Why We Extended Our Barbados Stay: Home Exchange, Cave Adventures & Swimming with Sea Turtles

From Jumping Ship to Paradise Found

In our last video, we didn't know how we were going to leave this island after jumping ship from our original plans. So we did what you'd expect from our family we decided to stay longer! And let me tell you, finding this incredible home exchange was exactly what we needed.

Our Amazing Barbados Home Exchange

The Perfect Family Setup

This home exchange is absolutely beautiful! As soon as you walk in, you're greeted by a spacious living room that immediately makes you feel at home. I love staying in homes when we travel there's something so special about experiencing a destination like a local rather than just passing through as tourists.

The kitchen is fully equipped with everything we need, complete with salt and pepper (the little things matter when you're traveling with kids!). But what really caught our attention was the unique decor there's a surfboard hanging on the wall and even a piano. The girls were absolutely fascinated by that blue piano Julia mentioned she's never seen one like it in her life and it reminded her of something from her Pinterest dream home board!

Twin Beds and Master Comfort

The accommodation is perfect for our family of five. There are two twin beds for the girls, plus two additional bedrooms and a spacious master bedroom with a nice big bed. The bathroom setup works perfectly for our family's needs, and the shower is fantastic.

The Pool That Stole Our Hearts

But here's the genius part somebody put pool chairs right IN the pool! It's such a smart design that we immediately fell in love with. There's nothing quite like relaxing in the water while still having somewhere comfortable to sit. The backyard setup is absolutely gorgeous, and we're literally walking distance to the beach just down the road.

Barbados' Incredible Wildlife: Swimming with Endangered Turtles

Learning About Hawksbill Turtles

One of the most incredible things we discovered about Barbados is that it's home to critically endangered hawksbill turtles. These magnificent creatures have their biggest nesting population right here in Barbados, which makes turtle watching one of the most popular excursions you can do on the island.

I actually spotted one while we were in the ocean and let me tell you, from a distance, it really looks like a human swimming! I was genuinely confused for a moment, thinking "Is that a person?" until someone confirmed it was indeed a turtle.

The Reality of Homeschooling While Traveling

Late Night Study Sessions

Traveling with school-age children means we have to be creative with our scheduling. The girls often end up doing their schoolwork late into the evening due to time zone differences. It's currently 11:30 PM, and they're just finishing up their classes some nights they're studying until midnight!

Our little Chloe is incredibly dedicated to her studies. She was up at 5:30 AM for her English class, then had math class running from 10 to 11 PM. It's a lot of work, but she handles it like a champion.

Making Do With Limited Space

Since we don't have a proper kitchen table, we're making shift arrangements for the girls' study space. There aren't enough electrical outlets, but thankfully the internet is incredibly fast here much faster than we've had since Kazakhstan! I was finally able to upload all my video clips to Dropbox as backup, which was a huge relief.

Exploring Bridgetown's Beautiful Boardwalk

Waterfront Paradise

Barbados has this absolutely stunning boardwalk that runs along the waterfront. The views are breathtaking, and it's the perfect place for a morning walk though I learned the hard way to put on sunscreen first! The sun here is no joke.

We discovered some interesting sights along the way, including a KFC right on the waterfront. I couldn't help but laugh prime real estate indeed!

Canadian Connection

Walking along the boardwalk at night is equally beautiful. We learned that Canada actually helped fund this gorgeous boardwalk project, spending millions of dollars to create this beautiful space for both locals and tourists to enjoy.

Grocery Shopping Reality Check in Barbados

Sticker Shock at the Supermarket

We finally made it to a proper grocery store to give you a real price showcase. Prepare yourself for some serious sticker shock:

Avocado oil: About $10 USD
Irish salted butter: About $10 USD
Red curry paste: $7 USD
Peanut butter: $15 USD

One thing that surprised us was finding yogurt on the regular shelves instead of refrigerated definitely different from what we're used to!

Our Incredible Caribbean Cruise Deal

Seven Nights, Six Countries, Unbeatable Price

Here's some exciting news we just booked an incredible Caribbean cruise! Seven nights visiting four different countries plus Trinidad and Tobago (which counts as two islands but one country). The total cost? Just $243 per day for all 5 of us!

Divided by our family of five, that's only $48 per person per person per night, including all food. It's honestly the cheapest way to visit multiple Caribbean countries, and we'll be going to places we've never been before:

Saint Lucia
Trinidad and Tobago
Grenada
Saint Vincent
Dominica

The cruise departs November 27th, which gives us about two weeks to figure out where we're staying until then.

Harrison's Cave: An Underground Adventure

Tram Tour Through Natural Wonder

Our partnership with Beautiful Barbados Tours took us on an incredible journey to Harrison's Cave. This isn't just any cave tour you actually ride on trams through the underground passages, making it feel like an amusement park ride through natural wonder.

The amount of work that went into making this cave accessible is incredible it took them five and a half years to create all the tunnels and pathways. The formations are absolutely beautiful, and the elevator system that takes you to different levels is impressive.

More Than Just Caves

Harrison's Cave offers more than just the underground tour. They also have a ropes course that looks really exciting, though we didn't have time to try it on this visit.

The Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Tranquility Cruise

Swimming with Turtles and Exploring Shipwrecks

The Tranquility Cruise with Beautiful Barbados Tours was truly a bucket list experience. As someone who grew up loving The Little Mermaid, the idea of swimming with turtles and exploring a shipwreck felt like a childhood dream come true.

The cruise takes you to crystal clear waters where you can snorkel with sea turtles and explore an actual shipwreck. The water is so clear and beautiful it's exactly what you picture when you think of Caribbean paradise.

Beach Paradise

We also visited what's ranked as one of the best beaches in the world, with crystal clear sand that stretches for miles. The water is the perfect temperature, and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking.

Our Next Adventure Revealed

Surprise Destination: Guyana

Here's our big announcement we're heading to Guyana the day after tomorrow! Guyana is on the South American continent, right next to Suriname (which we've also never visited). We're not sure about getting to Venezuela due to current situations, but we're definitely planning to explore at least these two new countries.

As always, we'll figure out our accommodation when we get there that's just how we roll!

Family Moments and Celebrations

Birthday Celebrations on the Road

We celebrated my mom's birthday on November 10th with a special family dinner featuring Tiger curry it was perfectly hot and spicy, just how we like it. Even though we were having our birthday dinner at 11:30 PM (after the girls finished their business class), it was a perfect family moment.

Sweet Treats and Family Time

Sometimes you just need a giant chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich, and that's exactly what we made! These moments of simple joy are what make traveling as a family so special.

Why We Love Home Exchanges

Living Like Locals

Staying in home exchanges gives us the opportunity to truly live like locals rather than just visiting as tourists. We get to experience daily life, cook our own meals (when we're not exploring local restaurants), and really settle into a destination.

The Perfect Balance

This Barbados home exchange has been the perfect balance we're close enough to the beach to walk there anytime, there's a lovely cafe around the corner, and we have all the space and amenities our family needs.

Planning Your Own Barbados Adventure

Must-Do Experiences

If you're planning a trip to Barbados, here are our top recommendations:

Harrison's Cave tram tour - Absolutely worth it for the unique underground experience
Turtle swimming excursions - A once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounter
Shipwreck snorkeling - Perfect for adventure seekers
Boardwalk walks - Especially beautiful at sunrise or sunset
Home exchange or vacation rental - For that authentic local experience

Budget Considerations

Be prepared for higher grocery prices if you plan to cook during your stay. However, the incredible experiences and natural beauty make Barbados worth every penny.

Why We Extended Our Stay

Sometimes the best travel decisions are the spontaneous ones. By extending our Barbados stay, we discovered incredible wildlife, made amazing memories, and found the perfect base for planning our next adventures.

The combination of beautiful accommodation, incredible excursions, and that perfect Caribbean atmosphere made it impossible to leave as originally planned. Sometimes you just have to follow your instincts and stay where happiness finds you.

Ready to plan your own Barbados adventure? Check out Beautiful Barbados Tours & Excursions for incredible cave tours and turtle swimming experiences!

Thanks for joining us as we set sail into this new chapter of Growing Up Without Borders LIFE!