10 Tips for a Safe Holiday in Barbados

While going on holiday is still about relaxing, having fun and enjoying new experiences, it’s important to keep ourselves and our companions safe. The good news for anyone visiting Barbados is that it remains one of the safest destinations to visit, with consistently very low incidents of infection. However, to ensure your visit is as risk-free as possible, here are ten tips for a safe holiday in Barbados.

1. Book a low-density holiday resort

The chances of catching coronavirus are increased in busier resorts. Higher-density occupancy makes it more difficult to stay socially distant, while there is an increased risk of contamination in shared facilities.

From a safety perspective, it is better to find a resort with low-density occupancy, where fewer people share a larger space. At Royal Westmoreland, for example, there are only 250 properties on the resort and these are spread across our 750-acre estate.

2. Stay in villas or apartments

All-inclusive hotels can be very busy, often featuring densely built accommodation and high-traffic areas, like entrances, pools and restaurants. Villas and apartments, on the other hand, are far less densely clustered and have private entrances and terraces. Villas even have private swimming pools. Furthermore, our well-equipped, designer kitchens make it a breeze to cook up a meal, removing the need to visit communal dining areas every time you want to eat.

3. Eat alfresco at restaurants

On the subject of food, Barbados has some exceptional restaurants serving up mouth-watering menus. Strict protocols mean all establishments have to provide COVID-safe dining environments, so you needn’t miss out on some of the island’s best dining experiences.
For additional safety, find a restaurant that offers alfresco dining. The warm climate in Barbados means plenty of our best eateries have open-air terraces on which to enjoy your meals. Of particular note are the Fusion Rooftop in Holetown and the Royal Westmoreland Beach Club at Mullins Beach.

4. Rent a car rather than use a taxi or public transport

Although Barbados has excellent public and private transport systems, travelling only with your own group can minimise the risk of infection. For this reason, it is safer to hire a car so that you have private travel to the island’s many attractions. There are several car hire companies in Barbados and you can arrange to collect and drop off the vehicle at the airport. If guests at Royal Westmoreland need assistance with hiring a car, our concierge can help.

5. Avoid busier tourist beaches

Barbados is a popular destination, especially during the peak seasons, and this means some of the beaches can get very busy. Although the outdoors is considered safer than indoors, packed beaches can be riskier.
In Barbados, the majority of tourist resorts and the busiest beaches are to be found on the south coast. The Atlantic-facing beaches to the north and east are beautiful and are often deserted due to there being no resorts there – a result of swimming being largely forbidden because of the giant ocean waves.

The beaches on the Caribbean-facing west coast are considered the most beautiful and have the calmest waters in which to swim and snorkel. This natural attraction has led the most exclusive resorts to be built on this stretch of coastline and this means they are often far less busy than the beaches to the south. Royal Westmoreland Beach Club at Mullins Beach provides a bell service with socially distanced loungers.

6. Enjoy Barbados’ great outdoor attractions

With outdoor spaces being safer, it’s a great opportunity to take advantage of the fabulous Caribbean climate and explore the wonderful outdoor attractions that Barbados has to offer. The island has an array of wildlife, natural phenomena and man-made places of interest. Visit the tropical forest to see the green monkeys, go snorkelling with the turtles, lose yourself in the exotic Hunte’s Gardens or play an unforgettable round of golf at Royal Westmoreland’s championship-class, 72-par golf course.

7. Take part in bubbled activities

While national protocols will ensure social distancing is in place for your protection wherever you go, you can minimise the risk of infection even more by staying within your companionship bubble when visiting places or doing activities. For example, take a private catamaran tour around the coastline, go on a single group fishing expedition or take your family or fellow travellers on an island safari on a private, open-sided Jeep.

8. Wear masks in busier places

Just as you would back home, remember to wear a facemask whenever you visit a busy place, even if outdoors. Attractions like the Oistins Friday Fish Fry are traditional ‘must-do’ activities for holidaymakers, enabling you to sample the best of Bajan street food and have a good look around the amazing artisan street stalls. Wearing a mask, staying socially distant and sanitising your hands helps keep people safe and lets everyone enjoy the lovely atmosphere.

9. Follow local protocols

The Barbados government and its people have achieved a commendable feat in keeping instances of coronavirus exceedingly low throughout the pandemic. This is the result of the government imposing effective protocols and citizens and visitors following them responsibly. For your own safety and that of everyone else, please ensure you follow those protocols when you visit the island.

Currently, the protocols require people arriving from high and medium risk countries, including the UK, to take a Covid-19 PCR test before departure and again, 2 to 3 days after arrival. During that time and until a negative result has been established, visitors will be required to stay at a preapproved destination.

The team at Royal Westmoreland is pleased to announce that upon arrival to Barbados you are able to travel directly to your villa or apartment booked with Royal Westmoreland without the need to spend any time at any different location or property. Following this, you are able to remain in your accommodation pending the receipt of a negative result from your second Covid-19 PCR test taken in the first couple of days of your stay.

For your ease and enjoyment, we are offering a takeaway delivery service and can also arrange a grocery delivery prior to your arrival. Where applicable, you can also enjoy the use of your private pool or terrace area.

At Royal Westmoreland, we have been working closely with the Barbados Government to ensure the very important travel protocols have as little impact on your stay at possible. Your safety and the enjoyment of your holiday are our absolute priorities and we are very pleased to say that Barbados is one of the safest places in the world to be.

For further information relating to arrangements on resort please contact guestservices@royal-westmoreland.com. The latest travel protocols can be found at www.barbadostravelprotocols.com

10. Find a resort that offers transferable dates

The pandemic is just one of the reasons you might need to change the dates of your holiday. Sometimes, however, holidaymakers find themselves unable to transfer their dates and so lose their vacation and the money they spent on it.

To help protect our guests, Royal Westmoreland has introduced a Low & Transferable offer, enabling you to secure your holiday for a 25% deposit and transfer the dates at any time up to 45 days before you arrive.

Summing up

Barbados’ fabulous weather, beaches and amenities are here for you to enjoy. It remains a safe place to visit and by using these tips, you can make your dream holiday even safer.

For more details of our low deposit, transferable date offer, visit our Low & Transferable page.