Barbados vcation

Arriving & Departing

The only airport in the Barbados is the Grantley Adams International Airport. If you get by plane there, you can then take a bus from outside the airport and go everywhere you want on the island. You can go to St. Philip or through Christ Church and then into St. Michael. Usually, when you are arriving or departing, it is safer to use a taxi. It is also easier if you have luggage. But even if you use a taxi, you can not avoid the traffic. So, if you are departing, go to the airport a bit earlier so you don’t miss the plane.

You should also know that usually the international flights arrive between 1and 6 in the afternoon and because of this, in that period, the highways are very busy. Take that into consideration also. The airport is located in the south part of the island. You can also be taken by a helicopter from the airport but that is expensive. It all depends on your budget. The helicopter service runs between the airport and the West Coast.

By using the helicopter, you only make 10 minutes instead an hour in the traffic. Just like on any other airport, you require to fill in the customs declaration and have the embarkation/disembarkation card. The standard customs form is blue and it is simple to fill out. The embarkation card/disembarkation card is white and can be split in two.

You fill the embarkation section and then hand it to Immigration when you arrive. If you are going away, you fill the disembarkation section and give it to the Immigration.

The tax for departing is around BD$60.00 for each person that has 12 years or more and has spent more than a full day on the island. If you are just passing by, you don’t need to pay the tax.

Barbados Hotels

Barbados is an island known for its hospitality. The nightlife is full of parties and in day time there are many things you can do both for adults and for children. The beaches offer the best attraction. The resorts and the hotels have prices for all the budgets and the weather is fabulous.

If you go to Barbados, you should know that the Turtle Beach Resort is one of the best there. It has special suites and many all-inclusive activities for people at all ages. You can take tennis lessons or swim in the pool. You can swim in the turquoise waters and do scuba diving and see the marine life. Also, if you like adventure, you can go sailing, windsurfing or jet-skiing. The children can also set on treasure hunts, swim in the pool or play interesting games outside or indoors, of course, supervised by adults. This resort has the Tommy Turtle Kids Club, a wonderful place to leave your kid to have fun.

Also, it is good to keep the camera at hand at all times because you may catch a shot of baby turtles hatching on the beach and then swimming. Three restaurants will give you great food and three pools are an amazing choice if you want to swim.

On the Needham’s Point you will find the new and bright Hilton Barbados. It is a very luxurious and sophisticated resort that has three hundred and fifty rooms and suites. Each room has a private balcony and a view of the water.

This resort is popular among many families. There you can find three restaurants, in-room broadband, two bars, a health club, a big swimming pool, and many children’s programs.

Divi Southwinds Beach Resort is another great resort in the Barbados. It has spacious suites with separate bedrooms and sitting rooms with sofa beds. Some even have a full-sized kitchen.

Health & Safety

Barbados is considered a safe place to travel. Still, danger can appear. In 2008, the crime in Barbados has increased a little. Because of this, it is safer for tourists to avoid some high-risk activities. Some of these activities include strolling on remote beaches at night or even in daylight, buying drugs or going to unfamiliar and secluded places or neighborhoods. Getting away from the main roads is also dangerous. The women in particular should stay with the groups and avoid crowds. The most spread out types of crimes are the robbery, taxi fraud, and shortchanging. Some cases of rape and assault have been also reported.

Last year, in January, some tourist groups which were on guided tours on the island were held up at gunpoint. In one cease, there were even shots fired. Thankfully, no one was hurt. You should be extremely vigilant if you visit the Long Beach. That is where most cases were reported.

In addition, don’t buy drugs while in Barbados. This country has a very strict anti-drug policy and the visitors are submitted to it. Still, some tourists are still asking for drugs in recreational purposes while they are on vacation. While there, you can be offered some marijuana or even cocaine. Some sellers even roam the beaches and sell these drugs.

Cheap Eating In Barbados

On the West Coast of Barbados you can get some cheap and excellent meals.

"Princess, local lady chef " offers delicious meals under $10.00 US. You can get fresh local delicious chicken- fish- beef stew and salt fish or rice and peas -macaroni pie – freshly made salads. And also a drink.

"Sandra" offers pretty much the same menu like Princess. You can find it on the Sandy Lane Golf Course Entrance.

“Curry Roti Shop” is a very good place for cheap and nice eating. You can find it just at the base Holder Hill across from Daphne’s. In this place, a simple flat warm bread filled with curry packed with potato and chicken meat is less than 10 $.

“Cheryl” is located next to John Moore Bar. On Fridays and Saturday nights they invite the local village Tuk Band. They play live music. The place offers local and fresh menu that includes sweet potato pie. For a dinner you pay under 10 $ US.

Fish Fry offers a traditional menu. It is also next to The House and Daphne’s. The establishment is small and offers no music but the food is good and fresh and quite cheap. Also under 10 dollars for a good meal. You can then take a few steps away and go to the "Tall Hat Chef Pavilion ".

Barbados Public Transportation

The public transportation in the Barbados island is assured by the Barbados Transport Board. The state owns it and they are trying to be efficient every day. The majority of the hotels and resorts on the island are on the south and west coast of the island. These routes are well serviced. Usually, a single ride costs $1.50BDS. (Approximately US $ 0.75). They don’t accept US change so make sure you have good money before you step in it you need to step down and get another buss, you will have to pay another fee.

The bus schedule is on the Transport Company’s website. At bus stops you will not find route numbers or timetables. So you need to get indication before going on the bus stop. For example, if you are going to the South Coast, you have to take Silver Sands, Kirtons, Oistins, or Sam Lord’s Castle bus.

If you are going on the West Coast, you have to take the Speightstown bus. The buses can easily be spotted because they are colored in yellow and blue, just like the Barbados flag. In Bridgetown, the capital, there are two bus stations.

Flagging down a taxi is quite common. The drivers stop from time to time and ask you if you need a ride. It is quite economical and comfortable to travel by taxi. You should also know that the fuel prices are steadily rising on the island. A taxi ride from the Airport to the Almond Beach Village you will pay around $40USD. And from the Airport to the Hilton at Needham’s Point you will pay around $22USD.

Things To Do In Barbados

Barbados is a top vacation destination. The island has only 431 square miles but there are almost 275 thousand people and many more come as tourists each year. The Barbados’s capital is the city Bridgetown. Other major cities are Holetown, Speightstown, and Oistins. They offer a big variety of things for tourists and their families.

In Bridgetown you can find almost anything: malls, plazas, gift shops and boutiques. Bars and clubs are everywhere and the restaurants offer an amazing meal. In shops you can find elegant brands like Armani, D&G or Gucci. Their prices are duty-free. Cave Shepherd is one of the biggest shops on the island.

Another modern mall is the Pelican Craft Centre, located close to Bridgetown Cruise Terminal. It has around 20 souvenir shops where you can find hand made things. Restaurants are also all over the place.

If you want to take a cruise, there are many companies that offer this service.  Snorkeling tours, private cruises and dinner cruises are available for tourists. The cruise ships that don’t offer dinner or lunch give refreshments during the ride.

Little Bay is an interesting place that is worth visiting. The sand here looks so much different from the other beaches. The blowholes there also cause the seawater to jump in the air sometimes. You can swim in the calm and warm water all you want there. One of the best swimming places is the Cove Bay, located in the north of the island. It is a bit difficult to arrive there but it is all worth it. While there you should also visit the Cherry Street, Farley Hill, Bathsheba, and Three Houses Park. The places give you the best conditions for fishing, hiking and swimming.

Stop by and get a piece of the culture by entering the Barbados Museum & Historical Society. It was created in 1933. It was a prison but now the museum gives you proofs of the history of Barbados. There is even a small children gallery with antique toys and dolls.

Barbados Shopping

The best department store on the island is called Cave Shepherd. This store has many locations on the island. There is one in Christ Church, two more at the Airport, one at the Almond Beach Village and also one more at the Sunset Mall in St. James, next to Almond Beach Club. In this store you can find absolutely everything. They sell designer clothes, perfumes, and everything that you might think of. The shop is duty free for many items and many visitors cross his door step.

But the biggest supermarket on the island is considered the Super Centre. You can find it in Oistins and Rendezvous Christ Church or in Sunset Crest in St. James. This store is connected to BigB and JB’S Mastermart. It is because the same conglomerate owns them. You can also find some great stuff at ABEDS, especially if you are looking for clothes. You can find it at Sheraton Mall, and in the Bridgetown, the capital.

Sheraton Mall is Barbados’ number one mall. It has more than 120 stores and offers a multiplex and VIP cinema. In the Food Court you can find a wide variety of regional, local and international food. The clothing stores are duty-free. Besides that, there are many free parking spots and the store is just minutes away from the Gap and it is opened Monday to Saturday till 9 pm.

Coconut Walk Shops on Hastings Main can also offer you a good shopping experience. There are many individual exclusive boutiques where you can buy great gifts.

Sports & Activities

The most played sport on the island is Cricket. It is considered Barbados’ national sport. Many important people come to Barbados and play cricket.

Besides that, there are many motor activities. There are many motorcycle activities there and many competitions that attract people from all over the country. Some rallies gather close to 30,000 spectators sometimes.

In 2006, Barbados was the host for the World Golf Championships World Cup. The competition took place at the Sandy Lane Resort, located on the western coast of the island. Because the weather in Barbados is very sunny all the time, Barbados is an ideal location for golfing and other such sports.

All year round, golfers come here to play. Besides amazing weather, the gold courses and the hotel facilities are excellent too. Some golf tournaments take place ever year and they attract a big number of participants from many continents such as Europe, Canada, Australia or North America.

In October 2004, Tiger Woods, the world’s famous golfer has come to Barbados to marry Elin Nordegren. The entire ceremony was held at Sandy Lane Golf Course.

There are six big gold courses: Sandy Lane Golf Club, Rockley Golf Club, Barbados Golf Club, Royal Westmoreland Almond Beach Village, and Belair Golf Club.

Due to the great winds, in Barbados you can also sail in very good conditions. In the port there are two former Whitbread 80ft racing yachts that sometimes race.

Other sports in the island are surfing, polo and horse riding.

Barbados Beaches

South Coast

The South Coast beaches of Barbados Island are wide and sandy. They are a bit windy and they are great for surfing because they provide many great waves.

Other beaches in the Caribbean are: Miami Beach-Carib, Beach Bay-Sandy, Dover Beach, Silver Sands Beach Bay Accra, Long Beach Bay, Casuarina Beach Bay, St Lawrence Bay, Oistins Bay and also the Silver Rock Bays. 

All these beaches are great for relaxation and swimming. They have fine sand and warm waters. The water has a turquoise color and the marine life offers an amazing view.

Because the seas are tidal, you may notice some big differences in the water levels in some days. There is a beach where there have been some incidents and you need to exercise caution. It is the Long Beach, a very isolated one.

Bridgetown Beaches

In this area you will find calm wide bays with crystal clear water. At the horizon you will see, from time to time, some boats. The blue water has incredibly interesting marine life.

The beaches that are near the capital Bridgetown are amazing. Some beaches you can try out are: Boatyard, Brownes Bay, Needham Point Bay, Carlisle Bay, Pebbles Beach and Brighton Beach Bay.

East Coast

This coast faces the Atlantic Ocean. It is beautiful and has miles of soft and goldish sand. You can walk on those beaches, take pictures and dive in. in some days, there are some strong currents so be aware of that. Also, sometimes sudden drops in the ocean floor could appear. Some of the beaches worth checking are: Cove Bay, Cattlewash, Bathsheba and Soup Bowl, Tents Bay, Martin’s Bay, River Bay Bath Bay and Morgan Lewis Bay.

One of the greatest beaches in the eastern part of Barbados is the Crane Beach. Recently has been rated one of the greatest beaches in the whole world by Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. There you can stay at the high class Crane Beach Resort, next to the beach.

Barbados Cruises

Barbados has won in 2004 the award for Best Cruise Destination in the Caribbean. The prize was given by the World Travel Awards. In the same year, 721,000 cruise passengers came to Barbados. That was a record.

The Cruise Terminal offers services for the crew members and also for the cruise passengers. In the terminal there are 24 duty free shops, a Chattel Houses, Customs, Immigration, Plant and Animal Quarantine Services, a Post Office, a also a great communications center.

In the great duty-free shops there are many items on sale like jewelry, watches, china and crystal, quality electronic goods and perfumes. You can shop there in style and comfort and the prices usually are 30% to 50% less than in North America or Europe. Inside the terminal, the street-style lamps and also the plants make you think you are on a Barbadian street. Many vendors offer hand crafted objects and some even give home made cakes and condiments. There is a tax for every passenger that comes to Bridgetown. The tax is US$6.

From November to February there are the busiest months to come to Barbados’ Port. In that period, sometimes even five ships arrive each day. Queen Mary 2 was the biggest ship to come there.