After a bit of a new year blogging break – ‘more Barbados banter?’ you ask, yep, I’m kicking off with yet another Barbados post 😝 from last year’s trip (final one for this series I think). Might as well get it all out there before we skip on to other things! Again, not your average typical tourist chat, just a few very random bits that might be useful intel, especially if you’re planning a first time trip.

We’ve already covered all sorts of random bits from Bim, including a more slow travel experience, hikes, tropical storms, pottery and art, farmers markets, conversations with strangers, bay leaf tea, crab attacks and more. You can find all those other Barbados posts here if you’re interested.

Also, do let me know if you’ve blogged or vlogged any Barbados banter of your own that I’ve missed.

Anyway…..grab a drink and lets get into it.

Just a random thought on other things to do!

If you’re heading to Bim and love photography – you might want to consider hiring a private photographer offering bespoke photography excursions like Carrington Adventures (I came across him in a local tourist magazine) – similar to what I said previously about guided hikes – you won’t really see much of this sort of thing advertised to tourists, but if you seek it out, you’ll find it.

Groceries, food, shopping – and a look at some prices!

My stay was spread between self catering and all inclusive hotels so a bit of grocery shopping was part of the plan. I’ve seen people online asking questions about how much things cost in Barbados, so this might give a few random ideas.

Some of the photographs have price stickers on items, so if you enlarge the picture you’ll be able to read them.

Fish cutter: It’s like a chicken burger but it’s fish, very meaty, delicious and filling – wish I’d had more (not so bothered about the fries)….this was included in my time at Harrison’s cave, so not sure how much it cost to buy – but had to plug it because it was ‘chef’s kiss’

Chefette: leading fast-food chain in Barbados. Refreshingly, you won’t see a McDonalds sign anywhere (apparently McDonalds went bust within a few months of trying to get started on the island). There is KFC though if that’s your kind of thing – earlier that summer I’d read that KFC staff and those from similar places of employment had been striking in Barbados and engaged in talks with unions about improving working conditions, I hope things have improved for them. 

It’s not all fried food and fizzy drinks though. I went for the Chefette chicken and potato roti and an ice cold mauby drink. Came in at just over $12 BDD (around £5 at the time). The roti (wrap) is very thick and generously filled – not very spicy though, surprisingly. Chefette’s seem to be busy all the time – it’s the main ‘go-to’ chain.

Oistins: Get yourself some hearty cooked food down here, pretty good value for the amouunt of food you get served. Some of Oistin’s sellers open from lunchtime, while Friday evening is the social highlight for food and partying into the night.

A cute little Christian book shop: filled with lovely gifts, souvenirs and books.

Lots of perfect gifts to take back home…. x2 journals and a book mark Total 89.84 BDD

Herbal type shop amongst other things…The Moringa toothpaste caught my eye in this  Bridgetown shop window – I’d never heard of this before. I buy the Moringa leaf powder but never heard about this toothpaste. I’m guessing its probably fluoride free… as mentioned earlier, I did buy some Moringa seeds – which I’d never come across before either.

Woolworth in Bridgetown : Seems to be on a par with what many of us remember as Woolworths, full of a range of household and other random things.

Souvenirs

You’re never far away from a souvenir shop, and the photos below are from a shop in St Lawrence Gap where the lady who runs it actively encouraged me to take pictures, and post them wherever I like!! She knows the value of  free advertising!! The shop is absolutely ram packed by the way, including lots of beachwear. There’s even an attic floor full of T Shirts – she’s a gem, check out her shop if you’re in the area, and the other across from it selling quite a few paintings (some created by the owner himself), and other unique crafts.

I spotted one painting I really liked, with a beautiful acrylic technique (it was a bit pricey….maybe I could just paint my own).

Big shopper bag and x2 pink hats came in at $80 BBD plus another ‘freebie’ – I picked the bottle opener keyring!

Over in Bridgetown, the end closer to St Lawrence Gap – on the main road – you’ll find this little duty free department store. If you go everywhere by car or bus you probably wouldn’t notice it, but walking by it’s hard to miss.

They’ll want to see your passport when paying – plus you can pay in UK pounds (and probably other currencies).

Christmas: I saw lots of Christmas decorations for sale everywhere, they were getting ready in October.

x2 Barbados shopper bags $20 BDD each – I bought these as ‘useful’ gifts.

Grocery shopping 

Let’s turn the Barbados banter more specifically to food shopping….

If you’re not interested in the price of bread, juice, fruit and veg etc….you can skip this bit. I wanted to give some insight into some basic everyday prices for those who are particularly curious. On the whole, I think anyone from the UK will probably notice that on average, some things seem a bit more expensive than what we’re probably used to at home – unless you’ve figured out where to get the best bargains.

I spent some of my time self catering, as well as a bit of all inc. hotel. Self catering might sound like hard work, but it can be fun and quite satisfying to shop for local products and rustle up some home grown meals of your own if you’re in the mood!

Buy from small local vendors rather than big supermarkets – better prices and support small business – double win. 

Its hard to get sour sop in the UK, so I grabbed a big one from one of the random market stalls scattered outside the old town hall, but it wasn’t quite ripe to eat, the flesh wasn’t that slippery soft texture yet. When they’re a little bit browner on the outside, they’re usually ripe inside.

 

I’ve heard people say avoid Massy Stores Supermarket – it’s an expensive chain, and mostly all imported things (as you’d expect). Avoid buying brands you get at home, look for bajan produced products for the best prices. Import taxes can lead to items being triple the price that you might pay back at home. Plus – sticking to locally produced foods puts more dollars back into the local economy – another win. 

The Gap – lots of eateries to choose from plus very budget friendly street food sellers. I think I mentioned in some older Barbados blogs that some groceries (like most things really) can be – generally quite pricey in Barbados. Noticeably more expensive than UK prices for lots of things, depending on what brands you tend to buy back at home.

A small packet of chicken breast fillets came in at £12.69

Fresh coconut water £6.53

Fruit juice 1litre (concentrate – not fresh juice) £3.41

The coconut bread fast became one of my favourite must-haves, I could not get enough of it!! The birds loved it too. Plus the watermelon might just be the sweetest I’ve had anywhere.

As well as the usual packs of loo roll, you can also buy single toilet rolls!!

The sprouts below are the biggest I’ve ever seen, wow. More like a mini cabbage.

Spotted in a Pharmacy not far from Trimart

They sell individual cough sweets – like Halls for 25 cents each!

Palmolive shower cream $10.35

Bigger supermarkets are a better option than small ones in tourist heavy areas, there are lots and Google Maps is great for finding them.

Peanut cake – picked up a few of these in the airport to bring home.

Spotted

I think that’s probably enough Barbados banter for this series – but happy travels to you if you’re heading out there this year 🔆 🌴

Farewell for now Barbados

The night I flew home, the airport was practically empty –  there was no queue for security as I went through it….then it was perfect browsing the empty shops. One of the sales assistants said it was ‘unusually quiet’ 🤔

I was ready for home.

Another sign I’d travelled slow is that when it was time to go home I didn’t feel sad or robbed. Instead, as well as feeling super grateful ✨ I felt content, like after hearty filling meal, well fed and not needing anything more.

When was the last time you felt like this after a trip somewhere?

Readers and fellow bloggers, I hope you’re all well 🙏 🤗 I’ll be catching up with your blog posts very soon….blog binge pending💫