Barbados is a beautiful Caribbean island that has amazing hospitality, food, culture and of course weather. It was great to experience every coast the island has to offer and all the walking tours; but I do wish I had more time to relax and really enjoy myself on spring break. Since my college program basically planned this entire trip, I didn’t get to really experience the Barbadian nightlife.
Make sure to eat ALL the local cuisine (e.g. flying fish and cou-cou). Barbados was a trip with a lot of firsts for me. I tried coconut water straight from the coconut for the first time and actually liked it. And even spiked it with Barbadian rum. I’ve always had bad reactions with artificial coconut, so it was reassuring to know that I liked fresh coconut water. I tried sugar cane, breadfruit chips and even macaroni pie! There’s a difference between traditional soul food mac & cheese and Bajans macaroni pie. Bajans make sure you’re well fed and don’t skimp on portions.
You’ll experience a level of hospitality that is uncanny to anything you’ve experienced in the states. Every day you’ll come across a Bajan that says, “good morning”, “enjoy your meal”, etc. Orlando was an amazing representation of what Bajans have to offer; each person I encountered greeted me with smiles, warmth and patience.
I was also frequently asked if I wanted my drink with, or before, my meal at restaurants. I’m not sure why that’s not asked in the states, but it needs to be! I find myself drinking most, if not all, of my drink before my food arrives. Then I’m awkwardly full and can’t finish my food. And the students I met at the University of West Indies and Barbados Community College were all so passionate, intelligent and funny. They made the tours engaging and were eager to ask us questions about education and politics in the states.
If possible, take as many tours as possible! Barbados’s history is so rich that you’ll be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t learn about it. Slavery is a huge part of Bajan history, so definitely learn as much as possible while you’re there.
Make sure to visit every side of the island, if you can. Every coast you visit in Barbados is different, and unique, from the others.
If you can, I’d recommend hiring a driving service after spending time with Orlando. Orlando is a local who knew everything about his country and gave us information and hidden gems we wouldn’t have otherwise discovered. For instance, on the last day we were driving to the east coast when we passed by a sugar cane field. Orlando stopped to explain that the sugar plantations are one of the islands main sources of income. While Orlando was talking, two of the men working in the field offered us sugar canes, which we of course accepted. I’d say renting a car is a good option, but you’ll have to drive on the left side of the road.
Since we had a driving service, I can’t speak much on other modes of transportation around the island. I did however see that there were buses throughout the island.
Orlando informed us that Barbados is in a lot of debt. At one point, the economy depended heavily on the sugarcane industry but now that’s fairly nonexistent. Because of these factors, Barbados now depends heavily on tourists to drive their economy. So you’ll almost rarely hear of a mugging, or other crimes, involving tourists because the government puts a lot of emphasis on tourism. Orlando also told me that Bajans get harsh punishments if they do commit a crime against a tourist.
