During our recent Barbados visit, Cole wanted to check out a tour offered through Action Charters.  A friend of his spent a day on one of their cats earlier in the summer and could not stop raving about all that the tour offered.  So of course the three of us had to get in on the action ourselves.

We arrived at Action Charters–a company owned and operated by brothers Peter and Graham Allen and located in the Christ Church Parish–and took a bus ride from their headquarters to meet with the guides, Randall and Preacher, and board Supercats, our twelve-man catamaran.  My family made up three of the nine guests on the cruise, so everyone on board had plenty of wiggle room.  The cruise itself began at 10 a.m. and didn’t end until 3, giving us five full hours of Barbadian exploration, hangout time, and access to the cat’s open bar.

The tour consisted of three main, action-packed features. The first was to sail along the island’s coast and soak in the outstanding scenery.  We even stopped to hand feed a bale of sea turtles.  Not one turtle flinched when anyone reached out to touch them–I think they had food-fueled tunnel vision–and although I’ve been around sea turtles before, it was as fun and thrilling to be so close to them as if it was my first time. 

Our turtle adventure then transitioned to the snorkeling portion of the trip, which Cole was most stoked about.  Preacher led us (“follow the Preacher!”) to a beautiful reef and a 20-year-old shipwreck which served as hosts to an amazing variety of fish.  The ship was fascinating.  The contrast of it’s corroded metal and the bright ocean life surrounding it was breathtaking.  I enjoyed swimming down and around the ship, but it was a little nerve-racking to watch our guides dart in one end and come out the other.  I’d need more practice to try that!  Cole started to give it a shot and got a stern wag of the finger from me.

Too soon it was time to return to the boat. As the group settled back in, I could feel (and hear!) my stomach grumble–I didn’t realize how hungry I was–which was perfect timing, because Randall and Preacher anchored us near the shores of Paynes Bay and presented a buffet of local cuisine right there on the water.  I don’t know how many meals you’ve eaten on a cat before, but I’m willing to bet that this one tops them all–the jerk chicken was especially out of this world. With several other dishes and salads to choose from and some excellent cocktails at arm’s length, I just sat back, ate, and took in the beauty of Barbados. 

After lunch, our group had the chance to wander up to the shore and explore for a while.  This particular beach just happens to be where the One Sandy Lane villas are located and where celebrities like Simon Cowell and Rihanna are believed to own property.  Although none of us saw a famous face, we definitely had our eyes peeled.

Following a little more beach exploration, we all made our way back to the cat, which had to make its way back to our starting point. The trip did not feel five hours long–the time flew! But before we knew it, we were at the pier and bussing to headquarters, tired but so satisfied.  Whatever you do on Barbados make sure you don’t pass this tour up!