paulajayne

Hi all
I'm about to fly out to Barbados in a couple of days to the st phillips area and will be spending 3 months there due to OH work contract was just wondering if anyone knows the area and if there are anythings i must see and any places to avoid

Thank you

love PJ

shines

Hiya,

If you have access to a car I would say visit everything!

I can't think of anywhere/thing you should really avoid...

Have a great time.

Sue

paulajayne

Thanks
Dont have a car but dont have one here in France either so thats not a huge problem - the one problem i have is my 3 year old daughter and finding places she can play with other children

PJ

zanne

I have spent a bit of time here without a car, and with a 2.5yo, and it isn't easy--I would recommend that you at least hire a car for one day a week so you can get out. You will be miserable without transportation during the week, trust me.

paulajayne

Hi
Thanks for the advice but unfortunatley i dont drive we will be walking anywhere we need to or getting taxis which is what we do here anyway, and where we are here in France its an hour walk to the nearest supermarket so it really wont be a problem

Thanks again

PJ

zanne

Oh okay, be certain to make friends with a good taxi driver then and you can call him (most are men) when you need him-- I know quite a few from my car less days here in Ch.Ch. Anyway, driving here will shave years off your life! It can be really stressful if you let it!

I have a 2.5yo, and other on the board have young ones too...stay in touch.

shines

Just bear in mind there are not a lot of pavements/sidewalks in Barbados and the roads are not very wide either in places. The buses are pretty frequent though and only $1.50 per trip.

I also have a 3 yr old daughter so let us know when you arrive and maybe they can get together to play sometime....

Have a safe journey,

Sue

Bajanboy

Hi Paulajayne:

I would not advise to live in St. Philip without a car. Probably the only thing that will be walking distance will be the beach (but St. Philip is a big parish so you could be quite a walk away from that).

As someone else pointed out, there will be very few sidewalks around, so you will need to exercise care when out and about.

There are only a handful of restaurants in St. Phillip, mostly at the Crane, and they are expensive. You could take a bus to more developed areas, but they will only come by once or twice an hour. A taxi will cost you Bds$40 - $50 one way to the south coast.

The sea is St. Phillip is also very rough and only experienced swimmers should venture in. Definitely not a young child. The beaches are beautiful (such as the Crane, Foul Bay and Bottom Bay), but swimming is restricted. Some of the areas are also quite desolate, so you will need to be careful going there alone.

Depending on where you live, it could be a five km walk to the Supermarket at Six Cross Roads, the commercial centre of St. Phillip. Not something you would want to do in the midday sun with a young child in tow.

Hope this message does not come across too negative, but I am just trying to give you a realistic picture of what to expect.

Kind regards

John

zanne

I agree, I live in Ch.Ch. within walking distance to the Mall and the Supermarket, I have walked to the mall on many occasions but with the traffic, etc and the non-existent sidewalks it is difficult. I have never walked to the market, I wouldn't even try it. I was without a car for the whole month of October basically and I went batty-- I have a vegetable garden that keeps me busy, do you have any hobbies or anything you plan to do at home? Bring lots of books/magazines, and art supplies for your daughter, coloring, etc.

paulajayne

Hi all
thank you all your replies have been wonderful and very helpful

Myself and my daughter are used to walking and as we are in a rural area of france there are no pavements here either its quite exciting that ill actually be able to get on a bus we only have 2 a week on the same day one going into the town and one coming back out

Have looked into the area and can understand all the comments - it was my oh who found the place we are staying and it wouldnt have been my first choice but we like seclusion to some extent - well he does

the invitations to meet up so the little ones can play sounds great i actually arrive on friday 12th so once weve caught up on our sleep a little we will be taking a walk to the shops for the basics.

I design and make beaded jewellery so i am hoping to get some new pieces made while i am there - and have a look for some interesting beads
the main thing we were worried about was that a lot of the time myself and my daughter would be there alone and just concerned about the area in general - i know a lot of the tourist website say is generally safe everywhere but its not the same ( or as truthful as asking somewhere who lives there)
but in all very excited about it looking forward to not having to wear 5 layers of clothing its been hitting lows of -7 here so pretty cold



Thanks again for all your comments i am finding them a great help

PJ

p.s we will be staying quite close to bottom bay

Thank you again for all your comments

zanne

If you have projects to work on you will be fine...my gardening takes up much of my time and my son is my little assistant, some times there is more emphasis on the first syllable, sometimes he is very helpful. My husband is obsessed with moving to Harry Smith, which is just north of Sam Lord's Castle and the Crane. It is really beautiful out there.

Good luck!

Bajanboy

PaulaJayne:

Bottom Bay is really beautiful. I was born there (the area arround there is called Harrysmith). I believe that there is a local mini mart not too far from there (20 minutes walk which should be nothing for you ).

As far as safety is concerned, the area is quite safe, but be careful about coming across too friendly with the local guys who hang out in the area. They will interpret friendliness by you as a desire to have sex. Avoid being alone with anyone until you get to know them well. Make friends with your neighbours and perhaps go to the beach with them.

Here is the satellite view of the area from Google maps so you can begin to explore even before you get there. Have fun.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=1...&t=h&z=17&om=1

Regards

John

zanne

Bajanboy...this is slightly off the topic, but since you are familiar with Harry Smith do you know anything of the rundown house on the cliffside with the pool in the shape of Barbados, my husband is so obsessed with going out there to imagine what it must of been like it's heyday.

Thanks!

username 34

not to be negative but really - having no car in rural france and having no car in Barbados are 2 totally different things!

Its nothing like being in France, the roads are far more dangerous, its much hotter, the roads are in serious bad repair in many places, many many people flout the drink driving laws and there are drunk drivers from morning till night (a sad fact but true), no real sidewalks to speak of, mad manic buses overtaking and stopping with no regard for other drivers, etc etc etc

I would get a license, learn to drive, or else confine yourself to a VERY local area which to walk around in with sidewalks and for everything else get a cab.

I certainly wouldnt be walking around the streets of Barbados with my 3 year old in a buggy - especially on the main south coast road