r/Barbados • • Dec 05 '21

Advice If you want trip recommendations when you come here, I can help you!

272 Upvotes

Hey,

I've been getting chat requests on things to do in Barbados and I love to help how I can. I was born in Barbados and live there half the year with the other half between the US and UK. Even though I may not be here when you arrive, feel free to ask any questions. I will add a suggested 7 day break down here, but ask away if you have any specific requests or queries!

**Day 1**:

Relax. Literally, do nothing other than go to the beach and lay there and settle in. International travel is so incredibly difficult right now. So take a day to appreciate that all the choices you made in life led you to laying on a beach in Barbados with a drink in your hand. Get some good local food. Macaroni Pie with Fish and salad from Oistins, or some food from near your accommodation or a place nearby. I know when we go on holiday we want to go right away, but trust me. Today is a chill day.

**Day 2**:

Catamaran cruise. I don't have any recommendations on particular ones, but they all usually leave by the boardwalk in Bridgetown and travel up the west coast. Bonus points if they stop in Carlise Bay at the beginning or at the end so you can swim with the turtles and shipwrecks. In my experience, they usually offer unlimited drinks and a full Bajan meal on board! After that you may be pretty tired, so you can find a nice evening activity, the food you want to try, or meet up with friends at a bar for a drink and chill. (Chilling will be a running theme :) )

**Day 3**:

You would have gotten lots of sun yesterday on the boat and that really drains you, so you can find some tours you would enjoy doing. When my friends visit a staple is the Mount Gay Rum factory tour near Bridgetown. It was the first rum ever invented, and they tell you the whole process down to how they source the barrels and how they get different colours and flavour rums. They give you 5 or so shots to try, so be sure to eat before or you may get knocked off your rocker ( looking at you Sarah L).

Food I recommend before is either Tim's restaurant on Broad Street or Mapp's in Eagle Hall. It's a local favourite and in a very local area. Lots of Bajan culture to be found by Mapp's! Simple menu. Medium or Large portion of the best-marinated chicken you can find and chips/fries. It's worth it. Trust me. Another tour you can do this day is the Harrison Cave tour. It really shows how Barbados was formed as an island compared to other islands. They are volcanic, and we are limestone. There is a tram that goes through the cave, and the cave is huge huge huge. the tram ride in 45 minutes through the cave. They have done an amazing job lighting it and the guides are incredibly knowledgeable.

**Day 4**:

Island Tour time! You can rent a car for around $75 US per day including full insurance, and get a visitor's driver's license for $5 US, just show your license from your home country and you are good. We drive on the left side of the road, so it will be par for the course for Brits, but if in your home country you drive on the right no problem. I lived in the US for a long time, and the rule I use when switching to driving here is, the driver is always in the middle of the road. Our steering wheel is on the right side of the car, so driving on the left the driver is in the middle. In the US it's the opposite, the cars are left-hand drive, so driving on the right side of the road the driver is in the middle. 15 minutes or so and in my experience it becomes like clockwork.

Alternatively, you can also get a local taxi to take you. I recommend local ZM taxis over big tour buses, it's a more personalized experience, and they give you TONS of great information and answer questions, etc. I usually do tours up the west coast, then down the east coast. Suggested sports of interest starting from the south: Gun Hill Signal Station, Welchman Hall Gully to see the monkeys being fed, up to Speightstown, Animal Flower Cave, Cherry Tree Hill ( in my opinion the most beautiful view in Barbados), drive along the east, to Bathsheba, St. John's Church, Bottom Bay ( if you are in luck the man will be there that climbs Coconut trees with no equipment or ropes, picks you a coconut, the makes a Pina Colada in it the fresh coconut he just picked for you!), Oistins for food and drink. That was a full loop of Barbados and could go through every parish. This is just a general guide, feel free to add to take away as you like!

**Day 5**:

Open to whatever you want to do. This is usually a chill recovery day. It's easy to get lost in time here, but you just spent 3 days seeing and experiencing so many amazing things! So take it all in. Usually, I take my friends snorkeling this day and have some nice local food. I've snorkeled all along the west coast (new COVID lockdown hobby in 2020), the best spots are the Shipwrecks in Carlise Bay. It's kind of far out, and I'm going to urge caution before anything else, you can pay for a tour boat to take you to the spot and provide life jackets and for people, I do not know I will recommend that option first and foremost.

For those that want to swim out, go to the gazebo, swim straight out from there, and by the buoys, you should start to see them. There are 5 wrecks some sunk during the wars, some sunk on purpose to form a marine park, and one drug runner boat! There are thousands of fish, lots of coral, with luck and timing. with may see turtles and stingrays! The second spot that is kind of unknown is Reed Bay or Thunder Bay. There is a beach bar here, so it is great to get a drink after a nice memorable swim! There is snorkeling on the left side and right side of the beach. The right side is good for beginners and intermediate, and the left side where the waves break out into the water is for intermediate-advanced. The waves break out there because it is a very shallow reef. You can swim behind the waves and out, but do not swim where the waves break because you can bash into the reef and that's real bad.

I suggest you take a buoy marker with you since jet skis and boats frequent this area and may not see you without a red diver below the marker! Lots of coral as far as you can swim. IMPORTANT! Before you go snorkel check the tide, google tide in Barbados. At high tide, the water is rougher and this causes the sand to get churned up and visibility is really bad and you won't see much. I usually go out in the middle of low tide, then the sand has had time to settle. Please please please be safe! We have a saying the ocean has no backdoor, so while snorkeling is an amazing hobby, take every precaution possible and I never recommend snorkeling alone, always take someone with you. The Buddy system is best!

**Day 6**:

You may be leaving this day or preparing to leave. Going to Bridgetown to spend some time getting souvenirs, and good food is a good option. Hero's Square, walk Swan Street and Broad Street. Walk the boardwalk, get some food, walk over the bridge that gave Bridgetown its name. It's a good time. I also recommend getting on a yellow bus. They are privately owned and it's a good experience. They play reggae music, and locals use them a lot, so you will really feel like you are in Barbados when you are on one. Something that may not cross the mind, but a bus ride is a great way to see any place you are in. It's $3.50 BBD or $1.75 US for a ride anywhere on that route. I really like the Speightown route, Sam Lord's Castle, or Bathsheba.

The blue buses are government-owned and only take exact money, the yellow and white ones give change. Locals are friendly, so feel free to ask any questions and we are usually happy to help. If it is your last day, I also recommend going back to the beach and relaxing. Go on a jet ski, a glass-bottom boat. A gentle swim or something to chill and relax before you head back home.

**Day 7**:

Similar to day 6. Take some time to bless the moment and enjoy that all the choices you made in life led you to be in Barbados making memories. :)

​

There is the end of my suggested week in Barbados. I've has a dozen friends come to visit me, and they have all enjoyed the pace and activities. I hope you enjoy your time here. If you need anything or have any questions, you can reply here. I hope you enjoy our beautiful island!


r/Barbados • • 11h ago

Help for presentation

4 Upvotes

hello, I'm a French student and I'm doing a presentation on the history of Barbados in my english class. is there any ways I could contact someone from there ( via discord for exemple) just to ask 2-3 questions about what they think of their history and the anniversary of their independance. Thank you so much if you are able to do this


r/Barbados • • 1d ago

Travel recs

0 Upvotes

Hi there! My husband and Iare planning a trip next March. We're fun millennials who like to party (husband is from a party island) and meet people, as well as outdoor and cultural activities. Could you share your recommendations of fun/interesting things to do and where to meet friendly locals while not feeling like a couple of old geezers amid a young crowd? Hahaha Thank you so much!


r/Barbados • • 2d ago

Short term house rental.

6 Upvotes

Hi I have a large house on the island that I’d like to rent out short-term. Whenever I stay there myself I don’t notice any major problems but I’m aware of a few things that could affect someone else’s stay:

The water pressure is low in certain rooms other rooms great.
Wi-Fi is weak in some areas of the house extenders=rubbish.
The house can get quite hot with no AC.
The cooker is a bit of a process to switch on.
It’s quite far from shops and other amenities.

Honestly I don’t really want to spend the time or money fixing all of these things right now.

My question is: should I wait until everything is sorted before renting it out or should I just go ahead factor these limitations into the price and be completely transparent with guests about them?

I’d also like to have someone who isn’t me todo do a trial stay before I start renting it properly so I can get an objective view of what the experience is actually like that doesn’t result in bad reviews.

I’m also wondering about renting the house room-by-room or all 7 bedrooms at once? Does room-by-room create an awkward dynamic or is it something people are generally comfortable with?

Basically I’m trying to work out whether I’m procrastinating and should just get started or whether I’m being sensible by making sure the house is genuinely suitable for someone’s holiday. I’d hate for someone to spend a lot of money on a trip and then feel that the house negatively affected their experience but if that was to happen I guess I can then book a cheap hotel for them?

All advice welcome.


r/Barbados • • 2d ago

Suggestions for Barbados & Grenada

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2 Upvotes

r/Barbados • • 2d ago

Suggestions for Barbados & Grenada

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1 Upvotes

r/Barbados • • 2d ago

Bassist LFG

6 Upvotes

I'm an experienced bassist looking for some people to play with, I'm happy to play anything from metal to soca but my passion is reggae. I can learn material very quickly, I'm good at improvising, and I write songs too. I'm available all afternoons and evenings, music is my focus.

This is my most recent studio work:

https://open.spotify.com/track/0OwKiX9Fn7NrZPVUgAaCBp?si=TCQU5Fg4T8Wmu3V0dn6vBw&utm_source=copy-link


r/Barbados • • 3d ago

Advice Caribbean History v2: 7 Ways to Explore the Region Like Never Before

8 Upvotes

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/caribbean-history/id6812194604

(Android coming very soon. I'm currently testing it).

Countries included: 🇦🇬 🇦🇮 🇦🇼 🇧🇸 🇧🇧 🇧🇿 🇧🇲 🇧🇶 🇻🇬 🇰🇾 🇨🇺 🇨🇼 🇩🇲 🇩🇴 🇬🇩 🇬🇵 🇬🇾 🇭🇹 🇯🇲 🇲🇶 🇲🇸 🇵🇷 🇧🇶 🇧🇱 🇰🇳 🇱🇨 🇲🇫 🇻🇨 🇧🇶 🇸🇽 🇸🇷 🇹🇹 🇹🇨 🇻🇮

Caribbean History v2 is live now, so you can update the app or download it today and explore a much bigger, richer experience across 34 Caribbean countries and territories. You now get Daily History and daily notifications, 2,000+ Daily Facts, sourced stories and articles, Explore, Timeline, Search, bookmarks and Library, “Where this happened” story maps, Daily Challenges, quizzes, Ask Caribbean History, people, places, events, citations, and connected historical records. Wall: Historical Maps and Routes, Money Trail, Learning Paths, advanced quizzes, offline collections, and deeper Caribbean History+ experiences. And if you manage to get every question correct in a quiz, there’s a special little treat waiting for you.

Some features of this build:

  1. Daily History + Notifications — Get a fresh Caribbean history fact every day, with daily reminders to come back and discover something new.
  2. Sourced Stories — Read rich historical stories backed by real citations and sources.
  3. Where History Happened — Explore story-level maps that connect historical events to real Caribbean locations.
  4. Interactive Timeline — Follow major events and turning points across countries, territories, and historical eras.
  5. Quizzes + Daily Challenges — Test what you know, track your progress, and unlock a special treat when you get every answer correct (this is one of my favorite features 😄 ).
  6. Explore + Library — Search and discover people, places, and events across 34 Caribbean countries and territories, then save what interests you.
  7. Wall: Money Trail — Follow documented trade, compensation, finance, and economic connections that shaped Caribbean history.

Download here: App Store: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/caribbean-history/id6812194604

Caribbean History v2 currently uses 953 distinct historical source works across its content and citations. That total is made up of 436 existing live sources plus 517 new canonical sources added during the v2 content expansion.

PS: I would love to hear your feedback. Please share it here or via the app support within the app. I would love to hear what you guys think. Anything that can improve the app, features to add, and so on.


r/Barbados • • 3d ago

Solo travel

6 Upvotes

Hi everyone
Is it safe to go solo as a female 28yo woman?


r/Barbados • • 4d ago

FLOW is increasing the cost of their internet services...

23 Upvotes

Does the FTC actually do anything that explains their existence?


r/Barbados • • 4d ago

Question How do Bajans feel about the proposed citizenship changes under Mia Mottley?

40 Upvotes

I’m an American with Barbadian ancestry, and I’ve been following the proposed citizenship changes under Prime Minister Mia Mottley. From what I understand, the Barbados Citizenship Bill, 2026 would allow grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Barbadian citizens to apply for citizenship.

The proposal caught my attention because I’ve thought about eventually retiring in Barbados. I’ve never been, so obviously I’d want to visit multiple times and learn a lot more before seriously considering a move. But this has definitely made me consider booking my first trip and maybe moving sooner.

I can see two sides to this. On one hand, there’s something beautiful about reconnecting the Barbadian diaspora with the island and potentially bringing people, skills and money back into Barbados. On the other hand, I can completely understand how Bajans might see an influx of Americans and British people (many of whom are generations removed from the culture) as contributing to gentrification, rising costs or other problems.

If I ever did move, I wouldn’t want my attitude to simply be “what can Barbados do for me?” I’d want to learn the culture and understand what I could actually contribute to the country and community.
I’m also at the age where my wife and I are thinking about having children, so where we raise a family matters to me. Barbados appeals to me as a Black American for obvious cultural reasons, but also because of things like education, healthcare and the possibility of raising Black children in a majority-Black country. I already live in a high-cost-of-living part of the US, so I’m aware Barbados isn’t necessarily a cheap place to live.

I’m mainly interested in hearing from people who actually live there NOW:

How do you feel about these proposed citizenship changes and the possibility of more descendants of Bajans from the US, UK and elsewhere moving to Barbados permanently?

Does it feel like a positive reconnection with the diaspora, something potentially harmful, or somewhere in between?

Genuinely interested in the local perspective.


r/Barbados • • 5d ago

Barbados Citizenship (grandchildren and great-grandchildren)

252 Upvotes

Earlier today from the Honourable Prime Minister Mia Mottley at the Barbados Consulate in Toronto, Canada.

Source: the Instagram account of Mia Mottley.


r/Barbados • • 4d ago

FB Marketplace alternatives without ID/selfie

6 Upvotes

I have a few used computer parts and accessories to sell(for a desktop). No one I know seems interested. Anywhere else I could try?

The items are:

Travel monitor 13.3 Inch UHD OLED, SU13O, non-touch, charging, USB-C data cables both included, UK plug + adaptor, minor dents on the back, USB-C and HDMI ports – BBD 220

Apple Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad A1843, ANSI layout, Lightning to USB-A charging cable included, minor dents – BBD 140

Apple Magic Trackpad A1535, Lightning to USB-A charging cable included, minor dents – BBD 120

Mac Mini M1, 16GB, 256GB, heavily damaged board, parts only – BBD 100

Dell Inspiron 3501 Laptop, i3-1005g1, 4GB, 1TB, Windows 11 Home, requires keyboard + upper case replacement, half of the buttons not working, charger included, HDMI port may or may not work – BBD 100

Minor dents means they are not outright noticeable, but some people are extremely particular about that.

Items can be powered on and tested during collection. To test the monitor you'll have to bring a device to connect to.

Prices are negotiable if buying multiple items or collecting from the doorstep, which is in White Hill, St Thomas.


r/Barbados • • 4d ago

Water Quality Research/Survey

4 Upvotes

I am an American highschool engineering student currently conducting research on water quality and availability on island nations. If anyone has any personal anecdotes or potentially any good resources I could contact for more personal questions that would be much appreciated! My group is currently trying to find information on water availability, current water filtration options, restrictions with water, and if you have any concerns with the water quality. We would love details on anything, thank you!


r/Barbados • • 4d ago

Accessible Beach, minimal walking to access

2 Upvotes

Hello everyone

Looking for the most beautiful beaches in Barbados that don't require any walking over more than a few mins or many many stairs to get to. We have a rental car to get across the island but at the same time we are in the southeast and will prioritize those beaches.

Also it will have to have parking right at the beach for the same reasons.

I appreciate your help.


r/Barbados • • 4d ago

What should we source next? A small business in barbados

0 Upvotes

We just launched a small online store bringing goods from the US to Barbados, and we're deciding what to source next. Rather than guess, we'd love to hear from Bajans directly: what have you been looking for that you can't find here, or that's a pain to ship in yourself? Any suggestions are appreciated — thanks!


r/Barbados • • 5d ago

Anyone else visiting Barbados next month? Any solo travelers?

6 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I’m traveling solo to Barbados Oct 19-26th from the US. Anyone else traveling solo? I would love to meet up and make new friends 😊

Also, any recommendations for things to do as it will be my first time on the island.


r/Barbados • • 5d ago

Question Best Rum Shops in Barbados?

3 Upvotes

I will be traveling to Barbados next month. I would love to check out some rum shops.


r/Barbados • • 5d ago

Advice Maintaining Bajan culture

13 Upvotes

Hi everyone. I'm a first generation American living in California. I've been to Barbados several times and even lived there for about half a year but I still feel very disconnected from the culture. Being in a predominantly white and Asian county, it's even harder to maintain a Caribbean identity, let alone a Bajan one.

Growing up, my parents never used Bajan and pretty much only spoke in standard American accents so I never got one and I find it hard to understand at times. Last time I visited, I had a hard time understanding my grandmother due to the accent differences.

My partner is Dominican and fully bilingual in English and Spanish and it's made me consider how things would work down the road when we have kids. I don't think I'd be able to pass anything down because I feel so disconnected from the culture. I would love to learn Bajan and become more familiar with the culture but I'm not really sure how to go about it.


r/Barbados • • 5d ago

Looking for Quality Jordans

2 Upvotes

Hey I’m looking for a store that sells Jordan’s and streetwear.


r/Barbados • • 5d ago

Group tours that allow single person bookings?

2 Upvotes

Hi again,

I asked about hotel recommendations a while ago and got some wonderful replies but now that my hotel is booked, I've ran into an unexpected problem.

I will be travelling solo and will not be renting a car and my plan was to book a couple of group tours to discover the island but I cannot find any tour companies that would let me book these tours for one person. I understand that the minimum group size is two people for most of these companies but none of their booking sites let me make a booking for one adult only (even if the minimum group size would otherwise be met).

Could anyone recommend a tour company that doesn't require people to go sightseeing in pairs? 😭 Thank you!!


r/Barbados • • 6d ago

Question What are free activities to do in Barbados?

9 Upvotes

r/Barbados • • 6d ago

Advice buying property

9 Upvotes

Not sure how to start. I rarely if ever do posts on social media.

I am Dutch, currently still living in the Netherlands and I am in the process of buying property in Barbados. I have visited the island a couple of times and from all Caribbean islands, its my favourite, by far. So I have set out looking for plot of land and found it December last year. Since that time, title search has taken place until two months ago when finally the agreement of sale was drafted. I signed it, returned it and since then nothing. My attorney talks to the sellers attorney. I talk the real estate agent. But things are slow. Now I know that in Barbados things move more slow. But this already lasts 10 months. So, my questions are? Is this normal? sI there anything I can do to speed things up? Any advice would be much appreciated.

PS. I am explicitly looking for advice from non-bajan people/expats who have gone through the same process.


r/Barbados • • 6d ago

Question For people who moved to Barbados: what information was hardest to find?

4 Upvotes

I'm interested in the practical side of relocating here.

Once you had actually moved, what did you find yourself searching for that was difficult to get a clear answer to?

For example, where to find a particular service, activity, organisation, shop, professional, government information, healthcare service, transport option, etc.

What were you looking for, and where did you eventually find the information?


r/Barbados • • 7d ago

Question Looking for musical vocalist/singers to do some collaborations with.

12 Upvotes

I'm (M early20s) looking for anyone who likes writing songs/poetry.

I make music as a hobby, not bashment, dancehall or soca atm, though. I like making bedroom pop, edm, and love, love lofi hip-hop. I don't really post on social media that much, only a few songs on YouTube.

I'm hoping this could build some cool friendships, and would love to have in-person meet ups to share each other's projects/work.

I hope this is understandable.