Forbes - Global Coliving Space Outsite Debuts In The Caribbean, In Beautiful Bathsheba

Where is Bathsheba, you ask?

Look to the east.

The east coast of Barbados, that is—home to the most rugged, rustic and dare I say most strikingly beautiful part of the island. Admittedly, I’m biased; Bathsheba—a Biblical queen, wife to King David—happens to be my legal name. So when I learned that Outsite, a global community of co-living spaces for remote workers, was opening its first Caribbean location in that part of Barbados—where the country’s welcome stamp allows visitors a year-long stay—I made haste, made a booking and fast fell in love with Eco Lifestyle Lodge. Here’s why:

LOCATION

 It’s just 25 minutes from the commercial south side of Barbados, but Bathsheba feels like its own country: a bucolic, sleepy haven popular with hippies, hipsters and surfers. Such serenity spells productivity, making Bathsheba a natural fit for Outsite, which already has digital nomad hubs in Portugal, Costa Rica, Mexico, France and more. Eco Lifestyle Lodge sits on a cliff above the Atlantic Ocean, with treehouse-like wooden walkways winding around the property and down to the beach. Make your descent and soak in the scene: surfers tackling some of the biggest waves in the region, a sea turned frothy white, massive boulders that look downright prehistoric.

ROOMS 

The property’s ten pristine rooms are split between a small main house and a side cottage; all face east, which means ocean views and dramatic sunrises that beckon you from bed to your office—er, your private terrace, where your laptop lives. The aesthetic is minimalist hippie-chic, with up-cycled mahogany furniture, white linens and four-poster beds covered in mosquito netting. A mini kitchen comes in handy, as does a perfectly situated hammock, designed to lure you away from your laptop for a mid-day siesta. 

EATS

I am going to make a dramatic statement: Eco Lifestyle Lodge’s plant-based, organic restaurant served up the freshest food and drinks I’ve ever eaten in Barbados. This should be no surprise, given the fact that mostly everything on my plate was sourced locally, much of it from the property’s off-site organic gardens; heavenly breads are crafted by locally feted baker Richard White. There was Brazilian fish stew with barracuda and plantain, vegetable tacos made from cassava flour and drizzled in cilantro yogurt sauce, plaintain foster French toast and omelets doused in delectable green goddess dressing. I sipped fresh grapefruit juice each morning and indulged in tangy rum punches by night. A meal here alone is worth the trip.