Day 3 - Oistins area - Barbados holiday

Before we came out to Barbados we had been looking at potential apartments for long-term rental (Luna does cut down on our choice, as not everywhere accepts a soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur, but there are still plenty of choices around) and we wanted to explore some of the neighbourhoods a bit more, to see if they were the area we want to settle down in. We also wanted to go to the Oistins Fish Fry since so many people suggested it. Most people go on a Friday night but we still wanted to avoid the big crowds and had found out that it was open most of the time so we were going to tie the two together in one day.

We started the day with our usual trip to the hotel cafe for our takeaway breakfast of coffee and muffins because it's both convenient and delicious. We then took it and sat by the pool to have a relaxing start to our morning in spectacular surroundings of palm trees, the beach and the beautiful Caribbean Sea.

We knew which road the apartment block was on so we were going to get the ZR bus to the area and then try and find it. The road the apartment block was on is up on the hill over the Oistins area and had a great view over to the beaches. The access down from it was a little difficult, due to the steep hill, but there were steps built in at certain points so the area is still a possibility. The apartment block was well done, though we may only use it for short-term needs, as for us the location was a little remote. Fortunately, plenty of people in Barbados have drinks coolers full of ice and drinks set up in their front yard, and this was one such occasion where we were glad they did, as we bought an ice cold small bottle of water from a lovely lady who had been keeping cool on her front porch, probably shaking her head at the crazy people walking about in the mid-day heat! Even though we had set off with plenty of water, it was good to get a top-up.

Once we had explored the accommodation possibilities we wanted to spend the day in the area to see if it had everything we wanted. We walked to the beaches to try to find public access but most of the area seemed to be private hotel access, we did find a few little bays though. We walked along the little roads and found some small supermarkets and food shacks. We were a bit hungry so tried a vegetarian Double. We had seen signs for Roti and Doubles all over the island so wanted to give them a try. The Double we tried was great, it was a flatbread with a spiced chickpea and vegetable filling. Great for eating on the move and keeping you going until lunch, and good value too.

It was a really hot day so we found a place to go and sit inside and have a drink called Surfers Cafe. It was a nice little spot and we decided we would come back for lunch in an hour or so. We wanted to check a local supermarket so we could see the cost of food for when we moved, so we would know what kind of budget we would be living on and what choices would be available. Massy supermarket had Waitrose brand stock, which was obviously more expensive since they were imported, but the local food wasn't quite as pricey and we would want to embrace the local rather than wanting the same food we would have back home, so felt everything would be okay, and it didn't look like there would be any difficulty finding just about everything we enjoy. The supermarket also had a water refilling station at the back so we topped up our bottles...again.

We headed back to Surfers Cafe for some lunch and had a great seat in the window which literally hung out over the waves. We had some more amazing fish in a slider and a shrimp taco, and planned where we wanted to explore for the afternoon.

There were some other neighbourhoods that we wanted to look around and there was always the possibility of seeing somewhere in person that we hadn't seen so far online. Bajan websites still seem to be quite limited in the amount of information being shared, so this was the perfect time to really see the real Barbados rather than the tourist version. As soon as you head off the coastal road everything changes to small quiet roads and traditional housing. We had found so far, that as soon as you mention the welcome stamp the property offered were sprawling buildings with ultra-modern decor and we didn't really need all of that. We just want something comfortable that will allow Luna, and is close to the things that we need. Oistins was looking like a pretty good area for this.

After all the walking around the small streets in the heat, we were ready for a sit down so headed to another Chefette for a milkshake in the cooling air conditioning, before we moved on to the Oistin's fish fry. The drive-through line at Chefette looped around the building and even though it was constantly moving forward never got any shorter as more and more cars joined the back of the line. It's definitely a local favourite.

Before we came we had done some reading about the Oistin's Fish Fry. It seems to be the big draw on a Friday night for locals and tourists alike, but we headed over on a Saturday and still had a great meal and entertainment. It is hard to describe, as its lots of different huts with huge BBQs and seating around the space between. It has a huge stage in the middle and this was being used for karaoke on the night we went. It's mostly outside and rustic and we had been told the stalls on the outside always have huge lines and the stalls on the inside are just as good, sometimes better, and don't have as many people. We headed to Uncle George's and made ourselves comfortable. The hostesses were nice and friendly and even though we were fairly early they did have quite a few people sitting enjoying the food. Note that they have two seating areas, one on either side of them, so if you think it is closed head further into the block of stalls and you will find the cooking area on the other side, and lots more people 😃

They had their menu set up, which some of the bigger more traditional restaurants could learn from. I like to see what is on offer before committing to a location. We went for the Mahi Mahi (Dolphin fish it's not Flipper don't worry) and Marlin both with mac pie. We also tried another local drink, Sorrel juice. This had hints of Dandelion and Burdock for me but was still different enough to be its own thing. It's hard to describe but was sweet and great so just give it a go. When the plate arrived a few minutes later, after watching the chef cooking the fish on the huge grill, it was a huge plate with some coleslaw, salad and what tasted like potato salad but could have been a local alternative. The photo doesn't do it justice, it was amazing, the best BBQ fish I have ever had.

It was a great spot to just enjoy the ambience, listen to the people singing and generally have a good time. Don't feel you have to go on a Friday, other days will still give you great food and it just might be a bit quieter, which some people prefer.

I did take some videos and more photos but the IT gremlins seem to have got them so I will just have to go back again once we move 🥰.....a tough job, but one which I am happy to volunteer myself for!

After another long and very productive day, we jumped in a ZR to take us back to the hotel looking forward to more adventure while on our holiday.

Steps - 20,712

Costs (between 2 people including tips where applicable)

Hotel cafe - 42.55BBD (£17.50) - Blueberry muffins today with coffees

ZR ride - 7BBD (approx £2.88 for 2 people)

Persons house - 2BBD (80p) - water

Supermarket 3.40BBD (£1.40) 1.5l water

Food shack - 4BBD (£1.65) Vegetable Double

Surfers Cafe - 24BBD (£9.90)Frappe Coffee x 2

Surfers Cafe - 65BBD (£26.90) Fish cutter and shrimp taco

Chefette - 17.45BBD (£7.20) Milkshakes

Fish Fry - 80BBD (£33) Mahi Mahi meal and Marlin Meal with drinks

ZR ride - 7BBD (approx £2.88 for 2 people)

My map with all the areas talked about in my blog can be found here -

Map