‘Friendly Footprints’ in Barbados with Teresa

This week on ‘Friendly Footprints’, Teresa talks to me about her time in Barbados; a welcome escape from New York city’s winter temps.

How did you decide on Barbados as a destination? Anything for my boo Rihanna. Was hoping I would run into her. Also, Barbados is one of the few places Nigerians can visit without a visa!

Can you describe your experience in one word? Liberating.

Did you have any preconceived notions about the island before visiting and how did they change once you got there? I had researched things to do prior to my visit, but beyond that I didn’t really know what to expect. I was just looking forward to warmer weather and Barbados delivered!

What were your favorite things to eat, see and do in Barbados? Planning the itinerary was one of my favorite parts of this trip. I love to do research and learn about a place before I visit.

Mount Gay Rum distillery: Barbados is one of the world’s top producers of rum, so this rum tour was imperative. I’m always up for a good history lesson so it was interesting to learn about the origin of rum production. A plus was definitely sampling the rum, both on the rocks and in cocktails.

Oistins fish fry on Fridays: this was pescatarian paradise for me. It’s an amazing outdoor vibe by the ocean with different vendors grilling all types of fish, music and dancing. If you’re ever in Barbados on a Friday evening, this is THE thing to do. I had dolphin (Bajan name for mahi mahi) seasoned and grilled to perfection, macaroni pie and of course rum punch.

Cuzz cafe: this little shack is apparently a Bajan National treasure with one of the best fish cutters on the island. My friend (shout out Omo!) & I walked across the beach for what seemed like miles trying to locate this shack. It was definitely worth it!

St. Lawrence Gap: this picturesque part of the island offers fine dining and nightlife. We arrived just at golden hour and looking at the canoes lull to the ebb and flow of the waves made me realize I had found my retirement plan.

Holetown: this is a more affluent part of Barbados, with more touristy spots. Nightlife here was highly recommended, so we visited Red Door Lounge. The vibe was nice with lovely music and interesting cocktails – they have a smoky rum punch (with fire involved). I also rediscovered my love for Baileys on the rocks.

Cruise ship party: partying on a cruise ship in the middle of the Caribbean sea is an intriguing experience. Bajans go big or go home with their outfits and soca music. It was a BYOB [bring your own bottle] event so my friend and I were happily sipping on our homemade rum punch concoction. One hiccup was that the ticket said the ship would set sail at 11am so we hurried so we wouldn’t be left behind, only for the party to get started at 3pm. We got a complimentary bottle for the hassle.

We arrived just at golden hour and looking at the canoes lull to the ebb and flow of the waves made me realize I had found my retirement plan.

What aspects of Bajan culture did you experience and were there any similarities or differences to your own cultures? Similarities: No one keeps to time! I’m still trying to decide which is worse: Nigerian time or Island time.

What did you do for the first time in Barbados? I went snorkeling with sea turtles ! It was an exhilarating experience considering the fact that I can’t really swim but I live for the thrill!

If you could rewind and relive your trip, what would you do differently? I would definitely figure out a more convenient transportation option. Barbados is pretty budget friendly but taxi costs really add up and that ended up being my biggest expense.

Once we are all able to travel safely and freely again where are you looking forward to visiting next? Locally, I would love to visit Arizona and Aspen. Internationally, Turks and Caicos would be fantastic.

***

This made me super nostalgic for islands. I love being close to the water, and would not mind spending a week in my life in and out of bathing suits, and restaurants with delicious food. As for Nigerian time vs island time, they’re definitely going head to head –we’re people of leisure.

Thank you Tess, for sharing with me and everyone who’s reading. And thank you for all the recommendations! You can find Teresa on Instagram living her best life here.

As always,

Thank you for reading!

Click the elipses ‘…’ icon in the sidebar to subscribe to this blog & get every featured story as soon as I hit publish.

What did you do for the first time in the last place you visited? Share with me in the comments section.

---

Same footprints, Different sands