The worst thing about Barbados is that perishing earworm.

Thanks to Typically Tropical and their 1975 hit (hit?), I spent the entire week on this idyllic Caribbean island waking up with Captain Tobias Wilcock and the entire crew of Coconut Airways.

Still, I suppose that was a small price to pay for constant temperatures around 30C (yes, day and night), turquoise blue seas and the calming sound of waves crashing on the shore, right outside the bedroom window.

Barbados is one of the southern-most Caribbean islands and consequently tends to miss many of the hurricanes which have been known to ravage the likes of Domenica and Haiti, further north. A magnet for Americans and Europeans alike, it has developed a reputation for fabulous food and luxury, VAT-free shopping.

But if your wallet doesn’t stretch to Vuitton and Versace, it’s still possible to enjoy a taste of the Champagne lifestyle on a beer budget.

By swapping one of the many all-inclusive, all-singing, all-dancing 5* hotels for a self-catering apart-hotel, you get the freedom to sample local fare from the seclusion of your patio, saving those all-important dollars to splash on a gourmet supper (or two) when the fancy takes you.

If you’re a return tripper and happy to hire a car or use local cabs to get around, there are some real bargains to be found, too, on Air BnB.

You can get a private bedroom in a typical Barbadian home for as little as £29 a night and a 3-bed apartment with pool for just £84. Car hire is around £35 a day.

Of course, if you want to join Simon Cowell et al on the island, you’ll need to add a few extra noughts to your room rate.

Even if you’re not a rum drinker, it would be a sin to visit Barbados and not try the local rum punch. You can get them in all the bars, from about 5BD, but, if you can tear yourself away from the sun for a few hours, you might want to sample the delights of a rum tour – priced according to how much of the stuff you want to imbibe in the process.

Being a mere 21 miles long and 14 miles wide, you can easily tour the island, and most of its key sights, in a day.

But, being an island, many of its attractions lie offshore; it’s a magnet for divers, snorkelling in the calm waters off the West Coast is a must for those of a less adventurous disposition – and, for everyone, the opportunity to swim with the island’s native turtles is a must.

A note of caution:  choose your boat operator with care. After ours ‘broke down’ the first day – we didn’t believe them until we saw the state of it – it eventually dropped anchor in the middle of nowhere. Certainly not near any turtles, unless you were a really strong swimmer.

Kinda ironic to get back to the hotel and find them swimming right off the shore. You live and learn!

Another not-to-be-missed experience is the Friday night Fish Fry at Oistins, on the South West coast.

In sharp contrast to the laid-back manana kind-of service you get in many parts of Barbados, the Fish Fry sits somewhere between a drive-thru MacDonalds, a sprawling food court and a street market, with random entertainment from the local beat-boxers.

Swordfish, dolphin fish (not to be confused with real dolphin!), flying fish, tuna and shrimp number among the numerous locally-caught species you can sample here, accompanied by things such as sweet potato and plantain.  A night out for local families just as much as for tourists, it’s a ‘must see’ to get a sample of typically tropical (oh no – not them again!) life.

If you’re brave enough, hop aboard one of the multitude of reggae buses which ply the main routes at the rate of around one every three seconds; it’s just US$1 (or B$2) per trip – but be prepared for a white-knuckle ride as drivers veer around the corners, keen to get as many folk on board as they can manage. You’ll rub shoulders with the locals – literally. I guess it’s the equivalent of the 7.20 from Paddington to Victoria……

Don’t be put off by those doom-mongers who warn you to be careful venturing out at night. Bajans are, on the whole, a massively friendly bunch and you’re less likely to come to harm than you will in any UK town or city after dark. Obviously, keep your wits – and your wallet – about you, just as you would at home and don’t invite temptation.

The four-hour time difference between Barbados and the UK makes it easy to join those who hit the beaches at 6am. Never before have I witnessed such ‘sunbed-bagging’ at this unearthly hour! However, the early morning is one of the most pleasant times to enjoy the beach – before the burning sun makes anything beyond a gentle stroll a distinctly sweaty experience!

So, if you’ve seen enough of Brixton town – or anywhere else – in de rain, you know what to do!