Must see in Barbados

[KSCPA]

Paynes Bay does seem to be The Number One spot to swim with the turtles.

There's glass-bottom boats to be had,there ..to take you out to the spot.

 

 

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=132093095789

Is there a Wildlife Refugee and if so where is it...I cant find it on map? Is that the only place to see the green monkeys??

Highway 1 looks like it takes you along the west coast.

I know we want to spend 2 hours at Paynes with the turtles...but Folkstone is right there...isnt that where the turtle are??

We have one of Reid"s employees from 9-3 on a Tues.

What do you think about doing the above ....and what else would you suggest??

If we start at Flower cave up north...and work our way down??

Or do I just tell the driver to ride us anywhere??

What would you do during a 6 hour tour???

Help...leaving Wed!!!

[aloisia]

I'm also booked with Cameron Reid for a upcoming tour. All that I specifically requested were Harrison Caves and St Nicholas Abbey... and then asked him to choose other highlights of the island for us.

 

Barbados looks like paradise...(love aplmac's photos) - so little time, so much to see...:D

[Aplmac]

Is there a Wildlife Refugee and if so where is it...

I cant find it on map? ===> North..central, near Farley Hill -right opposite, in fact!

 

Is that the only place to see the green monkeys?? ===> No but it's probably the most reliable place

Highway 1 looks like it takes you along the west coast. ===> Yes..North/South orientation.

 

I know we want to spend 2 hours at Paynes with the turtles...but Folkstone is right there...

isn't that where the turtles are?? ===> P.Bay to F-stone is about 1.5 miles apart

 

If we start at Animal Flower Cave up North...

and work our way down?? ===> Except..I hear that around 2 - 2:30 p.m. is monkey time?

Sounds like you've decided on a North-along-the-West-Coast kinda jaunt.

 

I'm no expert at this but...

your best bet might be to head for Paynes Bay early, and get the turtle thing done with.

 

 

After swimming/snorkelling

local taxi drivers DO NOT want your soaking wet bum on their back seats, post-swimming wid da turtles, ok?

so please make sure you're acceptably dry or he gonna grumble! :cool:

 

 

Then I'd head for North Point/Animal Flower Cave, spend some time there

and then stop at Wildlife Reserve/Grenade Hall Signal Sta./Farley Hill

(all v.close together)

on the way back down towards the Port

in time for what I'm told is their around-2:30 p.m. feeding time

and thus most reliable time to see the Green Monkeys come in for their free loot! :)

 

........................

 

Monkeys can and do pop out of the bush just about anywhere on the island

but not reliably so.

 

Wife and I were just leaving Orchid World the other morning

and pop! out of the bushes scampered 4 or 5 of them,

we had maybe 3-4 secs. 'exposure' and then they were gone -as soon as they appeared! :eek:

 

Hardly what one would refer to as reliable/predictable..

but that's the way they show up any- and every-where on the island --all of a sudden

 

...and that's why your 2:00 - 2:30 p.m. (approx.) timing to be at Wildlife Reserve

is probably your one fixed time/place event

around which you should work everything else, if you see what I mean?

 

Hope this helps you figure out your day?

 

 

 

.

[KSCPA]

Thanks alpmac....you have been such a big help...I feel like I should tip you!!! I never see a picture of you or your island wife....you would probably be bombared with hugs from CC members!!! LOL

I'm gonna print this out.....Thanks Again...

Kris

[Aplmac]

Thanks alpmac....you have been such a big help...

I feel like I should tip you!!! ===> Send Money!! :D

 

I never see a picture of you or your island wife..

..you would probably be bombared with hugs from CC members!!! LOL

This first one is the Cute Me shot...

at age five -TransAtlantic in 1955, on a very ordinary steam ship in those days

(didn't have Cruise Ships in those days...well, not many)

That was my Mum in the patterned dress at left, Dad in the checked shirt behind me..

 

 

..and this is the Me Today shot,not-so-cute ..with wife Jennifer..

Nov. 2008 --at the Capt's Cocktail Party in the aft lounge on Carnival Victory

 

 

 

and this is me(at left) / Us...

getting back from our soaking wet walkabout tour of Rainy Wretched Barcelona -Sept. 2008

Nice city actually, but the never-ending rain that started halfway thru the day

really ruined it for us.

Coulda spent hours and hours after doing La Rambla.

 

.

[KSCPA]

Wow...What a nice (wet) Family!!! Thanks for the pictures....if I see you on the island....your getting a tip!!:D

Kris

[holdon216]

We are thinking of attempting Paynes Bay for the turtle snorkeling, and some beach time. Then heading over to Rockley to ...as us Jerseans say..."Cruise the Boards". Approx. how much would a taxi cost to get us from Paynes to Rockley and how long of a ride is that??

THANKS!!!

[Aplmac]

Thinking of attempting Paynes Bay for the turtle snorkeling, and some beach time.

Then heading over to Rockley to ...as us Jerseans say..."Cruise the Boards".

Approx. how much would a taxi cost to get us from Paynes to Rockley and how long of a ride is that??

The How Long Bit is about 30-40 mins. depending on time of day/traffic.

Maybe less..

 

 

The How Much Bit I cannot answer, since I don't use taxis hardly ever.

 

 

.

[Aplmac]

Thanks for the pictures....if I see you on the island....your getting a tip!!:D

Kris

- a second-hand Nikon D60 body only

and I'm over da moon!! :)

[KSCPA]

Sorry Aplmac....the trip was NOT Good. We got picked up on time. I told Cameron we wanted to go to Paynes Beach for snorkeling first...there was 8 adults and 3 kids. The driver drove up to what seemed to be someones driveway. Then he stops and tells these 3 other guys "Where's Big Daddy"..then a guys tells us its 20 dollars a person to get on a boat???

I told Cameron we wanted to snokel and that we had all our equipment!! We were all ready to just leave and We told him No...we wanted to snorkel on our own. Thank god we did...we got on the beach and the other shore excurtion people were out there within swimming distance. We got to see turtles because they were feeding them!! Then we were constanly approached to buy stuff...not the best spot...but we were not there long.

Then we got back in the van and needed to go to the bathroom, so the guy...Colin...was his name...drives up to a one bathroom gas station!! We did what we had to do and Colin decides he wants to buy his lunch across the way. He leaves all of us in the van and walked somewhere to get his lunch??!! Then we asked several times how long would it take to go to the Wildlife Refugee and the driver refused to tell us any range. We all decided to cut the trip from a 9-3pm trip to a 9-1 trip.

NO drinks...not even water available...All the driver talked about was Sugar plantations....It kinda went like this..."This is a sugar platation....this USED to be a sugar plantation....this was once a sugar plantation..." The driver was not very informative and asked a few times if we wanted to stop and take pictures but then he would stop IN FRONT of a brick wall!! Where it was impossible to get any kind of shot!!

Thanks for your advise but next time I'm in Barbados Cameron Reid is NOT who I am taking....many other tours supply water...and food...and do not charge by the hour but just take you out for the entire day....VERY disappointing...but I do not blame you ....I believe Mr. Reid must have a good Plug man on this site...maybe Big Daddy!!!

Kris

[rjscott]

Kris, I was very sorry to read that your "tour" with Cameron Reid's services was so disappointing for you and your group. I certainly hope your comment of a "Plug man" for Cameron was not directed at me, as I only recommended Cameron's services based on my own thoroughly enjoyable experience with him and another of his drivers when in Barbados this past February and in past years. I have no stake in recommending any tour operator on any island. I will recommend a local operator with whom I've been very pleased, in the hopes that another cruise passenger will also have a good experience and it will help that operator build his/her business. I'm truly sorry it didn't work out for you that way. I hope that you emailed Cameron and expressed your disappointment with his driver, so that person does not continue to hurt Cameron's business.

 

Becki

[KSCPA]

Kris, I was very sorry to read that your "tour" with Cameron Reid's services was so disappointing for you and your group. I certainly hope your comment of a "Plug man" for Cameron was not directed at me, as I only recommended Cameron's services based on my own thoroughly enjoyable experience with him and another of his drivers when in Barbados this past February and in past years. I have no stake in recommending any tour operator on any island. I will recommend a local operator with whom I've been very pleased, in the hopes that another cruise passenger will also have a good experience and it will help that operator build his/her business. I'm truly sorry it didn't work out for you that way. I hope that you emailed Cameron and expressed your disappointment with his driver, so that person does not continue to hurt Cameron's business.

 

Becki

In no way did I mean you. I was just so disappointed as were the other 7 adults. I felt like an idiot because I had made all the arrangements with these other cruise passengers, who I , of course did not know...and felt like a fool. I have heard about MANY tours on different islands and THIS tour was NO WHERE near anything I have ever heard. I just dont understand how OUR tour could have been so bad and all the other threads say hes sooo wondeful...I dont get it.??:eek: I did not e-mail him...but I am sure he knows now...He runs a business...its his job/business to see his employees are treating the tourist with respect and not being badgered by "Big Daddy" and others...thats why you take a tour. Not supplying any water and having the employees get there lunch ON MY TIME really pisses me off. Colin had plenty of time to call Cameron and tell him of our disappointed when we went to flower cave...which was very nice but we did NOT get to see the picture alpmac showed?? I guess the driver did not feel like taking us?? We were in the cave for a good half hour. Live and learn...next time I will make sure the driver knows where a bathroom is for 8 people!!!:confused:

[rjscott]

Kris, thank you so much for letting me know you didn't mean me. I can only imagine your disappointment and embarassment, as I frequently plan tours for our friends, and I always worry about a tour turning out poorly, but, thank goodness, only one has, and it was due to weather not due at all to the tour guide. I still think you should email Cameron. Don't assume Colin let him know you were disappointed. Why would he?! Especially if he hopes to get additional business from Cameron? These people like Cameron rely on word of mouth for their business and one unhappy customer, like you, can undo the good word of mouth of 20 happy customers. Cameron needs to know that Colin did a very poor job for you. It sounds like Colin may have been a new driver for Cameron and he should be axed. I assure you Cameron would not tolerate Colin's behavior if he was aware of it. When Cameron was driving us in Feb., whenever he received a phone call, he always cut the call very short. I asked him about that; whether it was a professional courtesy to us or whether talking on a cell was illegal in Barbados. Cameron replied that he felt strongly that it was very rude to speak on his cell when he had customers in his vehicle. He is always very professional, as was his driver, Herman, when we used his services on our previous trip to Barbados. I hope you will reconsider and let him know of your dissatisfaction.

 

Becki

[KSCPA]

Kris, thank you so much for letting me know you didn't mean me. I can only imagine your disappointment and embarassment, as I frequently plan tours for our friends, and I always worry about a tour turning out poorly, but, thank goodness, only one has, and it was due to weather not due at all to the tour guide. I still think you should email Cameron. Don't assume Colin let him know you were disappointed. Why would he?! Especially if he hopes to get additional business from Cameron? These people like Cameron rely on word of mouth for their business and one unhappy customer, like you, can undo the good word of mouth of 20 happy customers. Cameron needs to know that Colin did a very poor job for you. It sounds like Colin may have been a new driver for Cameron and he should be axed. I assure you Cameron would not tolerate Colin's behavior if he was aware of it. When Cameron was driving us in Feb., whenever he received a phone call, he always cut the call very short. I asked him about that; whether it was a professional courtesy to us or whether talking on a cell was illegal in Barbados. Cameron replied that he felt strongly that it was very rude to speak on his cell when he had customers in his vehicle. He is always very professional, as was his driver, Herman, when we used his services on our previous trip to Barbados. I hope you will reconsider and let him know of your dissatisfaction.

 

Becki

All of the people on the tour were from cruise critic...I forwarded all Camerons e-mails to the wives...Now whether or not they will write I dont know. There was one guy on the tour ,Bob, I was SOOO glad he was there because I spoke up as much as I could when they were hounding us for 20 a person to get on a boat...but Bob Finally said "NO...we should just go back"....then they stopped. But the whole tour was not informative at all. Everyone was tried of hearing "Where the sugar plantations WERE!!!" Out of all 6 islands this was the worst...I almost dont want to go back to Barbados...I think I am going to plan the next cruise without it!! Thanks for your advise!!

[rjscott]

Oh, Kris, whatever you do, please don't let this one experience sour you on Barbados! We love Barbados and we've been there a half-dozen times. We always find something different to do, and we always seem to end up having to leave something we've planned for the "next time", because we run out of time enjoying our other planned activities. Give it another try. :)

 

Becki

[aloisia]

Sorry Aplmac....the trip was NOT Good. We got picked up on time. I told Cameron we wanted to go to Paynes Beach for snorkeling first...there was 8 adults and 3 kids. The driver drove up to what seemed to be someones driveway. Then he stops and tells these 3 other guys "Where's Big Daddy"..then a guys tells us its 20 dollars a person to get on a boat???

I told Cameron we wanted to snokel and that we had all our equipment!! We were all ready to just leave and We told him No...we wanted to snorkel on our own. Thank god we did...we got on the beach and the other shore excurtion people were out there within swimming distance. We got to see turtles because they were feeding them!! Then we were constanly approached to buy stuff...not the best spot...but we were not there long.

Then we got back in the van and needed to go to the bathroom, so the guy...Colin...was his name...drives up to a one bathroom gas station!! We did what we had to do and Colin decides he wants to buy his lunch across the way. He leaves all of us in the van and walked somewhere to get his lunch??!! Then we asked several times how long would it take to go to the Wildlife Refugee and the driver refused to tell us any range. We all decided to cut the trip from a 9-3pm trip to a 9-1 trip.

NO drinks...not even water available...All the driver talked about was Sugar plantations....It kinda went like this..."This is a sugar platation....this USED to be a sugar plantation....this was once a sugar plantation..." The driver was not very informative and asked a few times if we wanted to stop and take pictures but then he would stop IN FRONT of a brick wall!! Where it was impossible to get any kind of shot!!

Thanks for your advise but next time I'm in Barbados Cameron Reid is NOT who I am taking....many other tours supply water...and food...and do not charge by the hour but just take you out for the entire day....VERY disappointing...but I do not blame you ....I believe Mr. Reid must have a good Plug man on this site...maybe Big Daddy!!!

Kris

 

:eek:....I'm sorry to read about your day in Barbados & would not have been impressed either. The tours are a far bit of $$$ & stopping for his lunch is not acceptable.

Gee..we've booked a tour in a week with the same company. Also, never been to Barbados. I do not know what to do now - Do know I would be very unhappy with the same gentleman. :(

[rjscott]

:eek:....I'm sorry to read about your day in Barbados & would not have been impressed either. The tours are a far bit of $$$ & stopping for his lunch is not acceptable.

Gee..we've booked a tour in a week with the same company. Also, never been to Barbados. I do not know what to do now - Do know I would be very unhappy with the same gentleman. :(

Aloisia, anyone should have been unhappy with Colin's behavior. After all, you are paying for the time. He can have his lunch when you are doing an activity! Geez! When we had another driver from Cameron's service on a previous visit, we let him know we wanted to stop for lunch and asked him to recommend a restaurant. He took us to a really lovely place with an amazing view. He was going to sit in the bar area and have coffee while we had lunch. We insisted he join us and we paid for his lunch, and even then he was reluctant to join us. He was very professional in that regard. That is why I urged Kris to contact Cameron to let him know what had transpired on her tour and with her driver. I know he would be very unhappy with that driver and cannot believe he would keep him on. If you have concerns about your upcoming tour because of Kris's experience (and I certainly can understand why you would), please contact Cameron via email and let him know that you read of this incident on Cruise Critic and that you have concerns about your booking. The cruise business is his livelihood and he will do everything he can to keep his passengers happy.

Hope this helps.

Becki

[aloisia]

Hi Becki,

Yes, your advice and comments do help. Thank you. I think I will email Mr. Reid and express my concerns regarding the latest review. We have such a short window in Barbados & quite frankly, I looking so forward to seeing the island (perhaps as much as taking the cruise :D).

 

Thanks again.

S

 

Sorry for my spelling error in previous post...not sure how to edit.

Not "far" - s/b "fair"

[rjscott]

Aloisia, best of luck and have a wonderful cruise! I hope you find Barbados to be as beautiful an island as we do.

 

Becki

[KSCPA]

:eek:....I'm sorry to read about your day in Barbados & would not have been impressed either. The tours are a far bit of $$$ & stopping for his lunch is not acceptable.

Gee..we've booked a tour in a week with the same company. Also, never been to Barbados. I do not know what to do now - Do know I would be very unhappy with the same gentleman. :(

Per Becki suggestion.... I just e-mailed Cameron and told him of our BAD tour...will let everyone know what his reply is. Maybe we did just get a bad driver?? But I would think that water should be available for guest at the very least...and charging by the hour is rather silly because he knows the very limited time the ships are in port...it should just be one fee for the whole day. Then everyone is not wondering about the time.

Kris

[rjscott]

Kris, to clarify, typically Cameron does not include beverages of any kind with his services. He does not object if you want to bring beverages, but his charges are just for the car and driver. He or his driver will stop at a store for you to pick up beverages if you need them. That's what we and our friends asked to do. And, typically his charges are for a 3-4hr tour, not per hour, unless you want to break it down to per hour. When we booked with him this past Feb and on our last visit, it was $135 for a 4hr tour for the car and driver. That was regardless of what we did or where we went. Any admissions to particular sites, such as Harrison's Caves, are out of pocket for passengers.

You also mention about the limited time ships are in port. That is not always the case. The ships are in port for different times each sailing. This past February I was dismayed to see how short our time in port was compared to our previous time in port. We were there 2 hours less than the previous 2 times. This caused us to have to rethink our stops on our tour with Cameron. And, sometimes people do want to have a short tour of the island, so having a half-day tour is a perfect solution for them.

 

I will be interested to see what response you receive from Cameron. Although there is no excuse for your terrible experience, I too hope it was just that poor excuse of a driver.

 

Becki

[KSCPA]

The 135 is for 4 hours for 1-4 People...we had many more people so he charged us 34 each. plus after the 4 hours it was more??

I think it would have been much better to have a better driver and I still do not understand the hagglers with trying to get 20 bucks per person from us?? I knew any stops/Attractions were extra.

Animal Cave...I thought from Aplmac discription was just a look out point...scenic area...our driver took us to some tourist trap that charged us 7.50 PP that took us down some steps into one small cave...that was it...why they call it animal/flower??? I did not see either??

I know you are trying your best to defend Cameron but maybe you had a wonderful experience and a smaller group and a better driver....we had a larger group and maybe this is not the best choice when booking a tour with Cameron.

[KSCPA]

In addition, the ships are in port basically 6-8 hours....Prices should just be done for the day so as not to confuse....I sent everyone Cameron e-mails and still it was difficult to figure out what we owed...per person,,,per child after the 4 hours??

If the group agrees on half a day fine or full day fine...He goes by some hourly schedule after 4 hours??

[Aplmac]

Sorry Aplmac....the trip was NOT Good.

 

Thanks for your advise but next time I'm in Barbados, Cameron Reid is NOT who I am taking..

..many other tours supply water...and food...and do not charge by the hour but just take you out for the entire day..

..VERY disappointing...but I do not blame you ..

..I believe Mr. Reid must have a good Plug man on this site...maybe Big Daddy!!!

I think you'll find that I never recommended Cameron Reid, or anyone else for that matter!

 

In fact, the strict Cruisecritic rules regarding us Local-Island-"Experts" :cool:

forbid us from remarking in any way other than rather generally

(read the warning-Sticky's, at the top of the thread-list!)

- lest we get chewed out big time :D

 

 

Reid gets lots of recommendations from cruisers

and needs no help from me!

Seems you got one of his underlings...

 

 

Sorry about your disappointing experience, really. :eek:

 

.

[Aplmac]

Animal Cave...I thought from Aplmac description was just a look out point...scenic area..

 

..our driver took us to some tourist trap that charged us 7.50 PP

that took us down some steps into one small cave..

..that was it...why they call it animal/flower??? I did not see either??

Animal Flower Cave is located at North Point, the Northermost extreme of the island.

It's a natural sea-cave, hammered out by wave action with small tide-pools within the cave.

 

In those tide-pools are a few (transplanted) marine segmented worms that live in tubes

-they have flower like antennae at their tops for water-filtration-feeding/breathing,etc.

 

The cave itself, with or without locally-named "Animal Flowers"

is no big deal...that's why they charge just US$7.50/Bds.$15 per person to go see.

It's not something you'd want to do more than once

- unlike Harrison's Cave which is way bigger and way better presented!

 

Animal Flower Cave/North Point is -to me at least- more of a lookout scenic photo opportunity

and I can see how you have a low opinion of the cave itself, given the kinda crummy day you had.

The sea-cliff scenery up there is worth half the travel time and effort.

 

 

.