barbados

They must be mistaken as the only night market of which I’m aware is up and down Spring Garden Highway during Crop Over in August….(!?)

It looks like you’ll be on the island on a Friday, why don’t you consider Oistin’s Fish Fry?

You should be able to hit the early opening about 6pm for an hour and make it back to the ship in plenty of time.

Great fresh seafood, music and just good folk. It’s a ball!

Enjoy and come back in August for Crop Over!

Since The plantation Theatre has closed the Bajan Roots and Rhythms Show (was a very good show), there isn’t too much left in the evenings.

If you’re here on a Friday night head down to Oistins for a great feed, music and lime (party). Most folks really enjoy it.

I’m told that Harbour Lights offers a feed and stage show but it isn’t every night so you’d have to check.

You might also check up with the old Lone Star garage a few miles N of Holetown. They’ve fancied-it up some but it is still one of our favorites (no stage show just good food). It was not uncommon to sit next to Tony Blair or Cliff Richard. A lot of celebrities still dine there. More so when the Concorde was still flying here, however.

Have a great time on my favorite island! :)

Pretty hard to beat Sandy Lane if it's within your budget.

It doesn't get much better anywhere.

http://www.sandylane.com/

To see (almost) everything on Barbados it takes a good week.

I estimate your time allotment to really be six (6) hours rather than eight (8) hours due to delays in departing and traffic returning.

Taxis run about US$25/hr. for up to four (4) in the cab, not each! Many times you can get cabs for $15-20/hr. outside of the gated compound where you are funneled through. Walk past these guys out to the roundabout on Spring Garden Hwy and you’ll find the reasonable cabbies. Vet a few and find one you like. Agree on a price for the day and be sure you’re talking US$ and not BD$ (2:1 !).

If you have your heart set on Animal Flower Cave then do it first. I know it gets great reviews and it is quite beautiful, but in my humble opinion it doesn’t hold a candle to our East coast plus its way up in St. Lucy.

If you eliminate AFC and take the Southern route through Oistins and The Crane (Crane beach voted one on the 10 best beaches in the world by Conde Nast) then North to Bathsheba you’ll see 80% of the most beautiful areas of the island.

Head West at Bathsheba to Holetown and snorkel at Folkestone Marine Park if you have time, otherwise continue South to Payne’s Bay where you can get a boat for a few bucks to take you out to the reef where there tons of fish. You’re only 10-15 minutes away from the ship and a US$10 taxi ride back.

This would give you more time to stop for photo opportunities and not feel so rushed.

Additionally, it will give you a reason to return and see what you’ve missed.

When you return for a second time we say that you’re coming home not coming to visit. :)



Have a wonderful time on the island with whatever you choose!  :):):) 

I hate to disappoint you but you can scratch Barbados from your jewelry hunt.

You ‘d be hard-pressed to find any jewelry bargains here, we go stateside for that.

The others are correct. The depth is greater than 10'.

It is 20-25' in this area.

My best wishes for a grand time on the island. :)

You must try a flying fish "cutter". It will assure that you return for another...:)

becomes: (...between wonderful Barbados bread)

Brandons is a very nice beach. Popular with the locals.

As you can see it is quite soft and smooth. Enjoy!

” So how do I spot a 'duppy' on the Queen Mary?” No worries, they’ll spot you first.

”I want to make sure I repel it by walking backwards or making a necklace out of herbs!”

That’s what I do.

Presented without comment for your entertainment ;) :

In obeah and voodoo beliefs, a person has two souls—a good soul and an earthly one. In death, the good soul goes to heaven, while the earthly one stays in the coffin for three days. If the earthly soul escapes, it becomes a harmful entity known as a duppy. In Barbados, duppies are repelled by walking backward, or by hanging herbs or funeral clothes in a window.

"Thanks for the review. My family is going next January and considering a Harrison's Cave excursion. It is quite pricey though ($75 per adult, $39 per child so $228 for the family). I may look into arranging it myself. "

Actually, the last time that I checked it was US$30.30 for visiting adults and US$15.15 for visiting children.

You may have been looking at BD$ which are twice that of US$.

Enjoy! :)

I certainly agree with Mr. Keith. Your treatment was indeed deplorable.

Unlike some other Caribbean islands, Barbados depends greatly on tourism.

Experiences such as yours do nothing but lessen the perceived value of a Barbados holiday and the comfort level of our guests.

It is simply inexcusable and I apologise on behalf of the Barbadian people.

I must tell you however, that our Minister of Tourism, Richard Sealy, reads these posts and acts on them when necessary.

As I understand it, the taxi drivers in the ‘compound’ (the area after you leave the gift shops and before the Gate House), are organised. They pay a portion of their proceeds to the ‘union’ and pretty much stick to the posted government rates for travel on the island.

As anywhere else, there are good guys and bad guys here. Especially here.

You will pay a higher tariff for transport with these union guys and they will try and bunch you together with as many others as they can for as much money as they can.

They don’t want to take you two (2) miles down the highway to The Boat Dock when they may find a fare that wants an island tour or, at least , transport to the East Coast.

Your best bet is to walk right past these ‘organised’ guys, through the Gate House and to the roundabout on Spring Garden Highway. Here you’ll find the ‘taxi drivers’ that are reasonable and only wish to show you a wonderful time at a fair price.

Talk to a few. Ask questions. Tell them what you want and tell them what you expect. And please confirm your deal is in US dollars, not Barbados dollars.

Vet them and be selective. You’ll find the diamond.

Please return and give us another chance.

I’m hoping you’ll have a wonderful time with your new-found understanding. :)

....Perhaps a picture of the dock layout with the gift shop may be helpful.

The gift shop and the park/zoo is on the extreme right of this photo. It is the dark green area just above and a little to the left of where the small boat is causing a wake.

Great place, by the way! Don't miss it! :)

A note of clarification: All beaches are free to everyone on Barbados.

You have a perfect right to be on the “Boatyard beach” without paying.

That being said, you cannot enter the Boatyard through their entrance without paying their fee and you cannot use any of their facilities or rides.

However, you can enter the stretch of beach that the Boatyard is on without charge through the public access entrance.

You can spend as much time as you wish laying on the sand and swimming in the water there.

As long as you do not use any of their facilities you have a perfect right to be there regardless of what they say to you.

If you are denied access to the beach, demand that they call the constable and you will find they will leave you alone very quickly.

I believe they only charge US$10/pp and that includes a ride back to Deep Water Harbour (and a drink?), so the price is fair but you should never be accused of trespass on a public property.

My apologies that you had this bad experience. I hope you’ll come back again and give us another chance. :)

Another consideration for having a passport when you cruise to another country is the fact that you will be unable to board a commercial airline to return home should you miss the ship or become ill in a foreign port.

Yes, the US embassy in the country you’re stranded in will help you obtain one, or a diplomatic pass, but the embassy staff can be scarce on weekends and holidays.

Even on weekdays it may take you a few days to get authorised.

99.99% of the time you will be just fine with just a birth certificate. But if things take a turn for the worse, a passport is worth its weight in gold.

My best wishes to you. :)

I wish that I had a contact for you, but we only cab between Grantley Adams airport and our home and Barbados is only one of the three islands that we now winter on so we have limited contacts that would benefit you, unfortunately.

Perhaps there is another resident or recent visitor that will have a name for you.

However, I can almost guarantee that you will find a great driver within 30 minutes of your docking.....He may become a friend by the end of the day.:)

You are very welcome!

Oh, I almost forgot, be sure and bypass the hordes of taxi drivers in the compound as you exit the ship. These cabbies are …..”government controlled” or …..”Unionized” and they will not vary from the published fares.

They will put you in a 10 person van to give you the price that you want and make you wait while they fill it up. Their ‘tour’ is like collective bargaining with eight (8) other people.

Walk past these…..guys….through the Gatehouse and out to the roundabout on Spring Garden Hwy. These are the cabbies that you want. They will work with you.

Also, please always be sure you are talking US$ and not BDS$. Barbados dollars are twice the US currency (BD$2 = US$1).

Please have a grand holiday on my favorite island! :)

ALL taxi drivers would love to have an all-day fare and it gives you bargaining power.

I believe that the government published fare is about US$25/hr. for up to four (4) in the cab. This in not ***each***; it is a total hourly rate for a total of four (4) people.

With your bargaining power you should be able to secure a cab for perhaps US$15/hr. so an eight (8) hour taxi tour would run about US$120 + tip. Really not a bad deal for a private tour with your own private tour director that knows his island.

I have to tell you that the best Barbados snorkeling isn’t a shore snorkel. It is a reef snorkel. You can hit any of the west coast beaches, even down to Accra and be offered a glass bottom boat trip to a close, offshore reef for maybe US$10-20 each. It is generally worth it (unless there is a north swell and the water is cloudy).

They will boat you to either Dottins Reef by Holetown or Shark Bank by Carlisle or Bellbouy by Accra.

The cabbie that you choose will probably have a relative or friend that he will hook you up with. The cabbie is a valuable contact and he wants to please you.

Watch your time! Don’t miss the ship!

Please return and see all that you missed the first time! Barbados is a beautiful and sophisticated island (just ask Tony Blaire of the UK why he flew in from London on the Concorde twice a month!).

BEST!

Yes, both are open on Sunday. :)

Enjoy!

Here's what the road looked like when it took three (3) hours to get back (!) :eek:

I agree.

Like aimodels said, it's an easy, safe walk to The Boatyard.

Here is a overhead showing the dock in the upper left and The Boatyard in the lower right. Just keep the water on your right and you can't go wrong.

Enjoy your holiday on the island! :)

Bert's is down in Rockley. Maybe 3 miles from Deep Water Harbour (the docks).

Perhaps a $US12-15.00 taxi ride for up to four (4) in the cab. No worries about getting a return cab, they're everywhere.

Have fun! :)

I would taxi down to Oistins, maybe 20 minutes from the dock, and take in their Friday night fish fry.

It’s outdoors and very basic but great food and great prices and lots of true Bajan entertainment. Starts at about 6 or 6:30pm until ?

Here’s a link for you to check out: http://www.barbados.org/oistins-fish-fry.htm

Have a grand holiday! :)

Human-type food: bread, dog food, peas, cereal, etc., will not only shorten the lifespan of fish, but will cause damage to the reef.

When fish get handouts they don’t consume algae and parasites which will overtake and kill reefs.

They become dependent on humans, loose their fear of humans and become aggressive. Other species of fish are drawn to the feeding area which may imbalance the complete system.

Please note that Dottin’s reef in Barbados has been damaged, but not anywhere as bad as the reef(s) at DePalm Island in Aruba where feeding the parrotfish was tolerated and even encouraged.

It is not as bad feeding the Hawksbill turtles in Barbados as they are an omnivore, and as such eat sponges, jellyfish, mollusks, fish and algae. The younger hawksbills and leathernecks do almost exclusively eat algae from the reefs, but only for a short time.

A delicate environment this island earth, yes?