Be Excellent To Each Other

Hi all,

I know a few of you on here have been to Barbados, so I thought I'd ask.

Joan's and I are thinking of going next Feb, but trying to work out how long we should spend there.

We're planning on spending around a week there then moving on. We'd rather stay on the quieter west side, but fully intend to visit the east side too.

What are your 'must do's or recommendations?

Bonus points for photos.

I spent a week there in September 2008 - had a great time, but I went on my own and I'd love to go back with someone (this isn't a request to join you, lol)

A helicopter tour over the island, taking off from Bridgtown is pretty neat and was relatively cheap (I think it was $90 for an hour and a half):


I assume it's still a thing, but every Tuesday and Friday they hold a big communal fish fry in the Oistins part of the island (south coast) and that was a good laugh

The Andromedia Botanic Gardens in Bathsheba were pretty cool if you like that kind of thing. Weirdly I can't find my photos of these two things though, which is annoying as I took some great photos of the flora!

Truth be told, I didn't actually *do* an awful lot while I was there. I rented a little Mini Moke for the week and spent a lot of time driving around the island which was vaguely terrifying without satnav on my phone, probably a bit easier these days:


All the beaches are public (even the ones in the super posh areas) so feel free to rock up to any of them - but bear in mind that any furniture (sun loungers etc.) may not be for public use!

Is this why you had that shirt at Shunt?

Wow Gaz, those photos are great, thank you.

Oistins is on our to-do list for sure. Along with seeing the horses in Carlisle bay and doing some sort of boat/catamaran tour. I want to snorkel and see the turtles.

I'm thinking of doing 5 days there, then a few days somewhere else and a few days somewhere else taking in the windward and grenadine islands. Maybe St Lucia and St Vincent.

It is, yes - well remembered

I don't remember why I bought the shirt now, I think it might have been because all of the T-shirts I took were quite "heavy" and not very breathable - I remember feeling like I was melting all of the time the first day I was there.


Yeah, I was gutted that I didn't remember that this was a thing while I was there - although I'm not sure how well it'd have gone anyway, given that being in the sea is something of a phobia of mine.

I think they do paddle boarding at Carlisle Bay, which also looks like great fun if you're not terrified of the water

Paddle boarding is great fun, and you don't need to go out far to have fun, just go out a bit and then nip along parallel with the shore back and forth a few times.

Snorkelling is fun, and again you can see some cool things close to the shore, without having to go out far on a boat (although, you might not see the 'big things' close to the shore - but there's no guarantee you'll see them on an organised trip anyway.

I'm very much a poor swimmer BTW, but even so there are great fun things that can be done, and of course there are PFDs to help reassure

Mrs Grim... would strongly recommend doing so via The Jolly Roger, which she goes on about fairly regularly: https://www.visitbarbados.org/barbados- ... ly-roger-1 https://www.islandroutes.com/caribbean- ... rlisle-bay

Her family comes from Barbados, so I'll hit her up for other suggestions.

Oh that's amazing! Thank you.

I was coming here to recommend this! It’s fantastic fun, lots of rum, time to snorkel round a shipwreck and then party at sea. 10/10.

So, several months after this thread, we actually booked to go in March of this year. Thank you for the suggestions - we took them on board.

Our first week on the island we stayed in a hotel and pretty much chilled out. At the end of this week we got married on the beach and it couldn't have been more perfect.



We were lucky enough to have some awesome people join us to celebrate too.



Of course, with a rowdy crowd like that, it was important to have security.



But it all worked out okay in the end.



We had an amazing day.

To add to this we chartered a catamaran a couple of days later where we were able to swim with Turtles and snorkel around a wreck.



All in all, a ridiculous two weeks, with some of the best people.

Well that thread took an unexpected turn for the awesome. Congrats

Thank you.

Congratulations!

Congratulations! Looks like a great time was had by all x

Aw lovely photos, congratulations - looks like a fun time was had by all.

Although someone there looked very, very surnburnt.

Well THAT'S why rock band has taken so long to deliver. Looks perfect, one million and one congratulations to you both.

I learned that if you stick two thumbs up in the water....you sink.

What happens if you hold a grenade in each hand?

Underwater rumbles

Thank you all, it was an amazing experience. Having our wonderful guests there just took it to a whole new level..


There's a story behind this. Funnily enough, the day started with us all huddling under umbrellas in torrential rain... But then it brightened up and we forgot ourselves while in the sea.

I'm blaming Gaz, Jem, Kovacs, Myp and Fun Sally. And maybe the rum punch.

Amazing photos!

Thanks for sharing, and congratulations!

Thanks Kern.

I'll share more photos of our time there as I get my head together.

Woah! Congratulations, I give you both joy! This news has made me very happy.

I anticipate the Beex-in-the-Water photo will have many entertaining photoshop shenanigans in future. Also, looking very good all of you in the big group shot, yer sexy Beexers!

Barbados looks quite special. I might have to fly around it a bit in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 if I can manage to free up enough hard drive space for it again!

What fab photos.... my sunburn has finally healed

Great photos, and a fab time had by all

I've only just noticed how tall Cras is, oddly.

I hide it well. Stand in holes, and such

It took me ages to work out that wasn’t a picture of Cras holding a hunting rifle with some kind of special scope on it.

Also, he's often seen standing next to Grim... which has a minimising effect

That shot with Gas and Kov is a quick study of exactly that! The picture above - you're at least as tall as them. Next to them...

Thank you Pete.

Awwww. Congrats you two!
I had pieced it together from some of the Instagram posts I’d seen, but lovely to see pictures of the actuality.
Good luck and best wishes to you both x

Brilliant!