edovre

We just returned from 10 days in Barbados. March 11-21. My wife and I are low 40s, with kids aged 13 and 16. We travel extensively and with an open attitude. I have some mixed opinions regarding this island which I will try to convey. The Good, the Bad, and the Overrated:

The Good:
1. Hilton resort, with clean grounds, nice rooms at a decent value, great pools and beach, appropriate scope of dining options. The resort is oddly isolated, however, and teeming at all times with "security personnel".
2. The beaches on the East Coast. Bottom Beach and Crane Beach. Beautiful, isolated, uncrowded.
3. Pizza Man Doc. I always love the local pizza joints. Great value and good pie. This passed the Teenager Pizza Taste Test, which is no small feat.
4. Banks. A really satisfying local lager, reasonably-priced.
5. Cafe Luna. Marvelous outdoor terrace dining with a diverse menu, tasty entrees, and attentive service.

The Bad:
1. Traffic. This is terrible, perhaps a perfect storm of overpopulation, poorly maintained roads, and poor signage. We usually like to explore new places on our own with rental cars, and I am not troubled by the occasional white-knuckle driving experiences in other countries. However, I have never experienced worse driving conditions than Barbados, anywhere in the Western Hemisphere or Europe. It took hours to travel 15 or 20 km to dine or go sightseeing, depending upon the time of day. We were quite dependent on the southern highways, being based at the Hilton. I would rather drive in Midtown Manhattan at rush hour any day than repeat this experience. It really soured our overall impression of this trip.
2. Snorkeling. Even at the acclaimed Underwater Marine Park, this was really poor. The coral is badly damaged/dead, the water somewhat turbid, and the drugged turtles with damaged shells rather pathetic. This is far below the typically exemplary snorkelling found elsewhere in the Caribbean.

The Overrated:
1. The Friendly Bajans. No offense intended, but I frankly expected something different, based on reports. I appreciate the fact that the Bajan people do not capitulate entirely to the tourists. We found most of the locals to be polite, but barely. In fact, they seemed aloof and standoffish. Perhaps this is a relic of British-influenced stoicism, and please don't take this wrongly. We like to converse with local people when travelling, and have had wonderful experiences doing so on other trips. However, it was akin to pulling teeth to elicit anything beyond the bare minimum conversation with the Bajans. I don't think that we are overtly rude Americans (in fact, we are usually mistaken for Europeans, such is our demeanor). I'd like to give Bajans the benefit of a doubt, but I was really underwhelmed by their hospitality.
2. The Cliff Restaurant. This was our five-star dining indulgence. Reasonably good food served in an attractive setting, to be sure, but at those prices it should be fabulous, and accompanied by impeccable and WARM service(see #1 above). Cafe Luna was much better in all areas at a third the price.

This is my attempt at an ojective review of our Barbados trip. Obviously, subjective elements also influenced my opinions. All told, it was a satisfactory vacation in a beautiful beach setting, but I don't think we will return. I really, really wanted this to be a spectacular experience followed by a glowing report, but it just didn't happen for us. I hope your experiences are different.

Thanks to all who gave us helpful information prior to the trip.

Erik

ejcrowe

Erik, thanks for taking the time for writing up your Barbados trip report. Can you say a little bit more about which parts of the island saw you stuck in traffic? Was it the south coast near the Gap? My own trip to Barbados echoes a bit when reading your experience. I had a very pleasant time there and have no real objection to returning, but no real desire to return, either.

greenie

Thank you for the report and for being objective. I think people tend to not want to report if they have anything negative to say for fear of reprisal from the group.

While I agree with you on some points, on others, not. I always loved Crane Beach and always thought the Cliff was overpriced.

Agree, it is daunting to drive in Bds. Def. not for the faint at heart. But I've found that to be the case in most places that have "hustle and bustle." Bds has one of the highest per capita income levels in the Caribbean, so there is a lot going on.

The people I dont think you are giving a fair shake. But that's your opinion and I respect that. I've met good and bad wherever I go, so I can't attribute it to a particular island. There are friendly people everywhere and likewise not so friendly.

Folkstone Park I love. The snorkeling isnt the greatest, but the vibe is nice and relaxing. I always enjoy talking to the locals that bathe there.

Again, thanks for the report.

Peace, Greenie

heymo

Thanks for your report. My husband and I will be going to Barbados at the end of May for a dive trip, and it will be our first time there.

Specifically, I am interested in more details about your snorkelling experience, who you rented your car through and whether or not you were happy with them.

Thanks!

Knowing

Thanks for the report. I love to read TR's about places I have been to. Most reports I can identify with at least some of it. In this case, as I read I found it difficult to believe we had been on the same island. Just goes to show how different people can be.
We have been to Barbados twice. I agree that the Hilton is very nice. We loved everything about it, including the great breakfast buffets and sitting outside with a glass of juice. Both times, we have been there in the month of February, so I can't speak for March. It is a hotel however, that never feels crowded. Security people? Wow. We were there for our second time this past Feb and both times they did have a (one)security person on the beach. I can't imagine why a month later they would suddenly have more. We were there in Feb 2007 as well. They were in the process of preparation for the 2007 Cricket World Cup, which was held in March 2007. That was a busy time. Barbados has a need for an improvement in moving traffic more efficiently and they are working on it.
As far as snorkeling goes, after we were in Barbados in Feb '08, we went to Palm Island in the Grenadines. I was very excited about taking a boat to the Tobago Cays. However, my husband was sick and we ended up not going. Much to my surprise, people came back to PI and said the area was gorgeous but the snorkeling was a disappointment. Apparently due to the storms, some of the truly great places have changed from what they were in 2004 and 2005.
We found wonderful, friendly people in Barbados. Very gracious and hospitable.In fact, we were invited to a local's home for dinner! What you may have seen is that many locals right now are unhappy with the government as the cost of living is so high, they are really suffering.
We loved the Cliff. Lois helped us out by suggesting a table and I called several months in advance from home to make sure we got it. It was perfect!
Different experiences, huh? I am so sorry that you did not come back with the same enthusiasm that we did. Barbados really is a special place, with so many things to see and do. BTW, did you get up to North Pointe?
Thanks so much again for taking the time to post.