Argh! How to write a succinct little paragraph to describe myself? Married mother of 2 in Yorkshir...
Argh! How to write a succinct little paragraph to describe myself? Married mother of 2 in Yorkshire, desperately trying to juggle husband, kids, house and "me" time. I just realised that "Argh" at the beginning makes me sound like a pirate...
Member since:19.11.2002
Reviews:8
I write this with some bias as I am from Trinidad and am accustomed holidaying in Tobago. Nonetheless, I think I can share some genuine 'local' info for foreigners interested in visiting.
Trinidad is a fantastic place to visit for the Carnival which always takes place the 2 days before Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent). Carnival is an experience you can never really describe. It is something you can only experience for yourself and for the full effect, you should be in costume. The buildup to Carnival starts from several weeks before, with the steel pan competitions and the huge King & Queen costumes parading on stage, not to mention the Calypso and Soca contests. Excellent stuff!
Year round, you can always find things to do in Trinidad, with the beaches (best are Maracas and Las Cuevas in the north, with Manzanilla and Mayaro on the east coast) and the naturalist centres like the bird sanctuary, the waterfalls, the pitch lake (a natural wonder) and the mud volcanoes. For the party-goers, there are lots of clubs and bars to visit through the week and especially on weekends. The shopping is fair enough but many of the locals (who can afford it) go to Miami to shop. Downtown Port of Spain (the capital) is good for bargains, especially Charlotte Street with all the $10 shops and discount stores.
Tobago is a lot quieter but more tourist-oriented. You can always find beautiful beaches and restaurants and bars and clubs. There are similar nature centres like Argyle Falls and lots of good walking and hiking.
Now for the negative side, and I feel that I have to put this as it is important if you go. Trinidad has been having a crime wave for several years which seems to be on the up and up. You need to be watchful and alert. Don't wear a lot of jewellery or carry too much cash around. Murders and kidnappings have been common occurrences over the last few years. Try to avoid taking public transportation (which is not excellent in any case) and rent your own car if possible. Be careful of 'guides' and over-helpful locals. Believe me, it is easy enough to get around on your own by using a map and asking for directions if you get lost. It is a wonderful place and the people are very friendly but you need to be on your guard.
Tobago has much less of a problem with crime, but be warned that many of the local men view foreign women as a ticket out of the country, especially if they are older and wealthy. Tourists need to check prices in advance for tours and guides as sometimes the locals try to rip them off.
Hope this was helpful, I have tried to be as honest as possible.
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Nice to get a review of T & T. Im getting married in Tobago in 5 months
elinor.z 22.09.2005 00:00
An interesting review, especially as we were thinking of going there next month, such beautiful islands, so sad they are not so safe. thanks.....elinor.
Bollinger28 03.03.2005 16:09
I've been to Tobago and it was beautiful - especially the waterfalls - Lexy
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Mar 3rd, 2005
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