Stamp of Approval
Last December Travel Agent and Podcaster Yvonne Campbell applied for the Barbados Welcome Stamp and arrived on the island just before Christmas. Here she shares her experience with Craig Hough
What led you to your decision to pack your UK life up and move to Barbados?
I’ve always been a big traveller and always looked to move to a different country and how to make that possible. There’s always been several challenges and barriers that have stopped me. The first being visa issues - being legally in a country for a year or more. The second issue is language, as I only speak English fluently. Thirdly, the ability to have an income in another country, especially when you don’t speak the language. Last year really provided a great opportunity to have a rethink. The pandemic has shaken things up a lot in regard to expectations of people needing to work from an office. In November, knowing I could now work remotely, I looked into what my options could be. I went onto the FCDO website (www.gov.uk) and worked out which countries I could travel to. Last summer I had started ‘The Bucket List Podcast’ where I would document some of my travel experiences as well as highlight travel destinations I’d like to go to. My second guest on the podcast was from Visit Barbados (a representative from the tourist board). During the interview my guest (Marc) mentioned the welcome stamp. I started looking at the list of places I could travel to at 9pm on a Saturday night. Marc’s advice on the welcome stamp stayed with me and I noticed Barbados was on the list of places we could travel to. By 10pm, I had looked at all the requirements needed for the stamp and my decision was made. By Monday morning my flight was booked.
What did friends and family say about your decision?
They were all extremely supportive. My family and friends were so excited for me to go and I had 25 of them booked to come and visit. Up until now they haven’t had chance to come (due to restrictions) but they have rebooked to come later in the year when (fingers crossed) that can still happen. They often say “I hate you right now but please send photographs”.
How did you find the process of applying for the welcome stamp?
Really easy, extremely straight forward. There was lots of information on the website, and the form was very simple, listing the documents that you need to supply alongside the application. You don’t actually pay for the stamp until your application has been accepted, my application was accepted within two days.
What is a piece of advice you wish you could have given yourself now you’ve been through the process to make it easier?
I wish I’d spoken to someone who had come to Barbados on the welcome stamp before I came over as I would have had a better understanding. For example, I would have known I could have had some items shipped over without VAT being paid.
How did you find accommodation?
It was pretty straight forward, there is a range of different options on the island. I’d recommend to people to book into a hotel for 2-3 weeks once you arrive in Barbados to give you enough time to work out where on the island you’d like to stay long term.
What are your thoughts on the food and drink options on the island?
It’s fantastic. You can have everything from trucks on the side of the road that do authentic Bajan food, from chicken and rice to macaroni pie etc to cafes through to high end restaurants. One of the main supermarkets even sell Waitrose products, and a couple of the boutique shops/delis sell Co-op products, so there is nothing at home that you can’t get here, but lots of items that are unique to Barbados. In terms of drink options, I have been amazed by the quality of the wine. When you go to islands you don’t normally find high quality wine unless they are a wine producer, however the French wine here is fantastic.
How do you spend your leisure time?
The diving here is great for first timers. I am more experienced and there are a number of shipwrecks and corals to explore. In terms of trips I would say the Catamaran Cruises are outstanding. You get to snorkel with turtles, and they come up really, really close to you. That is literally on your doorstep – you can also go to certain beaches and go out and snorkel and come across the turtles. I also spend my time doing a podcast called ‘Life in Barbados’ which gets me out experiencing different things on the island. These have included a food tour in Bridgetown, taxi tours, discovering how people learn to surf here and learning about sustainability on the island. I’ve also been on beach walks with a guy that calls himself ‘The Barbados Bajan Warrior’ who walks every single beach on the island live on Facebook every single day.
For people who are indecisive about signing up to the welcome stamp what would you say to them?
Just do it. This has been an outstanding experience for me. I came to the island on my own and I’ve not had a single issue meeting anyone at all. If anything, I feel my social life is a little too busy and I need to spend some more alone time so I’m a tad more productive! Language is no issue and it’s a really easy, welcoming culture to experience. I usually finish my day with a rum and coke on the beach watching the sunset. I’ve not met a single person yet who has not liked the lifestyle. I have met a few people who have come out for two weeks holiday and stayed for 5-6 months (and still counting). Don’t hesitate, get yourself out here.
To listen to Yvonne’s ‘Life in Barbados: A Year on a Paradise Island’ podcast please go to msha.ke/lifeinbarbados.podcast
Barbados is now accepting applications for its recently launched 12-month Barbados Welcome Stamp visa. Those interested in living like a ‘Bajan’ for a year can visit www.barbadoswelcomestamp.bb to apply for the opportunity to live and work remotely in paradise.
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