It's worth shelling out for a chance tosee one of the see one of the world's loveliest sea creatures in its natural Caribbean habitat

SWIMMING with turtles off the pinkish-white sandy beaches of Barbados is one of THE great moments in life.

And you will carry the magical memories with you for the rest of time.

There are thousands of reasons to sing the praises of this palm-fringed Caribbean paradise but it's the turtles that come out on top. Always.

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The island is home to healthy populations of hawksbill and leatherback species. Once endangered, they now thrive on their protected status.

Diving off the tourist catamarans that trawl the west coast, day trippers quickly come face to face with one and are surrounded by half-a-dozen more.

The turtles seem to enjoy human contact almost as much as the tourists who flock to see them.

The journey back to Bridgetown harbour after a turtle-hunting expedition passes the beaches of Mullins, Gibbs, Sandy Lane and Batts Rock.

Each one is beautiful and every opportunity to take a break and swim ashore should be taken.

It was worth every penny of the £60 for a five-hour boat trip on one of Tiami's fleet of catamarans.

And the crew - Shay, Kim and Roger the Captain (yes, really) - made sure the free booze flowed.

On the voyage home, everybody on board was relaxed enough to let our six-year-old daughter pilot the boat back into port.

Bajans are relaxed about most things and their "no worries, no hurry" mantra soon rubs off on visitors.

Our Virgin flight to Barbados left on time and arrived at the island's Grantley Adams Airport an impressive 45 minutes earlier than scheduled.

But the minutes you gain in the air are soon clawed back as cases seem to be removed individually and at five-minute intervals by the baggage handlers.

This is every visitor's introduction to island life and, thankfully, that turtle-slow pace is maintained everywhere else as well.

Our taxi driver Mark pointed out every fastfood joint on the route from the airport to the hotel. With a growing sense of civic pride we were shown local Subways, Chefettes, KFCs and "the site where McDonald's used to be".

To be fair, KFC's seafront spot could probably lay claim to being the world's most picturesque takeaway.

There was white sand on the steps to the front door and its palm-fringed shop front was truly beautiful.

Asked about Caribbean food, Mark replied: "Oh, we have that as well."

Local grub on the island is, in fact, fantastic and the best we tasted was at a fly-blown beach shack. Fresh-caught tuna was served in fluffy rolls with egg or cheese and hot Bajan pepper sauce (bright yellow, like piccalilli with kick).

These fabulous "fish cutter" sandwiches were washed down with a local Banks beer for about £3 and we ate ours on the beach as the sun dipped into the ocean.

It was just a five-minute walk back to the luxury Hilton where we were staying.

We shared the hotel with businessmen, aircrews and G-Men (there to protect fellow guest US Attorney General Eric Holder).

But every guest was made to feel like a VIP, in particular children, who could make use of the fab KIDZ Paradise Club.

The hotel boasts three pools, a stretch of secluded beach and enough sunbeds to cope with any influx of German tourists.

Best of all, flipping up the flag on the top of your lounger will summon a waiter with cold drinks and snacks.

Last week Barbados celebrated 45 years of independence from British rule but our influence on the island is still as strong as ever.

It deserves its nickname of the Little Britain Of The Caribbean. Islanders drive on the left, love cricket and it rains. Quite a lot.

Bajans have a charming way of describing their daily downpours at this time of the year, calling them "liquid sunshine".

But the rain does not stop your enjoyment because even when it's wet it's warm and clouds quickly pass, to be replaced by glorious sunshine.

A rainy day gives you the perfect excuse to explore the island. To do that properly, you MUST hire a car. We rented a basic motor for £75 a day and were told it could be returned with an empty tank "but you will be lucky if it's half full to begin with". One day and half a tank is all you really need to explore a good chunk of the island.

Contrast the manicured beauty of the turtle havens on the west coast with the stormy and rugged east. Bathsheba Beach is surely one of the best in the world.

Meander past fields of sugar cane, roadside coconut sellers and deserted cricket pitches on roads that zig-zag across the island.

Barbados is only 21 miles long and 14 miles wide and driving is easy, with a gentle 40kmh speed limit in town and 80kmh on bigger roads.

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For other adventures, taxis are plentiful and not too dear, although they seem to have a fluid pricing system. One outward journey cost us £8, while the exact same return was £9.50. The cabbie's explanation was: "It's further on the way back."

A cab is the best way to get to Barbados' mustdo Friday night fish fry in the southern district of Oistins where the fish market becomes a fullblown party.

Stalls selling the best fish are crowded with punters ready to dance, eat and drink until dawn. For £25 we dined on fresh lobster and half-a-dozen beers while it seemed the whole island partied around us.

If you're looking for a perfect Caribbean getaway, you can bank on the fact Barbados is turtle-y amazing.

FACT BOX

SEVEN nights in Barbados with Virgin Holidays, including direct scheduled flights from Gatwick or Manchester, accommodation at the 5V Hilton Barbados on a room-only basis and transfers start from £1,449.

Prices are per person based on two adults travelling and sharing a standard room.

Price includes all applicable taxes and fuel surcharges which are subject to change. Prices are based on departures throughout 2012.

For more information on the Hilton Barbados visit hiltonbarbadoshotel.com and for more information on visiting Barbados click on visitbarbados.org.