In the recent Post Office Travel Money long-haul bargains report, Barbados had the biggest price drop since 2023, with a basket of essentials falling almost 19% in price
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Barbados is known for its colourful houses and pristine beaches(Image: zstockphotos via Getty Images)
The price of staying in an island destination with white sand beaches and palm trees has plummeted in recent years.
In the UK, the cost of living has been on a steady rise since the COVID-19 pandemic. While inflation is now down to 4% after a rough couple of years in which it hit 11.1%, it continues to outstrip the wage inflation of around 3%. That means, for most people, life is getting more expensive.
All the more reason to head to a destination where the relative price of holiday staples such as beer, wine and meals out has been tumbling.
In the recent Post Office Travel Money long-haul bargains report, Barbados had the biggest price drop since 2023, with a basket of essentials falling almost 19% in price.
A bottle of lager costs £2.78 and a cup of coffee £2.54, while a cocktail will set you back £6.34 and a glass of wine £4.76 on average. This is significantly pricier than destinations at the top of the list such as Hoi An in Vietnam, where coffee costs just £1.21 and beer £1.23.
However, Barbados has a reputation as more of a premium holiday location and is a relatively small island, so you’d expect prices to be a bit higher. Especially given the fantastic weather in Barbados, where the average temperature in October and November is 30C.
That said, the falling cost of holiday goods and the presence of some surprisingly good value accommodation options mean you can still experience this beautiful island without breaking the bank.
The more affordable options start from just £82.52 per night for two adults. One such option is Ocean Spray Apartments. Situated right on the beach, these eco-friendly apartments offer stunning views of the renowned Surfer’s Point – an ideal choice for ocean lovers.
Another budget-friendly choice on Barbados’s south coast is the family-owned Carambola Hotel, just a five-minute stroll from the beach. With rates starting at a mere £87 per night for two adults, it’s a real steal.
As for dining, Barbados offers incredible food that won’t burn a hole in your pocket. The island’s cuisine is a vital part of its identity, and travellers seeking authentic island flavours will discover that some of the best meals come without a hefty price tag.
A trip to Oistins Fish Fry on a Friday night is a must-do. It offers a mix of fresh seafood, music, and a buzzing community vibe. Locals and tourists rub shoulders, tucking into grilled marlin, flying fish, and macaroni pie straight off the grill.
Expect to pay between £11 – £13 per head. There are also top-notch fast food options, including Rihanna’s beloved Chefette. A meal here will set you back around £7. But it’s not your average fast food joint – famous for its legendary rotis, crispy fried chicken and tropical milkshakes, Chefette is a true Bajan gem.
When it comes to activities, Barbados is ideal for those travelling on a (relatively long) shoestring. The island’s breathtaking natural beauty can be enjoyed without spending a penny. Every beach in Barbados is open to the public, meaning holidaymakers can unwind on the same gorgeous sands as the celebs.
Pebbles Beach, in particular, offers a uniquely Bajan experience, as racehorses from the nearby stables are brought down to the shore each morning for a swim, a sight that combines local culture with natural beauty and won’t cost you a thing.
Getting to Barbados can be much cheaper than some of the other destinations listed on the Post Office Travel Money report. Skyscanner is currently listing a return flight in November from £407.
Travel operator First Choice has named ‘shoulder season’ travel one of their top cheat codes for budget-conscious travellers. These are the best destinations to visit in September and October.
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With temperatures in the 30s, Turkey is a great destination for September travel(Image: Getty Images)
Summer may be over, but this might be the best time of the year to plan your next holiday. The start of ‘shoulder season’ means off-peak pricing for accommodation and flights, making it a great time to explore a new destination.
According to the travel operator, First Choice, you could save up to £240 per booking in September compared to August. While September is still a popular month for late-summer trips, many UK travellers don’t realise the holiday potential of October.
First Choice says October and the beginning of November are ideal for a city break, and they’ve shared some of the best – often overlooked – destinations to find some sun.
What are the shoulder seasons?
Shoulder seasons are the off-peak periods between busy travel seasons like summer and Christmas. Travel in months like September and October can often be slower, as destinations cool down but don’t yet offer the festive fun that Brits are eagerly awaiting. Spring is also a shoulder season, particularly the months of March or April.
What are the best destinations for shoulder-season travel?
If you’re keen for sun close to home, the Mediterranean is your best bet. Specifically, Turkey, Cyprus, Spain and Greece in Europe. The Canary Islands, Morocco or Tunisia in North Africa are also strong options.
If you’re willing to travel a bit further, Dubai is another great option. Additionally, summer hotspots like Seville, Rome and Marrakech present a different side for travellers to discover in the autumn months.
Turkey in September is a top destination for shoulder season holidays, as temperatures hang around 30C. Travellers can enjoy the beachy atmosphere of Antalya and Dalaman with fewer crowds and cheaper prices.
First Choice, says Tenerife is also “a classic all year round” pick. Temperatures cool down to the mid-20s in September, which is still conducive to beach days and hiking trips to Mount Teide. The often crowded summer destination will be significantly quieter during autumn, especially in popular areas like Playa de las Americas and Costa Adeje.
With temperatures of 28C in September – cooling to around 24C in October – don’t discount Majorca in the fall. Palma is packed with impressive features like the Moorish Palace and Arab baths that can be explored and appreciated year-round.
Finally, in Cyprus summer rolls into September, making it a great shoulder season destination. Travellers will have their pick of pristine beaches and can enjoy the island’s historic landmarks without the pushy crowds.
Gibraltar has long been a firm favourite with Brits looking for a sun-soaked holiday that doesn’t involve a long flight – but one writer was surprised by what was on offer when they arrived
Catalan Bay in Gibraltar(Image: PR HANDOUT)
Stepping on to the baking airport Tarmac, I glance over my shoulder to get my first look at the Rock of Gibraltar. Dramatic and dominating, the great monolith of limestone and shale looms 1,400ft above us, dwarfing even my accommodation here – a 465ft long, 189-room five-star superyacht-hotel.
Lovingly called Gib by the locals, the peninsula is located at the entrance to the Mediterranean, on the southern tip of Spain. Its strategic position has shaped its complex and fascinating history, through the changing hands of multiple nations – it was ceded to Britain in 1713 – and as a vital Second World War Allied stronghold.
Today, Moorish, British, Spanish and Jewish influences come together to create a unique aesthetic, while almost 40,000 locals, many of whom speak a Spanish-English hybrid language called Llanito, live alongside Barbary macaques, Europe’s only wild monkeys.
A macaque sits on a fence in Gibraltar(Image: Getty Images)
We are lucky enough to be staying at the Sunborn Yacht Hotel in the lively Ocean Village Marina, a stone’s throw from the busy town centre.
Azure waters teeming with little fish lap at the moored boats, while holidaymakers chill outside British pubs showing the football highlights. Across the water, almost close enough to touch, and with the airport runway between us, is Spain.
A backdrop of cranes and building sites are evidence of the forward charge of development, with land reclamation around the harbours a huge part of the progress. No time to stop for too long, though, as there’s so much to do on the peninsula – now linked directly to Birmingham with a new easyJet flight – that within a couple of hours of landing we’re on a yellow boat in the nine-mile-wide Strait, between the Rock and the Rif Mountains, watching a friendly pod of dolphins play and leap around us while our tour guide points out the calves.
Dinner that evening is at a popular spot called Bianca’s, only a few feet from where the Dolphin Adventure vessel is moored. We are delighted to tuck into pil pil gambas and a dish called The Swimming Cow – surf and turf, Gibraltar style.
You can enjoy gorgeous views from the cable car(Image: Getty Images)
Following a buffet breakfast the next morning, we head up the winding roads to St Michael’s Cave, in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve. Our jaws hit the floor and we enter the magnificent grotto, gazing awestruck at the enormous stalactites and stalagmites that dominate the vast cavern, illuminated by a multicoloured light show.
Long imagined to be bottomless, the Ancient Greeks believed these cathedral-like halls to be the entrance of Hades, while a popular Gibraltar legend tells that the caves connected Gibraltar to Africa, allowing underwater passage to the famous macaques.
Emerging blinking and stunned, we venture to the World War II Tunnels, a tourist experience that takes us right into the heart of the Rock, meandering through winding passages that were carved into the limestone by the military. The instant emotional wallop of the soldiers’ graffiti etched into the rock leaves me with a lump in my throat.
A hefty £3million private investment has allowed head of development Christian Wright to vastly improve the experience, making it more accessible, dynamic and interactive. Wright is personally committed to ensuring that the overlooked story of his fellow Gibraltarians is told, using local artefacts, accounts and photos. Referenced along the way, in a recognition that truth is stranger than fiction, is James Bond creator Ian Fleming who played a role in Operation Goldeneye – a plan to secure communication and intelligence in Gibraltar.
A view of Gorham’s Cave Complex(Image: PR HANDOUT)
Up the cable car we go next for a six-minute ascent, this time bound for the impressive Skywalk, which is great for monkey lovers. The macaques are synonymous with Gibraltar and the 10 groups are managed with love and respect.
But tourists be warned: they can be aggressive and will snatch a snack (first hand witness here), so keep it well hidden. Feeding the monkeys is punishable with a substantial fine, so don’t be tempted.
We learn even more about our primate cousins when we meet with primatologist Brian Gomila of Monkey Talk – Gibraltar for a fascinating in-depth study of monkey behaviour, lucking out when we see a week old baby, clinging to its mum.
Dinner is at The Lounge on the Queensway Quay Marina later, which offers a gorgeous setting and classic, elegant dishes.
A private tour of the derelict Northern Defences, used as a fortress in the war, is an eye-opening exploration led by architect Carl Viagas. Carl, whose passion for the project is clear, is renovating the labyrinth of caves into a considerably impressive visitor attraction – in his words he’s “defending the defences”. The attraction is set to open in summer 2026.
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Gibraltar Museum provides further insight into the multilayered history of the peninsula, particularly “Nana and Flint”, a Neanderthal grandma and her grandson, tenderly portrayed via two life-sized forensic reconstructions.
Some of the last people of these archaic humans occupied the Goram’s cave complex on the southeastern side of the peninsula, and the caves are considered of such great importance that they are now combined into a Unesco World Heritage site.
Gin tasting rounds off day three at award-winning Spirit of the Rock’s microbrewery, with seven gins to taste (hic) and a romp through the history of the spirit to boot.
Thankfully clear headed for our final day, we embark on an extremely fun e-bike tour of the Lower Rock. The route sees us pass a beach where the sand was imported from the Sahara, visit the Botanical Gardens where we see ancient dragon trees, ride by an impressive mosque donated by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, pass in and out of the ever-present Rock through various winding tunnels, and, thrillingly, cross the airport runway, bringing our exploration of Gibraltar to a close.
Was Gibraltar what I expected? The answer, unequivocally, is certainly not. Despite its small size, it delivers some memories.
Book the holiday
easyJet flies from Birmingham to Gibraltar starting at £26.99 one-way. easyjet.com
easyJet holidays offers four nights’ B&B at the Sunborn Gibraltar yacht-hotel from £584pp with Birmingham flights on October 12. easyjet.com/en/holidays
LICK is currently the biggest club event in London for WLW, hosting nights “for women, by women”. With regular events in the capital, they have decided to take their sapphic army global for the second consecutive year.
The LICK Weekender brought partygoers to the Greek island of Crete for a weekend of new friendships, blossoming relationships and unforgettable memories. With 500 attendees from around the world – from the UK to Japan, Kenya to Australia – guests brought some (much-needed) POC queer joy to the island.
As hosts of the event tell Gay Times, “LICK is for all queer women, but running a truly diverse event requires intention.” With a focus on de-centring whiteness in queer culture, LICK is committed to putting diversity at the forefront.
Below, founder Teddy Edwardes reflects on the landmark event and shares her thoughts on the importance of intentional diversity in the queer nightlife space.
Firstly, how was the event? Tell us about any standout moments or highlights from the weekend?
The entire weekend was a 10/10 from start to finish. Everyone was glowing with joy! So many new friendships, relationships and lifelong memories were made. It felt really special.
Do you know how many people were in attendance?
500 people attended! And there were women from all over the world. The top ten list of countries included the United Kingdom, United States, Tunisia, Kenya and Australia, but there were also women from The Caribbean, Egypt, Canada and Japan!
