Has anyone spent Christmas in Barbados?

[MummyDummyNow]

As the title says, has anyone spent Christmas in Barbados and if so, did you have a wonderful time and where did you stay?

Me, my DH and our 2 DCs (2 and 7) are thinking about it and would love to hear from people who've been.

Thank you!

We go pretty much every year. I would say that staying in any of the hotels would be hell on earth - food there pretty shit and 4/5 star is nothing like you’d expect it to be. Barbados isn’t about hotels at all - it is all about private villas. People tend to stay on one villa and socialise with friends in other villas or on the beach. Expect to strike up conversation with other brits on the beach/ in beach bars - that’s what the whole vibe of Barbados is about. Your 7 year old will meet kids of similar age on the beach. People tend to have big lunches, and dinner served early in restaurants - 6.30 not an unusual time even in top restaurants. Everyone back in their villas by 9.00 - very quiet. Not much to do other than chill on the beach, but doing that is fab if you are the kind of people who love the social side of things and make friends easily.
If you want a nice hotel-based holiday I’d recommend islands other than Barbados. Anything from Dom Rep to Antigua, depending o your budget.

Thank you so much, great to have some good advice. Love the idea of socialising on the beach and the kids playing, getting quiet around 9pm sounds fab (my younger self is horrified though ). We're not 100% set on Barbados so will look into other islands too.

Thanks again.

Not been at Christmas but we found it to be extremely expensive. Our hotel was rated 5 but was more like a 3, very tatty. TBH I wouldn't go back there again in a hurry, it just isn't worth the money. We did Thailand one Christmas and loved it. Fab hotels, fab weather, very cheap, beautiful beaches. We're planning to go back next Christmas.

Very expensive at Christmas, very.

Thanks for the replies. We did think about Thailand, will have a proper look into that too. I went years ago, before DH and DC and absolutely loved it.

The boxing day tsunami puts me off Thailand at xmas. Ever since I saw that movie 'The Impossible'

Ah I have some amazing memories of Christmas in Barbados, went every year for about 5 years when I was younger, but then I didn't pay for it then, and the food didn't bother me, would love to go back but now I'm an adult but I can't afford it, very envious of my parents who still go back ever year!

Thanks for they @Hollowvictory

Yes, we did Xmas and new year, stayed at turtle beach, it was lovely. Every day we had a Xmas gift left in our room, things like the local school came into sing to us over breakfast and we had a special gala dinner on Xmas eve.

Xmas day is a bit odd. Santa came in on a jet ski and gave all the kids sweets. It was odd in that to spend it swimming and sunbathing etc is a bit surreal.

Would I do it again, sure. It's nice to mix it up occasionally.

Thanks for the reply @Bluntness100 I do like sound of that, and really up for mixing it up. How long ago did you go and how was the food?