About Barbados
Our capital Bridgetown was once one of the major ports around the world, with the first US settlers setting sail from Barbados. It is also the only place outside of the USA that George Washington visited.
You will find Barbadians, known as Bajans, to be warm and friendly and always willing to point you in the right direction if you get lost.
Currency
Getting here
Accommodation
We recommend that you stay on the south coast to be close by to the clinic for your procedures and these two self catering options are both within walking distance of the clinic.
Getting Around
You may wish to hire a car while you are on the island, for US visitors please note we drive on the left in Barbados! If you hire a car, it’s a great way to see the island, a full island tour along the south coast, through Bridgetown and up the west coast, along the northern tip and back down the east coast will take about 3 hours.
There will be plenty of photo opportunities as the west coast and east coast differ dramatically.
On the west coast you will see the 9 mike stretch of platinum coast surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, where the rich and famous have properties and is also home to the world famous Sandy Lane Hotel where Tiger Woods got married. Here you will also find many famous golf courses including Sandy Lane Golf Course, Royal Westmoreland and Apes Hill.
The dramatic East coast is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and is home to the world famous ‘Soupbowl’, a favourite with international professional surfers. Here in Bathsheba you can stop for lunch on the cliff top and watch the surfers in action!
Public transport
There is also the option to get around Barbados like a local and jump on a ZR. These are white mini vans and you identify them by the ZR on the number plate. The standard fare is $2.00BDS no matter how far you go, they can get quite crowded and are renowned for playing loud reggae music, but are good fun for the experience! You can take a ZR all the way along the south coast main road where our clinic is located all the way in to historic Bridgetown.
There are also regular buses, with more seating and are less crowded than the ZR’s. The buses are blue and yellow and can be caught from any bus stop.
Taxis
Taxis operate from the airport and in St. Lawrence Gap. Your hotel reception can also call one for you. There are also white mini vans that are identified with ZM on their number plate.
Eating out
On a Friday night you should also try Oistins Fish Fry, where you can mingle with the locals and share tables to enjoy the fresh catch of the day. Oistins is a small fishing down on the south coast. Get there early as queues for food can be quite long and it gets very busy as the evening goes on. If you get there for about 6pm, you should get served quickly and get a table!
Places to visit
On the south coast, at the Garrison Savannah you can visit George Washington House. The US president stayed here for 2 months while his brother was recuperating. The house has been restored to show how it would have looked when George Washington stayed there.
In our capital Bridgetown you will find plenty of duty free shopping on Broad Street. There are big savings to be had on more expensive items such as diamonds, emeralds, designer watches and electronic goods.
While you are in Bridgetown it is also worth visiting the Jewish Synagogue, which is the oldest in the Western Hemisphere.
There are some wonderful Plantation Houses to visit on the island such as St. Nicholas Abbey on the East Coast and Sunbury Plantation House in St. Philip.
There are many beautiful beaches in Barbados, but you should try to visit Crane Beach in St. Philip as this is listed as one of the top 10 beaches in the world!
If you are looking for some nightlife and fancy dancing the night away then head to St. Lawrence Gap on the south coast. Here you will find plenty of good restaurants and bars.
Things to do
There is a large horse racing track at The Garrison, with many regular meetings with international horses and jockeys.
Polo is a huge sport in Barbados with many international greats like Argentina gracing the field. Holders Hill on the west coast has a good polo ground and is a great day out.
If either you or your partner enjoys a round of golf then you will be spoilt for choice of where to play in Barbados. Some of the courses can be expensive, but there is a nice course at Rockley Resort on the south coast that won’t break the bank for a couple of rounds.
Barbados is renowned for its giant leatherback turtles that live in our waters. There is no greater experience than taking a catamaran cruise to swim with the turtles.
There is also a big water-sports community in Barbados with many instructors if you fancy learning how to Windsurf, Surf or Kite Surf. Best beaches for kite surfing and windsurfing are on the south coast at Silver Sands Beach or Silver Rock Beach. For surfing a great south coast beach is Freights Bay, and for the more experienced head up to ‘Soupbowl’ in Bathsheba.
If you like car racing then we have an excellent track at Bushy Park, where the likes of Lewis Hamilton have given their Formula One cars a good spin!
The great thing about Barbados is that you can do as little or as much as you like! We hope you have a great stay while you are with us undergoing treatment.
Please contact our patient liaison officer Danielle Wilson for any further information.