Bellairs

McGill University's official Bellairs Research Institute link gives general information about Bellairs.
Follow the Facilities link for concrete information about Accommodations (room rates etc.)

General facts about Barbados, an island in the North Atlantic ocean NorthEast of Venezuela are found in the CIA World Factbook.
One Barbados dollar is currently worth approximately 0.5 US dollar. US dollars can be used almost everywhere, though change is given in Barbados dollars. If you plan to take the bus to Bellairs from the airport, you need exact change. You can get Barbados dollars at a small exchange place in the airport, just behind the baggage carrousels, after you go through immigration and before you go through customs.
As of March 1st 2004, visitors from most countries require a valid passport and return ticket to enter Barbados. The www.barbados.org site gives information on visitor documents such as visas for citizens from certain countries, how to obtain a drivers license (car rental companies can issue a drivers license if you have a valid license) and accepted credit cards (most).
The Barbados Tourism Encyclopedia points out the " Seven Wonders of Barbados".
More tourist-oriented facts about Barbados can be found on barbados-beaches-plus.
The fishing community of Oistins has a weekly Fish-Fry on Friday evening with island music and local food.
The following coastal region and small island paper gives some technical information on currents around Barbados as well as about the Bellairs fringing reef, a coral reef off the Bellairs estate.
The Barbados National Trust organizes very interesting Sunday hikes (usually 6-9am) in less non-touristy parts of the island. Search for details under "Special Events".

The official Bellairs contact information:

         Bellairs Research Institute
         Holetown, St. James Parish, Barbados
         Tel.   : +1 (246) 422 2087 (main office)
         Tel.   : +1 (246) 422 2034 (dining hall)
         Fax    : +1 (246) 422 0692
         e-mail : bellairs@caribsurf.com
         Manager: Richard Haynes

The Barbados airport is located at the South of the island. Bellairs is located on the North side of Holetown. To get to Bellairs from the airport, you can
- take a taxi. Ask to be taken to the Bellairs Research Institute in Holetown. Most taxi drivers know where Bellairs is (thanks to the many workshops as well as the field semesters for students). In case they don't know, say it is located in between Folkstone Park and the Coral Reef Club on the North side of Holetown. The taxi price is typically around $70 Bds. There is now a sign at the airport which gives fixed prices for several destinations. You can find a list at barbados.org. Some amount is added for each extra passenger. Note that those prices are only for rides from the airport. You negotiate the price in the opposite direction. You may ask the Bellairs secretary to book a taxi for you to take you to the airport. The taxi ride takes between 40 minutes and 1 hour, depending on traffic. Bellairs frequently uses taxi drivers Jason +1 (246) 256 82 35 and his wife Nicole +1 (246) 256 83 37. Taxi driver John is also very reliable: +1 (246) 420 15 89 (office) or +1 (246) 230 41 99 (cell).
- take the bus ($1.5 Bds, exact change required, no change given on the blue official government buses). Note that you can change money inside the airport baggage claim hall. That gives you the opportunity to get some small change. If you want to take a bus, there is a direct bus (destination Speightstown) on Sunday and holidays. On weekdays, buses are more frequent, but you need to first take a bus to Oistins (buses to Bridgetown will also stop in Oistins) and switch there to a bus to Speightstown. Note that there is no "transfer" ticket. When you switch in Oistins you need to buy a new ticket. Bus schedules can be found on the Transport Board website. Buses are not always on time. The Airport - Bellairs trip takes around 1.5h, depending on traffic. The bus takes a longer route (along the coast) than a taxi (which takes an internal "highway"). The bus stop is right in front of Folkestone park and the Bellairs entrance is 30m farther down the road. Note that traffic on Barbados is on the left-hand-side of the road ! On the way back to the airport, take buses going to either Airport or Kirtons (stops at the airport) or to Oistins and switch there to get to the airport. Switching in Bridgetown is not advised (I'm told one needs to transfer between bus terminals).
A detailed map shows where exactly Bellairs is located.
Claude Crépeau's Bellairs page gives directions in photos, including one of the "Coral Reef Club Goods Delivery Entrance" sign. This is also the entrance to Bellairs.
Alexandre Denault's Bellairs Games Workshop page gives a good impression of the style and atmosphere of Bellairs workshops.

You should not book your accommodation with Bellairs directly but rather mail the organizers your arrival/departure information.
The cost for the stay (breakfast, dinner, and lodging) needs to be settled before your departure with the Bellairs office. The office accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards as well as cash. It is possible to us use credit cards such as American Express in banks to obtain cash.
The following map [pdf] (thanks to Godfried Toussaint) shows the location of the Bellairs facilities (offices, rooms, dining hall, etc.). Note that as of 2008, the Brace apartment is no more. Instead, a whole new second floor has been constructed with new guest rooms and meeting rooms.
When you arrive at Bellairs just go straight to the dining hall. There, you will find either people or a message for you on the bulletin board or the blackboard telling you which is your room. Most rooms are double rooms, so you will most likely share a room. If you don't find anyone in the dining hall, look for us on the beach.
At lunchtime we typically walk to Surfside along the beach (includes wading through water if the tide is high). Here is the menu [front] [back] (2008 prices)
House rules:
1. Kitchen and Food
  - Breakfast is provided by Bellairs. The breakfast food is kept in the kitchen fridge. This food is to be used only at breakfast which must be finished by 9:30 a.m.
  - We are responsible for washing all of our dishes after breakfast. Please leave the kitchen clean.
  - We can make coffee in the kitchen any time we want. The available coffee at Bellairs is of the instant variety. If you wish to bring your own coffee (and share) that is appreciated.
  - Dinner is provided by Bellairs (cook comes in in the afternoon and prepares wonderful roast chicken, local fish, ...). If you need specific food, you will most likely find it at the local supermarket. There is a guest fridge in the dining hall where we can keep our own private food. Please label your food and remove any left over when you leave.
2. Showers and Sand
  - Sand in the shower drains can cause enormous blockage problems. Please be sure to rinse off the sand from your feet before entering your rooms. There are water taps outside both blocks of rooms for this purpose.
3. Locked Doors and Valuables
  - Please leave your room locked when you are not in.
  - You can leave your money and other valuables in the safe in the main office. If you leave some money in your room we suggest you put it in a purse inside a locked suitcase inside a closed closet; certainly do not leave it within arm's reach of the back windows facing the public park.
4. Telephone and Computers
  - Computers are available. Internet connection speed reasonable, most of the time. The speed is high enough to use Skype, which is far cheaper than buying local phone cards. Since a few years, there is also wireless internet (which works most of the time).
Sun, Wind, and Insects
1. Bellairs is situated on one of the best beaches in Barbados, so don't forget your bathing suit for swims before breakfast and in between work sessions. Above all, don't forget sunscreen !
2. Depending on the weather conditions and other factors, we may get some mosquitoes (this is typically more of a problem during the rainy season). You should bring some bug repellant just in case. Note that there is no malaria on the island of Barbados.

Barbados

Getting to Bellairs

At Bellairs: Practical Information