Granted, I have written extensively about a “sense of place,” the feeling you get when you arrive somewhere and immediately recognize that it’s somehow different.  Barbados is just such a place. The moment you step off the plane, you sense a difference. Not only are the people relaxed, they are friendly.  Not only are they friendly, they seem self-assured. This self-assurance comes from somewhere, which I assume to be confidence.  The knowledge that their job, family, and lifestyle are secure and won’t be blown away by the next hurricane. (Note: There are few hurricanes on Barbados, situated 100 miles to the east of most Caribbean Islands and away from storms.)

Why buy, and not rent, at The Crane?  I met Director of Sales Kim Goddard over breakfast at L’Azure and she explained why. If you love Barbados, maybe you want to come back again and again. If so, why rent?  Why not buy and get your money returned, with interest, when you (sadly) finally sell?

Wandering around the property, I met housekeeper Serena Miller, who was happy to chat. At the village café I met April, who makes a wicked latte. At D’Onofrios restaurant I chatted with Commis Chef Anthony Johnson. Down on the beach, I met the staff that will set you up with beach chairs.

I also met Consulting Chef Jean Jacques at L’Azure.

Kim explained The Crane has special appeal for purchasers who want to minimize their lifetime ownership costs and maximize their financial returns. Every year almost half of their new sales come from existing owners seeking a longer stay or a larger residence. That’s powerful proof.

Then I met with Tristan Blades, who gave me a much bigger picture of the investment package.

For every week purchased, Crane Points are assigned to the owner, which may be spent, just like money, on anything in the resort like upgraded rooms, food, groceries, or spa appointments.

The eastern shores of Barbados are now being discovered as a prime location for real estate investment, with The Crane driving this emerging market. Prices are significantly lower, and values are much greater, than on the more developed coasts.

The Crane’s low initial investment, on the east coast that is just now being “discovered”, should result in substantial capital gains in the future. A good indicator is that even during the recent economic downturn since 2008, property values at The Crane continued to increase an average of 5 percent each year.

I think I’ll buy half a dozen units. All I need to do is win a lottery first. In the meantime, I think I’ll come back to Barbados for a few more trips and discover all the other attractions and reasons to live there. Of course, while I do so, I plan to stay at The Crane.

The idea of going back to Hawaii every year did not appeal. The idea of renting the same hotel room every year for many years did not appeal. Aside from having a wonderful beach, Waikiki is just as American as Los Angeles.  The only thing that attracted me to Hawaii was the weather in the middle of winter. In essence, I was just renting their sunshine.

My visits to Barbados have proved very different. First of all, while I have explored much of the island, I haven’t scratched the surface of the activities there are to do there.  For a small island, you could spend many trips and many years just getting to know it. That’s if you can find the time in a week to tear yourself away from Crane Resort, where there are also so many things to do.

On my last visit I was fortunate enough to discover that on Monday nights there is a “manager’s reception in the central plaza to which I was invited. This turned out to be not a manager’s reception but an owner’s party. Here I got to meet and talk with several of the hundreds of people from around the world who enjoy “shared ownership” at The Crane, also referred to as “fractional ownership.” Amazingly, every owner I met raved about their visits to The Crane and urged others to consider making a purchase.  Wow! I’d never seen anything like that before.  Here, talk to them yourself….

Kirk Elliot and his wife are fractional owners who come to The Crane from Canada every winter.

• Jo Jo, a lovely French lady, told me that she had purchased a unit 5 years ago, comes to The Crane 4-5 times per year for a total of 8 weeks vacation every year, and plans to buy more.

• Jill, from Great Britain, has been coming to Barbados for many years.  While at The Crane, she enjoys the shopping.
  

• Graham from The U.K. has been bringing his family for 12 years now.

• This lovely couple (too noisy to hear their names) told me they have been coming to the Crane, and bringing their children, for 14 years.
  

• Walter, an owner for 12 years, loves the food and sense of relaxation.
  

• Martin, bought 10 years ago and now comes 2-3 times per year.

On other occasions while wandering around the spacious grounds of the resort, I met other owners, all of whom responded exactly the same way; they loved The Crane and suggested to their friends and others that an investment in the Crane was the best purchase you could make.

• Kirk from Canada has been coming to Barbados since the 1980s, and has owned at The Crane with his wife for over a decade.

Apparently even poverty-stricken travel writers like myself could afford to purchase a unit at The Crane, if the cost is only $1,500 down and monthly payments.  Then, after I have paid off my costs and if I decided to re-sell I would get my money back. In other words, I would have enjoyed free vacations for a decade, which is not such a bad idea. The only challenge to this prospect is that I have fallen in love with Barbados and would love to spend more than just a few weeks there every year. From what I have seen so far, I’d like to spend the entire winter there.

To date, in my visits so far, I have enjoyed swimming at The Crane (pools and the beach), fine dining a The Crane and Bridgetown, visits to many tourist attractions (Harrison’s Cave, Hunte’s Gardens, St. Nicholas Abbey plantation house, Bridgetown, Oistins Friday night fish fry, surfing at Bathsheba beach, relaxing over jazz at Naniki Retreat, swimming with sea turtles (twice), a catamaran cruise, snorkelling, beach combing on the west island, partied at a Bajan rum shop, chilled out at The Crane, ridden in a submarine, and I forget whatever else.

However, I haven’t played golf, gone yachting or deep sea fishing, watched cricket, bet on the race horses or ridden any horses, enjoyed ziplining, mountain biked, hiked anywhere, been to any museums or the usual tourism activities, shopped in Bridgetown, scuba dived, partied at any of the bars in St. Lawrence Gap, visited Bajans in their homes, or any one of a multitude of other possibilities that are available to the curious explorer. So much yet to do!

Randy Hallett is a driver who knows the island very well

I engage the services of a driver, a smiling and happy Bajan named Randy, and off we go to circumnavigate the entire 34 km by 23 km island, easily done in a few days. First stop is Harrison’s Cave, a gigantic underground cavern that apparently all tourists to Barbados need to see. Next is Hunte’s Gardens, a tropical wonderland of exotic plants where I am invited to share a rum punch with the very outgoing Mr. Hunte himself, an elderly British ex-pat who has created a thriving jungle garden in the depths of a limestone sinkhole.

Mr Hunte at his fabulous gardens

Around the island I ramble, stopping to watch surfers challenge some of the world’s best waves on the east coast at Bathsheba Beach, with lunch at The Roundhouse where I discover crispy flying fish with breadfruit chips. Then a quick sojourn at peaceful Naniki Resort, an eco-retreat secluded high on a hill with a view of the Atlantic far below. Next, a walk around St. Nicholas Abbey, a magnificent former plantation house that displays what life was like on Barbados when rum and sugar cane were principal exports.

Nowadays its tourism and banking that drive the economy, and they drive it very well indeed. Barbados has a strong middle class boasting an amazing 99.7 percent literacy rate, low unemployment and little crime. Many students graduate from college and most tourism operations are managed by Bajans. Life is good, almost as good as the weather, which averages about 25-30 C (77-86 F) all year round, with almost constant sunshine.

The lovely view from the relaxing Naniki Retreat

The west coast of the island is home to luxury resorts, swank golf courses and fancy restaurants, but we are behind schedule. I am due to ride a mini-submarine out of Bridgetown and they won’t wait. The craft sinks down 40 metres to examine the coral reefs and spectacular reef fish that live there. The next day I dive with sea turtles from a catamaran. I also get to ride with Captain Vance in his boat to Carlisle Bay where I swim with turtles.

Frolicking face to face with a giant turtle in the ocean is a thrilling experience. Along the main harbour known as the Careenage you’ll find deep sea fishing charters that catch marlin, sailfish and yellowfin tuna in season (December to March).

Bridgetown is a bustling city of nearly 100,000 with shops, museums and the usual tourist attractions but I’m off to enjoy the local farmers market.  In Cheapside I find bustling outdoor stalls where vendors sell everything from fish to bananas.  Tourists don’t usually shop here, but I’m welcomed with open arms by an army of friendly faces eager to talk. Oh, Canadian, are you? Welcome! Bring your friends!

The Mt. Gay rum factory is a must see as is the Friday night fish fry in the tiny fishing port of Oistins, a riot of music and flavours with flying fish, veggies and mac n’ cheese sizzling on most menus. Bajan food is not fancy; for fine dining you must venture forth to continental high-end restaurants like Cin Cin in Bridgetown.

“I find bustling outdoor stalls where vendors sell everything from fish to bananas. Tourists don’t usually shop here, but I’m welcomed with open arms by an army of friendly faces eager to talk. Oh, Canadian, are you? Welcome! Bring your friends!”

“Other Bajan vendors sell crafts and clothing at other locations, like a weekly farmer’s market in the centre of the island. There is also a weekly market at the central plaza at The Crane where high end clothing and other crafts can be purchased. All in all, there is so much to see and do on Barbados you could spend weeks or years finding and experiencing them all.

The Crane Residential Resort is located on cliffs right above the Atlantic Ocean.  This elevation gives the property excellent views, and the east coast of the island always has a refreshing breeze. Most suites on the nine residential buildings have views of the ocean, and all of them catch the ocean breezes, which means that most of the time you don’t need to use air conditioning.

In fact, at night, the best way to sleep is to turn off the air conditioning, close the shutters to the room but open the slats, and turn on the overhead fans.  That mix provides excellent airflow to keep you cool all night without having to use refrigerated air. It takes a little bit of practice, but once you have the airflow exactly the way you want it your sleep will be wonderful.

Director of Marketing Joanna Robinson took me on a tour of many of the suites available for rent or purchase in several of the buildings. I confess I lost count of the many different types of suites available. By my count, there were private residences by the sea, rooms at the historic hotel, and residences in the park. They came in sizes ranging from a hotel room, to a one-bedroom suite, one bedroom with plunge pool, a two-bedroom suite and tw0-bedrooms with pool, and three bedrooms plus pool. Plus a deluxe penthouse suite with pool that parties about a dozen people that I am going to rent when I can think of a good reason.

First, Joanna showed me a “basic unit, ” also called a Junior Garden view Suite, which was bigger than a floor of the house in which I live. I think it was 700 square feet. Then ther was the typical unit, which I stayed in, a one-bedroom ocean view suite, which was 1,200 square feet. The bedroom was bigger than my living room at home.  The living room was bigger than my living room at home.  The bathroom was bigger than my living room at home. Plus it came with a full kitchen and two bathrooms, or one more than I needed because I can do two things at once. It had TVs in both the living room and bedroom, and a patio, and a fabulous view.

Then we were off to see a two-bedroom with plunge pool. Why anyone needs a private pool when there are half a dozen huge pools on the property, I dunno.  Maybe some people forget to bring a swimsuit. This unit was 2,500-square feet, which is the same size as my house.  In short, it was huge.  The living room couch folded out, so you could put the kids in there, and a separate couple in the second bedroom. Did I mention that all the beds are 4-posters, as huge as the rooms, with mahogany bedposts?  Oh yeah, they all have washers and dryers too.

Next was a two-bedroom garden unit, which I found the most interesting of all, because the entire wall to the garden outside slid back and thus the entire unit became wide open.  No bugs that I ever saw, so no need for walls. There was a big garden in which to putter around, and a private pool in which to wallow. This arrangement would be perfect for people with kids to play, I thought, or for romance, one activity naturally leading to the other.

Joanna gave me an extensive tour of a three-bedroom penthouse suite, suitable for rock stars or presidents or people who want to party (weddings come to mind) and who need to sleep a large group of people. At 4,000-square feet you could almost get lost in it, and I don’t think that counted the upstairs roof, which was a special attraction all in itself. The views went half way to Africa. There were three bedrooms and a couple of couches, so I think we are talking accommodations for 8-10 people. With a huge kitchen and bathrooms too, of course.

The special formula that Crane Residences builder Paul Doyle has created – a choice of deluxe vacation rentals, or the chance to actually own a suite on a part-time basis – is an obvious winner.  Everybody I talked to loved relaxing at The Crane and planned to come back again. With hundreds of eager customers all wanting a piece of the pie, expansion plans become obvious, and that’s exactly what is happening at The Crane.

Joanna pointed out to me where the new expansion will be occurring in the Residences in the park, with construction completion set for the winter of 2013. This will bring the overall number of rooms to over 200, but all the buildings are so spread out over so many it never seems crowded.  The pools on the property never had many people in them, even with the resort full.  Maybe they were all at the beach, or enjoying their own private pools.

Finally, Joanna showed me the main pool and the original historic building that was the original structure back in the 1880s when The Crane was first open for business as a hotel. Sadly, we ran out of time to have a look at the hotel rooms inside this gorgeous structure. Next time I go, I want the room overlooking the pool, which also seems to have a view over the ocean and the promenade next to L’Azure restaurant.  If the view from the L’Azure patio overlooking Crane Beach is not the best in the world, I will eat my travel writer’s hat.