Barbados - Not my favorite caribbean country

A beautiful island located in the Caribbean? Although Barbados is undoubtedly a nice island, I could not say that it is among the nicest in the Caribbean. Same as the Bahamas, it's nice, but it's basically all about cruise ships and large numbers of tourists.

As the plane approached Barbados, it was immediately apparent that the topography was completely different from Dominica. Everything was flat in contrast to Dominica's mountainous terrain.

The flight from Dominica to Barbados lasted only one hour and was quite pleasant, despite being an Inter Caribbean flight, the worst airline in the Caribbean with a 1.5-star rating on Tripadvisor. 3 out of 10 flights get canceled, gladly this wasn't one of them.

Unfortunately, I had a limited ability to explore the island due to an injury, the annoying dog bite from Dominica. And also upon my arrival, it became apparent that taxis were expensive, as was everything else on the island. 

No rental car in Barbados? Big problem!

Renting a car on spot was impossible. There was simply no availability. Despite contacting approximately a dozen car rental companies many days in advance, I was unable to get one, which was unfortunate since walking was not an effective way to get around Barbados. 

Although buses were available, they were mainly on the biggest main roads. And getting from one place to another required a lot of time and effort, except along the main traffic route along the beach. Traveling to other places by bus was a lengthy process.

Arriving in Barbados

The airport was modern and well-organized. During peak holiday times, up to 25 large planes filled with tourists, primarily from the USA and UK, can be parked here at the same time. Everything inside the airport was modern, well-air-conditioned, and orderly, compared to other Caribbean island countries.

The streets look clean and well-maintained. Neighborhoods are calm - there is not much crime.

Although Barbados and the Bahamas share many similarities in this regard, as both are heavily influenced by the large number of American visitors they receive.

It really looks like the Bahamas

Leaving the airport, the difference compared to Dominica or other Caribbean islands was extreme.

It felt as if I had arrived in the Bahamas or Miami, with everything being very Americanized, from the roadways to the supermarkets and hotels and houses. And It wasn't long until I saw the first big groups of tourists from McDonalds-Land.

Unfortunately, my accommodation was located in a somewhat inconvenient area, in a residential neighborhood. From there without a car, getting around in Barbados can be challenging. 

Not a country to easily get around by bus

The streets are long, and the areas with restaurants and supermarkets are concentrated in certain parts of Barbados, where the resorts and busiest beaches are located. A little further away, and you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere. 

Many people say that the buses work well, and they do, as long as you are close to one of the major roads. However, this chance is small, and the price of accommodation in those areas is extremely high.

Day 2 - The capital and it's beaches

Again, I attempted to rent a car but was unsuccessful, again. I contacted numerous rental car agencies, but they were either fully booked or offering an SUV that was much too expensive at around $200 per day.

This was particularly difficult for me, as I had my dog bite injured foot, and walking was a challenge. In the morning, I made my way to the nearest bus stop, which was half a kilometer away and under the hot sun. From there, it takes at least ten minutes by bus to reach Bridgetown.

If you want to go anywhere else besides Bridgetown, you will need to transfer buses at Bridgetown, which makes getting around even more complicated and time-consuming.

The beaches in Barbados are nice but crowded

The beaches in Barbados are stunning, but as with the Bahamas, the ones near Bridgetown are fenced off and crowded with hundreds of tourists from resorts and cruise ships who want to be catered to in restaurants.

I was at the beach in the morning, right before they all arrived from the ships, so still quiet.

Loud music is played everywhere, which is easily becoming annoying for some visitors. Vendors were present, offering chairs and umbrellas to rent on their hotel beaches beside the restaurants.

To relax in a quieter location, you need to take a long bus ride or have a rental car. Unfortunately, without either of those options, I was unable to find a quiet beach to relax on during my trip.

Day 3 - To make the best out of my stay

On the third day I headed towards the Fish Market in Oistins and visited the beaches in the area, including Miami Beach. 

However, due to my injury, I wasn't able to walk far or stay too long in bright sunlight.

It was quite annoying, especially since I still didn't have a rental car and by now had to give up that plan. I had to stick to this area and travel by local bus.

While the modern amenities and infrastructure of the island were impressive, I couldn't help but feel like I was in a generic tourist destination that lacked the charm and character of some of the other Caribbean islands I had visited before. 

Day 4 - Hopefully St Vincent is more my sort of country

Injured and no rental car, expensive, too many tourists. My trip to Barbados was not what I had expected it to be. It was time to prepare for the next country - St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Before heading to the airport, once again, I went to the clinic to check on my dog bite wound. I was glad that the clinics here in Barbados had the highest standards and so are the doctors. They knew how to deal with such kinds of wounds. 

While it had gotten better, it was still too soon to move around without a band-aid. Also, another set of antibiotics was prescribed.

I had to depart for St. Vincent before lunchtime, again with Inter Caribbean, the worst Caribbean airline.