Weather

This easternmost Caribbean island cooled by constant sea breezes, the tropical climate is sunnier and drier than on other islands. The dry season is from December to June; from July to November, the occasional brief rain showers occur. Average sunshine hours per day: eight to ten from November to March and eight or nine from April to October.

Visa, Immigration, Customs

Passport valid for your scheduled length of stay. If it is not apparent to a border official that you are only visiting Barbados (by presenting your itinerary and/or return ticket) you might be asked to provide the address of your accommodations and your planned departure date. Regulations change periodically. Please contact the consulate office closest to you.

Government issued identification cards such as a Birth Certificate or proof of citizenship/naturalisation accompanied by photo ID such as a Driver's License. Many visitors enter this country as part of a sea cruise. You must have a valid passport for such a trip. Some of the countries you may be visiting will not permit entry without a passport. Ship authorities may retain your passport during the cruise, in accordance with their own administrative regulations and to facilitate clearance with local Immigration Authorities. Passengers should obtain a receipt for their passport, and the passport should be returned at the end of the cruise.

Visa/Permit/Tourist Card:No visa required for stays of up to 6 months.

Single parents or other adults vacationing alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country.

Transportation

Barbados' Grantley Adams International Airport is on the island's southern coast, 16km (10mi) southeast of Bridgetown. There are not many car rental agencies at the airport, but you may catch a taxi to their destination or simply walk out of the airport and take a local bus. There are no internal air services.

Travel by Water:Barbados has a deep water harbour at Bridgetown. Many cruise ships stop there and it is a short walk into the bustling town.

Travel by Road:A good network of roads covers the island. Drive on the left. The speed limit is 60kph (37mph) in towns and 80kph (55mph) on the highway. It takes 30 minutes from Bridgetown to drive to Speightstown and about 20 to Holetown or Oistins. Driving time to the east coast is much shorter now that the trans-insular highway in finished.

Renting a car is another good way of getting around. There are many car rental agencies but none is international, so just call to book a car and someone will come by your hotel to pick you up. Temporary driving permits are required though not expensive, and can be purchased through your rental agency. You can rent anything from a mini-moke to a limousine at the airport, and bicycles are for rent in Hastings and Maxwell.
Taxi fares are regulated by the Government, with listings are available from the Tourist Office. But it's wise to agree on the fare before you set out, especially if you're sightseeing.


What Side of the Road?:Driving is on the left side of the road.
Speed Limits:All roads - 60 kph; main highways - 80 kph

Culture & Food

Languages Spoken: English.

Religions:Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%

People and Culture:The national sport? Cricket! with more world-class cricket players per capita than any other nation. Cricket legend Sir Frank Worrell appears on the face of Barbados' five-dollar bill; all-rounder Garfield Sobers was knighted in 1975.
Barbados was under British rule from its first settlement in 1627 to Independence, November 30, 1966, so British influence deeply ingrained in its culture. The more flamboyant African culture pervades local life as well, from music to street names, from the Queen's English to the commonly-spoken local dialect. The songs of calypso artist the Mighty Gabby speak for emerging black pride throughout the Caribbean. African influence is readily seen in the art, craft and literary works of the island. Bajans are witty and enjoy double entendre, as calypso music and their literature show. Get to the biggest of the island's national festivals, Crop Over.
A resident or national of Barbados is called Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial). The Term used to describe things from here is Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial). For example, Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial) food.

Tipping and Bargaining: Tipping is accepted.

Restaurants:	A 10% service charge is usually added the bill, but recognising exeptional service is always appreciated
*Porters:	2 Barbadian Dollars a bag is customary
Taxi:	Taxi drivers appreciate a 10% tip.

* Try to use local currency. Foreign coins cannot be exchanged and will be useless to the person receiving them. Foreign paper money requires a trip to the bank for exchange. However paper US dollars are accepted almost universally.

Food:It's spicy! To British cooking have been added the cuisines of several more flavourful seasonings, including chillies and thyme, the unofficial national Bajan seasoning. African slaves brought Coo-Coo, made with cornmeal and okra; Jug-Jug, a mixture of Guinea flour and peas; and pepperpot, a spicy stew-not to mention their language, music and art. You will also find roti, an Indian-Caribbean dish, and conkies, a vegetarian mixture of cornmeal, coconut, pumpkin, raisins, sweet potatoes and spices steamed in banana leaves. Traditional cuisine includes chicken and fresh fish, with fried flying fish a specialty. Try stuffed crabs. Local dishes are fried or curried and served with yams, cassava, sweet potato and plantain. Local fruits include grapefruit, mangoes, guavas, passion fruit and sugar apples. International cuisine is also widely available. Barbados rum is considered one of the world's best rums.

Money Conversion

Barbados's currency is called the Barbadian dollar (BBD)

Currency Converter :use the following currency converter tool to help you with your vacation. Currency Convertor Tool

Currency Cheat Sheet:use the following currency cheat sheet as a quick conversion reference on your vacation.Currency Cheat Sheet

Attractions

Destination Cities: Bridgetown is the capital, a modern commercial city on Carlisle Bay, the only natural harbour. Among the sights are rum shops and chattel houses, monumental obelisks, gothic parliament buildings, and the Anglican cathedral. Don't miss the synagogue; the first one on this site was built in the 1600s, when Barbados had a sizable Jewish population. Shop on Broad Street. Holetown, founded in the 1620s, is the oldest town in Barbados and a major tourist destination. St James Church, a 19th-century structure bearing traces of its 17th-century past, has a bell inscribed with the name of King William. Folkestone Park fronts a narrow beach where you can snorkel or surf, depending on the waves. There's a marine museum in the park with exhibits on fishing and boat building. Take a picnic. St Lawrence: Several quiet towns along the south-western coast provide much of the island's low to mid-range accommodations and some excellent beaches. St Lawrence, about 15km (9mi) southeast of Bridgetown, is the liveliest. Dover Beach has powdery white sand. A few minutes' walk west along the beach at low tide brings you to the towns of Worthing and Hastings (no you're not in England), with local crafts.

Points of Interest:Outlying urban centres include, in the south, Oistins, a busy fishing village, and, northwards along the west coast, Holetown, with shopping centres, restaurants and such. Up in St. Peter, the fishing village of Speightstown, with old time balconied wooden buildings. is still very reminiscent of its bygone days