Some Things To Consider When Moving To The Caribbean

If you are thinking of moving to the Caribbean for the sun and the sea you will certainly get plenty of both, but there are a number of things to take into consideration.

The first thing is that space is limited. If you are used to getting in the car and going for long trips out into the countryside, you have to remember that you are going to be on an island and there is a limit to how far you can go. Even Jamaica, which is the third largest Caribbean island, has only 4,441 square miles, and many of the islands are considerably smaller than that.

Another problem can be looking for a job. If you are not a national, which it is presumed you are not, you will need a work permit or sponsorship from an employer before you go, and one of the biggest problems is that on many of the islands work permits are only granted if there are no qualified citizens there who are applying for the job or are available.

Some of the islands also require people who are at least bilingual. For instance, Aruba, which is owned by the Dutch, usually requires people who speak Dutch and the native Papiamento as a minimum.

This doesn’t mean that jobs are impossible to find, but you do need to do some research. The best bet is to look for the embassy or consulate online and talk to them first. Another great way would be to visit the island you are considering, as a tourist and get to know the locals and make some contacts there.

Something that nobody will tell you is that there are lots of locals other than the locals. For instance, in the Dominican Republic we are talking about snakes, lizards, mice, frogs, snails, and rats. We are also talking about huge spiders - not just tarantulas – but great big six-inch creatures that come into your garden to play!

Another thing that you need to know is that you are not going come home after work and have all your friends around for a long sunny evening barbecue because there aren’t any long summer evenings. You are going to be close to the equator and that means that the sun rises between 6 and 7 and it sets again by 6 and 7: it’s dark after seven in the evening. However, that also means that you never get up to go to work in the dark and come back home in the dark, so it’s not all bad.

The temperature is usually around 28°C and 30°C which is about the same as a hot summer day in the UK and it’s like that all year round. You can leave all those long trousers and sweaters at home because you can walk around in shorts all day every day.

In recent years, supermarkets have arrived on some of the islands, so you no longer have to go to four or five different stores to get all your groceries. However, that doesn’t mean that you can make out your shopping list and just go and get it all. Many products are scarce, because boats don’t come in, flights get delayed, or they just forgot to order it. Scarcity, of course, means higher prices. And it can be weeks before your favourite product appears on the supermarket shelf again.

The there are the mosquitos. You can’t have a pond in your garden because within three days it will be swarming with them. However, there is an answer and it is an insect repellent product called "Off" which comes in green and orange bottles and is seen all over the Caribbean. It is the first thing you should buy when your plane lands. Talking of planes, you would think that hopping on one to the next island is easy, but it isn’t. Also, there are tremendous delays, and nobody will tell you why.

One thing that you will really have to get used to is island time. Everybody is very laid back and taking it easy. When you call the electrician on Thursday to fix something and he says "manana" don’t expect him to arrive on Friday. The word "manana" simply means "not today".

If you are moving to the Caribbean, or considering doing so, W. I. Freight are the people to talk to. They have been shipping people and goods to the Caribbean for over 50 years and they know all the islands extremely well.

W.I. Freight has been shipping goods to the Caribbean for over 50 years and has expert knowledge of everything required to move abroad.