Flower Forest

Address	Highway 2, Richmond Plantation, St. Joseph
Admission	$7 for adults, half for children
Hours	9:00 am to 5:00 pm Daily
Phone	246-433-8152
Website	www.barbados.org/flowfrst.htm

Visitors to Flower Forest generally come for the plant life but the monkeys an added pleasure. The 50-acre island of tranquility is like a headquarters for the “sounds of silence” -- except, of course, for those jabbering monkeys. But don’t worry about them. They are tame and conditioned to seeing humans. The real attractions here are the flowers: brilliant clusters of Heliconia also known as bird of paradise and three-foot high begonias, with leaves the size of human hands. There’s an immense variety of plants and an explosion of color as visitors walk the winding pathways that are reminiscent of a jungle. Tours are available or visitors can stay as long as they like strolling the various pathways. There are benches to rest. There’s also a snack bar that has everything from hot dogs to flying fish. And oh yes, a well-stocked film department for photographers who find there is more to film here then they planned. The forest is very popular. With some exaggeration, perhaps, that is reflected in the visitor book with one notation: “If I owned Paradise and Flower Forest, I would rent Paradise and live in Flower Forest.”