Some people live for the weekend, my family lives for vacation. And after the winter we endured in New Jersey we were more than ready to get away.  

We traveled to Barbados for the first time this past April.  And we fell in LOVE!  There is just something about the island and it's people.  It's wonderful mix of British roots and island living that gives Barbados a friendly, laid back vibe. 

We rented a house on the South Coast across from Freight's Bay.  Freight's Bay is a great beginner/ longboarder surf break, with amazing views of the South Coast.

 One of our favorite beaches was within walking distance.   Miami Beach (also known as Enterprise Beach) is a nice sandy beach with public bathrooms, lots of shade and a food truck with sodas and beers to boot.  

Another one of our favorite beaches was at Carlton Bay also known as Pebbles Beach.  This beautiful bay is home to amazing snorkeling and tons of turtles.  It also had the perfect knee high waves for our kids to surf.  So we spent the majority of our vacation in waste deep, crystal clear water pushing our little guys into endless pint sized waves.  It couldn't have been more perfect!  

Some things to keep in mind if you are traveling to Barbados.

- The weather is usually Sunny with passing clouds or rainshowers and temps ranging in the low to mid 80's

- Barbados has it's own currency, but most businesses accept both Bajan money and US.  The breakdown is approx. $1 US dollar = $2 Bajan.  

- They drive on the left in Barbados.  Many of the streets are not marked so be prepared to stop and ask directions.   

If you do book a trip to Barbados, plan on eating at least one meal at Oistin's Fish Fry.  Oistins is a small fishing village on the South Coast not far from where we stayed.  The town is famous for its open air fish market as well as it's Friday night fish fry.  Hundreds of people flock to the small town on Friday nights to sample local fresh fish dishes featuring flying fish, mahi, tuna, swordfish, lobster and more.   There is also music and some of the most amazing break dancing I have ever seen.  Totally worth the trip - but get there earlier that we did because it gets VERY crowded!

One of our favorite restaurants not to be missed is The Surfer's Bar in South Point.  The is a VERY laidback beach bar with amazing views and even more amazing food.  It's no frill, but that is the way we like it so it was a perfect spot for us! 

Another one of my favorite things about Barbados was the beautiful colors and unique details of the Bajan chattel houses.  Some of these modest chattel houses date back to the mid 1800's when plantation workers has to be able to move from plantation to plantation and take their house with them.  Newer chattel houses are more notable for their ornate details and bright colors.

Barbados has many things to offer for all different styles of travel.  You can do luxury in a big way or you can travel like we did on a budget.  Whatever works for you, Barbados has lots to offer.  

If you can't tell - we have fallen in love and will definitely be going back.  So stayed tuned for a follow up post some time in the future.