Question on Land tour in Barbados

[Connie Sue]

would like to get some input on a good land tour guide. I have read about Ted's tours and Cameron Ried. Has anyone done a tour with either of these and would you provide your experience. We like scenic, history, beaches. Want to get good information on the island and have fun too..

[lrtjs5]

I too would like a reply to this message. We are going to this port for the first time and would like some advice on what to do, what not to miss and what maybe we should miss!

[VegasCrossfire]

We have been to Barbados several times (spending a week at a time there). We always rented a car, but I would not suggest doing that for only one day. (You have to go to the Police Dept to get a Drivers License for Barbados first which takes up some time).

 

You might find a taxi and ask them to take you to Flower Cave and Harrisons Caverns. Flower Cave is off a dirt road right on the ocean and it requires walking down some wooden stairs. The ocean roars in there and it is beautiful. We have done that a couple of times. Harrison Caverns is a small (very small) version of Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. You take a tram and go underground and see the beautiful stalagmites and stalagtites.

 

Doing both of those "tours" will take up most of your day and allow you to see quite a bit of the island.

 

There really is a lot to see on Barbados - so if those don't interest you, there is more!

 

Have a great time!

[Johnthed0g]

Well, you will find that Harrisons caves are shut at present, & if you go up North you don't need to pay to go down the Animal Flower cave, not much to see really but you can stand on the cliffs & watch the wave crash in, refreshments & toilets available. You don't need to go the the police to get a drivers permit, the car hire people do this, you can speed this up by pre-filling the details online.

[VegasCrossfire]

Geez -- I guess it has been awhile since we have been there. I had no idea Harrisons was closed. That's a shame.

 

You only need to go to the Police Dept. if you rent a car (and drive it). That's why I suggested a taxi instead.

 

Crane Beach is also a pretty beach to see.

[sailorwife]

we are doing a Island tour with Andrews Transport, it sound really good it is called around the world in 4 hours,

sailorwife

[Johnthed0g]

Geez -- I guess it has been awhile since we have been there. I had no idea Harrisons was closed. That's a shame.

 

You only need to go to the Police Dept. if you rent a car (and drive it). That's why I suggested a taxi instead.

 

Crane Beach is also a pretty beach to see.

 

The car hire firm will sort out the drivers permit, no big deal, but they were talking about putting the cost up.

[NCSunshine]

Geez -- I guess it has been awhile since we have been there. I had no idea Harrisons was closed. That's a shame.

 

.

 

 

Harrison's Cave is only closed for renovations. Has been off and on since late 2006-2007.. then open for about 2 mths in April 2007 and closed again only within the last 6mths.. supposed to open this month, but no word as well.

[kisskadee]

Have you considered doing a customised tour? Most of the big tour companies like Ted go to specific points only and you don't have a choice, but to follow with the crowd. I know someone who has been doing Private tours who we went out with and which are fun and you learn quite a bit also.

 

Kisskadee

[Connie Sue]

can you give me a name for private tour?

[aloisia]

My husband & I did a private tour with Cameron - wonderful and very interesting day. For our tour, we were able to visit Harrison's caves, Sunbury House, St. James Parish.... drove all over the island with lots of stops.

I would highly recommend this gentleman for providing a excellent tour.

[Connie Sue]

thank you for your input, we were leaning that way. Did you do a beach stop at the end? We were interested in going to the other side of the island, I think its called the gold coast where the big boulders are, sure looks pretty in pictures.

[guate]

My husband & I did a private tour with Cameron - wonderful and very interesting day. For our tour, we were able to visit Harrison's caves, Sunbury House, St. James Parish.... drove all over the island with lots of stops.

I would highly recommend this gentleman for providing a excellent tour.

 

Thanks for the info, can yu tell us how to contact him?

[Aplmac]

We were interested in going to the other side of the island,

I think its called the gold coast -where the big boulders are, sure looks pretty in pictures.

You're getting yourself all mixed up. :D

 

'The Gold Coast' is the upper half of the island's West Coast

often referred to as The Gold Coast by locals, due to the multi-million-$ mansions that line the beaches there.

Property owners along that stretch have been very creative in effectively blocking both the view of the sea

and your public access to any beaches in front of their mansions

-unless you walk to them from access points some distance away.

 

..................................................

 

 

Big boulders, huh?

sounds like Bathsheba, Tent Bay(this pic) -and other spots on the (rough surf!) EAST Coast,

where there is no swimming (dangerous) but very scenic to compensate.

 

 

Tent Bay again

Well worth doing, especially with stopping for lunch in the Bathsheba area. ;)

 

 

 

_____________________________________

Synopsis?

 

Gold Coast -don't waste your time..unless fancy Real Estate thrills.. :cool:

 

East Coast -waste your time,definitely! ;)

.

[Johnthed0g]

Bathsheba I think......if we are talking about the same island!!

[aloisia]

thank you for your input, we were leaning that way. Did you do a beach stop at the end? We were interested in going to the other side of the island, I think its called the gold coast where the big boulders are, sure looks pretty in pictures.

 

We didn't do a beach stop - actually boarded the ship around 5:30PM after our tour - (flew into Barbados the day before the cruise and enjoyed our hotel's beach).

I'm sure Cameron could include whatever highlights you were interested in.

 

He can be reached at camireid@yahoo.com

 

(I loved Barbados!!! - 2 days was not enough time).

[Johnthed0g]

Barbados is a very interesting island, diverse too, you can stay from humble B&B's to arguably the best in the world, dine on simple local fare, to fast food, to fine dining in world renowned restuarants. Ok not so much in the way of jungles & wildlife but there is history, & a settled political situation on one of the safer islands for tourists.

[TravelToLive]

We've been to Barbados a couple of times and we had so much fun on our tour the first time we went with the same tour company the second time also. (Glory Tours) I'm sure you can google them. They have a few different tour options to chose from. The one we took i think was called The Best of Barbados. It goes to the gulley along with a drive to Bathsheba which is a really pretty coastline. You then stop at a hillside cafe which has a wonderfull view of the jungle and ocean. After lunch you drive to the Nature Park where they have all kinds of animals running around free that you can see while walking the trails. There are deer, things that look like little capybaras, and monkeys to name a few. After the Nature park you head for the coast to get on a glass bottem boat which takes you out to snorkel with sea turtles and then onto a wreck. As you drive from site to site your personal driver will tell you about the history of the island and some of the sites you'll pass on the road like a sugar refinery and the different ways they use the fruit from the trees and of course the Bajan people.

[Connie Sue]

Thank Aplmac, I did mean the Bathsheba area, for some reason I thought it was also called the gold coast. Thank you for correcting me. Looks like a beautiful area, would like to try the flying fish that I've read so much about maybe at the Round House Inn in that area.

 

As far as Teds Tours I did find out he can not promise to get you back to the ship on time due to the length of tour so not worth the risk of missing our ship.