Barbados compared to USVI
 

How does Barbados compare to the USVI, especially St. John and St. Croix? <BR>

Hi Jeff: <BR>I have been to many islands and I still think that the USVI and Barbadoes are my <BR>favorites and would not go back to any of the other islands. St.John is a pretty quiet great beach island. St. Croix is a little busier but has excellent beaches coral reefs shops and restaurants. St. Thomas is also nice but like the NY of the Virgin Islands and Barbadoes has beautiful beaches not known for restaurants but has a great atmosphere with great weather and nice people. All thes islands have great <BR>breezes all the time as they are east carribean islands. I wuold check all these islands when you can. <BR> Have fun El

Hi Jeff, <BR>My experience on Barbados was two overnite visits last February in and out of the Grenadines. I had planned to stay longer but couldn't due to a family emergency but I really enjoyed the island. I do automatically compare any island to the USVI since I am very familiar with it. <BR>I really enjoyed Barbados as a change of pace from the USVI. I did not find those secluded little private beaches that I love so much on St. John but our experience was limited. Where we were the beaches were narrow and not the lovely sandy white that I am used to. But, that could have been where we chose to stay. I found Barbados busier than STT and certainly STX with a more "upscale" economy. Not many islands have a Mercedes dealer across from the Land Rover one and BMW down the street. The dining was excellent and there are some wonderful restuarants with fine dining but loads of little places with terrific food! On St. Thomas there are some excellent restaurants as well as St. Croix but even tho there are some on St. John, there are fewer to choose from there. Of course Barbados is bigger with more population whose culture reflects their English heritage strongly - men still tip their hats to ladies!! And many of the visitors seemed to be from Great Britian rather than Americans but again that might have been where we stayed. I found the people delightful. Of course, there were many more beach peddlers than in the USVI (never having been approached there) and the hotels seemed pretty much lined up tightly with few glimpses of the water or beach between them. But then, I love the Islanders of the USVI too and never had a problem with them if I greeted them in the customary fashion. The hotels in the USVI are more likely to be on a bay or cove with lots of open space between them. The elbow to elbow hotels is unlike St. Thomas, St. Croix and especially St. John. I think generally the snorkling is hard to beat on St. John other than in the Grenadines and the BVI! There are more choices of accomodations in all price ranges on Barbados only because it is a larger island and has more of the upscale properties. St. Croix generally is the least expensive of the USVI, followed by STT and then St. John with its limited accomodations due to the Nat'l Park. I find that most beaches on St. Croix less than satisfactory for snorkling off the beach and for swimming but they do offer the trips to Buck Island. But St. John and some places in STT, you can have very good to great snorkling right from the beach. Charlotte Amalie can get busy during heavy cruise ship days and I found the commerce more "busy" on Barbados but they do have an excellent mass transportation, buses, that is very accessable to the visitors, it seems which the USVI doesn't have (other than the one bus on St. John that visitors use.). I do reside in the NYC area and see absolutely no resemblence to it in the USVI either in crowds, traffic or attitude! Of course, these are gasping generalizations but am trying to give you a "picture" of what I experienced. Hope I was helpful but again my time on Barbados was limited and am sure there are those who can provide even more information about that wonderful island!

<BR>There are some very good restaurants on Barbados. Not much in the way of gourmet, but colorful & spicy --- especially in Holetown. St. T is so pricey. St. C the food was not hot, except for steaks & pizza (but the price was exceptional by island standards). <BR> <BR>Barbados is not my favorite island because of the busy feeling but I'd definitely go back. Same for STJ or STX. STX was very laid back last time we were there, about yrs. Hope it hasn't changed.

interesting ... I found Barbados more expensive generally than the USVI. And the restaurants of St. Croix really top notch - Kendricks, Top Hat, Indies, Stixx and more but can't vouch for eithier steak or pizza anywhere! Barbados offered us the Cliff, Carambola, and some of the finest hotel dining with several hotel dining rooms being award winners!