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Exmouth Gap, Brandons, Spring Garden Highway, St. Michael, 246-425-8757. Tasting US$20+, 6-17 US$8.Even people who know nothing about Barbados generally know the name Mount Gay. The iconic Mount Gay logo is seen everywhere on the island, and their rum seems as well to be in everything foodie. Though the tour stays in a museum-like space, it provides a look at the entire production process.

They are set mostly in a sink hole (a collapsed cave) on part of a historic plantation set among the ruins of the circa 1643 Castle Grant sugar factory. Scattered benches permit resting, and rum punch and afternoon tea are served in the former stables that is now Hunte’s home. Don’t miss the restroom with a delightful cut-out that serves as an open-air window to the garden, or the informal gift shop on the verandah. And do come prepared with insect repellent--I ran into many “no see-ums.”A great tie-in is a visit to Harrison’s Cave, which is reached via a pleasant drive through Barbados back roads.

Skeetes Hill, Rockley, Christ Church, South Coast, 434-3463.Prime seating at this romantic restaurant is outside on the ocean-side deck. Designed to please discerning palates, the menu features fresh local seafood and pairs well with an impressive international wine list. My dining partner started with a mushroom risotto that was bountiful enough to have been a main, but he saved room for a Parmesan-crusted barracuda mash he had been excited to sample. Though we didn’t really need desserts, we wound up sharing warm bread pudding with Bajan rum and Champers signature coconut pie with coconut ice cream--and we managed to eat most of it.

Located on a street renamed in her honor to Rihanna Drive, the house is newly painted in bright colors and no one lives in it any longer. When I visited, a neighbor lady a few doors up was relaxing on her own front porch, enjoying watching all the tourist activity. When Rihanna is on island, look for her in her favorite places: Daphne’s restaurant, Waterfront Café, bars in St. Lawrence Gap, dining at Oistin’s Fish Market, shopping in Bridgetown, or at Sandy Lane resort relaxing at the roof terrace or enjoying tea. , she was recently appointed by the Barbados government as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary with the specific responsibility of promoting education, tourism, and investment for the island.