B a r b a d o s

Country Overview

• Country: Barbados• Capitol city &code: Bridgetown: BGI

(Grantley Adams International Airport)• Major cities

Bathsheba, BarbadosBlackmans, BarbadosGreenland, BarbadosOistins, BarbadosCrab Hill, Barbados

Country Overview (Continued)

• Currency: Barbadian dollar(Bds$)1$= 0.49cents in CAN$

• Official Language: English• Other Languages: some African words are

also spoken with English (Bajan Creole)• National Airline:

Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) is the

only airport in Barbados

• Major Religion: the majority (63 percent) of Barbadians are Protestant Christians.

Climate/Weather Patterns

• The tropical climate provides an average year-round temperature of 29°C.

• The temperature can get in to 15-22C at night in the winter

• Hurricane Season (July-October)

Cultural Patterns

• Holidays and Celebrations- Holetown Festival (a week in February) :

Celebrates the arrival of the first settlers-Oisins Fish Festival (held on Easter weekend) :

Tribute to the fishing industry-Crop Over Festival (June- early August):

Celebrates the end of the sugarcane harvest-National Independence Festival of the

Creative Art (November): Celebrating Barbadians’ talen

Culture pattern (Continued)

• Barbados Staples (rice, peas, potatoes, chicken, and fish)

• Cou Cou (made of okra and cornmeal)• Seafood (Lobster, Shrimp, Red Snapper,

Tuna)• Conkies (cornmeal, coconut, pumpkin,

raisins, sweet potatoes, and spices steamed in a banana Leaf)

Cultural Patterns (Continued)

• Customs-They greet people by handshaking and a smile

(not doing so is considered rude)-Sunday lunch is a traditional family meal.-(For most people)the traditional teatime has

been replaced with midmorning and midafternoon

-Friends and relatives may visit at home unannounced, usually on weekend afternoons.

-Visits often take place on the patio or front porch.

Travel Advisories

• Don’t leave valuables unattended (most common crimes)

• Lock your car• Be aware of surroundings• Avoid dark, deserted and remote

areas (beach)• Be polite but stay firm with street

and beach vendors

Miscellaneous Considerations for Travellers

(refer to “Selling Destinations” text or a website)• - Allow to dress casually• - Shirt suit generally is accepted everywhere but

formal suit is required for certain events• - Swimwear is limited to the beach and is not

worn in the city or other public places• - Often theft and street crime occur in Bridetown• - Avoid the rainy season (June to November)• - Most rain with tropical rainstorms is in

November• - High seasons are December to May

Lodging Options

Include: location, near attractions, price (high and low season), hotel amenities, meals included,

What type of traveler would this hotel appeal to?

1. Crystal Cove Hotel• Located in Saint James• Located along the coast of the Caribbean Sea• Just 20kms from Grantley Adams International Airport• All inclusive resort• Outdoor pools, snorkeling, windsurfing, and kayaking• Royal Westmoreland Golf Club is a 15 minutes’ drive from

hotel• Price staring from $389.26

Lodging options (Continued)

2. Hilton Hotel• Needham’s Point St Micheal Bridgetown• Price starting from $179• Pool, fitness centre, tennis court, and

Kidz Paradise Club• Can reach world class golf, fishing,

sailing, and scuba diving activities easily near the Hotel

• Carlisle Bay

Lodging options (Continued)

3. Time Out Hotel• Located on the South Coast of Barbados, in

the St. Lawrence Cap area• Located in the capital of Barbadas’ nightlife• Offers pool, jet ski, windsurf, and sailing• Bover Beach is 20 steps away from the

Hotel• Golfing, Harrison’s cave and Historic

Carrison are nearby hotel• Price starts from $61

Area Transportation

• Air - only one airport located in Barbado. - Grantley Adams International Airport is located 8 miles

southeast of Bridgetown. (BGI)      - Entrance and check in area is has a open concept (basically

outside, but with a roof). - Airport has everything from shops to restaurants- There are no boarding bridges, but when passengers

areexisting the aircraft, there is a shuttle bus located outside for passengers to be picked up to be brought to customs and area of pick up of luggage. 

Area Transportation(Continued)

• Bus - Large public buses.

  - Small minibuses.  - Route Taxis - privately owned white vans   - Flat rate of BDS$1.50 (Approx. CND$0.75) on

all busses. - Usually full during rush hour (Monday - Thursday

7-8:30am, 3:30-6pm) due to locals coming home from work and school.- Beachwear is not appropriate on the buses.

Area Transportation(Continued)

• Car- Most house holds have a car

    - Drives on the left side of the car (like london)    - There are many locations for car rentals, though it is no

ideal to drive.    - Must have a valid drivers licenses and must register with

police for a Barbados drivers licenses for BDS$10 (Approx. CND$5)

    - Rental pricing starts from BDS$160-$185 (Approx. CND$80-$92.50) to BDS$225 (Approx. CND$112.5) a day

    - Roads are very narrow in the city and congested     - Only recommended if you want to explore the countryside

Area Transportation(Continued)

• Ship - Majority of Ships dock at Deep Water Harbour

     - 1 mile west of Bridgetown• Taxi

- Can be expensive but fare can be negotiated before hand    - Taxi drives are very kind and friendly and know a lot of history and

information about the country which makes them great tour guides- Official rate is about BDS$90/hr driving time and BDS$14/hr waiting time (per car)

• Flex Bicycle  - Available for BDS$40 per day

• Rentals         - Hard to ride if you are not use to the roads, because they are very narrow and not all roads are paved.

Major Attractions

• A one-hour ride pasHarrison's Cave—Offers t spectacular stalagmites, stalactites, underground rivers and waterfalls on a subterranean tram.

• East Point Lighthouse at Ragged Point—As the most easterly place on the island, the lighthouse offers some particularly nice views of the wild east-coast surf.

• Barbados Museum—A relaxing place to spend a few hours—its exhibits depict the island's colorful heritage, including the colonial era.

Major Attractions (Continued)

• Sunbury Plantation House & Museum—More than 300 years old but completely restored after a fire, this is the only plantation home in Barbados that opens all of its rooms to the public.

• Andromeda Botanical Gardens—Contains the private gardens and botanical collection of the late Iris Bannochie, who was a world-renowned horticulturist.

Geographic Features

•Ocean - Barbados is a small island that is located in the middle of the

ocean all by itself. Atlantic ocean surrounds the East coast of Barbados, while the Caribbean Sea covers the West side.

•Rivers - Bruce Vale River, Joes River, Long Pond River, Constitution

River, Indian River •Lake - Barbados do not have lakes on their island•Mountain - Mountain Hillaby - located in St. Andrew outlooks Eastern and

Northern sections of the island

- highest point of the island (1,115 ft. above sea level

Details

• Local foodjug-jug (Green peas, meats and corn flour)

• Local drinkMauby (A bittersweet local drink made from tree bark and sugar)

• Local shopping itemFinest rum (Mount Gay being the best-known brand)

Work cited

http://www.weissmannonline.com/http://online.culturegrams.com/