While there’s nothing nicer than a family holiday, when one of your children is a baby, it changes the whole dynamic of going away. Babies have special requirements and need specialised equipment, like buggies and car carriers. This can make parents anxious about visiting places that might not have everything they need for their baby. If you are looking for a baby-friendly holiday location, here’s why Barbados is a great place to visit.
Baby-friendly car hire
While there is excellent public transport in Barbados, with a baby in tow, it’s likely you might want to hire a car to explore the island and go on outings. Car hire firms in the country are used to visitors bringing babies with them and thus you will find it easy to hire a vehicle that has all the features you need, including air-conditioning, spacious boots, sunshades for the windows and child safety seats.
Buggy and pram hire
A lot of parents are cautious about taking their own, often expensive, prams and buggies abroad with them, not just because they might get lost or damaged in baggage handling but because of the additional expense of taking them.
In Barbados, you’ll find that there are a number of buggy and pram hire companies that cater for holidaymakers. They stock the leading brands, so you can be assured of their quality and safety and the equipment is always clean and well-maintained. What’s great is that you can have them delivered to you at the airport or directly to your resort, so they are there as soon as you arrive. With it being a warm and sunny island, prams and buggies come with umbrellas and sun covers to help your baby stay cool and out of direct sunlight. Additionally, these companies offer baby carriers and full travel systems.
Mosquito protection
While you can relax in the fact that the mosquitos found in Barbados are a different species to those which carry malaria, they can still bite. You can minimise the chance of this happening by shielding the baby’s cot with a mosquito net. Some resorts will provide these for you, as well as mosquito curtains, so ask in advance to make sure. If not, you can hire them from companies that supply baby equipment. In addition, cover your baby up well when going out in the evening and make use of repellent and bite creams, both of which are readily available across the island.
Familiar brands of baby food and care items
When it comes to baby foods and care items, parents like brands that they are familiar with and can trust, whether that’s formula, nappies or sunscreen. You’ll find that all these items and more are available across the island and that many stores stock the brands that are regularly found on the shelves in the UK, EU and North America. While the price of these might be a little higher than at home, it means you won’t need to take up luggage space to use them on holiday. To make things easier, you’ll be pleased to know that a growing number of Barbadian supermarkets now let you order online and will deliver to your holiday home.
Emergency help available
Although it is unlikely, should your baby become ill while visiting Barbados, you’ll be reassured to know that the country has an excellent, modern health service that can treat them quickly. Before leaving for your vacation, make sure you and your baby have had any essential vaccinations and that your travel insurance covers medical expenses.
If your baby does become ill, speak to your travel insurer straight away and they will put you in touch with the right service. If urgent, the emergency telephone number in Barbados is 511. Alternatively, you can visit emergency services at the main hospitals, like the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Bridgetown. As the island is only 20 miles long and 15 miles wide, nowhere is too far from urgent care.
For less serious issues, there are a number of community healthcare clinics across the island, some open every day. Alternatively, you can find a chemist in most town’s shopping centres. Finally, Barbados is an English-speaking country, so you won’t face any language barriers when talking to healthcare professionals.
A baby-friendly resort
If you are looking for a baby-friendly resort, then Royal Westmoreland is the ideal place to go. Offering just 250 luxury Barbados villas and apartments dotted around 750 acres of lush tropical landscape, this private, gated estate with 24-hour security offers you and your baby ultimate privacy in exclusive surroundings.
Aside from a wealth of world-class amenities, including a championship standard golf course, a range of dining venues, a beach club and a gym, you will have a housekeeper, private chef service and a concierge that can arrange babysitting, tell you the best places to go and make bookings and arrangements on your behalf.
For more information, visit Royal Westmoreland’s Holidays Page.
