Introduction Tobago is a small island in the Caribbean near to Trinidad and the Venezuelan coast. We went for 2 weeks from the end of May, which is just about the start of the rainy season.
Flight The flight from Gatwick to Tobago takes 8 hours or so, and going out the time difference does not have too much effect. We flew with JMC, who have since stopped flying direct to Tobago (see later). We got a price of 329 GBP per person return, which is pretty good for the caribbean. The flight was OK, though not as good as the return journey. Arriving at Crown Point airport was a surprise. The airport is very small, and we were the only major flight that day. This meant that baggage handling was quick and so on, but you shouldnt expect incredible facilities.
Accomodation We were staying in a house let by a friend of my wife, which was very nice. This was in the village
of Carnbee, which is in the lowlands, and reasonably central. There is a fairly good supermarket in Carnbee, which has a good selection, though is not open on Sundays. As with the rest of the island, there are various roti and fruit stalls, and a few rum shops.
About the island Tobago was colonised several times in its history by various different groups, including the Dutch, English, French and Caribs. Local population is around 50 000. The island is mainly occupied in the lowlands to the south, including the capitalScarborough (not a very nice place). The local people are extremely friendly and will regularly come up to talk to tourists, introduce themselves and probably try to sell you a boat trip, but they aren't too pushy if you say no. The guidebooks have lots of warnings about crime and to be careful, but we never had any trouble at all, and we went just about all over the island. Expect to be asked if you want a boat trip or if you are interested in this carved thing (some of which are quite good).
Getting around One problem we encountered was that you cannot hire a car if you are under 25. This meant we had to go on the insurance of a car owned by the property manager of the house. This was OK and allowed us to have a lot more freedom, and see much more of the island than we would have otherwise. The rest of the time, we had to get taxis. This is a bit daunting at first, but OK once you get used to it. Taxis all have number plates starting with H, though quite a lot of the local cars (P plate) will be taxis if you wave your arm as they pass. Prices are very cheap, though be wary of P cars which quote much higher prices for tourists sometimes. Usually they charge $2TT per junction (about 30p). So going to the beach at Store Bay would cost us about $5 each, each way. This is only about 60p so its not too bad.
Island Tours We went on an island tour with a company called A Team tours. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. The couple who run the company are very friendly and helpful. We went to see various lookout points overlooking beaches around the island, were shown a lot of the local flaura and fauna, then went to the rainforest for a tour. This was about 90 minutes and our guide showed us virtually every flower, plant, tree, bird and animal that was in there, which was great. We went from there to have lunch in a restaurant at Speyside, a fishing village on the northeastern coast in a treehouse restaurant called Jemma's kitchen, which was very nice and reasonably priced. Then we went back down the south coast toward Scarborough and to the Argyle falls which is a pretty good waterfall with a nice pool at the bottom to swim in. This is lovely and fresh and is full of fish swimming around your feet. I recommend jumping off the rock on the left into the pool, much fun :). We paid 45USD each for the tour which took all day (9-6) which was quite good value in hindsight. You would probably miss out on quite a lot if you just went on a tour with a taxi driver.
Snorkelling The snorkelling in Tobago is the best I have ever experienced.The reefs around store bay and englishmans bay provide the most incredible range of corals, sealife and fish. Gigantic rainbow parrotfish a foot long swimming in a shoal all around you, among the giant brain, fan, stag, elkhorn and fire corals. Angelfish, long thin fish, small silveryfish and long lines of cuttlefish mean it is an experience not to be missed. I would take your own snorkel though. You can hire them for about $25TT but they are expensive to buy out there
Beaches There are some fantastic beaches in Tobago, and you really have to see them all for yourself, but the best two are probably englishman's bay and store bay. Englishman's is the perfect stretch of white sand with rainforest leading away up the hills. There were no more than 6-8 people there any of the times we went. The sea is a bit rocky, but fantastic snorkelling at either end, and the huge frigate birds overhead make a brilliant secluded and romantic location. Its a bit of a drive to get there though. Store bay is a bit more commercial. Lots of vendors, beach bars and such, but the water is very clear and the swimming is excellent. The boat trips are good from there as well. if you survive the hard sell :)
Restaurants Restaurants are expensive in Tobago. The chinese place is cheap, and so is the pizza place and the roti shacks, but the tourist restaurants are the same prices as england. Best we went to was the shirvan watermill, paid about $400TT for two, but its a VERY nice place. Me Shells is also highly recommended, bit cheaper at $300TT. The effect of the reduction in flights to Tobago is not likely to be good for the economy there, but I hope they do OK.
Summary It's a holiday you have to put some effort into, and a car is fairly essential to see the whole island, but its a fantastic place. Take some insect repellent for the evenings on the beach, and go see the turtles!
It sounds wonderful.. Someone I went to school with was born there and he always made it sound like the most beautiful place. Thanks! Anna
Cazz 15.06.2001 21:21
Thank you for this wonderful review, and how refreshing to read about the island and its people rather than about what a resort is like - it sounds like you had a wonderful time, thankyou for sharing it with us.
Connoisseur_Haggler 15.06.2001 00:30
just finished reading this and your opinion has captured the beauty and feeling of this unspoilt island of paradise. This sounds very much like a few beaches I discovered in Kerala, at the time were untouched by tourism, super opinion, thanks.
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Advantages: different Caribbean experience Disadvantages: costs
sting_of_the_scorpion 29.03.2006 (31.03.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of General: Trinidad and Tobago
Advantages: Sun and warmth all year round, beautiful beaches, great for families or singles Disadvantages: Tourists tend to be ripped off with prices and you need a car to get around
Jun 15th, 2001
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