Barbados Holidays
Overview
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Known as 'Little England' to the rest of the Caribbean, take a holiday to Barbados and find a marriage of West Indian traditions and the mother country; Bajan hospitality with afternoon tea, and cricket matches with reggae rhythms. The British theme extends further, to a beautiful hilly area known as Scotland and even a statue of Lord Nelson in Bridgetown. Beyond its coral sand beaches and turquoise seas you will find colonial plantation houses, landscaped gardens and hidden caves to explore. You only have to experience the powdery white sandy beaches, year round sunshine and fresh sea breezes to see how visitors are totally captivated ? time and time again.
Barbados Highlights
Beaches: This teardrop coral island is well known for its hundreds of soft white sand beaches, a must on any holiday to paradise. Along the east coast wide, wind blown beaches and slightly rougher seas are a delight for surfers, whilst on the calmer south and west coasts, the beautiful white sands are unbroken allowing you to walk for miles. In the north, coral sandstone cliffs rise out of the sea reaching up to a hundred feet in height meaning there are no real beaches, however the scenery is spectacular.
Romance: Getting married in Barbados is now easier than ever. With a minimum residency requirement of only two days, most hotels offer wedding and honeymoon packages to make your special occasion one you will never forget.
Natural Wonders: Barbados is an island of great natural beauty, from the wonder of underground caves to the beautiful vistas and tropical colours of flora found across the island. For nature, hiking, plants, culture and natural history Welchman Hall Gully in the parish of St. Thomas is a must. A trip to Barbados is also not complete without visiting the natural beauty of Harrisons Cave, an underground cave with bubbling streams, waterfalls, tumbling cascades and deep pools.
Music: Calypso, Soca, Reggae and Caribbean Jazz are all popular forms of musical entertainment in Barbados. For the best evening flavour on your Barbados holiday head to St Lawrence, or 'The Gap' and let the sound of reggae fill your ears long into the night. Be sure not to miss "The Whistling Frogs Party Nights" where there's a street party, karaoke and live bands to entertain you, or if you're looking to dance the night away under the stars, the Reggae Lounge, an open air nightclub is the place to be.
Sports & Activities: There are an abundance of activities available in Barbados for all ages and abilities. Enjoy a sunset catamaran cruise along the west coast, play a round of golf, do a bit of duty free shopping in Bridgetown or pay a visit to the Kensington Oval to watch a game of cricket. For the adventurous there's zip-lining, deep-sea fishing, diving, snorkelling with turtles, kite surfing, 4x4 Jeep safaris, quad biking and much more!
Barbados Factfile
When to go
Temperature Range: 28°C - 32°C
Most popular: December - mid April
Best value: August - late October
Best weather: December - June
Travel Information
Direct flights: British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Thomson (seasonal)
Indirect flights: American Airlines and British Airways from most regional airports
Visa information: None for British citizens
Health information: Hepatitis A, Polio and Typhoid are recommended.
Time Difference: GMT -4 hours
When To Go
Best Value
To get more for your money stick to before and after the high season, August to late October are generally the best value times to go as temperatures are slightly higher and there is more rainfall, however showers tend to be brief.
Best Time to Go
Barbados has 3,000 hours of sunshine each year making it generally a good year round destination, however Barbados is best visited in the dry season from December to June when the island experiences less rain and around 8 to 10 hours of sunshine a day.
Most Popular
Most people chose to visit Barbados from December to the middle of April, when temperatures are slightly cooler due to the north easterly trade winds and there is less rain and humidity, however, prices are slightly higher during this time.
Hottest
The hottest months on the island tend to be May to September when temperatures can reach up to 32°C. You will find that during July and August the island has more rainfall which can make the climate more humid however showers are usually brief and tend to cool the temperature down before the sun comes out again.
Climate
Temperatures in Barbados generally range from 28-32°C. The driest months are December to April and the wettest usually August through to November. Tropical rainstorms sometimes occur in the hurricane season which runs June to October but the last time Barbados was directly hit by a hurricane was 1955.
Barbados Travel Information
Etiquette and Customs
In Barbados most cars are right hand drive but driving is on the left hand side of the road.
Possession or trafficking illegal drugs will result in long prison sentences and heavy fines.
It is illegal to wear camouflage clothing as it is reserved for the Barbados Defence Force.
Nudity and topless bathing is an illegal activity in Barbados.
Beach attire should be worn for the beach, beach bars and pool; it is not suitable for town, shops or restaurants.
Although crime is relatively low always be aware of possessions and do not draw attention to yourself with extravagant expensive jewellery.
Tipping
Tipping is recommended at 10-15% depending on the service. Some restaurants & hotels will automatically add a gratuity to the bill so double check in case of tipping twice. We would recommend giving porters around $1(USD) per bag and taxi drivers around 10% of the fare.
Flight information
There are two year round carriers to Barbados, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways. Thomson also offers a seasonal service from December to April.
Direct Carriers: Direct carriers from the UK are British Airways and Virgin from London Gatwick and Virgin Atlantic from Manchester. Thomson also offers a seasonal direct service from various UK airports from December to April.
Indirect Carriers: British Airways offer flights from most other regional airports such as Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh with a connection via London Gatwick. American Airlines also offer an indirect service via the United States.
Visa information
British Citizens are NOT required to have a visa to enter Barbados for stays of up to one month but your passport must be valid for at least six months after your date of return.
Barbados Special Offers
per person
per couple
Includes Early Booking Discount
