The biggest Caribbean bargain of the year is back in the form of the Best of Barbados promotion, courtesy of the Barbados Tourism Authority (www.visitbarbados.org). Each year the paradise of Barbados offers potential visitors a chance to experience their island for a lot less and take advantage of a variety of incentives. Although the actual discounts and dates may vary somewhat depending on the supplier, in general, the Best of Barbados promotion applies to any trip to Barbados booked by August 1, 2008 for travel from September 1 to December 20, for either a five-night, all-inclusive or a seven-night stay. You will receive a $200 airfare credit per person ($300 per person for travel in September), one night free accommodation (first or last usually), free full breakfast daily, a $25 voucher for dinner for two at Oistins Fish Fry, one day of free car rental day with the rental of two or more days at participating car rental companies, buy one get the second half price on a selection of ground activities and discounts at participating Bridgetown retail stores. Taxes of roughly $140 for adults and $90 for children are additional on all these packages.
The promotion is always based on two people traveling together and the cheapest prices (like seven nights for $389 including round-trip airfare) are for midweek departures (generally from the East Coast) from September 1 to 30, 2008. Departures are available from throughout the U.S. and from Canada. Travel from October 1 to December 20 also falls under the Best of Barbados deal but for slightly higher prices. You can book Best of Barbados through travel agents or online at your favorite travel websites like Expedia (tel. 800/397-3342; www.expedia.com), Cheap Caribbean (tel. 800/915-2322; www.cheapcaribbean.com) or Travelocity (tel. 888/872-8356; www.travelocity.com), among others.
Several of the cheaper accommodation options like Time Out at the Gap, Coconut Court, Amaryllis Beach Resort, and Allamanda Beach Hotel are already sold old for September 1 to 30 but are available for later fall departure dates at slightly higher rates.
The prices for Tuesday and Wednesday departures appear to be the lowest, so if you are flexible, you can certainly save big bucks. Also when searching online for these deals, watch out for a few hiccups, for example you complete your search, a low price is displayed with flights that look good but then you read the fine print to discover that the actual low price is not available on that particular day, so there will be an additional cost (usually between $50 and $250 per person). This doesn't happen all the time, but these specials tend to sell out quick quickly so book as early as you can. Here are some examples of what's still on offer from Cheap Caribbean if you book by July 2, 2008:
- Stay at the low key, low rise, three-star Coconut Court Beach Hotel located on the south coast, known for its snorkeling and diving sites, a few miles from both Bridgetown and St Lawrence Gap. This beachfront property is family own and operated with 120 ocean view rooms so it is perfect for those who want to avoid the mega-resorts. Seven nights here including free breakfast, seventh night free and round-trip airfare from Charlotte on American Airlines is priced from $429 plus taxes per person for departures from October 6 to November 30, 2008. From Boston the price is $469, from Philadelphia $479 and from New York $529. Children are priced from $369.
- The four-star Savannah Hotel is located a half-hour drive from the airport on the South Coast. This is a historic beachfront property with a combination of traditional and modern architecture. It offers 98 rooms set among tranquil gardens and pools with a four-story waterfall. Travel from September 1 to 30, 2008 and seven nights here with the seventh night free and free breakfast daily is priced from $589 per person out of Boston flying on American Airlines. From Washington DC it is priced from $619, $649 from New York and $669 from Atlanta.
- Located across the road from Rockley Beach, Christchurch near St Lawrence Gap, the three-star Blue Horizon is considered a good budget and family option with kitchenettes in the rooms. Seven nights here including free breakfast, seventh night free and round-trip airfare from Boston on American Airlines is priced from $389 plus taxes per person, $419 from Baltimore, $549 from Memphis and $579 from Chicago. I could only find this price for departures in the last week of September, 2008, with higher prices during other periods.
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