marc

Hi all travellers. I just got back from a 2 wk vacation in T&T with my family(3kids). We are from western Canada. We all had a excellent time. 3days in Trinidad were good. Busy but fun. Saw the botanical gardens and Zoo. They were great. Stayed at Kapok hotel. very nice. great bar and garden area in back of hotel. close walking distance to lots of stuff. great view from the 8th floor rest'n at the hotel. Maracas bay beach is worth the trip(45 minutes from Port of Spain) Gorgeous beach and you must eat at Richard's for the "bake and shark". It is excellent and the kids loved it also.<BR>Tobago was magnificent. My wife and I have travelled to six different islands and Tobago ranks #1or #2. Great Carribean atmosphere. People are friendly. We made local friends and kids were extremely well received. The food is different and local(roti and bake&fish,fish and rice and local beans) but very good. My wife is more of a 4 or five star hotel type person and leary of new foods but the fresh seafood,fruits and veggies are excellent and abundant. Lots of great local restaurants to eat. You must eat at Amadeus bistro(very reasonable and generous portions), Seahorse inn(expensive),the Salsa kitchen(great people and food)Bonker's restaurant at the Toucan inn(reasonable cost and good food) Rainbow falls nature area has a great lunch made from scratch and their fresh made pure orange juice is to die for. We stayed at Rex Turtle Beach hotel. It was OK but a bit rundown. Great location and beach and the grounds are lush and beautiful. The staff is friendly. We did not eat dinner there once since it was expensive and not appealing. <BR>To get around we rented a used topless jeep and it was excellent. Easy to get around but lots of zigzaggy roads. Beautiful island. Castara bay. Englishman's bay, Blue waters inn bay. Speyside, King's bay all gorgeous. We did some snorkelling off the beach at Arnos Vale hotel, Castara beach and Englishman's bay. Kids loved it. Saw fish, turtles, Monterays etc. <BR>We were lucky enough to witness the giant Leatherback turtles lay there eggs on turtle beach in front of our hotel. It was memorable. <BR>Another tour we took was the tour to Bucco reef (so-so-) Not much there, too trampelled by tourists. The rest or the tour was to coral gardens on glass bottom boat and to No-man's Land. Beautiful setting and excellent beach barbeque. Fresh flying fish and chicken, fresh fruit, vegetables, and rum punch and limbo contest. Kids and adults had a ball!!<BR>If you want to know about Tobago,I believe I can give you a "real" idea about what to expect. I like to explore an island as much as possible. My wife is less adventurous so if she loves it, it usually means good things. She wants to go back for one month next time. E-mail me for info.

Daniel Williams

Thanks for taking the time to tell us about your trip to T&T, a destination I don't see many travelogues about. You said you'd rank Tobago #1 or #2 of Caribbean destinations (where else have you been to?); where would you rank Trinidad? Glad you had a great time.

Syndy

Marc,<BR>I am from Trinidad and thanks for that excellent review of my Island! You could have also stayed at SandyPoint, which is a nice hotel close to StoreBay with activites for the kids. I do visit Tobago regularly,as you know it's just 15 mins away!<BR><BR>And Daniel, I have travelogues at Virtual Tourist about Trinidad and Tobago,<BR>here is the link:<BR><BR>http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/.180454/1/?s=L<BR><BR>

Miriam

Marc,<BR><BR>Question how expensive was your accomodations? how are the beaches? Long and white for walking? Where did you fly into? We live in the midwest and are trying to figure out where to go this summer for our Caribbean trip.<BR><BR>Thanks!<BR>Miriam

Kat

Just returned from Tobago, I loved it and will be back. <BR><BR>Do not go in the summer time- it's raining.<BR><BR>We spent a week there in late May. the weather cooperated, it's clean, friendly, calm, beautiful. I just loved it, and will go back, although rough surf precluded diving. <BR>the beaches are short coves on the Atlantic side, can't really speak for the leeward. Email me if you are still considering it for the summer, but it DOES rain from June through Oct/Nov.

Janet

Hullo - we were thinking of the Rex or Arnos Vale, which do you think has the nicest beach? Not bothered about the food but a nice beach is a must! Was the water calm at the Rex?

Linda

Has anyone stayed or visited the Coco Reef Hotel & Spa in Tobago? The resort really looks nice online.

Syndy

hey,<BR>I live here and I go to Tobago every summer and it does not rain. Last year we didn't get rain until November!

Brian

The beach at Arnos Vale is on a small cove and the water is calm. The snorkeling is supposed to be good there. The Rex is on a much longer beach, and the water is quite rough. If you like long walks on the beach, the Rex would be a better choice. If you like calm water, then it would be Arnos Vale.

oonarose

Hi, Linda,<BR>I've visited the Coco Reef several times during our four trips to Tobago, but haven't stayed there. It's a very attractive hotel, located at Crown Point, near the airport. There's very little airplane noise because the airport doesn't have much traffic. That area is the most built-up in Tobago. The good news is that there are quite a few restaurants nearby, and it's also close to Pigeon Point, my favorite place to swim and picnic, with white sand and calm, bright blue water.<BR>The Coco Reef's beach is short, narrow, and manmade with very little shade. A breakwater keeps the water calm as a bathtub for swimming. I've heard from others that the resort has a tendency to overbooks its ocean-view rooms, so that some guests are disappointed not to get the room they paid for.<BR>We go there for lunch sometimes. Their outdoor restaurant is pleasant and serves good food. Every now and then, we get in the mood for a cheeseburger and the Coco Reef makes good ones.

Eric

We went to Tobago on our honeymoon two years ago. We stayed in a dodgy hole called Grafton Beach Resort and we had such a miserable time that we decided to fly back home after only one week (we were supposed to stay two weeks all-inclusive). The islanders are nice, but the staff at the resort was rude and aloof, the swimming pool tiny, the beach dirty, and the food only average. Our initial room was dirty and asked to be given a different room. The second room was only slightly better; there was still a huge gap in the patio door and it was infested with ants.