Our family "vacation" to Barbados: Summary
We use the term "vacation" loosely but we'd still do it again!
Wow. This is LONG overdue (we went on this trip in March) but I think the saying better late than never does apply here because we truthfully needed a few months to recover from this “vacation” lol… Just kidding, but also kinda serious.
But seriously, I hope everyone is having a great week! Today’s post is going to get straight into the nitty gritty details of our recent “vacation” with our four boys (I say “recent” but the truth is it was a few months ago it just takes us so long to get anything done)! I also use the term “vacation” very loosely because I think as anyone with kids knows a more accurate term would be “parenting, just in a nicer location”. Even still, beggars can't be choosers and truthfully as demanding as our trip was, we’d do it ten times over because it was the best family trip we’ve ever taken!
Below, you’ll find an honest review of where we stayed, recommendations for things to do, places to see (with and without kids) as well as all of our contacts for babysitters, surf coaches, and anything else you can think of!
And aside from our review we really hope this post gives you the courage to book a getaway with your kids because this was such a special trip and honestly, if we can survive you can too!
So first… Where did we stay?
As the good old saying goes “location is everything” and this applies not just when buying a house but also when vacationing with kids… especially four very energized kids as they need lots to do!
Thankfully, we had the BEST location! We were staying at my parents' condominium (and yes, you can rent it so we’ve linked it here). Since we started vacationing in Barbados, we have stayed in four different locations and this was our absolute favourite (we promise we’re not just saying this because we have to since it’s my parents’ place). It is a beautiful three-bedroom condominium that sits right on the beach. Not only were the views spectacular but it was also a beautifully kept condominium building.
Likewise, it had the best three-tiered pool which turned out to be especially perfect for the twinados! The first tier was only about three feet deep so they could easily stand and it turned out to give them a level of confidence we had never seen before. Despite only being three years old, by the end of the trip they had progressed to the deeper pool and could fully swim across it without their water wings!
Most days, we were the first people at the pool, consistently showing up at 8 a.m. sharp. After a couple of hours in the pool, we’d mix up our day by walking down the beach and across the boardwalk to a cafe called Arts Splash. It had great food (and more importantly, coffee), as well as an awesome playground that kept the boys occupied for a good 30 minutes! As an added bonus, it was only about a ten-minute walk from our condo.
The location of the condo also gave us the option to hit the beach daily and it was absolutely perfect. To the left was a quiet hotel called the Coconut Court which in the evenings, around happy hour, we’d go to for early dinners so the boys could sit at the beach and play while we ate in peace.
I’ve linked my parents' condo below. You can specifically rent theirs or anyone else's in the building that you come across! WARNING: the pictures on the link for my parents’ condo are outdated. They have since done an incredible job renovating and updating. It is beautiful. I’ve tried to include updated pictures and videos of it here.
LOCATION: 10/10
What were our sleeping arrangements?
Most nights, Brodie and I slept in a room with Ashton. We had got this crib tent cover (linked here) which on past trips has been amazing but ultimately it didn’t stop Ashton from waking up at 4:30 a.m. some days due to sheer excitement! He’s at that awkward age where he thinks he’s a big boy and never wants to miss out on any fun.
Meanwhile, the twins and Hudson slept in the other room, with my parents sleeping in the large master bedroom! A few nights we played musical beds with Brodie moving into the twins’ room and Hudson moving into my parents’ room, sleeping on a pull-out bed.
We have no complaints about the sleep set-up other than the early mornings but again we’re chalking that up to excitement levels which I don’t think is a bad thing!
If you have young kids, the sleep tent is fantastic and these mini sleep tents are great for kids around the twins’ age which we have used on previous trips.
Are there activities to do?
Fortunately for us, as discussed above, the location of where we stayed was fantastic. You are kind of smack in the middle of both the West Coast which has some of our favourite restaurants in the world (I’ve listed our favourites below) and the South Coast which has the famous St. Lawrence Gap and the infamous Oistins Fish Fry. In turn, we had plenty of food options within a 5-20 minute taxi ride away.
Similarly, we also fell in LOVE with surfing. It made my trip to see Hudson (only six years old) embrace surfing and once we got connected with a local surf instructor who is amazing with kids, Hudson and I did a private surf lesson every other day together. It was an AMAZING activity. The coach's name is Junior (I’ve linked his Instagram here so you can DM him and get in touch). He was great with Hudson and cost USD $75/hour for both me and Hudson. Next time we come back the twins will be getting on the surf train as well!
Another activity that helped break up the boys' day was swim lessons. Because the twins are still so young, we were very fortunate to meet a swim instructor in our building. It cost USD $50/hour and made a HUGE difference in their swimming over the course of our holiday.
We also walked A LOT! The only caveat is that if you’re walking along the main roads the sidewalks are tiny. It feels like you are walking on a highway which definitely took some getting used to and kept us on high alert. However, there were plenty of eating and activity options that didn’t involve walking on the roads including an amazing coffee shop called Blush right around the corner from our condo, Art Splash, that we mentioned above, that we could walk to along the beach, and a whole bunch of other restaurants that line the boardwalk.
Other notables:
Date Nights and Babysitters
We were fortunate enough to be on vacation with a built-in set of babysitters… aka my parents lol. That meant we could escape for some solo date nights and they helped a ton throughout the trip!
We also met a local babysitter through one of the moms at the condo building and she was fantastic. She came to watch three of the boys one night after we put Ashton down for bed so we could all go for dinner.
Although we didn’t use this service, the babysitter can also take your kids to various activities like surf lessons, tennis lessons, etc. if you are looking for a little reprieve from parenting like actually lying horizontally and sun tanning then this is a great option!
Restaurant Recommendations
One of the most important aspects of any vacation is the food and restaurants. As stated above, some of our favourite restaurants in the world are located in Barbados! We’ve done our best to lay everything out for you here.
Tides: this is our favourite spot ever. This is definitely high-end but worth every penny. It is so beautiful, located right on the water and the food is incredible. On Tuesday and Thursday, they get out the Bajan drums and the music and vibes are incredible. They also have a very cool bar where you can enjoy a couple of drinks before dinner. We like to go at 5 p.m. so we can watch the sunset (also the fact that we are parents to four kids means early nights are a must). 10/10
Paul Owens: another high-end restaurant located right beside Tides. The food was fantastic. Try to call early and get seated right on the water! 8/10
Champers: love the food and right on the water! 8/10
Seashed: a great place for day drinks and evening party vibes! We probably had too much fun drinking here a year and a half ago (we believe this was the reason baby Ashton was born) lol. 9/10 It’s a little far from our location but worth the trip. 10/10 vibes and fun (admittedly the last time we went we were mainly enjoying the cocktails and drinks. In the even theres a good fire show)
The Gap: a great strip in Barbados that is filled with bars and restaurants (Cafe Sol has good Mexican food as well)
QP: Stunning views, great vibes and good food! 9/10
Oistins Fish Market: Vibes and food is great! It’s very authentic and lots of fun. Also family friendly. 8/10
Along the boardwalk: Tapas, Baby Doll, & Primo are all good. Lots of options and easy with kids.
Other notables…
Below is a list of other random things regarding our trip that we think would help if you go to visit Barbados!
Chef - we had a chef drop off some meals a few times over our 2 week stay. It made life way easier and the curry and also the Bajan macaroni pie are a family favourite. Chef’s contact is here.
Tennis lessons - close by to the condo and a great date activity or activity to help the kids burn off some energy! contact:
Was it worth it?
100% yes! Ashton was the wild card on this trip—he was challenging on the plane because he wanted to move for the entire flight. Likewise, his 4:30 a.m. wake-ups were at times soul-crushing, but at the end of the day, we were very, very lucky to go on this trip and loved every single second of it.
Like in most things in life, nothing that is “easy” is generally extremely rewarding. This trip wasn’t “easy” but it certainly was rewarding. Seeing Hudson get up on the surfboard for the first time, watching the twins swim across the pool without their water wings and seeing Ashton smile from morning to night trying to keep up with his brothers was the best reminder that travelling with young kids IS WORTH IT and something we are going to try to do more frequently!
My last bit of advice is if you can travel with your kids do it because just because they might not “remember” the trip doesn’t mean it will not expand them and help shape them to become happy, adventure seeking little humans!
If you have any more questions please comment and we’ll do our best to answer them!