Any tips for Barbados

[Jessie40]

Hi any advice on a holiday to Barbados.
We're are family of 5 (3 grown up children). We have never been to Barbados but are thinking of going next year. My boys love golf and we would like things to do as well as sun bathe.

Have PM you

Watching with interest. Heading off there in 13 days, 4 hours and 15 mins (not that I'm counting down or anything!)

The fish fry on a Friday in Oistins is brilliant fun if you're nearby. It's just so lovely you won't be bored, such a great island to holiday on x

You could do the rum factory tour.

Any recommendations for hotels or particular areas that would be good for a family?

We stayed in the west coast. Very expensive! The hotel we went to was supposed to be 4 but would only get 2 here!

We went to Sunday Lunch at Sandy Lane. On the face of it seems expensive. But for the quality and sheer amount / array / variety of food, it was worth every penny. It was a great experience.

Lots to do. Easy to get around and they drive on same side of the road.
West coast very calm, south coast more waves for surfing etc.
Things to do -
Concorde experience
Rum factory
Plantation houses
Tropical gardens
Harrison's cave
Bridgetown
Oistins

Lots of great restaurants but can be expensive.

Enjoy!

Hotels depends on budget as variable.

Cheaper end -

You've got things like infinity on the beach and Savannah Beach - basic but nice and friendly and decent quality

Don't go for the real cheapos like Travellers and Halcyon Palm as they get full of Hockey Tours and students

Mid range - southern palms, turtle bay

Mid - High - Tamarind, Crystal Cove

High end - The Crane, Sandy Lane

The Hilton Hotel in Hastings is lovely. Friday fish fry in Oistins is fun, Teds Tours is great as is are the catamaran cruises. I love Barbs.

We Airbnbed in Holetown quiet cheap and ace location

Enjoyed the Concorde experience, watching polo and the farmers market. Enjoyed the veg market in Bridgetown.

Also doing watersports on the beach. My DDs really enjoyed swimming with turtles managed to pretty much have a private trip.

Food so much choice we did a mix of self catering and working our way through the restaurants in and around holetown.

Loved it. And a reasonable cheap holiday.

Had a villa and pool. Cost us £800 for 11 nights.

Oistins is great. Go on a day cruise and snorkel with turtles. Go for a few drinks Saint Lawrence Gap. We had a day at the horse racing, which was fun.

Also If you like snorkeling go to Brownes Beach in the SW corner of the island. Near Nautilus Beach Apartments, about 50 metres off shore is a shipwreck just below the surface that has about a bazillion tropical fish. In fact that whole stretch of beach (Brownes, Pebble, Bayshore) is the best beach I've been on in Barbados. There's a really good activity area and bars with a pier that's good for a days activity.

Agree about dinner at sandy lane - a must have if you can afford it (they do an evening dinner/entertainment thing) - it was fabulous. The Lone Star restaurant right on the beach is gorgeous too.

Also visit the monkey sanctuary - I’ve forgotten what it’s called but the little monkeys roam free and are really cute.

A visit to Bathsheba is really interesting too - it’s a very unique place - look out for the little rickety hut on the beach (if it’s still there).
Don’t stay in your resort - get out and explore, its a very interesting place if you take the time. We stayed at the Royal Westmoreland which was lovely.

We’ve stayed at both Savannah Beach , and Tamarind ( and Almond Beach village , a long time ago )

Both lovely , Savannah is On a busy road , so upgrade the room to make sure you’re set back nearer the beach

There’s always snorkels to borrow from most hotels , Tamarind has lots of beach sport type things , Paddle boarding , water skiing , hobie cat sailing etc

Haven’t done any golf

From Tamarind you can walk along the beach to Sandy Lane

We loved going on a catamaran trip , also going in a glass bottom boat over the reef , and hopefully swim next to a turtle

Reggae buses are fun !

People there are really friendly and helpful

Oistins fish fry ? Overrated in my view , been once and wouldn’t bother again

Take loads of factor 50 , and slather it on

If you go snorkelling , wear a T shirt and don’t get a badly burnt back ( we weren’t that stupid , oh no 🥵)

Forgot to mention ...
A day out at St Nicholas Abbey , it’s an old sugar plantation that makes rum , and has the only train on the island
Fabulous place

The people are super friendly and the island is super safe. We hired a car and explored everyday. We loved Bathsheba, Harrison’s Cave and Farley Hill Plantation. They often have concerts there so look to see if any events are on.

We stayed at Sugar Bay, the service was amazing, food great and close to the Garrison and Carlisle Bay got swimming with turtles.

If you stay at Turtle Beach (on the South Coast), it's a 4 star all-inclusive hotel, and that includes free golf - a round each day.

It's a good hotel, not too big and family-friendly. Food and drinks are also very good - you can take a bit of a risk with AI. It's also part of the Elegant Hotels group, so you can also visit any of their other hotels (and eat/drink there) for free as well.

Please avoid all inclusive. It’s killing tourism.

It absolutely isn't. It provides steady employment in the hotels. It encourages people to go to places they normally wouldn't go to. And don't assume that everyone who goes to an AI resort doesn't go anywhere else or spend money elsewhere.

It absolutely is. So many places have shut down in “resorts” due to AI. Barbados may not be badly hit as a real mix of accommodation but other islands are.

We go AI on the West coast, we’ve stayed at all of the Elegant hotels and of them all Waves is the flagship hotel and best for older teens/adults - free water sports including water skiing and wake boarding, and no limit on how much you use them. Last time we were there they had a turtle swimming right up to the beach every day.

Although we are AI we still eat out most days for either lunch or dinner. Top restaurants in that area are Nishi if you’re a sushi fan, Tides is top class (and £££), The Cliff Beach Club is brilliant for Sunday lunch, they have live music and a buzzing atmosphere and your table is yours for the afternoon. The Cliff restaurant (downstairs from the Beach Club) is amazing but eye watering expensive! Cin Cin is a good mid priced restaurant next door to Waves Hotel. We haven’t been impressed at all with Lone Star our last few visits.

For days out - Harrison’s Caves is a good way to spend a few hours (make sure to stop at Celestines for lunch on your way there or back), a day out on a catamaran with several stops for lunch and snorkelling was fun, Oistins Fish Fry Friday is worth a visit but once you’ve done it once that’s it. St Nicholas Abbey is a good day. We hired a driver for a few days to take us out and about, you can get a full day tour of the Island for $150-200.

@lovelyupnorth you need to prove your assertion.

Just because people go AI doesn't mean they're not spending money elsewhere

We stayed on West Coast in a basic self catering apartment and loved it .We met so many people who go back year after year and stay in similer places Barbados is safe and easy to get around .The South Coast in my opinion is a bit too touristy and tacky , they were having problems with sewage when we were there jan 18

There are touristy and tacky places on the West coast too! In the main, Barbados isn't that tacky TBH, compared to many other places we've been. That said, the West coast does have more beautiful seas - it's calmer than the South coast. (However, you also need to bear in mind that it's not called the Platinum coast for nothing - it's much more expensive to stay and to eat on the West coast)