Barbados
- Tara Larkai
- Mar 4, 2016
- 4 min read
So I conquered another carribbean country! I mentioned in my last post that I am not a fan of the Carribbean islands but Barbados may have just changed my mind. If I could use one word to describe the beauty of this island, it would be "Magical". Guadeloupe was beautiful but Barbados beats it in different ways. You are probably wondering why I would visit another carribbean country just a month after my last visit if I am not a fan. Well, the truth is Jetblue was having a sale and my husband and I wanted to get away so we settled for it and I am glad it did not dissappoint.
Barbados is a very small Island so much so that you don't need to visit for a long period of time to enjoy it. We were there Saturday thru Tuesday morning and I can say that we did a lot of exploring within that short period of time. I am going to share with you tips on what to do and how to enjoy this Bajan wonderland. It is very easy to get around in Barbados. Not only are buses easily accessible but taxis and rental cars are also easy to get. Taxis aren't that cheap so I would recommend getting a car rental for at least one of the days you visit that way you can drive up to the north point of the island. As a matter of fact, Barbados as a whole is not cheap. I went in thinking it would be cheaper than Guadeloupe but it is quite the opposite. Maybe because it is part of the British colony and a lot of Europeans visit often with their euros & pounds. Pricing for majority of things are somewhat compareable to prices in the USA but there are still ways to enjoy Barbados on a budget.
Oistins - This is a must do in Barbados. Oistins is located in the southeast part of the island. Oistins hosts the famous fish fry at the Oistins Bay Garden on fridays. We missed it on friday but the same goes on all week except it is less busy. This was our first stop after checking into our apartment on Saturday. We were staying in Rockeley Golf and Country Club so we took the express bus from Worthing bus stop to Oistins. The bus fare to anywhere on the island is a flat rate of $2 BDs cash. Money exchange is very easy as you can literally exchange currencies anywhere such as grocery stores, restaurants etc for the same rate with no exhange fees. Just ask and you shall receive! They have 3 different public buses. The white vans are considered express because they are super fast. Getting on/off is with speed, the driver speeds and passes slower cars and basically gets you to your destination in half of the time of the other buses. It is quite an experience to ride this bus. We did not know what we were getting into but definitely enjoyed it.
The other buses are larger buses (blue or yellow in color) that can be considered fast if compared to USA bus drivers. If time is not an issue for you then I would say take the bigger bus. Oistins is a fishing town so as you are walking toward the Bay Garden, you will see alot of people set up selling fresh fish and seafood. We arrived around 5pm and at that time there were only a few people there but it quickly filled up. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed so you can get away with a sun dress & flats. Some of locals do come dressed promiscously like they are going clubbing but hubby thinks they are "call girls" trying to pick up some European men. lol We had our first meal at Fish Net Grill. We had 2 grilled red snapper with mac pie, fish cakes and a salad. It was a good first meal. Loved the mac pie.
Saturday night is karoake night at the Bay Garden.
The karoake night started early at one of the bars in the bay garden before moving to the stage.
Another Dj set up on stage with the karoake monitors and equipments around 8pm to get the real party started. People (mostly locals) took turns to sing their selected songs. First of all, these locals take their karoake very seriously. Almost everyone that got on that stage could sing. I was confused for a minute because my experience with karoake is completely different from this. I even thought maybe they were professional singers contracted to do this on weekends or maybe they are trying to get discovered by a music executive like Rihana was. I would not attempt to go on stage if you can't match their voices.
There are also vendors set up on the side and a group of people in the back playing board games. Food is plentiful as there are over 10 different food vendors/stalls in the Bay Garden. Prices do vary based on where you eat. They may give you a different price for being a foreigner too so be careful but, ultimately prices range from $15 to $40 BDs for a seafood plate with 2 sides. Our meal at fish net was $40 BDs but our second plate from Pat's place was only $25BDs.
Don't forget to order a rum punch or Banks beer with your meal. They do have other drinks but these are the popular Bajan drinks. Karoake goes on all night and towards the end they have dance performances.
We left around midnight and karoake was still going. People were dancing, eating and socializing during this time. Either way Oistins must be experienced by every visitor. We had a great first day! Stay tuned for the rest of my tales.
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