Barbados
Barbados is the most eastern island in the Caribbean.
While only 24 kms wide and 36 kms long, the island is crisscrossed with more than 1600 kms of paved roads, making it easy to explore.
If you value traditional courtesies combined with a warm welcome from people who know how to have a good time, then Barbados is the place for you. Barbados blends English courtliness with modern-day sophistication.
As visitors wander through the islands interior, two things will likely capture their imagination: the rolling green fields so proudly described in Barbados national anthem, and the humble chattel houses that reflect the spirit of the working people.
Capital: Bridgetown.
Currency: Barbados Dollar $1.98 = $1 USD US$ widely accepted
Population: 260,000.
Area: 166 sq mi/430 sq km.
Languages: English.
Economy: Sugar, tourism,
Currency: Barbados Dollar $1.98 = $1 USD US$ widely accepted
Population: 260,000.
Area: 166 sq mi/430 sq km.
Languages: English.
Economy: Sugar, tourism,
Religions: There are over 100 religious groups. The largest is Anglican
Government: Independent state within the British Commonwealth.
Telephone Codes: - 1 - 246
Airport Departure Tax: B$25.00.
Passport/Visa Requirements: Passports and no visas needed by citizens of Australia
Health Certificates: None required. Contact health authorities for latest information.
Shopping Hours: Monday-Friday 0800 – 1800 Saturday 0800- 1200.
Banking Hours: Monday-Thursday 0800 – 1500 : Friday 0800 – 1700
Shopping Hours: Monday-Friday 0800 – 1800 Saturday 0800- 1200.
Banking Hours: Monday-Thursday 0800 – 1500 : Friday 0800 – 1700
Time Zone: 14 hours behind Sydney (EST).No Daylight Saving Time is observed.
Voltage Requirements: 110 volts.
Weather
We are in the tropics, and believe it or not, some people actually put on a sweater in the cool night winter time breezes. Barbadians complain that the sea is cold when its 78oF !!!
It is warm and sunny all year round with an average daytime high of 75 - 85oF. The nights are usually slightly cooler.
The prevailing northeast tradewinds blow steadily so that although it is bright and sunny, it is not unbearably hot.
The rain usually comes in quick showers. The dry season lasts from January to June.
Transport:
Buses:Barbados has a good network of roads which covers the entire island. Traffic drives on the left. There is a speed limit of 60kmph (37mph per hour). The road journey from Bridgetown to Speightstown takes about 30 minutes and to Holetown or Oistins about 20 minutes.
Buses offer a frequent, comprehensive coverage of the island, flat rate of approx. Bds$1.50 for all journeys. Although cheap, buses are crowded during the rush hours.
Taxi: Taxis do not have meters but fares are regulated by the Government. Listings are available from the Tourist Office. Please ask the price before travelling.
Airport Bus Service: There is a regular bus service, costing Bds$1.50, to the city (travel time - 45 minutes) which departs every 10 minutes and a 24-hour taxi service (travel time - 30 minutes).
Barbados' distinction of having remained under British rule from its first settlement in 1627 to its Independence on November 30, 1966, profoundly affected the culture. Because of this unbroken dominion, the stoic British influence courses through every day life and the infrastructure of the island.
Yet the more flamboyant African sway pervades local life as well, and the blend of the two makes for an unmatched cultural disposition.
This fusion ripples through all facets of daily living, from the foods and music to the house styles and street names. Even the language is affected, with Queen's English being the official 'language' while the colourful local dialect remains in common usage.
More than 70 per cent of the island's 260 000 people are direct descendents from the forced mass Africa migration of the late 1600s and 1700s-the slave trade. The island also has a peaceful blend of European (primarily British) settler blood with the Afro descendents, as well as small but vibrant Hindu (India), Arab (Lebanese and Syrian) and Jewish communities.
African influence is readily seen in the art, craft and literary works produced on the island, as well as many of the foods and figures of speech. Bajans are a quick-witted, fun-loving people and their gift for the double entendre or turn of phrase is most visible through calypso and literature. Local festivals, particularly the island's biggest national festival, Crop Over, reflect specific elements of Bajan life. The primary driving force of the economy and lifestyle was the sugar crop. It was the island's largest income-earner from the late 1600s until the late 1980s, and remains a powerful influence in both the lifestyle and the economy. Crop Over is a celebration of this agricultural mainstay. The other prime economic influence is, of course, the fishing industry and festivals hailing this trade are also held.
The chattel house, a unique feature of Barbados, is one such product of the cultural side of sugar. Of necessity, plantation workers needed houses that were easily assembled and taken down so they could move from plantation to plantation. The chattel house is, in fact, perhaps the world's first true mobile home. Yet other architectural elements are distinctly British, such as the Jacobean style homes built here in the late 1600s. Barbados is the site of two of the three remaining examples of the house style in the Western Hemisphere.
The island's creative community is a vibrant one, with many artists producing work in all media, as well as a strong contingent of clothing designers and craftspeople. Drawing from the Africa, Caribbean and Anglo experience, much of the work here is distinctive and of high quality.
