Barbados Dress Code Courtesy of the Wandering Scotsman
If you are heading to Barbados for a trip, whether it is a holiday or pleasure it is imperative that you come prepared with the correct clothes. It kind of gets hot in Barbados all year round and for me having the correct clothes should be an essential part of your planning for your trip.
Barbados Dress Code Tips:
Beach Wear:
There are no nudist or topless beaches in Barbados, so you will need to bring either a swimming shorts or trunks for the guys and either a bikini or swimsuit for the ladies. Guys if you intend on wearing swimming trunks get a second opinion as to whether you look good in them or if your are going to be laughing stock on the beach. Ladies if you have big belly and need to lose some weight, give the bikini a miss.
As I mentioned earlier there is no topless beaches in Barbados, yet form time to time at the various beaches here, you will see these out of shape 40+ British or American ladies who will every chance they get flash there out of shapes boobs on the beach. I’m not sure if it is some sort of mating ritual to try and attract a rent a man for a few weeks. Here is some free advice, you do not need to flash, you will find a rent a man, no problem, there are lots of them going about, they will find you no matter how out of shape and ugly you are!
Day Wear:
I would say the best clothes you could wear during the day, when you are on trips or tours, is to wear a loose pair of lightweight shorts and a vest, because believe me it gets real hot during the day.
During the day whether at the beach or on trips I would recommend a pair of sunglasses, hat, sun block and suntan lotion. I know from experience that even when the sun isn’t shining, that it is easy to get burnt, if you do not take precautions. Also I think crocs are ideal for footwear, they are great for the both the beach and daytime walking about.
Eveningwear:
The last thing you want to be wearing during the evening in Barbados is a pair of jeans. Guys I would recommend either a nice pair of shorts or lightweight trousers and a loose cotton or linen shirt, and it goes without saying loose boxer shorts. For the ladies what about a lightweight cotton or linen dress, with not much underneath to keep you cool.
If you find a restaurant that expects you to wear a shirt and tie and a jacket, I would recommend that you go find somewhere else to eat.
Even though the temperature cools down a wee bit once the sun has set in Barbados, you have to remember you are in the Caribbean it still stays fairly all the time no matter what the time of the day is.
Business Wear:
If you are on the island for business I would recommend wearing short sleeved shirt and lightweight suit, ladies dress elegantly and make sure your clothes are lightweight.
Always carry a hankie when out at night or on a business meeting, they are great for wiping the sweat from your forehead.
When in Barbados if you dress properly for the heat that you will experience and take the proper precautions to prevent sun damage to your skin, you should have an excellent trip. One last piece of advice that you will have heard a thousand times, drink plenty of cool fruit juices and water to prevent dehydration.
Barbados Emergency Phone Numbers
When on holiday in Barbados it is a good idea to have a list of the essential emergency telephone numbers just in case they are required. It is most definitely a good idea to have them before you need them, rather than scrabbling around trying to find the appropriate emergency number when you need it.
Barbados Emergency Phone Numbers:
Police: 211 or 430-7100
Ambulance Service: 511
Fire Service: 311
Barbados Red Cross Ambulance Service: 417- 2727
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, St Michal: 436-6450
FMH Emergency Medical Centre, Belleville, St Michael: 228-6120
Sandy Crest Medical Centre, St James: 419- 4911
Telephone Information: 411
You never know when they may be required so why not print this list off and keep a copy in your wallet or purse when you are visiting Barbados.
For some more great pieces of essential Barbados travel information, read the following articles, Barbados Currency Is Dollars, Of Course It Is and Barbados A Caribbean Island Paradise.
Old Stone Jetty, Oh What a Great Place
I took this picture of an old stone jetty at the hotel, which I was staying at St Lawrence Gap in Barbados. I use to love standing on that old ruined jetty watching the waves or the sun setting at the end of the day. For me it is a very special place, it may be on the grounds of the hotel, but there would usually never be very many people at the jetty, so my family and myself would most of the time have it all to ourselves.
What can I say apart from what a place, what a view and that I shall return.
To read all about where The Barbados Blog began, read the first ever article on this blog, A Blog All About Barbados, Is It Really Paradise!
The Desire To Travel Is In the Blood of the Wandering Scotsman
I may be living in Barbados, which is over 3000 miles from my homeland of Scotland, but I still have a strong desire to travel and explore new lands. But due to work and the desire to build up a successful business, I will for the foreseeable future just have to dream about the many new places that I look forward to visiting.
Because I’m now living in the Caribbean region I plan on over the next few years visiting as many of the islands over here as I can, such as Dominica, St Lucia, Trinidad, Bahamas, Turks & Cacaos and many more.
Until I have the time to explore the rest of what the Caribbean has to offer I will have to content myself with inspirational travel quotes from people that truly understand the benefits and life enhancing experiences that are gained from traveling. I for one truly understand the importance of traveling and it is most certainly in my blood to go and experience new places, people and environments.
Here are some well known travel quotations that I find inspirational:
1. “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” - Miriam Beard
2. “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” - Helen Keller
3. “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” - Henry Miller
4. “A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” - John Steinbeck
5. “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” - James Michener
6. “Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey.” - Fitzhugh Mullan
7. “Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” - Benjamin Disraeli
8. “We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” - Jawaharal Nehru
9. “Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.” - Anatole France
10. “All the pathos and irony of leaving one’s youth behind is thus implicit in every joyous moment of travel: one knows that the first joy can never be recovered, and the wise traveler learns not to repeat successes but tries new places all the time.” – Paul Fussel
I know at some point in the future I will have my business at a level which will give me the time and income to travel when I desire too. The Wandering Scotsman will soon be back on his travels enjoying life to the max.
For some more inspirational quotations as according to the Wandering Scotsman, 10 Inspirational Travel Quotations’s To Inspire You.
Good Manners Still Exist In Barbados
One thing that I appreciate about Barbados is the simple thing in life, and for me this includes good manners. Back home in Scotland you could virtually walk past most of your neighbors without even acknowledging them let alone speaking to them. That is a sign of the times in the land I use to life in and I know from friends and relatives that this is the case in most places within the UK as a whole.
I usually take my dog out for a walk about 6am and when I pass people that live in my neighborhood in Barbados I will get a friendly good morning greeting with a smile. Or like yesterday early evening I was doing something to my fence and it wouldn’t matter if it was a wee kid passing by or a beautiful lady or an elderly person I would get a friendly good evening greeting.
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to be nice to people and greeting people that live nearby in a friendly manner is something that should come naturally to us all. It doesn’t take a take a lot of effort to show some good manners as we go about our daily business. I personally treat people how I would like to be treated, and that is with good manners, courtesy and respect. For me there is no other way to conduct yourself, when dealing with fellow human beings.
I for one am glad that good manners still exist in the neighborhood that I call home in Barbados. “Rudeness is the weak man’s imitation of strength.” Eric Hoffer
It is getting close to the weekend and it is time to take things a wee bit easier and if you like to have a couple of drinks to help you unwind, why not try a cocktail that I invented, I Sure Do Love Them Coconuts They Are Delicious!
”Rudeness is the weak man’s imitation of strength.” Eric Hoffer
Barbados, Cocaine and the Tourist Money!
Since my arrival in Barbados at the end of June I have very occasionally been approached by drug pushers asking if I wanted to become friends with Charlie or his friend Weed! At this point in time I wouldn’t have thought there was very much cocaine floating about on the island, but now I have seen the other side of paradise.
I have recently returned from an a 11 night break at St Lawrence Gap in a hotel overlooking the beautiful Caribbean Sea, which was by the way a very nice break. It was while staying here I realised how big business cocaine was in Barbados, you can read all about my experience with Charlie by reading the following article, Charlie Seems To Be Popular In Barbados.
During my 11-night stay on the Gap I have never been offered cocaine so often in all of my life, as I have been here. Everyone wants to sell the Wandering Scotsman some cocaine, but I don’t need or want drugs.
I have now seen for myself how big a part of the tourist industry in Barbados that cocaine plays. I’m not exaggerating when I say drug pushers are rife around the Gap area. I was offered cocaine at all times of the day and every day I was there.
I’m curious as to how it can be so easy to get your hands on cocaine in Barbados. I wonder if the Government and police force just accept it as being part of the tourist industry and as a result don’t do very much to deal with the problem. Maybe the money that Charlie and his friend Weed bring into the economy of Barbados is too much for the so-called custodians of the country to do anything to stamp out the problem.
The high profile drugs bust a while ago of a minor UK television personality in Barbados was in my opinion nothing more than just for show. I don’t really think there is much of a desire in Barbados to stop the money that drugs creates for the economy over here. I am hopefully wrong and the new Government will be more pro active in dealing with the drugs problem in Barbados and actually attempt to do something about it.
Charlie Seems To Be Popular In Barbados
I have just had a wee 11-night break at a hotel at St Lawrence Gap in Barbados. Everywhere I went, Charlie seemed to be following me. Charlie sure seems to be very popular in Barbados. I have never personally came so close to the revered and well known Charlie as many times as I have during the past 11 nights in all of my life.
During my 11-night break I must have came across one of Charlie’s friends at least twice every day without fail. Good old Charlie was everywhere I turned.
I remember the first time Charlie approached me, it was the first afternoon of my break and I had just walked along to the wee shop on the Gap. Which was only 2 minutes walk from my hotel and someone gave me the talk, “You alright man”, and then asked me If wanted to buy some Charlie, which took me a wee bit by surprise as I thought drug pushers only operated undercover of darkness.
The most disturbing of Charlie’s friends that I came across was a young kid that looked about 14 years old, who asked me if I was looking for Charlie. This happened virtually right outside my hotel entrance. Maybe he had a friend called Charlie that was looking for a white guy from Scotland!
The craziest of Charlie’s friend’s that I came across, I met when I was walking along the road in Hastings. I heard a car virtually screech to a halt on the opposite side of the road, next thing the driver is asking me If I need a taxi, then If I would like some Charlie, then some weed, then if I was looking for a girl, maybe she was Charlie’s sister.
The most persistent of Charlie’s friends followed me along the Gap for about 5 minutes shouting after me, waiting for me to stop and for him to catch up with me. I kept on ignoring him because I knew I didn’t want anything that he was peddling. When he eventually caught up with me, it was the usual story, are you looking for some Charlie.
Just in case anybody is wondering, my answer to Charlie’s friends was quite simple an emphatic no,no,no, no, and some more no’s. I think the authorities in Barbados need to do more to combat the evil of drugs in Barbados.
Now I have never taken drugs in my life and never will, it just isn’t my thing, I don’t believe in it. For those of you that do take drugs, go and get some help, for there will come a day in your life when the drugs will own you, they will control you and then become your master.
For more about the joys of St Lawrence Gap, which is the main party are in Barbados read the following article that i wrote, Party Time at St Lawrence Gap In Barbados.
The 11 Parishes of Barbados
The Caribbean island of Barbados is divided into 11 parishes, which are administrative sub-regions. They are known as parishes because of the islands Anglican historic past. The different size and shape of each parish was primarily influenced by the huge plantation estates of cotton, sugar cane, and tobacco that were in operation during the British colonial years of Barbados’s historic past.
The 11 Barbados parishes are as follows:
Northern Parishes
St Lucy, Is where the Animal flower cave is located, which is famed for the exotic sea anemones that are rarely found in caves is located.
St Peter, home of Barbados’ second town, Speightstown, which was once called Little Bristol because of its thriving trade with that English city.
St Andrew, whose panoramic beauty and scenery make it a must tour parish.
Western and Southern Parishes
St James, where the site of the island’s first settlement is located at Holetown.
Christ Church, the location of the most popular night-spots and important bird sanctuary in the hemisphere.
The Central and Eastern Parishes
St Thomas, where the most spectacular natural attraction in the entire Caribbean Harrison’s Cave, is located, which I wrote all about, Harrison’s Cave Barbados, It Was Finally Open, 3rd Time Lucky!
St Joseph, home to international surfing and the breathtaking beauty of Bathsheba.
St John, where history, architecture and scenery combine at one of the island’s oldest churches, St John Parish Church, view a picture of this stunning church It’s Sunday and This Is St John’s Church In Barbados
St George, with its imposing lifelike “lion sculpture” carved from stone.
St Philip, the island’s largest parish and home to the stunning seascapes, Bottom Bay, Ragged Point, and Crane Beach. There we have it, the 11 parishes that make up the island of Barbados, each one offers something different and all are worth visiting.
Barbados Proverbs That Will Come In Handy
In Barbados you will frequently find that many of the local population like to use proverbs in their conversation. I for one have on numerous occasions wondered what my wife’s cousins were saying, as they are rather found of using proverbs or local slang, as I would call it.
Bajan local slang, proverbs or dialect what ever you prefer to call it, is like a foreign language because it can be a wee bit tricky to figure out what is being said, when someone is talking it to you. I have on many occasions needed my wife to translate things for me.
I have listed a few of the most commonly spoken proverbs for you to get you going and fortunately they are fairly easy to learn.
One side o’ yuh mout telling lies pon de other.
Your lies are finding you out.
Sensible man doesn’t pull off ‘e jacket till e’ gine sleep.
A very wise man does not start anything until he is quite ready.
He can’t dance.
He is illiterate.
Peter pay fuh Paul and Paul pay fuh all.
Someone, innocent or not, will suffer for the wrongdoings of others.
Yuh en worth wha’ Paddy shot at me.
You are worthless.
You kill me dog I kill you cat (tit fuh tat)
If you hurt me in one way I will hurt you in another.
De longer yuh live de more yuh hear.
This is used as a reaction to surprising news.
Wha got blood got feelings.
Anybody can be hurt, or be made to feel good or bad.
Wha yuh do in de dark does come out in de light.
You can’t hide all your actions.
Far off’ gree best.
When people are not constantly near each other, friendship last longer.
Have fun learning these Barbados proverbs, you can even try of few of them out when you get here. I have another article that I wrote which will also be handy for any visitors who are planning on coming to Barbados 20 Bajan Words That Will Make Your Trip to Barbados More Fun.
A Rainy Day In Barbados, It Sure Sort of Reminds Me Of Scotland
Sunday sure was a rainy day, it rained heavily all night and for most of the day. At times it felt like I was back home in Aberdeen in Scotland, where I have known it to rain incessantly for 2 or 3 days at a time. The rain and wind sure felt the same, I suppose the big difference was that it was still fairly warm here; if it rained like that back home it sure would be cold.
I suppose that’s why they call it rainy season in Barbados, back home in Scotland we just call it normal weather! But for a loon from Aberdeen this isn’t anything that will faze me. The only problem is back home that I had the right kind of jacket for whatever the weather gods would throw at me. In Barbados it is a wee bit trickier because it is still so warm here when the rain comes pouring down.
The only jacket I have which I thought was gong to work, was a Cagoule, but it makes me sweat like crazy and I end up as wet on the inside as I do on the outside. I know I could wait for the rain to go off, but when you have work to do, you don’t just stop because of the weather, well you don’t if you come from Scotland.
Rainy season in Barbados I will have to find a jacket to defeat you just like I use to back home in Bonnie Scotland. The good news was that the rain went off in Christ Church about 7pm and everything returned to normal.
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