Barbados or ???
 

My boyfriend and I are planning a weeklong vacation in the Caribbean and would like advice as to where to go. Alot of what I've read/seen about the different islands promises the same thing -- beautiful beaches, friendly people, etc. He has Barbados stuck in his head based on a business associate's recommendation. Does anyone have any good or bad comments on the island? If not there, then other suggestions? We'd like to go in January/February 2003. We're in our early thirties and while we like to party down with the rest of them, we (okay, I) would like some place where we could enjoy a nice, quiet meal and good quality time together. Thanks in advance for any ideas/comments. <BR>

My husband and I spent a week in Barbados at Bougonvilla(? spelling) and had a wonderful time. Beautiful beach, some waves for body surfing, short drive to the Gap at night where there are many good resteraunts and night life. You can walk the beach during the day to get to the Gap but not at night. We found the people to be very nice, would recommend. Would also recomment Palm beach in Aruba.

I totally agree with Jackie. My husband and I (mid 30's)stayed at the Bougenvillia (sp?) Hotel and had a great time. We went back the following year for our honeymoon. It is a wonderful low rise hotel which is walking distance from the GAP. The GAP had a great choice of restaurants so you could have a nice intimate dinner for two or a fun, loud music, casual dinner. It has been about a year since we have been there so hopefully the construction on the roads between the hotel and the GAP is finished. It was a bit of a pain if you were taking a cab for dinner in the evening.<BR><BR>We also went to Aruba (Palm Beach) and had a fabulous time. However, we went in October so it was on the quiet side.<BR><BR>We're off to Turks & Caicos next month, so I've got my fingers crossed that we have as great of a time as we have had in Barbados and Aruba.

Hi we too are considering Barbados; are there any hotels right in the Gap and if so is this a place to stay or is ti too busy? Is it a town or a stip.<BR>Turks sounds great, post a review when you return. <BR>Enjoy!

I agree with the others; Barbados was great. We stayed at Marriott's Sam Lord Castle, and at that time we stayed IN the castle, but I don't think they allow that anymore. Marriott is having a special with meals included, I believe, thru the end of December. However, 1 'caveat' to this nice property IS that the beach is on the Atlantic, and not the Caribbean side. The water is rougher than on the Caribbean side. Otherwise, it's a nice property. Bridgetown is great for shopping; Bathsheba's natural wonders are a site to see, but you DO have to be careful going down the road to get there; it's like at a 90 degree angle, but worth it. The folks are friendly, and since it was a former British possession, they observe High Tea and are very conscious about taking care of their homes and making them look nice, for the most part, even if they're modest little houses. You will have a nice time. Hope this helps.

Hi Jen,<BR><BR>Sam Lord's Castle is kind of run down and not getting good reviews. It is also on the East Coast & very far away from all of the great West Coast restaurants.<BR><BR>The South Coast is much better location.<BR><BR>Bougainvillea Beach (this is the correct spelling) is a wonderful resort. We've stayed there several times. Lots of different varieties of room styles available -- all lovely. Nice swim up pool bar. A little more waves on this beach, but nice.<BR><BR>Also in the Sandy Beach area -- walkable to St. Lawrence Gap (if that's important to you), is a new resort of about 1 year -- Coral Sands Beach Resort -- you can find them at www.coralsandsresort.com<BR><BR>Good luck.

Hi Jen, <BR>I'd go to Barbados if I were you. Yes, they all claim to have the same promises, but I have been to Aruba, st maarten, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and i loved Barbados the best. Reason being, I like to party, and you can do that no problem in barbados, whether you like Reggae and rum or a nice irish pub and ale, it has it all. There are even a few places (Boatyard, Harbour lights) that have nights where you pay one cover abt 25BDS not a lot, and your drinks are included (not watered down)<BR>and you can meet people from Germany, England, Canada, etc and party all night long. It is generally a very safe island, food is fantastic, you must try flying fish, if you like seafood. They are famous for having some of the most romantic, and delicious restaurants in the Caribbean. Pieces Seafood restaurant in the Gap has great seating, all water's edge, and is really nice,,Yes pretty pricey too..I am the same age as yourself, and first thought Barbados would be boring, but it is anything but. You can chose from a variety of things to do besides the beach. It's not one of those "americanized islands" where you'll find McDonalds etc.. If you want a really nice, clean hotel in wonderful area, try the Accra beach Resort..

Hi Jen<BR><BR>We have been all over the Caribean and the Pacific Islands, our very favorite is the west coast of Barbados. We have been back twice. Our first time was 2 weeks at the Sandpiper Inn, fabulous, we actually never left the resort, except to walk to Holetown for supplies, rum...mix..etc.. The food and service at the Sandpiper was so good, we ate there every night..outstanding. The beach and ocean in front of the resort was perfect for total relaxation. This place is what I imagine heaven should be like. Unfortunately, this was a once in a lifetime deal, and for us to return to the Sandpiper is cost prohibitive...but if you can afford it, you will have a perfect vacation.<BR>We also stayed at the Almond Beach Club, the same distance to Holetown but at the opposite end. The beach directly in front was not good, but a short walk to the left brought you to a great beach. This was AI, so the food was just OK. Be a little careful when booking here, they advertise a standard room in there AI rate, we paid extra for a superior room, but when we got there everyone else got a free upgrade to superior. As far as I could tell, there really wasn't any standard rooms as they described, as the lady at check-in just laughed when she saw my paid for upgrade. The week was not the greatest as we had a November huricane passing through...rain most of the week and one day with all the windows boarded up. But as always met a lot of new friends (we were all stuck inside together) at the bar...nothing else to but drink...oh well.

Hi Kim, did you ever go to turks? I am trying to decide between turks and barbados (bougainvillea in barbados, or ocean club in turks). any comments?

If the diciding factor is the beach - pick turks