Melange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine July 2020 | Page 21

Rorhman Race | Photo Credit: Rory Butler
masqueraders, parades,
calypso, food, entertainment
by local and regional artistes,
competitions and beach events.
This local festival is appropriate
for all ages. The Barbuda Belle
Fishing Tournament also takes
place in June.
In November the island
celebrates its independence
from Great Britain with an official
ceremony and various familyfriendly
activities throughout
the day.
This beautiful island suffered
immensely from Hurricane
Irma in 2017. Its landscape
and people were ravaged
by the storm, changing their
communities, forcing them
to adjust to a new type of
existence. The Codrington
Lagoon was significantly
damaged and although it
remains an area of great
natural beauty and ecological
significance, its recovery
continues to be a challenge as a
breach still remains.
Nature is kind, however, and
much of the island’s natural
charm has been restored
allowing them to again boast
of its beauty, but emotional
scars remain on the residents of
this pristine island. Most were
displaced after the hurricane,
and although the island’s local
government, the Barbuda
Council, have received assistance
from international organizations
and well-wishers, there is still a
lot to be done. Some hurricaneproof,
energy efficient homes
are currently being built with
the limited resources available,
but some residents still live
in tents because the Barbuda
Council does not have the
additional resources needed to
get everyone back into a home
of their own. But Barbudans
are resilient. Pre Covid-19, they
were welcoming visitors to
their shores, treating them to
hospitality worthy of kings, and
post-Covid-19 they will continue
to do so.
When it is safe to travel again,
lovers of beauty, tranquility,
history and nature can look to
Barbuda for a satisfying respite.
An excellent source of
information on Barbuda,
including places to stay, is
available on
www.barbudaful.net
Visit the website and read more
about this enchanting island.
*Special thank you to Mr. Paul Nedd and
Jacklyne Frank of the Barbuda Council for
providing some of the information for this
article.