Tourists from all over the world enjoy Barbados vacations, drawn by the island's delightful climate, the big blue sea and brilliant white sandy beaches. Many of them rarely go far from their hotels and guesthouses while on vacation, but those who make an effort find Barbados scattered with an impressive range of historic sites and, away from the mostly gently rolling landscape, dramatic scenery in hidden caves, cliffs and gullies. For more than three centuries Barbados was a British colony and retains something of a British feel: the place names, the cricket, horse-racing and polo, Anglican parish churches, and even a hilly district known as Scotland. But the Britishness is often exaggerated, for Barbados is a distinctly West Indian country, covered by a patchwork of sugarcane fields and dotted with rum shops, where calypso is the music of choice and flying fish the favoured food. The people of Barbados, known as Bajans, take great pride in their tiny island of 430 square kilometres and 250,000 people, which has produced writers like George Lamming, calypsonians like the Mighty Gabby and cricket players including the great Sir Gary Sobers, who have for decades had an influence way out of proportion to the size of Barbados.

POINTS OF INTEREST

Old plantation houses - places like St. Nicholas Abbey and Francia, superb botanical gardens at Andromeda and the Flower Forest, and the military forts and signal stations at Gun Hill and Grenade Hall. The capital of Barbadosl, Bridgetown, is a lively place to visit, with an excellent national museum and great nightlife in its bars and clubs. Small and largely untouristed Speightstown - once a thriving port - is a good place to wander for a couple of hours during Barbados vacation, then grab a drink on a terrace overlooking the sea. And, of course, there are the famous Barbados beaches, from the often crowded strips such as Accra Beach and Mullins Bay to tiny but fantastic patches of palm-fringed sand in the southeast. Diving is excellent on the coral reefs around Barbados, with the good sites all off the calm west and southwest coasts, from Maycocks Bay in the north right round to Castle Bank near St. Lawrence Gap.

BARBADOS CLIMATE

Hot and sunny year-round, which makes it perfect for vacation during all seasons. The best weather for Barbados vacation is during the high season, from mid-December to mid-April, with rainfall low and the heat tempered by cooling trade winds. The peak Barbados vacation season also brings the biggest crowds and the highest prices. Things can get a bit hotter in the summer, and, particularly in September and October, when the humidity is high. September is not so good for a Barbados vacation because it is the hurricane season. The season officially runs from early June to late October, but big blows only hit about once a decade.

GETTING THERE

Tourists from UK and Ireland take Barbados vacations mostly on a two-week package tour that includes a charter flight to the island. A few airlines offer direct scheduled flights to Barbados from London, while some stopovers in the US. There are no direct Barbados vacation flights from Ireland, but there are connections via London or via New York and Miami. British Airways, Virgin and BWIA all fly from London. Tourists traveling to Barbados from the US can fly non-stop out of New York, Miami, LA, Chicago and Dallas. Visitors from Canada use direct flights from Toronto and Montreal. There are no direct flights to Barbados from New Zealand or Australia, and package deals are few and far between. When traveling to Barbados, tourists from these countries will need to fly to one of the major US airports and pick up connections from there. Airport departure tax is presently $25, payable at the airport when you leave, in local currency only. Caribbean cruise ships usually dock in Barbados for a day or two at most.

ACCOMMODATIONS

You have three choices for Barbados vacation accommodations - buying a vacation package that includes airfare and accomodation, booking a hotel or a Barbados vacation rental. It all depends on your personal preferences. Our Barbados vacation packages start from $700 USD per person per week when flying out of New York and staying in a Barbados hotel. Our Barbados travel vacation rental offers start from $100 USD/ night.
Check out our free online TRAVEL GUIDE to Barbados vacations - how to get around, dining places, history, activities, tours, travel information,- all what you need to get best of your vacation in Barbados! TravelMake.com also offers you a wide selection of travel books, destination guides, information booklets, atlases available at our online travel store.