karen

can anyone tell me what the island is like in terms of landscape, people, beaches? I hear the Gold Coast is the calm water side. Is it in anyway similar to Jamaica? Is poverty as prevalent? It sounds like a good mix of great beaches yet other things to do. Is this accurate?

Lois

Barbados is gorgeous. I have not been to Jamaica to compare, but am told that Jamaica has lots of poverty and crime is prevalent. Tourists are not particularly safe there. You really need to go to your fenced-in resort & stay put. So if your resort is big enough & that satisfies you, you are ok.<BR><BR>Barbardos is very safe. There is some poverty, but it is not prevalent -- there are some areas where you see obviously poor housing. But you do not encounter beggars.<BR><BR>The Gold Coast does have calm waters, but there are also calm areas on the South Coast -- Sandy Beach in St. Lawrence Bay area particularly, and there are other places as well.<BR><BR>You have lots of choices of accommodations, and some all inclusives, but many more that are not. The reason you run into so many all inclusives in Jamaica is that it's not safe to leave your resort.<BR><BR>There are a lot of water activities on any island, but in addition there are great things to do like the Island Safari -- off roading in some great areas -- places cars cannot get to. Also catamaran trips with snorkeling & swimming; flower forests, caverns, potteries, all sorts of things. The tourism board website at: http://www.barbados.org has a great write up of things to do in addition to water activities. Check it out. I think you will not be disappointed.

karen

Lois,<BR> thanks for your reply. Yes, Jamaica's poverty was startling at first and the beggers were everywhere, but we actually came to love the island. We stayed in a villa rather than an all-inclusive and had a wonderful time. However, it's not an island for everyone.<BR> I've researched high and low for our next island trip, and while there are sooo many wonderful islands, Barbados keeps coming back to me. Your email seems to indicate that we can do as much or as little as we'd like, which is perfect. We want a place we all feel is very different from our own surroundings (which is one reason we loved Jamaica). AGain, Barbados seems to fit the bill. <BR> The villas we're looking at on Barbados are either on the St. James beachfront or on Cobbler's cove bay in St. Peter. One is right on Sandy Lane beach (which I know you said is nice). Do you know anything about Cobbler's cove in St. Peter?<BR>

jenny

Barbados comes as quite a surprise to some people as it doesnt fit the picture of a tropical island - its very flat and quite dry - quite picturesque - very heavily populated - crime rate much lower than Jamaica - beautiful beaches on the Caribbean side - tho atlantic side at Bathsheba is worth a trip just to look at the waves - the island as a whole bears the imprint of its past as a British colony - its nickname is Little England - very pleasant people - apparently some good nightlife - Cropover is soon (or maybe just over) so hotels are packed for this - food can be very expensive and rather bland - but all in all if youre looking for nice beaches its a good choice - apart from that not an awful lot to do or see - Harrison Caves not that interesting

abc

run, don't walk to barbados! it's brilliant. never been to jamaica to compare, but it's no contest. have dinner at "carambolla", (a must) and bring home beach glass!

karen

so for those of you out there who have done lots of island vacations, would you choose Barbados over Virgin Gorda, Anguilla and the like? While Jamaica did have extreme poverty, the island itself is beautiful. As long as I feel like I'm far away from the states and am some place totally different, chances are we'll like it. Don't need a ton to do, but hoping the beaches are beautiful and "towns" etc. look unlike anything we have here. thanks!

haha

Barbados has less crime and poverty than Jamaica. Despite what others might say, Jamaica is the more beautiful island. Jamaica, because of it's higher poverty, larger popualation and less sentimental attachment to England, also gives you a greater feeling of being in a "whole 'nother world". Barbados has several good points but based on your tone and the reasons you gave for liking Jamaica, you may find Barbados a bit of a disappointment. The people are less in your face than the Jamaicans, which may or may not be a good thing depending on your perspective.

sunlvr

Just a comment about an island mentioned in a previous reply - Anguilla. Anguilla is dry, flat and scrubby. Many unimproved roads. Lots of accommodations in many price ranges on the beaches. Not much snorkling and literally no shopping.

delza

We've been to other islands in the Caribbean and have done a few vacations in Mexico so we can sort of make comparisons at this point; Barbados is beautiful, people are very polite and not as intimidating as far as "crime" is concerned and has its own charm as do other islands, only thing we found as a downside was the food was very expensive relative to preparation and service; we've been to the Grand Case (Gourmet capital of the Caribbean) area in St. Martin where the food is a bit pricey in some restaurants but definitely, absolutely worth the money although the ambience in Barbados does not compare to it of course if you dine at Carambola or The Cliffs.

karen

We're not as concerned about restaurants/food on Barbados because we'll be doing a villa vacation and will be eating most our meals there. My curiosity is in the island itself -- landscape, beaches, "original" island shops, etc. My concern about the west coast (where most villas are) is that I'll be surrounded by shopping malls and resorts! I'm probably way off base. We did, in fact, like the rawness of Jamaica, but would also like to try other destinations.

history

it was built on the blood and bones of enslaved Africans and Irish by the brutal British.......

Brutal Brit

Yep we sure knew how to keep those lower life forms in line and use them to build an empire.......

Damn Yanks

Just like the good ole USA is built on the blood and bones of black slaves and massacred natives.<BR><BR>Do you ever stop & wonder why the rest of the world hates you so much?<BR><BR>No idea? Well I'll tell you - it's because of such blinkered ignorance & the total denial of your own history of brutality. <BR><BR>It's this combination of arrogance & ignorance which means you're all sat at home now quaking in your boots wondering when you know who will strike again.

Julie

My Dear Mr Damn Yanks,<BR>I think that if some Americans are guilty of "blinkered ignorance & the total denial of your own history of brutality" some Brits are equally culpable. After all my dear sir, the US was a BRITISH colony wasn't it? Every nation is capable of brutality, no one is guiltless.