Barbados Traveler Reviews for 2010

Barbados Traveler Reviews for 2010

Totally Barbados took to the beaches and streets of Barbados to find out what a variety of holidaymakers thought of Barbados.

Mr. and Mrs. Hepden from England

Where are you staying?

This is our first time in Barbados, and we are staying in an apartment in Lower Carlton.

What is the highlight of your holiday so far?

We have found the Bajan people to be polite and friendly. We have also enjoyed the food, especially the home-cooked fish and traditional Bajan food at Angry Annie’s on First Street in Holetown. Another place we would recommend is Groots in St. James, where you can dine on traditional English dishes such as fish and chips in a relaxed setting.

What have you been up to on your holiday?

We have been to Barbados for one week, and the weather has been great, so we have spent most days at the beach. We particularly like the beaches of Bathsheba on the East Coast, which are long, rugged, and relatively empty. We also really enjoyed Bottom Bay, which is a quieter, beautiful beach on the South Coast. Even though the waves are too choppy for swimming at Bottom Bay, it’s a great spot to have a picnic and sunbathe. It is a less commercial beach than some others, but there is one person from which you can hire chairs. The beach has high cliffs on either side of it, creating a chilled out atmosphere.

How would you sum up Barbados is a few words?

We have found Barbados to be a hot spot for English tourists, with many fellow English holidaymakers enjoying the sun. Also, we’d say the locals of the island are incredibly courteous.

Sarah from England

What brought you to Barbados for a holiday?

We were looking for a family-friendly holiday, as I am here with my husband and two children. We are staying at Mullins Bay House, which is too family-friendly and a great place for kids. It has a lovely garden, pool and is just a short walk to the beach.

What would you say is the best place your children have been?

The Crane Beach was brilliant for the kids as they enjoyed being able to bodyboard on the moderately wavy waters. The sea gets deeper gradually at the Crane – there isn’t a sharp drop in the water like on some of the beaches. This means the kids can walk a long way out with the water only coming up to their waists; however, the children do need to be able to swim well to enter the sea at The Crane as it is choppier than the waters of the West Coast.

Which restaurants would you recommend to go out for meals with children?

One of the highlights of our holiday was taking breakfast and being entertained by a gospel choir at The Crane Hotel in St Philip. The food was quite good, but it was the atmosphere that made it so special; it was beautiful to hear the choir as we ate. We have also fallen in love with Dazzlers Bar on the West Coast, and also Shakers on the South Coast, where you can tuck into locally caught fish or burgers at reasonable prices. Both of these places are very kid-friendly. Another favorite of ours is The Half Moon Fort, where they have “fish fries” – locally caught fish are cooked up and served. It’s a great atmosphere and very reasonable. Ju Ju’s is also a reasonably priced favorite of ours, which is located right on the beach next to Lone Star.

Maria C from New Port Beach, California

Where are you staying, and what do you think of Barbados?

I’m staying at The Cliff Hotel. I’ve found Barbados to be a very safe place and the locals to be ‘super-friendly.’ I’ve also been impressed with the quality of restaurants – my favorite is Lone Star on the West Coast.

What do you fill your days with?

I have been exploring the island by car; however, I found the island very difficult to navigate as there are hardly any road signs. One of the spots I particularly liked on the island was Bathsheba on the East Coast. Although the water is too choppy for swimming, Bathsheba contains beautiful, rugged, long, breezy white sand beaches where you can walk for miles.

If you could sum up one thing about Barbados, what would it be?

The main thing I like about Barbados is the people. I have visited quite a few of the other Caribbean islands, and I have found Barbadians by far to be the nicest and friendliest. They have been helpful, genuine, and sincere.

Mark from Australia

I see you have a surfboard – is that why you are in Barbados?

I take my surfboard everywhere I go. Even if there aren’t enough waves to surf, I paddle on the still waters to maintain my upper body strength. I spend most days at the beach and have found that Sandy Lane is somewhere I can practice my surfing and enjoy the beautiful, picturesque surroundings.

Have you visited any of the beaches here?

Yes definitely. It’s right in Barbados as a visitor can go to any of the beaches on the island regardless of which hotel is nearby, as hotels are not allowed to own a beach, so none are private.

And where’s your favorite place to eat?

My favorite place to eat is Ju Ju’s on the West Coast. This is a chattel house on the beach which serves local Bajan flying fish cutters as well as beers and rum. I often eat dinner here after a good surf and watch the sun go down.

Sammy from Somerset, England

What brought you to Barbados?

I am on holiday in Barbados for a few days after having sailed from The Canary Islands, across the Atlantic, to St Lucia. After a few days in St. Lucia, I flew to Barbados to visit my cousin, who lives here.

What have you most enjoyed here?

After three weeks of sailing, it’s been great to be able to relax on the white sand beaches with a good book and watch the turquoise water break against the sand.

And has your cousin taken you to any good restaurants?

Definitely! My favorite evening out was a meal at Cariba – a restaurant on a residential street opposite The Cliff Restaurant on the West Coast. It was reasonably priced and very relaxed. The food was too high quality, and I loved the banana spring rolls in chocolate sauce. The menu was varied and creative and with many influences, which I think was due to the rich, diverse experience of the owner and head chef. He came out after the meal and described the world-renowned restaurants that he had trained in, which included top restaurants in countries as far as Japan.