I traveled to Barbados from the UK to cover the country's new remote work visa. Here's what it was like to quarantine in paradise.

The Welcome Stamp is a year-long visa for remote workers. The online application process asks people to fill out a form providing some basic data, upload their birth certificate, confirm their salary is over $50,000, and pay the $2,000 fee.

As of the end of October, Barbados had received 1,693 applications for the Welcome Stamp (some for groups, some for individuals), accounting for 2,796 people in total, the Barbados Tourism and Marketing team told Insider.

Although it's not the only country to have launched a remote work visa, it was one of the quickest.

With an economy estimated to be 60-80% dependent on tourism (depending on the source), Barbados' economy has been hit hard by the pandemic. Barbados is trying to balance bringing visitors back to the country while minimizing the spread of the coronavirus. The country has had 7 deaths and 238 cases since the pandemic began.

I could choose to stay either at a designated hotel or approved villa, or for free at a government holding facility.

When I was choosing where to stay, there weren't many options on the approved hotel list, but there are now dozens, ranging from luxury to budget. I chose a hotel called the Crane.

It's worth doing your research though, because some have far more favorable quarantine conditions than others, and a lot of the hotels are currently offering deals on pricing.

If you don't want to pay, you can stay for free at government accommodation — someone who did this told me it was OK, but there seemed to be little privacy, with people sleeping in large rooms of beds, sharing with strangers.

It would all hinge on the timing of my two COVID-19 PCR tests, one before and one after arrival, but ultimately I decided to err on the side of caution and book four nights in the hotel.

I went to a private clinic in London for my test, which was entirely painless if expensive at £165 ($214).

I timed it right at the start of my 72-hour window, conscious of the fact that I needed the result not only before flying, but in time for me to upload it alongside the online immigration form I had to fill out.

Fortunately, my result was negative, and I got it in time.

I had to show my negative coronavirus test results and my immigration form at check-in, which is likely why I ended up waiting there for 50 minutes.

I popped into the No. 1 Traveler Lounge at Gatwick Airport before taking off, and the new normal was in full swing both there and on the plane, with masks, hand sanitizer, and social distancing.

The first meal was a turkey and cheese bread roll with a chicken and rice salad and a chocolate salted caramel ganache, and towards the end of the flight, I was served a hot chicken pesto cheese sandwich and a KitKat.

Pretzels and shortbread were also available as snacks.

Little did I know, however, that there were only going to be even longer lines inside the airport.

I had to show my COVID test result again and fill out a form detailing where I was staying and how long I'd be in the country.

There were the usual passport and immigration checks, but I also had to fill out a health form stating that I would quarantine and follow the testing and monitoring protocols (more on those later).

It had felt a bit like a whirlwind and quite flustering.

I'd booked a package at the Crane which included my airport transfer, so I jumped in the car and relaxed for the 15-minute journey to the resort.

There was no screen in the taxi, but my driver, David from Nakendra's Chauffeur Services informed me that he cleaned and sanitized the whole car daily and between passengers, and we both wore masks (as is the law in Barbados).

Red wristbands are for people awaiting their COVID-19 PCR test result (although I'm not sure who that could be due to the strict rules for entering Barbados), and they are restricted to their guest room.

Blue wristbands are for people in my position, travelers from high-risk countries waiting to take and receive the results of their second test.

Green wristbands are for people who've successfully tested negative for the coronavirus twice.

I also had to buy a thermometer (which cost around $30) because I was required to take and record my temperature twice daily for 14 days after arrival. No one asked to see my results, but if mine was ever high it would be up to me to act.

Housekeeping didn't come into my room while I was quarantining, but they did afterward.

Including breakfast, airport transfer, and my second coronavirus test, the room was $283 a night, reduced from $559.

The Crane is at the upper end of the price scale when it comes to quarantine hotels, with rooms starting from $188 per night, but what it offers makes it worth it if you can afford the cost.

A lot of my fellow quarantining guests agreed with me, and the currently reduced prices make the Crane a lot more accessible.

Other approved hotels approved for quarantine range from the luxurious Cobblers Cove, where rates start from $535 a night including airport transfers and the second coronavirus test which you can do in your room, to the more basic Meridian Inn guest house, where rates start from $92 a night but you'd need to organize getting food delivered to your room somehow.

The kitchen was well-equipped, and you can get deliveries from the on-site grocery store.

The shop stocks essentials like loaves of bread ($3), milk ($4.25/liter), sodas ($1.50), and apples ($0.32 each), and you could even order a bottle of wine for $17.

Air-con throughout the suite kept me cool too, which was definitely a plus in 86ºF heat.

It was nice to have my own outdoor space while quarantining at the hotel.

The dining table became my office, and there was even an outside electric socket which meant I could plug my laptop and phone in to charge.

Quarantine was a perfect opportunity to knuckle down and get some work done, and the covered balcony meant I could always see my laptop screen and not get too hot.

You don't need a fake Zoom background when you're in Barbados.

An omelette with potatoes, avocado toast, fresh fruit, mango juice, and coffee is, I can confirm, an excellent way to start the day.

It was a decent size and great for cooling off.

You couldn't exactly swim, but at four feet deep I could submerge my whole body. I didn't actually use the plunge pool as much as I'd expected though because ...

The pool is only for guests with blue bands. It's an ideal space to quarantine where guests can order food and drinks delivered to the sun loungers.

Many of us got chatting to each other in and around the pool, and the spacing of the loungers ensured we kept our distance without having to think about it too much.

There wasn't anyone policing social distancing, but in my opinion, people appeared to be using their common sense.

The CDC stresses the importance of keeping a six-foot distance from other people because droplets from the mouth and nose of an infected person are carried in the air.

As I was working, I would pop down early in the morning or at lunchtime, but otherwise, I'd have gladly spent my quarantine days lying by the pool and swimming — as the other blue band guests seemed to be doing.

Going to the pool first thing in the morning was even better from a safety point of view, as I generally had it all to myself.

Some other approved hotels on Barbados' list also have pools for quarantining guests, but not all do, so it's worth looking at options before booking.

Before I could get to the beach though, I had to take a second COVID-19 test, which I'd booked in for the day after I arrived.

When I had the negative result from that, I would be free to swim in the sea.

I was worried I'd be cooped up in my hotel room, unable to stretch my legs, but this wasn't the case.

The whole resort was pretty quiet, seemingly with most of the guests at the Historic Pool.

Masks had to be worn in all inside spaces (except your own room) too.

As the resort is so big, there were lots of staff working on the grounds outside, most of whom were wearing masks too, which was impressive in the heat.

Later on in my trip, I would realize that Barbados has a high uptake of mask-wearing.

According to the World Health Organization, "masks should be used as part of a comprehensive strategy of measures to suppress transmission and save lives," and it was good to see.

While I didn't interview any of the Crane's staff members, I noticed all guests and hotel employees appeared to be adhering to mask and social-distancing rules. The atmosphere seemed friendly to me, with guests and staff chatting to each other around the grounds.

There's also a gym that was running at limited capacity.

When you get your green wristband, that means you're officially COVID-free and thus able to go to the beach, all the restaurants, shops, pools, gym, and spa. But I wasn't allowed yet.

The sun sets early in Barbados, at around 5.30 p.m., so there was no time to work on my tan after work in the evening.

My kitchen was also stocked with crockery and cutlery so I could transfer my room service food for eating.

Room service was the same prices as eating in the restaurants and — as I would learn later in my stay — Barbados isn't cheap. What was helpful, however, was that the Crane waived the $7.50 delivery fee for quarantining guests who had no other option.

Eating out in Barbados is expensive, and as such, ordering room service can get pricey too, but there are also cheaper options. At the Crane, you can get a burger and fries for $16.50, BBQ chicken with a side for $18.50, and a Caesar salad for $15.

This was exactly what I wanted after a snack-heavy travel day.

The cuisine on offer is pretty international — I also had a very tasty Greek salad and a pad thai during my stay.

Pro tip: If you have an Amazon Firestick, take it with you when you travel so you can turn a regular TV into a smart one.

This has to be done 4-5 days after your pre-travel test, then it's usually 24-48 hours until you get the result, so if you time things right, you're not quarantining for long.

When I stayed, the second test was part of the package I'd booked. Now, however, the rules have changed, and you have to pay an extra $150 for the test.

I had to fill out a form saying where I would be staying after leaving the hotel, and was called by the health authorities to confirm when I was taking my test.

The freedom! The possibility! The relief!

It was everything I'd hoped for, and felt extra amazing having been denied access for a few days.

I'd enjoyed my room service breakfasts, but eating out to start the day certainly felt like a treat.

The Crane's buffet is not self-serve, but you can request what you want and staff behind a screen will plate it for you.

My quarantine couldn't have been further from what I'd initially imagined. It was two days long, plus I could walk outside, swim in a pool, and have all my meals delivered to my door.

I was then free to enjoy Barbados, though I had to continue taking my temperature twice a day for two weeks, and tell the health authorities when they called (first on the Sunday, then on the following Thursday) that I'd tested negative again — no one asked me to show proof, but presumably, it was recorded.

The most stressful part of the experience had been organizing everything before I arrived, but once I was there, it felt very safe and was largely smooth sailing. You have to trust that everyone around you is following the rules, but Barbados makes it impossible to get in without doing so.

It may not be a practical option if you're only planning on visiting Barbados for a week or have a strict budget in mind, but if you're staying for longer and can get your timing right, to me it's a no-brainer.

Provided official rules don't prevent international travel, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

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