Barbados....anyone ever been?

[Andy_79]

Lol @ that picture. Fantasic !!!

 

[Scotty01292]

Hey! That's not bad. In Britain, petrol/gas is about $1.30 a litre.

 

[Farquod]

Yah, mon. Red Stripe and rum, a definite amnesiac. But you feel so good the next day....

Actually, I had a different beer earlier this year when I was down there. It was a Mexican beer called Sol--light, like Corona, and killer with lime. Sneaky good: two were gone before I knew it. The next couple took a bit longer....

Watch out for Mojitos. I don't know if that's primarily western carib, but they do a number on the brain cells, as well. I witnessed a few such casualties.

 

[Rockford35]

That reminds me, were Mosquitoes bad down there when you were there? Apparently, they can get bad. And sand flies too, although we never encountered any in Jamaica.

It wouldn't bother me, but Dengue fever is common in Caribbean islands...

R35

 

[Farquod]

That reminds me, were Mosquitoes bad down there when you were there? Apparently, they can get bad. And sand flies too, although we never encountered any in Jamaica.

It wouldn't bother me, but Dengue fever is common in Caribbean islands...

R35

Mmmmm. Arboviruses. Nope, have had no problem with mosquitoes, even when visiting coastal central America. Maybe a seasonal thing? I know the bugs are brutal in Florida in the summer; could be the same during those hot periods in the islands, particularly during the rainy seasons (if they have them) when standing water is easy to be had.

I was in Barbados in the late June/early July area, and don't remember having many bugs. But that was a long time ago.

They do drive on the wrong side of the road, tho (that's the left side of the road for the Brits on board ), which is probably more life-threatening to North Americans than any infection.

Bring your Deep Woods Off! just in case. Maybe they make it with SPF 15?

 

[Rockford35]

They make both 15 and 30SPF in wipe form and lotion. Two birds with one stone. I'm gonna go that route anyways, being a "redleg" to begin with...

(Redleg is slang for Europeans as they uses to burn their legs while wearing kilts and knickers...)

R35

 

[The master]

Any of the brits here ever watched The Lee Evans comedy DVD? "Your going to Barbados).

That was the first thing I said to myself when looking at the title of this thread.

(No Americans will find this joke funny you have to watch the DVD).

This is going to make me look so weird but who cares.

 

[VtDivot]

I will say that there are 3 islands that I would go to in the Caribbean without hesitation: St. Maartin (VT, we have the same tastes. We should definitely party), St. John, and Grand Cayman.

The Westin Grand Cayman has about the best beach in the islands that I have ever been to. I think there's only one golf course, tho, and they're still doing some rebuilding from one of the hurricanes that ploughed through a couple years back. I was there for a couple of days two months ago, and it was spectacular.

The Westin St. John is also a great place. Very quiet and upscale, fabulous beach, lush island. Best food I had in the islands was here. Again, one golf course, but there are a ton in St. Thomas, which is a 45 minute ferry away.

St. Maartin has a Dutch side and a French side, and both sides are very different. Definitely an island to spend a week at. There are like 25 beaches on the island, and each is more picturesque than the last. The French side has great food, and the Dutch side great nightlife. Sorry to say, I don't know the golf situation, as I was only there for a couple of days, and didn't get to play.

All 3 of these islands have no barbed wire, and little poverty--which is a big plus in my book. Accommodations outside of the major hotels can also be had easily (well, I don't know about St. John, but certainly the other 2) just like the villa set up you're describing.

Have fun figuring it out...it's a tough dilemma to have.

I'll go look around to see if I have some shots of Grand Cayman. I'll post them in an edit if I do.

I have been to all of these places that Farq recommends and I agree that they are all excellent. GC is a little on the expensive side, but you won't be hounded by locals to buy drugs there, and the diving is spectacular.

As far as the USVI goes, if I had to choose a place to live in the carib this would be it, the beaches are great and some good shopping too. If you can handle crowds St Thomas is a fun place, but St John is more remote. I think the USVI would be a better bang for your buck than GC. St Martin is also way up on our list.

Note - I have never stayed at any of these places more than one day. SWMBO won't allow a land vacation so we see them by cruise every winter. I have seen several more than once though, so I know my way around the big ones pretty well (GC, USVI, Coz etc)

 

[Big Brother Dunk]

I've never been to the Barbados, but I've been to the Bahamas. You can't beat Caribbean vacations. Enjoy!