© 2016 YaninaTravels
Barbados is in the Caribbean and it’s part of Lesser Antilles. Barbados has over 3000 hours of sunshine a year! I visited this island just for a week. I flew with JetBlue – they offer great non-stop flights to many islands in the Caribbean, flying out of New York’s JFK. I love the Caribbean and I have been blessed to visit 8 Caribbean islands so far!
WHAT TO BRING
Read my other post Traveling with Less: Travel Gear Guide
ACCOMMODATIONS
I used Airbnb for finding a lodging in Oistins (Christ Church), which is a perfect central area on the island! If you are traveling on a budget, expect to find excellent rates for 1br apartments somewhere in between $40-$60/night. You can find a lodging for even $30-$40/night in remote areas of the island. If you are booking for a week or more, before making your Airbnb reservation always ask the owner if they can offer you any weekly discount. Another way to do it- tell them what your budget is and ask if they can match it. If you’ve never used AirBnb before, you can accept my invite to join and get $40 off towards your first trip.
TRANSPORTATION
You will need a car in Barbados in order to explore the island. I heard from locals that their bus system is good but you know how it goes- cheaper in this case means much longer time to get from point A to B and cuts on your general flexibility. If you have only a few days to spend on the island, renting a car is totally worth it. I used 1st Choice Car Rental, who have an office at the airport and pretty good car rental rates.
FOOD AND BEVERAGES
I always travel with various sizes of Hydro Flask bottles and Barbados was no an exception to that rule. While exploring a new place, the insulated bottles keep my beverages all day long the same temperature as I poured them in the morning. Also they save me lots of money, which I would spend otherwise on water and juices during the day. On the first day of arrival, I always buy food from the local grocery store- basic products, which I can use to prepare sandwiches for the day. That is another way to save lots of money and to eat healthy as well.
Every place I travel to, I also bring an insulated cooler bag to store sandwiches, fruits and nuts for my everyday trips. Depending on the place’s affordability to eat out, sometimes I would cook my own dinner too. I didn’t need to do that even one time in Barbados. Barbados offers the most delicious and most affordable grilled seafood I ever ate! Guess what? I was out eating at the same amazing place – Mo’s Grill at Oistins Fish Fry every single night! By the end of the trip, I’ve tried every single meal on the menu! It’s not a fancy place but the food is absolutely fantastic! They cook only fresh catch of the day, which is marinated in special Baja sauce, served with sides such as bread fruit, potatoes, cabbage salad, etc. One portion (such as the portions on the photograph below) is about $12 and a bottle of their local beer is $2. Do yourself a favor- skip the expensive restaurants and go straight to Mo’s Grill!
BEACHES AND OTHER SITES
1. Crane Beach- My favorite beach in Barbados! Named as one of the 10 best beaches in the world. You need a car to get there and it’s very easy to map it. They sell beverages and food there but it’s quite expensive. You can rent an umbrella and beach chairs for the day for about $20 and can bring your own food and beverages. Next to Crane Beach is the oldest hotel on the island- The Crane Resort I never had a chance to check it out but it looked quite impressive.
2. Bathsheba Beach- It is a fishing village in the parish of Saint Joseph. Bathsheba beach is known as the Soup Bowl, where international surfing competitions are taking place every year. I visited Bathsheba Beach on a rainy day and it was still so incredibly beautiful and lush green! Amazing! The lush green in Barbados reminded me so much of Kaua’i. Those are the only two islands (which I’ve been to), where the lush green vegetation looks so surreal!
3. Carlisle Bay Beach- It is located in the outskirt of Bridgetown. It’s a nice beach to spend a day. Bring a floating device and enjoy the super calm waters!
4. Miami or Enterprise Beach- This beach is mainly visited by locals and it’s very close to Oistins Fish Fry. Nice spot to hang out before sunset. After that go and have dinner at Mo’s Grill!
5. Animal Flower Cave – It is located under the cliffs at North Point. I didn’t get a chance to do the tour but even just walking around and enjoying the views was lovely to do!
6. Turtle Snorkeling Tour – What a fantastic experience to swim with turtles in Barbados! Cliff Sharkers is the company that has amazing reviews on Tripadvisor and I wanted to book that tour with them. Unfortunately, when I was visiting the island they were closed for boat renovation. I had to book with another tour company but they were serving snorkelers and scuba divers on the same boat tour and I would not recommend you their service. Always choose a turtle tour, which is tailored only for group of snorkelers. Don’t miss this experience. The turtles are sweet and peaceful creatures!
7. Holetown- The most spectacular sunsets I’ve ever seen! Drive to Tropical Sunset Beach Apartment Hotel in Holetown. There is an excellent oceanfront bar-restaurant right in front of the hotel. Take a seat, order a drink and just chill! Wait until you see the best movie Mother Nature has for you- breathtaking tropical sunset in Barbados!
