prettykittykat

Hello, I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm a new member and found this forum through a Google search. I've read a few of the posts here and I'm hoping that I can get some helpful information as I'm taking an extended holiday for three months in Barbados!

9 more sleeps until I'll be complaining about the lack of A/C as opposed to the -4 weather

annie1969

Hi There,

Just read your post and I'm also fairly new to this site. I'm also off on an extended trip to barbados on 24th Jan for 9 weeks!!!! Looking forward to saying goodbye to this snow.

Regards
Ann-Marie

expat_wannabe07

Welcome to the forum - you will find loads of useful info here. Whereabouts will you be based on the island??

Sara

prettykittykat

Thanks for the welcomes! I'll be just outside of Oistins I believe. At this point that means pretty much nothing to me haha but I hope it's a good thing.

Serendipidy

Welcome Kitty Kat

Hope you have a great time and im sure once ya get here you will come across a need for the forum lol - so much lil stuff to find out that you just take for granted in uk

prettykittykat

Thanks Serendipity! My friends have given me tips etc... as they're Bajan so hopefully all will run smoothly, eventually I'm actually Canadian but I'm sure I'll go through the same .. ahem.. culture shocks let's say that you all have run in to. haha. I just need to get out of my -15 weather right now. Anything is better than this.

7 more sleeps!

vikki85

You must be so excited. You will have a fab time. Any questions, just let us know.

prettykittykat

Very excited! It's going to be a great experience for my daughter and I. (I hope we don't get on each others nerves too much haha).

The only thing that is making me a wee bit apprehensive is I've had a few people now over the past week or so severely warn me on how dangerous Barbados is, comment that I'm crazy for going there because it's so dangerous and have had a million or so people go on and on how expensive it is there.

I know that things are imported and are going to naturally cost more but I'm getting a bit nervous after all these comments. I'm going to post a separate thread I think to try to form a cheat sheet of sorts.

4 more sleeps! woohoooo!

Sunniebgi

Expensive.. maybe so.. for certain things.. Dangerous.. not so much.. maybe they think you are going to Jamaica or Trinidad.. or they think they can lump the whole of the Caribbean in to one word.. but Dangerous is not a word I would associate with Barbados. Just take the normal precautions, be aware and not stupid and you should be fine.

Ikon

I agree, I feel considerably safer in Barbados than I did in London.....

reslax

Who are the people who have told you Barbados is dangerous? Are they Bajans, Canadians, or others? I ask you this because I have had people from a certain country that shall remain nameless ask me if Barbados is in Jamaica and make comments that caused me to believe they lump all of the islands together and don't distinguish between them. In other words, if they hear something terrible happened in Jamaica, they assume it happened in Barbados. It is sad, but true. Also, Bajans who have never lived abroad and don't have anything to compare crime in Barbados to feel that the crime rate is very high in Barbados when in comparison to other places, the crime rate is very low. Personally I and some of my family members have been victims of crime in the United States ranging from home and car burglaries to armed robbery. Most of my friends and relatives who have never lived outside of Barbados have never been the victims of crime, so go figure.

BeachZombie

We moved here in August from Southern Ontario, Canada and we learn something new everyday. People told us all sorts of stories about Barbados. The one story I still laugh at included “Most of the people in Barbados walk around with guns”. I’m starting to wonder if these stories are made up on purpose to scare people away from moving here. Most of what we were told couldn’t be more wrong. This place is safe…but that doesn’t mean you can just walk around on an empty beach in the middle of the night. Common sense is a must.

You’re going to notice how nice the majority of Bajans are compared to us “nice” Canadians.
The driving was really hard to get used to at first.
Lots of expensive things….you will learn to find deals.
You’ll think you’re getting bad service, don’t take it personal. It’s just different but you get used to it.
You will encounter some bad service, don’t take it personal. Not worth your time.
Don’t be scared to start a conversation with people. Especially some of the older folks. They have a wealth of knowledge and can tell you many stories about the way life used to be on the island.

This has been my experience over the last 5 1/2 months. It may be different than someone who has been living here for years.

Zombie

BeachZombie

Oh, one more thing. While looking at travel information for Barbados I stumbled on the US Department of state site. They have travel info for Americans about visiting countries. Checkout the one for Canada....If I didn't live there I would think the place was pretty scary. I'm pretty sure you feel safe living there as well.


Here is what they list:
CRIME: Although Canada generally has a lower crime rate than the U.S., violent crimes do occur throughout the country, especially in urban areas. Visitors to large cities should be aware that parked cars are regularly targeted for opportunistic smash-and-grab thefts, and they are cautioned to avoid leaving any possessions unattended in a vehicle, even in the trunk. Due to the high incidence of such crimes, motorists in Montreal, Vancouver and some other jurisdictions can be fined for leaving their car doors unlocked or for leaving valuables in view. Auto theft in Montreal and Vancouver, including theft of motor homes and recreational vehicles, may even occur in patrolled and apparently secure parking lots and decks. SUVs appear to be the particular targets of organized theft. While Canadian gun control laws are much stricter than those of the U.S., such laws have not prevented gun-related violence in certain areas.

In many countries around the world, counterfeit and pirated goods are widely available. Transactions involving such products may be illegal under local law. In addition, bringing them back to the United States may result in forfeitures and/or fines.

prettykittykat

Zombie, that Canada travel warning is a scream! haha.

prettykittykat

PS: My travel practice revolves around using common sense and my gut feeling quite a bit. I mean really I can get mugged in Toronto or any where that I go.