Tahiti vs. Barbados

Anyone care to weigh in?

Which is better Tahiti or Barbados and why?

i wish i could tell you my own personal opinion on tahiti or barbados but i've never been to either. but a friend and her husband went to tahiti for their honeymoon and they absolutely raved about it! here's a link to their photos from tahiti.

http://gallery.charleschao.com/index.cgi?mode=view&album=/snapshots/2004/ourwedding//honeymoon/1d

*ahem* i went to vegas. i'm so jealous! =P

Better is a relative term. What's good to me, may not be good to you.

I've never been to either, but I don't think you can really compare them. They are in totally different parts of the world and...

I would compare Barbados to maybe Anguilla, St. Croix, St. Barts, southern carribean, etc....and I would compare Tahiti to Fiji, Cook Island, Marquesas, etc....

A guy from work just got back from Anguilla and St. Barts and said it was INCREDIBLE!!

We went to Barbados -- with only a week off, Tahiti was not an option. Depends how much time you have to travel, and if you want to spend a lot of it in a plane. If you have 10 days or more, do Tahiti - Barbados however was just wonderful and the flight is totally painless!! I can give you more info. on Barbados if you like,....

Went to Barbados for a week in December. my FH and i LOVED it and were thinking of having our wedding there.
it is probably half the cost of Tahiti. and half the distance.
food is great, people are great. plenty of stuff to do.
It is still one of the few islands that doesnt have a taco bell and pizza hut which is important to me.
But we are thinking of Tahiti for our HM, and dont think we can swing the $$$$.

We went to Barbados on our honeymoon, as you can see. It is not cheap as you probably know -- some of the world's greatest (and most expensive!!) restaurants are there - a lot of Brits go there just for the restaurants!!

We had a wonderful time and stayed at the perfect place - The Coral Reef Resort - not too small, but not too big either. We knew all the staff by name! Here's the review....Oh and anywhere you decide to go, I suggest doing a search on tripadvisor.com first!!

St. James: Coral Reef Club: 'THE most wonderful HONEYMOON EVER!'
Date: November 2, 2004
Reviewer: A TripAdvisor Member, Seaford, NY

Compare prices with:

We went to Barbados for our honeymoon Sept. 1-13, 2004. It was so wonderful. We had both been to Jamaica for our 'first' marriages, but Barbados is way above and beyond. First of all, it has the highest literacy of all the Caribbean Islands. That means educated, polite, gainfully employed natives. The country has a rich mix of cultures and customs. Everyone is welcome and treated like a special guest. I travel extensively and Barbados was truly a wonderful find. Nobody pesters you to buy anything, there is none of that in-your-face stuff found on many of the Islands. The restaurants are some of the top in the world and there is a great mix of tourism as well.
We stayed at the Coral Reef Resort - we could go snorkeling, waterskiing, diving, etc. right on premise for no extra charge. The beach is surrounded by a coral reef so you don't need to travel to snorkel.
The Coral Reef Resort was absolutely PERFECT. We had a Jr. Luxury Sweet, looking directly out to the Carribean. Our return flight was cancelled because of Hurricane Fances, and the staff and owners were just wonderful about taking care of us and making sure we were safe and comfortable.
The food was AMAZING. Some days they brought breakfast up to our room and set it up on our HUGE balcony. Other days we went downstairs to the buffet, with fresh fruits, juices, ommlette stations, etc.
They have 2 pools and a lovely beach. You can get waiter service on the beach. You have to dress for dinner, which is nice because it keeps out the beer-guzzling wife-beater types out.
The hotel is small enough to be intimate and cater to your every desire, but not so large as to make you feel like just a number.
I can't recommend this place enough. It was just so perfect for what we wanted - some days we spent touring the island, and others just lazing by the pool or the beach. We went for a motor boat ride up and down the coast almost every day, and kyaking, and out on a catamaran tour....We NEVER felt threatened or intimidated even in the towns or city, and this is rare for a Carribean Island.
The staff is wonderful, the rooms beautiful, the setting amazing.....AND they are not snooty at Coral Reef, unlike some of the 'other' resorts in the area.
I can't wait to return!!!

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Posted by Jamie&MarkSept.'05

I am definitely leaning towards Tahiti, but FH is being a pain...not into the flight and price tag, but I keep telling him it is a once in a lifetime trip...

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Given that cost is not a problem, I would highly recommend Tahiti over Barbados! Like you said it is more of a 'once in a lifetime trip' and you want to go somewhere really special for your honeymoon. Being on the East coast you can go to Barbados anytime. It is just amazingly beautiful in Tahiti - my husband who has traveled extensively all throughout Europe and S. America thought Tahiti was the most beautiful place he had been.

I did a thorough review of our honeymoon trip to the Tahitian islands with pictures if you are interested:

http://www.liweddings.com/chat/topic.aspx?&P=1&ID=82745#P652945

Good luck.

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Posted by Laura1976

i'm going to say Tahiti (but i'm partial), i think its a once in a lifetime trip. Barbados is close enough that you can go for 4 or 5 days since its closer and easier to get there. JMO

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I agree 100%


I went to Tahiti/Bora Bora, though, so I am biased.

Here is a link to my Review and Pics

We went to Barbados and loved it. We had breakfast at the Coral Reef. Barbados is very high end and great if you aren't into long flights. We stayed at the Fairmont Royal Pavillion.

Enjoy whatever you do.

If you decide on Barbados, please let my know. My family is from there and I can point you in the direction of fun, non-touristy stuff to do, so that you aren't just stuck in areas near your hotel. It's a BEAUTIFUL place but I am, of course, biased.

Hi Jamie, I'm in the same boat as you. After convincing my FH that we honeymooning at Tahiti. We are searching for the best deals out there yet. We both know it's pricey but when else we could do this kind of trip
So far, we saw this package deal at Liberty Travel for 10 nights for $3999. It includes 3 islands. Go check it out www.libertytravel.com if it's floats your boat. We want something similar but we are still searching out there.

Good Luck!

Thanks so much for all of the opinions!!!

I am getting even more hooked on the idea of Tahiti....I will definitely check out the Liberty Travel deals...

Is it $3999 each? (I am assuming so!)

If you have the cash and the vacation time, I think Tahiti would be the way to go. Barbados is gorgeous (never been to either, but a girl can look at pics, right?! LOL) but it's a place that's close by and you and your FH can go to later on once you have kids. Tahiti not so much. I know I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving my babies while I went half way around the world. So just based on that (and the fact that Tahiti looks like heaven) I would do it. Plus, you guys are young and patient now, the long flight won't be such a bother when you're in cloud 9 and post wedding.

I think I have finally convinced FH to go to Tahiti!!!!

He saw pictures the other day (ones posted by some fellow LIweddings brides) and said we could go there if it would make me happy...

He is the best!!!!

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Posted by Jamie&MarkSept.'05

I think I have finally convinced FH to go to Tahiti!!!!

He saw pictures the other day (ones posted by some fellow LIweddings brides) and said we could go there if it would make me happy...

He is the best!!!!

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I'm glad. How's deal searching for you??? My FH and I are really doing it. I want this to happen. Check out this sites and see if there's anything that you like.
www.tahitilegends.com
www.gototahiti.com
www.islandsinthesun.com

Also, check out In and Out Travel, which is a vendor here. We went last Saturday, and David is helping find us deals.

You could always FM if you have any questions.