty from swimming in the sea.

Top 5 Must-Try Bajan Food on My List

Barbados is one of my top must-visit vacation destinations, and I suppose everyone familiar to the country feels the same way. Pristine shores, sparkling azure waters, unique culture—everything about this island has the power to call out on people on travel or wanderlust mode.

If I ever manage to visit Barbados, one of my goals is to try as much authentic Bajan food as I can; I say “as much as” because I’m aware that some lodging and restaurants offer food from other more popular cuisines as well. Who knows, maybe the small hotel Barbados I get to choose will tempt me to be “safe” on dining most of the time? Food will always be one of the best ways to make a truly lasting Barbados experience, and I’m determined not to miss out on that.

To get started on my Bajan food quest, I decided to give myself direction and do research on the country’s must-try dishes.

1. Cou-Cou
Mainly comprised of corn meal and okra, Cou-Cou is a part of the national dish of Barbados. It is a staple Caribbean dish commonly served along with steamed or fried flying fish (the other half) or stew dishes. Some said the original recipe can be bland or boring, but may be spiced up if desired.

This dish also has bits of history in it, since sources say it can be traced back to the early colonial period of Barbados. It is often associated with the African ancestry of Barbados as a standard meal for African slaves brought to the island. Some people even say it can be considered as a “sibling” to the cous-cous of North Africa, and a cousin to the more chic polenta of Italy.

Barbados Apartment Hotel

2. Seafood
I’m a fan of seafood, and there’s no question that this island is full of it. From all the research I’ve been doing, most blogs seem to agree that seafood is among the must-try in Barbados. And why not—the island nation boasts of a wide variety of seafood, and the flying fish is just one of them. Seaside favorites like crabs, mussels, and shrimp are imported and made available by some restaurants, while lobsters, red snapper, dorado, king fish, and tuna are offered in many restaurants.

3. Bajan Macaroni Pie and Fried Flying Fish
One Barbados vacation website recommends trying Bajan Macaroni Pie and Fried Flying Fish, the island’s own version of the popular “Mac and Cheese.” Anything with fish and pasta is good in my book. While it’s commonly served with fried flying fish fillet, other Bajan fish like Blue Marlin and Mahi Mahi are also used as substitutes.

4. Bajan Black Eye Peas and Rice
That’s one interesting name for a rice dish, isn’t it? It is described by most websites as a well-known rice dish in the island, and served in many family meals. Also called as “Rice N Peas,” this dish also has a variation that uses parsley and kidney beans.

5. Rum Cake
Barbados is known to make the best rum, so when I came across a suggestion of rum cakes for dessert, I found it interesting! No meal is ever complete without dessert, and it would be ideal to top my Bajan food experience with this Rum Cake.

I may also try cooking these up while on vacation, depending on my budget (since I know I’d have to shop for ingredients and look for an apartment-type small hotel Barbados with a cooking area)…and maybe if I have the guts to try put my “cooking skills” to the test with a new cuisine!

Too Lazy to Cook in Your Apartment Hotel — A Restaurant Review

One of the features of a Barbados apartment hotel is that it allows its guests to take care of themselves, especially since each unit comes with its own fully equipped kitchenette. A lot of people choose these kinds of accommodations because it’s a way for them to save money on extra expenses such as eating out at restaurants. But sometimes, you get tired of cooking for yourself especially when you can have someone else cook for you. So go out of your Barbados Apartment Hotel and explore the diverse cuisine available! Here are some of the best restaurants in Barbados:

Tamnak Thai and Aspara Restaurant. This place offers authentic Indian and Thai food and is located at Morecambe House. It offers a 3 course lunch menu everyday, and am ala carte dinner served every night. It’s a perfect venue for groups and weddings.

Luigi’s Restaurant. This establishment is located in St. Lawrence Gap and is one of the most well known and successful Italian restaurants in Barbados. It prides itself in using only prime products which they either make themselves or import from Italy. They also offer almost a hundred different recipes to choose from.

Barbecue Barn. This place offers the best in fast casual dining in Barbados. The food is sumptuous, filling and most of all affordable. The restaurant is fully air conditioned, giving customers a cool and comfortable dining experience. It can be found in Warrens, St. Michael and Rockley, Christ Church

The Cliff. This is one of the finest restaurants on the West Coast and is located on a cliff top. It enjoys much popularity and rave reviews because of its innovative and creative cuisine and the imaginative setting of the restaurant, where each table enjoys a romantic view of the Caribbean Sea.

L’Azure Restaurant. It is perfectly situated on the renowned Crane Beach and offers spectacular ocean views, a variety of international and Caribbean food. It features an a la carte breakfast, lunch and dinner and soft evening entertainment for the pleasure of customers.

Partner Relationship Management

What exactly is Partner Relationship Management? The first time I encountered this term, I thought to myself that this must be some real esoteric stuff. What the hell could this word possibly mean? I was tasked to write about it and so I had to do some internet research pronto. However I knew right off the bat that this was some difficult material and that this was not something that could easily be learned.

So there I was doing research. As a literature major, these business terms were very alien to me. The mere sound of them made me feel like I did not want to have anything to do with them at all. But my task was clear. I had to write a couple of business articles that I was going to publish for my friend’s business periodical and so I had to learn all that I could about Partner Relationship Management.

As it turns out, Partner Relationship Management was not so hard to understand at all. My first impression soon faded away, but not that soon of course. At first I was getting lost in all the vocabulary. Well, for those who are in a similar situation as I am, here is a short and sweet list of important vocabulary one needs to know. To understand Partner Relationship Management or also called as PRM.

Partner Relationship Management or PRM is a term used to denote the system of procedures, software tools, and strategies that a vendor will need in order to keep track of its partner channel network which is also called its cloud. This system is sometimes associated with Customer Relationship Management or CRM. The difference between the two is simply the focus on partner instead of customers. Clouds, or channel partners is what one call the intricate network of a parent vendor company’s resellers, marketers, consultants, distributors, etc.