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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

bit bougie - tips for Barbados for Feb half term ? Booked in 2019 !

97 replies

TrevorOptions · 05/01/2023 13:59

Going this year thanks to the covid. Seems crazy now honestly. The kids are 12 and 15 and lazy as sin.

I have heard that some things have closed down since covid. We're staying half board in a nice hotel near Bridgetown on the beach. I get the impression that there's not much night life if not in a hotel complex. We can chill at our hotel as have a small apartment.

Anyone been recently and can suggest things I must do. So far ....

snorkelling - is it worth buy a decathlon mask each?
Hunter's Gardens
Ossin fish fry tho patchy reviews.
Cricket museum for dh.

We can all swim but haven't done proper swimming for years, though the kids think they can. No scuba.

Not sure how much engagement I will get out of the kids, but I want to make sure I have a great time at least.

OP posts:
Original poster
TrevorOptions · 16/01/2023 16:25

I REALLY hope I get up for the horses ! My crazy plan is to stay on UK time ish. That way avoid the super UV time 12-3pm

So get up 6am Barbados time, do an activity, come back to the hotel for lunch and nap in the A/C then out again at 3pm - 9pm then early bed

OP posts:
kwaziseyepatch · 16/01/2023 21:59

I've done the submarine trip in the day, it was fun

Oistins is amazing, harbour lights is a good night and they do earlier more family friendly parties you can book at the hotel

Original poster
TrevorOptions · 30/01/2023 11:39

Ok you'll here is my rough plan. What do you think?

Arrive Saturday night. Hotel nr Bridgetown on the beach.

Sunday - Chill and walk along the Boardwalk. Go into Bridgetown maybe. Walk to Worthing beach

Monday - Go early to Carlisle Bay’s beach. Perhaps hire cheap glass bottom boat there. Chill in the area.

Tuesday - Crane beach for pink sand. Cutters of Barbados for fish cutters for food

Wednesday - Hunte’s Garden & Welchman Hall Gully, the nature reserve.

Thursday - Holetown - Speightontown area. Folkestone marine park

Friday - Bathshaba visit and Cattlewash / Brandons’ beach. Ostine’s fish fry evening. I think it’s the law.

Saturday - fly out late. Go to the best place again from the above in the day.

I mean it looks quite full on !

OP posts:
arghtriffid · 30/01/2023 12:34

You're missing a catamaran trip which was an absolute highlight!

Original poster
TrevorOptions · 30/01/2023 12:38

Doh ! You are right.

I think we should start with that as then will have an idea of the what’s in the sea. From Carlisle bay do you think ?

OP posts:
BIWI · 30/01/2023 14:47

I'd say you're also missing 'lie by the pool with a pina colada in my hand'

Grin
Original poster
TrevorOptions · 30/01/2023 14:48

@BIWI

oh yeah - dp is gonna have none of my plan.My hope is to persuade the kids/ go by myself.

OP posts:
gogohmm · 30/01/2023 15:02

With older kids you really can just chill, so much easier

Isseywith3witchycats · 31/01/2023 19:54

i went to Barbados years ago and every one of the places and trips on here are fab its a georgous island definitely take a good mozzie spray for all of you i got eaten alive by them being female and red haired have a fabulous holiday im jealous i would so love to go back there

Original poster
TrevorOptions · 01/02/2023 11:33

Yes ! Buying mozzie spray of all types. Luckily dh gets bitten more than me (sorry dh), the mozzies go for him.

Bonus question - texts / Data on phones - any of you well seasoned travellers tell me the easiest way to arrange this? I haven't been outside the EU for like YEARS !

OP posts:
asparalite · 01/02/2023 23:26

You can buy Digicel SIM cards to put in your phones when there!
Itinerary looks good, maybe wouldn't bother with Bridgetown, do Carlisle Bay on the Sunday and see if you can book a cat trip on Monday.

kirinm · 04/02/2023 21:19

Raggamuffins was worth going to - we were in Holetown so I'm guessing it is close to there.

I love Barbados!

Original poster
TrevorOptions · 03/03/2023 11:43

Thought I would update if useful for anyone else. We had AN AMAZING TIME.

The hotel we stayed at, Coconut Court was perfect for us. We had quite basic self catering chalet, across from the hotel. That was fine, we don't really like other people, like to have our own space. The wifi was good ! Our chalet had it's own router.

Their beach was amazing and their reef (at chest height) was EPIC for snorkelling. On the first day we saw and swam with a massive turtle there. So first day and the holiday was worth it for me. The hotel also clears away the sun loungers at 6pm so the beach looks lovely. Their pool was nice but a bit sedate for our loud children. Also amazing sunsets.

Other places we went -
Pebble Beach at Carlisle Bay, swam near the catamarans and joined in with their divers feeding the massive fish and turtles. EPIC !
Folkestone marine park nr Holetown on the local bus. All good till we got stuck in Bridgetown traffic and the children complained bitterly of the heat.
Tour through the hotel - Animal reserve, with cute tortoises and monkeys. Bathesheba. Hunte's Garden - so beautiful. That was a good trip.
Ositins' fish fry ON A THURSDAY! Still great fun and much better queues.

Eating out was £££. We drank a lot of Banks beers and rum punches. The hotel had a happy hour 5-7 and you could sit on the beach and watch the sun go down. It was brilliant.

Everyone was really chatty and friendly. The local buses were great to use. We didn't make it to a supermarket which was a shame. I love a foreign supermarket. It was easy to get around but with the heat and the children it was a bit of a mission.

I cannot wait to go back and would book again today if the family agreed. The 12 year old loved it the 15 year old was more 'meh'.

Oh I even got stung by a jellyfish at Pebbles beach which was insanely painful but it didn't even spoil that day, let alone the holiday. The lifeguard sprayed it with vinegar and I took anti histamines and pain killers. Can see the marks now two weeks later.

Holiday was brilliant.

OP posts:
Pashazade · 03/03/2023 12:36

Oh this gave me such a feeling of nostalgia OP. We stayed at the Coconut Court 20 years ago (I just went and looked in the photo album to check the date)!! Loved it then, so pleased to know it's still operating albeit looking a lot smarter these days. Although we did have the most amazing bougainvillea tree across our balcony. The one place we would both love to go back to, we still laugh about how it took us time to adjust to Bajan speed and by the end of the holiday we were horrified at another tourist trying to hustle a waiter along. Glad you had a fab time.

Original poster
TrevorOptions · 03/03/2023 16:07

awww that is nice to know.

OP posts:
BIWI · 03/03/2023 16:10

Sounds amazing! Just over a week before we're off. Can't wait!

Original poster
TrevorOptions · 03/03/2023 16:22

BIWI enjoy ! So jealous !

OP posts:
KnickerlessParsons · 03/03/2023 16:30

Be prepared for extreme poverty juxtaposed worn obscene wealth. It didn't sit comfortably with me. Too many big, foreign owned, 5* complexes which the holidaymakers never leave (and neither does their money) bang up against shanty towns where the people are very poor.

BIWI · 03/03/2023 16:48

Compared to other Caribbean or Latin American countries poverty is relatively low.

I'm sorry you didn't like Barbados.

Original poster
TrevorOptions · 03/03/2023 16:56

KnickerlessParsons · 03/03/2023 16:30

Be prepared for extreme poverty juxtaposed worn obscene wealth. It didn't sit comfortably with me. Too many big, foreign owned, 5* complexes which the holidaymakers never leave (and neither does their money) bang up against shanty towns where the people are very poor.

I didn't see this, we took the bus through one side of the island. No shanty towns at all. The five star resorts did seem closed in, and agreed on the money staying in the resort. However it's super easy to support the locals, we really did, womanfully eating at local food vans and chugging back as much Banks beers as well could order.

Note the Banks beers have a deposit on them, so be sure to return the empties for new ones !

OP posts:
underneaththeash · 03/03/2023 18:39

KnickerlessParsons · 03/03/2023 16:30

Be prepared for extreme poverty juxtaposed worn obscene wealth. It didn't sit comfortably with me. Too many big, foreign owned, 5* complexes which the holidaymakers never leave (and neither does their money) bang up against shanty towns where the people are very poor.

I've been a few times and it was only like that when we first went in around 1989.

dew141 · 03/03/2023 18:57

Can I hijack the thread and ask for hotel suggestions? Can't seem to work it out from Trip Advisor. Happy to splurge if it's worth the money.

BIWI · 03/03/2023 19:58

Hotels on the west coast will be more expensive, but this is because the sea is much calmer there. It's also a bit less touristy.

Hotels on the south coast are more touristy, cheaper, and there's a lively nightlife going on there.

The sea is rougher on the south coast too.

Is it for adults, or a family? That makes a difference too.

BIWI · 03/03/2023 19:59

There are some, not many, hotels on the east coast - that's because the sea is very rough there, so swimming is not allowed or dangerous. (A lot of surfing goes on there).

KnickerlessParsons · 03/03/2023 21:14

I've been a few times and it was only like that when we first went in around 1989

We were there the autumn before Covid. I've travelled extensively but there was something about Barbados that didn't sit well with me. There are rich and poor extremes in every country, but the juxtaposition seemed worse there - maybe because the rich are largely white foreigners.