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barbados- hotels, check. need day trip itinerary assistance, pls. leaving soon! (hence the name)

barbados- hotels, check. need day trip itinerary assistance, pls. leaving soon! (hence the name)

Old May 24th, 2007, 11:50 AM
  #1  
leavingsoon
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barbados- hotels, check. need day trip itinerary assistance, pls. leaving soon! (hence the name)

Hi!

You've all been really helpful, and I wonder if I can lean upon you for this last piece of the puzzle:

We arrive into BGI at 2pm, no checked baggage. We're renting a car (not moke) at the airport. My desire is to see downtown Bridgetown upon arrival and do a walking tour on our own, but when buildings are open in case something looks interesting. I'm sure things close 4-5pm, so I really feel we need to do this straightaway, and that is my style.

Also, we'll want to eat lunch.

1. Will our carry-ons be in danger of a break in in the trunk of our rental car?

2. Is there a pay lot handy to downtown where we might have a greater measure of security for our things? Or a hotel lot that is walking distance to the heart of Bridgetown where we can park?

3. Day two, we will begin by heading North toward Bathsheba. Is there a "standard" route that everyone takes to hit the fun attractions in a logical loop around that area? We want to eat lunch at Naniki or someplace casual and see the Codrington College and a plantation house.

4. We will be on the West Coast the last nights of our trip- is there anything that we should 'save" for that time?

Thank you so much. I know this is a lot to ask, but I am not sure how to narrow down all the touring options logically, given my decision to stay on the remote side of the island.

 
Old May 24th, 2007, 11:54 AM
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leavingsoon
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That is, we are staying on the Crane beach and therefore dropping our bags and returning to Bridgetown will not be a good option.
 
Old May 24th, 2007, 10:00 PM
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If you're concerned about the luggage in the car, try this: Check in at Crane, and you're already halfway to Bathsheba. You may be able to fit in Andromeda Gardens (spectacular) and Codrington on the way. Next day, you can see Sunbury Plantation and or Francia Plantation (both south-central on the island kind of between Crane and Bridgetown) and Bridgetown itself.
Everything else can be by day trips from your west coast base (which hotel?) West coast is close to wildlife preserve, Harrison's Cave, Flower Forest.
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Old May 25th, 2007, 05:51 AM
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I spent 8 nights in Barbados last year for my honeymoon and our itinerary sounds similar. The first 4 nights we were at the Crane and the last 4 nights we stayed on the Caribbean side at the Fairmont Royal Pavillion.

My first advice is not to spend any time in downtown Bridgetown. We drove in from the Crane and felt it was a waste of time. Its mostly people going about their daily lives, combined with a bunch of duty free & souveneir shops. We tried to look at some churches/sites mentioned in the guide books, but they were under construction or just not that exciting. If you do decide to go, the parking was easy and not too expensive. We did enjoy the Mount Gay Rum Factory tour, and before you reach Bridgetown there were nice resort areas (St Lawrence/The Gap?) where you can grab a good lunch.

Bathsheba is beautiful and I can't remember our route, but driving on the east side of the island was a little chaotic. When you are on the western side, definitely take a day trip to the North Point. We combined that with a picnic lunch at the national park (can't remember name) and it was a great day.

If you want to do one of the package sail/snorkel/lunch trips, I HIGHLY recommend booking on the Heat Wave. The boat is the same size as the large tour companies use, but we only had 8 passengers on a boat that could have accomodated up to 40. We were gloating as we sailed by the other overpacked boats. We did this one day while we were at the Crane, and they sent a driver to pick us up and bring us home, which was perfect after the unlimited rum punch.

The sushi restaurant at the Crane was outstanding, and on the western side you must do dinner at The Cliff. We also enjoyed The Tides and The Mews. For an inexpensive meal right on the water, try Cocomos.

Have a wonderful trip!
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Old May 25th, 2007, 08:27 AM
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leavingsoon
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Thank you both so much.

I am going to print this out and take it along.

Have a nice weekend!
 
Old May 25th, 2007, 07:31 PM
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You gotta take a cruise on the Jolly Roger. There be pirates, ARGGGGGGGGGH!
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