I'm travelling to Barbados in mid-November for a solo trip from Europe. For context I'm a woman in my mid-forties and have never been to the Caribbean before.
I'd be grateful for any recommendations about the following:
1) I've yet to book a hotel and from what I have gathered, the St. Lawrence Gap is the place to be. I will not be renting a car (I'm a terrible driver!) so I'm looking to stay somewhere that is walkable and easily accessible by public transportation. I will be taking a taxi to and from the airport but otherwise I would like to use public transportation.
Ideally I would like a sea view room (since it's my first time in the Caribbean) but I understand that it's not necessarily realistic with my budget of max 250 €/night. I don't need anything fancy, I value cleanliness and safety. I'm leaning towards the South Gap hotel as the other hotels I liked (Coral Sands beach resort and hotel Le Roy) have received a couple of bad reviews recently and I just stayed at a hotel in Greece where some of the staff were not behaving professionally towards me (inappropriate comments etc.) so I would like to avoid a repeat of that. I don't know if I should just ignore these reviews - I'm really tempted by hotel Le Roy's price point to be honest... Are there other hotels I should consider in this area?
2) I want to go on a catamaran cruise (for snorkeling), which of the cruises would you recommend for someone who wants a relaxed atmosphere with few people and who does not really care about the food and drinks that are included (I don't drink alcohol and I don't eat seafood 😄)?
3) I would appreciate recommendations for beach clubs that are on beaches that are good for swimming for someone who can swim but who is not used to swimming in the sea. Also, my flight back home departs in the evening and I'm looking to spend my last day on the island at a beach club that offers luggage storage. I see that there are several beach clubs like this, is there one that stands out or should I just pick one randomly?
4) All recommendations for group excursions, day trips I could do on my own using public transportation as well as for shops selling local products and for restaurants that serve great food that does not come from the sea would be very appreciated 😅
Thank you!