10 things I wish I knew before going to Barbados

getting a Barbados visa and going to Barbados for a vacation, this post is exactly for you. Where is Barbados? Barbados is one of the beautiful islands located in the Caribbean. It has the best sceneries, wonderful nature and a very authentic culture. There are many interesting facts about Barbados you will be very surprised to hear. This heaven-like island is one of the favourite travel destinations for tourists. Everyone does a little research before going on a vacation to another country, for example, the safety, Instagrammable places to visit, the climate of the country, etc. This little research will help you to set your expectations and to answer the questions like where is Barbados, is it safe to travel to Barbados, when is the best time to travel to Barbados before going to Barbados. Here are the 10 things you should know before you plan your travel to Barbados.

1. Should I worry about my safety in Barbados?

Safety is one of the most important things to think about before travelling to any country. Barbados is no exception. So, is it safe to travel to Barbados? Barbados is a safe country for tourists, but you should take precautions and avoid doing certain things not to get in trouble. It's not only exclusive to Barbados, but you should also always know important things regarding safety measures before travelling to any country. According to the US State Department, Barbados is not dangerous for tourists; you can rest assured. There are some things you should be careful about. For example, you should avoid walking alone on beaches and dark streets. The capital city of Barbados, Bridgetown, has some areas that you should be careful of or just avoid walking around, such as Baxter's Road, Nelson Street etc. The smart thing to do is to visit touristy places, and there are lots of safe places to stay in Barbados for tourists. The answer to the question of is it safe to travel to Barbados is an easy yes.

2. Best places to visit in Barbados

Barbados is nature heaven. There are lots of amazing places to visit in Barbados. You can visit the wonderful beaches, parks, gardens, forests and museums. The following might be the best places to visit in Barbados. If you want to go swimming and lay down on the beaches, you can choose from the numerous beautiful beaches, such as Carlisle Bay, Bathsheba Beach, Crane Beach, Bottom Bay Beach. If you are a more visiting-museums-while-in-vacation type of person, you can go to the Folkestone Marine Park & Museum. Besides beautiful scenes of the ocean and blue sky, one of the most visited attractions in this Museum is the aquarium, where lots of unique and rare species are being exhibited. Oistins' Friday Fish Fry is one of the things you would regret not trying. If you want to see the nightlife of Barbados and want to eat some delicious fried fish, this is the best place to visit in Barbados. If you are interested in the wildlife and animals of Barbados, you should definitely visit Barbados Wildlife Reserve, where you can see famous green monkeys, turtles, snakes, parrots, iguanas and many more other wonderful animals. Overall, Barbados has a lot of beautiful places that you should visit. Try to make a list of attractions and places you want to see before travelling, so you can see at least most of them on your vacation.

3. Famous Barbados Rum

This might be one of the facts about Barbados that you wouldn't believe, but the birthplace of the alcoholic beverage rum is Barbados. For more than 350 years, the people of Barbados have been producing rum. It's one of the finest and strongest rums in the world. If you are wondering about what to do in Barbados that is interesting, going on one of the great rum tours could be your thing. For example, Mount Gay Rum Centre is known for being the oldest commercial rum distillery. This distillery started its production in 1703. At the centre, you can see the rum-making process and taste one of the finest rum in the world. There are many colourful rum shops around the island, and you can always go up there and have a shot with the people.

4. Amazing Barbados weather

You might be wondering about when is the best time to travel to Barbados. Barbados has a wonderful climate, especially pleasant to the tourists. It is sunny and warm all year round, but not too hot that it is unbearable. It's the best type of weather to go swimming in the ocean, to have a sunbathe on the beaches. At nights, it becomes a little chilly. There is also rain on the island, and it's usually in the form of showers. You probably know where is Barbados, so this is very typical for the country. So, when is the best time to travel to Barbados? The best time to travel to Barbados is between December and April. This time is called the dry season, when there is less rain. The weather is also more pleasant, since it's not that hot, unlike the other months. But also keep in mind that the best time to travel to Barbados is whenever you feel like it.

5. Best nightlife in Barbados

If you are a fan of going out to clubs, pubs and just enjoying the nightlife, make sure to see the amazing nightlife of Barbados. You can go to nightclubs, go on a cruise, see the wonderful dinner shows and experience many more interesting things. Barbados nightclubs are mostly located in St. Lawrence Gap, and they offer live entertainment during the week and at the weekends. If you are a fan of calypso and reggae and thinking about what to do in Barbados for fun, this is one of the best places to visit in Barbados.

6. Which language is spoken in Barbados?

This might be one of the interesting facts about Barbados. The official language of Barbados is English, but it is a lot different from the American or British language. It's called Bajan Creole or Barbadian Creole, and it's a spoken language. It means, in general, on media, official documents and other print forms, standard English is being used, but people usually speak in Barbadian Creole with each other. You can easily understand the language spoken on the island since it's only slightly different from standard English.

7. Drug use in Barbados

It's important to check the drug legislation before going to Barbados. You might think that drug use is okay in Barbados due to its relaxed and chill culture, but it's not true. Recreational use of cannabis is still illegal on the island. Yet, there are a lot of people who use cannabis, which is imported from Jamaica and St. Vincent. According to the legislation, medical use and spiritual use of cannabis for registered Rastafarians are allowed.

8. Great culture of Barbados

There is a significant amount of West African and British influences on Barbados culture. You can see those influences in architecture, language, cuisine and many other fields when you travel to Barbados. Architecture is one of the main things where you can see the British influence very clearly. Barbados was a colony of Britain from 1625 until 1966. That's why you can see British influence, especially in its culture. The best time to travel to Barbados might be the time when colourful festivals are happening around. The capital city of Barbados, Bridgetown, is the home of many cultural establishments in the country, such as museums, art galleries and exhibitions, libraries, educational institutions, etc. Cricket is the national sport of Barbados, and people are very passionate about it. Barbados has a very interesting history and culture that you should get to know if you want to travel to Barbados.

9. Traditional food in Barbados

Food is one of the most exciting things to enjoy while you travel to different countries. You should definitely try the things you have never tried before in your own country. The local cuisine of Barbados is called Bajan cuisine and is influenced by different cultures, such as African, Portuguese, British, Irish, etc. Meat and fish are very common types of meals that have been seasoned with different local herbs and spices. Cou-cou and Fried flying fish are the two main dishes of Barbados. If you are thinking about what to do in Barbados, you should definitely try those two.

10. How expensive is Barbados?

Travel to Barbados is not that expensive. But it hugely depends on your preferences. You can either choose luxury places to stay in Barbados, cars and restaurants or some modest places to stay in Barbados, cheaper restaurants to eat. If you are on a budget and want to travel to Barbados, you can take some steps to make it more affordable. You can book your flight tickets quite early before your vacation starts. There are a lot of cheap and good quality places to eat in Barbados. Especially Oistins Fish Market is a very famous and very affordable place to eat fried fish. You can take a bus instead of a taxi to anywhere. Barbados has a good transportation system, and you will be better off if you choose much cheaper public transport over taxis.  Hopefully, this blog will be useful for you, and we wish you a good vacation in Barbados!