Hunte's Gardens — Attraction in Barbados

We have just returned from an amazing visit to Huntes Gardens, with Beautiful Barbados Tours. It was part of an excellent days tour, organised for us by Reggie, the concierge at the Coral Mist Hotel, our favourite hotel on the island of Barbados. We were collected from our hotel by Kwame [ not the correct spelling, but he said it was pronounced ‘ call me’ ]. He was an excellent guide, as in addition to being a careful driver, he was able to give us a narrative about all the areas we passed en route to our destinations, plus lots if other information about the history and culture of the Island. The highlight of the tour was undoubtedly Huntes Gardens; until today my favourite gardens worldwide had been the Botanical Gardens in Singapore, but although it is a fraction of the size of those in Singapore Huntes Gardens succeeded in astonishing us with its planting, its sense of peace and its idiosyncratic design features. There are so many quiet spots to sit, with statuary and small pieces of ceramics and china, plus many little hidden seating areas, that it was impossible to do it justice int he time we had. We had the privilege of meeting Dr Hunte, who was there to greet his visitors, and of hearing how he had built the gardens over the past 25 years. it would be impossible to visit Huntes Gardens and not be entranced, so i urge you to visit when you are staying on Barbados.

Our guide then took us to a wildlife sanctuary, where the families of monkeys, including lots of babies , were being fed in the wild. I must admit i am not that keen on monkeys, but the children were clearly loving it. Next stop was a very tasty lunch in a restaurant near the East coast, followed by a photo stop at the wild shores of Bathsheba, a contrast to the quieter beaches on other parts of the island.

So, in summary we can 100% recommend both Huntes Gardens and Barbados Beautiful Tours, and we thank Reggie at the Coral Mist for his recommendation. The tour was remarkably good value, too, with all the entrance fees and the lunch included. [ i forgot to mention , watch our for the included rum punches at the wildlife park; my husband assured me i was seeing twice as many monkeys after i had...

Please be advised cash for entry is required 40BDS per person - not sure for kids entry. I do believe they accept US. (I would like to point out that this is a special oasis- man made with much effort- the funds allow the visits and further extension of the garden and it’s preservation). Mr Hunte is a lovely character and at nearing 80 should be treated with respect and grace.

A most beautiful garden, what a life achievement. It is the second time we have visited. It will be one we shall visit every time. We very much recommend coming and having a packed lunch with you. Explore the garden and enjoy the vibrant colours. The garden is full of life - small lizards, salamanders, birds, humming birds and Mr Hunte. He lurks and waits to meet and greet you and loves to hear from your life and to see any photos you have taken. There is back ground music to the garden creating a lovely calming ambience of tranquility. There is a leaflet that describes all of the treasures to be found. The old outbuildings are historic with artefacts.

There are many small seating areas for you to have your packed lunch and some refreshments that should be tried. We enjoyed the rum punch. Mr Hunte also carries his own reserve of rum! A very...

While visiting the Flower Forest, we were recommended to stop at the Hunte's Garden, 5-10 minutes away. So we did and what an extraordinary experience that was!

If in doubt, please don't be. Just GO.

Hunte's Garden become one of my top favourites in Barbados, along with Pabble Beach (I am a nature lover, it also depends what you prefer in life).

This place is an oasis for the soul. Thousands and thousands of exotic plants and palm trees, arranged in such an unique and fascinating way. Your curiosity will be so alive, to discover that the next pathway will look like.

While enjoying a ginger lemonade and a cake, the owner will invite you to sit down on the porch, overlooking this vibrant garden. He will answer your questions with so much kindness.

I asked him how did he have the imagination and the power to create such a garden! "With a VISION", was his answer. "The vision was very clear. And then I created a lot of smaller and smaller gardens in this big garden!

A magic place. Enchanted even. Even if it was raining when we entered. Even when it was shining, as we exited.

Do Go. It is a rare. Very...