[Exploring with a "Crab Guide" 🦀] Barbados 🇧🇧

In late March, New York was still stuck at 0°C (32°F)—I was dying to escape to a warm Caribbean island 🏝️! This time, we visited Barbados—Rihanna’s hometown! I’d wanted to go here even before COVID, but then lockdown hit and I couldn’t travel anywhere. So when I had a break between busy seasons this year, I squeezed in a quick trip. It was only four short days, but the sea here was stunning—totally worth it! Day 1 Luckily, there are direct flights from New York, and Barbados is just a 1-hour time difference from the U.S. East Coast—no jet lag struggle! We arrived in the afternoon. The airport is small, and we filled out the immigration forms online in advance. Chinese passports get visa-free entry here, so we got through customs smoothly 🛂. We picked up our rental car and headed to our accommodation. We chose an eco-lodge not in the touristy western area, but on the quieter eastern side—and it was amazing! The vibe was perfect, the staff were so friendly and helpful 🤗. The lodge had a coastal trail, a small terrace with sea views, swings, bean bags, and even on-site massages. Breakfast was included too—eating delicious food while watching the ocean from the restaurant? Pure bliss! Their tacos and burgers were great, though the “catch of the day” was a letdown (we tried it a few times, and it never tasted good). Only one complaint: the island’s roads are terrible—next time, I’ll definitely just take taxis instead of renting a car! Day 2 We planned a half-day island tour, originally only wanting to visit Animal Flower Cave. But on the way, we happened to meet a taxi driver offering private tours—so we went with it, and ended up visiting way more spots than planned! We saw an old sugar mill, a scenic viewpoint, and more—all with beautiful views 🌄. Animal Flower Cave is totally an Instagram-worthy spot—super photogenic! The seafood restaurant nearby had incredible ocean views too. In the afternoon, we just chilled at a beach—Mullins Beach was so nice, I’ll definitely remember it forever lol 😎. Day 3 It was scuba diving day! The boat club we went with was even better than the beach we visited the day before. If you just want to lounge by the beach, Boatyard Beach Club is a solid choice—though the food there wasn’t great. For scuba, we booked with RJ from Scuba Guy—he’s such a fun, easygoing instructor! You can contact him directly via WhatsApp. It was my first time diving to see a shipwreck, and it was so cool—such a unique experience 🤿. Day 4 On our last day, we just hung out at the lodge, soaking up the beautiful sea views one last time. The scenery was so breathtaking, we didn’t want to leave 🌊🌅🪸🏖️. #HiddenGemIsland #Barbados #BarbadosTravel #BarbadosFood #CaribbeanIslands #UniqueTravelExperiences #PlacesIWannaVisitAgain