Our Barbados vacation was super spontaneous, and only decided on a couple of weeks prior to our actually leaving. The girls were going on a 2 week trip with their Dad, so instead of staying home and missing them the entire time, we decided to go on vacation and miss them from a beach with something tropical to drink. At 37 years old I’d never gone on an adult Vacation (minus our quick Vegas trip last year), and I’d also never experienced an all-inclusive anything, so this was the ultimate all-in-one first time vacation for me.
- Anti-nausea medicine
- Advil
- Tylenol
- Gum
- Altoids
- Trolli Berry Gummy Worms (the best)
- Headphones
- Laptop or iPad
- Download a good book or 5 before you leave and have reliable Wi-Fi.
Traveling to Barbados
Having never ventured out of the country prior to this trip, I was surprised to learn the flight time to Barbados was actually not bad at all. The flight from Miami to Barbados is only 3 and a half hours, and a direct flight from DFW to Barbados is only about 7 and a half hours. I remember when we lived in Hawaii the flight from DFW was about the same, and it feels like it goes by even more quickly when you don’t have a toddler running up and down the aisle.
- Headphones
- Charging Cords
- iPad
- Book
- Sweatshirt
- Sunglasses
- Screen Cleaner
Arriving in Barbados
Barbados is a “board and disembark” on the tarmac situation, which was neat. Upon booking our trip we received an email detailing the current travel protocols due to Covid, with links to forms to fill out. We followed all of the rules we were sent regarding Covid in Barbados, but upon arrival I was still required to take a Covid test at the airport. They made it as painless as possible, the people were incredibly nice, and it only took 15 minutes, but I had just had a negative test done the day prior and brought the results with me as per the guidelines sent.. So that felt a bit redundant.
They still require masks here as well, but we didn’t get that memo either so we had to step aside at the airport until someone in line shared an extra one with us. Like, a fellow traveler dude got out of line, and pulled crumpled masks out of his pocket to give us so we could proceed. We weren’t required to wear a mask at any point thus far, and didn’t realize it was still a thing in Barbados, so had he not been so kind as to give us his, we may still be standing at the airport – lol.
The customs and immigration process was very straightforward, and had I not had to take that additional test, would’ve gone by super quick.
Once we got our bags, we were directed towards a waiting taxi and driven to our resort. The taxi driver didn’t speak, and it was 10 o’clock at night in my first foreign country, so I definitely had a moment of “oh no, is this safe…”. But he got us to our resort in about 15 minutes, and for only $16 US dollars.
The exchange rate from US dollars to Bajan (Barbadian) is about double. The actual rate is 2.02, but “double” is helpful when trying to remember. For instance, $20 US, is equal to about $40 Bajan.
Sea Breeze Beach House
The Food
Everything we ate while staying at Sea Breeze Beach House was so good. They have buffet breakfasts at a couple of the restaurants, lunch at a couple of options, and dinner at 3 restaurants each evening.
Drinks
Our resort, Sea Breeze Beach House, is an all-inclusive resort, and that includes drinks! We tried something new every time we went to the bar for the first couple of days, then we each decided on a go-to. CJ asked the bartenders what their specialty was each time, so we got to try all kinds of amazing new drinks. They were all so incredibly nice, and remembered what you ordered every single time. We laughed when we got home because I said “I miss Shemar, and Richard who makes my morning drinks!”. Before one of our excursions, we visited The Rum Shack and I asked the bartender for 2 drinks since we were venturing off-property, and he said 2 or 4? I cannot say enough good things about the staff at Sea Breeze, everyone felt like family by the time we left.
Things To Do In Barbados
We did some mild research prior to our trip, but didn’t have much time to dig too deep. We ended up with the perfect balance of chill time at the resort, and fun stuff on the island. I meant to book a reservation at what we now know is called Animal Flower Cave, but accidentally booked it at Harrison’s Cave Eco-Adventure Park which ended up being a super fun experience as well. Funny enough, the best part of that day was the drive to and from the cave with Jenelle our driver. Not only was she personable, kind, and accommodating, she even stopped and got us fresh mangos that were the most incredible mangos ever. Ever. I’m not even kidding, y’all, they’re a whole other fruit in Barbados. If you need transportation while in Barbados, call Jenelle and tell her CJ and Lindsey sent ya! Oh, and download Whats App before traveling so you can easily stay connected to any new friends you meet from across the globe.
I turned 38 years old on this trip, so CJ booked a catamaran trip with Tiami Catamaran Cruises during the day that was truly amazing. We stopped to snorkel and see sea turtles, and spotted sting rays, as well as at gorgeous remote beach, I kept saying it felt like we were swimming in a real-life screensaver. The crew onboard was super fun, and our friend Jenefia from Sea Breeze Guest Services was on the boat with us! Have you ever met someone who just exudes happy and fun? That’s Jenefia and the girls she works with. The kind of people it’s fun to even just be around. Drinks were included with the catamaran, as was lunch. The same goes for our new British friends, Amelia and Jack, who were also onboard, which made for a super fun day!
My Barbados Birthday on the Beach
After our catamaran cruise, we went back to the hotel and swam in the pool, then got ready for dinner. I thought we were going to our regular dinner at one of the restaurants on property, but CJ had arranged with Jenefia for us to have dinner, cake and champagne on the beach with our friends to celebrate! It was magical, so thoughtful, and felt like a dream.
Couples Massage
The next day we had a couples massage in our room at the resort, another first for me. We opened the doors to the balcony so we could hear the ocean, and it was beyond relaxing. The resort made it super easy to book it through guest services.
Hobie Cat Ride
We took a fun little ride on the Hobie Cat at the resort one morning with our friends, and the water out there was absolutely gorgeous.
Chefette
When we told the girls we were going to Barbados, they immediately said “Rihanna is from Barbados!” and so did most everyone else who asked where we were going. Upon further research, we discovered Chefette is her favorite fast food. So, we couldn’t leave Barbados without making a pitstop at the airport before heading home. It was really, really good. Our friends at guest services told us we should try the Beef Roti and it didn’t disappoint. CJ got the chicken sandwich and it was really good as well. We also had a chicken roti, and pasta salad. Everything was great!
Our Friends at Sea Breeze Beach House
The staff at Sea Breeze was incredible. We had so much fun getting to know them and were so appreciative of their attention to detail, and their tolerance of my taking pictures of them for this blog post. Barbados was an amazing first international, and all-inclusive experience for me. Where to next?
