Tracie Beardsley discovers that it's not just the weather that's warm in Barbados. The Bajan people offer hospitality and friendliness that makes this idyllic holiday destination all the more special...

It looked more like a ramshackle garden shed than a bar. But what the tiny rum shop lacked in decor, it made up for in atmosphere and colourful characters. The smiling bar man who served rums with the tiniest dash of coke told us that food was no longer being served but he'd see what he could do. A few minutes later, his buxom wife appeared with a plate full of the best salted pork I'd ever tasted.

We ate as a man drinking alongside me advised me on the best cure for mosquito bites - rum apparently - and another local lined up drinks on the bar for us and gave up his chair for me.

Later, in true "mad dog and Englishman style", we stood sweltering at a bus stop in the midday heat. A motorist pulled up in his jeep and offered us a ride, concerned we would get sunstroke. He wouldn't even accept a few beers from us in return for his kindness.

When we took to the road ourselves in a hire car, we got lost and asked for directions. The person we asked went several miles out of their way so we could follow them right to our destination.

Yes, I remember the sunsets, the beautiful beaches and food that Barbados boasts but it's the people you meet that really make a holiday a memorable experience - and Bajans are some of the most flamboyant and friendly people I have ever had the pleasure to come across.

My faith is restored in the Caribbean, having had a less than a pleasant experience in Jamaica where barbed wire keeps tourists in hotels and locals out. There is none of that kind of animosity on this island when it comes to holidaymakers. The Barbados Tourism Authority has worked hard to build up a thriving tourist trade - but with the support of the locals.

For instance, the beaches, even those that front some of the most luxurious hotels, are all still public - and rightly so. Of course you have to be careful, keep an eye on your belongings - the usual holiday precautions - but you certainly don't feel unsafe to explore.

Whether you want luxury or the laid-back approach to life that the locals enjoy, Barbados offers both. My advice would be to take advantage of it all. The first week of our holiday was spent cocooned in the beautiful surroundings of the Tamarind Cove hotel (main picture) on the stylish 'Platinum' west coast.

This wonderful hotel has air-conditioned rooms with patios overlooking the sea, lush tropical gardens and four freshwater swimming pools. Walk just a few steps and you are on the white sands or in the warm-as-a-bath Caribbean sea.

We used this week to rest and recharge our batteries which is easy to do with excellent hotel staff at your beck and call who are as happy to bring a pina colada to your sunlounger on the beach as organise your whole excursion itinerary for you.

The added interest is that you can dine or use facilities at any of the four other Elegant Hotels of which Tamarind is part. If you should get bored of staring at the azure blue sea lapping at your feet, a water taxi will skim you away to another hotel for a change of scene or cuisine.

If the romantic setting gets the better of you, or maybe too much rum, and you pop the question, the hotel's resident wedding co-ordinator can have you tying the knot within a couple of days.

With our energy levels replenished and our taste for the wonderful Mount Gay rum well and truly established, we headed for the second week of our holiday on the east coast. The contrast is remarkable. Placid seas are replaced by torrid, roaring waves of the Atlantic crashing into ragged cliff faces.

Our new home was the Sea-U guest house, perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. With only four studio apartments and a guest room, this is a tropical hideaway that offers total privacy.

On the verandah, looking out to sea, you can while away your time in the hammock or in the shade of one of the palm trees. The only life you might see all day is a huge land crab or one of the green monkeys dashing from tree-to-tree.

Here, you can enjoy much more contact with the real life Barbados. Wander down to the tiny village of Bathesheba for a superb Bajan buffet or cool off in one of the rock pools on the beach.

For surfers, this part of the island is a must with the famous Soup Bowl surf that attracts some of the world's greatest daredevil boarders to its shores.

Everyone says hello and has time to chat. Even after the English had thrashed the West Indies at cricket for the first time in years, we still got a warm welcome along with a hilarious, heated debate.

In the little stores and tiny rum shops where you can buy a beer or do your grocery shopping, people want to pull up a chair, find out about where you come from and tell you just how great their island is.

They have every right to be proud. But not just of their fine beaches and beautiful scenery, but of themselves, too.