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By CINDA CHAVICH
There’s something about the first onslaught of prairie winter that triggers my Caribbean dreams, and there may be no better year than this one to explore an upscale isle like Barbados.
Barbados definitely has loads of luxury (the only island with it’s own AAA and Zagat guides) but it’s also one of the easiest for budget travel. There’s a great infrastructure here – a hangover from more than 300 years of British rule – so you’ll find clean, drinkable tap water and good local buses, along with excellent small hotels, many offering special discounts.
Beyond the beautiful beaches, it’s the friendly Bajan people who will really make your island stay memorable, and staying “small” is the best way to meet the locals.
STAY
Barbados is all about the beach, so the best way to save big is to find a small all-inclusive hotel on a nice stretch of white sand, and simply relax, because the perfect weather and clear blue sea is the same no matter where you stay.
While the west “platinum” coast, with its flat water and posh resorts, is truly spectacular (think swanky Sandy Lane or the Fairmont Royal Pavilion), 
I found soft surf and serenity at the modest Sea Breeze Beach Hotel (www.sea-breeze.com) on Maxwell Beach, along the island’s southern shore.
While you won’t find acres of grounds, Michelin-star dining or luxury amenities here, the recently-renovated property has comfortable rooms with free wi-fi and good food. Friendly Jamal always had a lounge chair and umbrella ready for me on the white sand beach, while chatty Gordon and Wavell made wicked rum punch, and Judy delivered perfect made-to-order omelets every morning.
Considering the price is around $300 per couple per day, including unlimited drinks, decent buffet meals and two dinners in the upscale Azul restaurant on the property, it makes an affordable getaway.
For a change of scenery, it’s a five-minute cab ride (about $10) to St. Lawrence Gap, a busy area filled with restaurants and clubs, or a 30-minute ride into Bridgetown for duty-free shopping (save on lunch at the Balcony Restaurant in the Cave Shepherd department store).
A New Yorker I met was staying at the nearby Bougainvillea Beach Resort, where you can trade the meal plan for an apartment with a full kitchen ($180/night for the studio or $240 for one-bedroom). Head to the well-stocked Super Centre supermarket in Oistins to fill the fridge (and for bargain beer and rum), or get fresh local ingredients at the Cheapside Market in Bridgetown, then eat in.
EAT AND DRINK
Speaking of eating, Barbados is famed for its selection of fine restaurants – although many are pricey.
Your best bet for budget dining is eating what the locals eat, lots of fresh fish and traditional Bajan dishes like rice and peas, cou-cou (a kind of polenta with okra), cheesy macaroni pie, grilled chicken, and fried flying fish, the small fish that can literally fly out of the sea on its winged fins.
Or take in a local tradition, the Sunday lunch buffet after church – all-you-can-eat local specialties like chicken and pumpkin soup with chewy dumplings and tender roast pork with cracklings. Brown Sugar or The Ship Inn are both good places to try.
The weekend Fish Fry in the fishing village of Oistins is another classic spot for a low-cost Bajan feast. Pick one of a dozen colourful little fish shacks (Margaret’s and George’s are excellent), and get any kind of
grilled fish, fresh from the local waters, literally piled on a paper plate with sides of salad, macaroni pie, and rice for about 10 bucks. Find a picnic table, and stay on for the local dance party.
If you’re after a casual steak dinner, Just Grillin’ serves grilled sirloin with potato and Caesar salad for just $17, (plus burgers and grilled fish) at Quayside Centre (www.justgrillinbarbados.com). Patisserie Flindt has top notch take-out, and Fisherman’s Pub in Speightstown is a famed local hangout.
Chefette is Barbados’ own fast food chain, with good chicken and take-out rotis. The Ackee Tree is known for huge its rotis, but the best are made from scratch by LaurelAnn Morley at The Cove, near Bathsheba.
St. Lawrence Gap – with its plethora of pubs and clubs – is the place to practice your “wukking up”, that gyrating hip thrusting dance that Bajans do so well. Start at Café Sol for drinks, then head to the Ship Inn where local bands groove the night away. The excellent local rums from Cockspur’s or Mount Gay– smooth and well-aged – are best buys.
EXPLORE
Traveling by local bus is the cheapest way to get around the island – it’s 75 cents a ride, no matter how far you go. There are big blue city-style buses, plus privately run medium sized yellow buses or small white vans (a.k.a. boogie buses) that you can flag down for the same price. If a van looks overcrowded, which they often are, just wave them on – another will be by soon.
The blue government buses stop at bus stops, and all routes begin in the bus depot in downtown Bridgetown, heading in various directions around the island, with no destination more than an hour away.
All of Barbados’ beaches have public access, so pack a picnic and take your pick.
Rockley (a.k.a. Accra) Beach is a popular south shore beach, lined with shady casuarina trees and beach-side vendors, where the new Barbados Boardwalk begins. It’s great for an early morning or sunset stroll along the turquoise sea (www.barbadosboardwalk.com)
We bussed out to posh Crane Beach – named one of the world’s top ten beaches – for a picnic. Take the “Sam Lord’s Castle” route from Bridgetown, a 30-minute ride past the airport to Cutter’s deli, where you can get an awesome flying fish sandwich (a.k.a. cutter) and their famous V.S.R.P (very special rum punch). 
Walk a block down to the stunning Crane Beach, enjoy your picnic on the rocks, then stroll along the pink sand, take the elevator up to the cliff-side resort, and shop in the new village of elegant shops or have a drink at the bar. It’s a great way to enjoy the place without paying the luxury resort price.
Hikers can take the “Sturges” bus to Welchman Hall Gully, a park in the centre of the island, to hike through a tropical forest and spot the island’s long-tailed green monkeys feeding in banana trees ($10 admission). Or join the free National Trust hikes every Sunday morning, covering a different part of the island each week (Barbados National Trust, 246-426-2421)
The spectacular east coast and Bathsheba Beach is another good destination for scenery, crashing waves and surfing if you’re skilled (international surfing competitions are held here). You can hike a rugged trail, 6 km from Ragged Point to Consett Bay, or do lunch at The Cove (246-433-9495).
IF YOU GO:
Both Air Canada and WestJet fly non-stop from Toronto to Barbados. Air Canada celebrates 60 years of flights to Barbados with $60 off flights until March 31, one-way fares as low at $339 from Calgary, and one-week vacation packages from$1,640 pp. www.aircanadavacations.com
The four-star, all-inclusive Almond Resorts has a Canadian Beach Sale with up to 50% off rates for 2010, starting from $215 Cdn pp. Elegant Hotels are offering 20-40% discounts at their hotels (including the all-inclusive Turtle Beach resort). www.eleganthotels.com
Totally Barbados (www.totallybarbados.com), and www.cheapcaribbean.com are great places to look for deals.
Or check the tourist board, www.visitbarbados
©Cinda Chavich
Bargain barbados
14/01/10
From flying fish dinners and secret coves, to sleepy all-inclusive hotels, Barbados can be a bargain if you know where to look...
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photos by Cinda Chavich
