We recently returned from our trip to Tobago, staying in Castara for 11 days. We expected quite a lot after reading posts from this forum: friendly people, good restaurants, clean beautiful beaches. We seemed to visit a different Castara than most people here have encountered. We stayed at Sandcastles, up the hill from the town. We had a beautiful, magnificent view, amazing bird watching from the balcony, and for the most part comfortable accomodation. The bats that flew in every evening were not welcome, nor their feces. The apartment is open on the side overlooking the gorgeous view. No wall or screen. Aside from that, it was an ideal location if staying in Castara.
The town itself was rather bleak as far as food or anything else you might need. The restaurants were fair, and the service was laughable. The Boat House did provide good service, and decent food. Margarites, well, depended on who served you. Her one daughter was plain rude, and tried to charge us 20% for a tip. When I brought it up to her, she just stared at me with contempt. We self catered or took food home for the most part. The restaurants do not offer much of an ambiance, and our apartment had the best view in Castara.
Now, here is where I question what most people encountered....the friendly people??? We found the people in Castara and some of the other small villages to be anything but friendly. They do not want tourists there! They are not friendly or helpful! We did not expect the people to have conversations with us, or trade addresses. A simple good morning with a smile would have been nice. We are both well travelled, and have not encountered such scorn from the locals anywhere else. It did not matter how friendly we were, the people, for the most part, were unfriendly. And the poor dogs. We made runs nightly, feeding the starving pups right in front of their homes. Horrible!
The beaches in Castara were not the cleanest. The water was magnificent...the beach itself had litter scattered throughout. On Little Bay, the restaurant dominates the beach, and the music is always playing. That might be okay sometimes, but not okay other times. Empty beer bottles are plentiful on the tables and beach. The snorkeling was great, right off the shore. The beaches were almost empty many days, which was welcome. Englishmans Bay is lovely, but hard to swim in because of the tide/undertow.
We did have a nice stay in Tobago, we travelled around the island and took in gorgeous scenery and lush rainforests. We did not want to stay in Crown Point, we wanted to see the 'Real Tobago'. I think we did, and we would have enjoyed ourselves so much more if the locals were happier with the presence of tourists in their villages.
Our first visit to Tobago...Castara..a different view?
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Steve Wooler
- myTobago Editor & Chief Anorak
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Hi Joana
Your report dissapoints me greatly. Sadly it is not the first time I have heard comment like this of Castara and somewhere deep within the forum you will find a post from me reporting on how I left Castara at very short notice due to problems/rudeness of local people during our one brief visit to the village in 2003. I have no answer/reasons to offer. Some people seem to rave about the place, others are less impressed. I guess no place is ideal for everyone.
By strange coincidence I am hoping to pay a visit to Castara tomorrow to view/examine a property we are considering for a full review in 2005. We feel it is about time that we examined the village in detail.
Incidentally, please do not think that this is typical of Tobago. We started our 2004 visit with four days in Charlotteville and were highly impressed by the warmth and friendliness of the local population, despite their initial somewhat abrupt manner. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and look forward to a longer return.
Your report dissapoints me greatly. Sadly it is not the first time I have heard comment like this of Castara and somewhere deep within the forum you will find a post from me reporting on how I left Castara at very short notice due to problems/rudeness of local people during our one brief visit to the village in 2003. I have no answer/reasons to offer. Some people seem to rave about the place, others are less impressed. I guess no place is ideal for everyone.
By strange coincidence I am hoping to pay a visit to Castara tomorrow to view/examine a property we are considering for a full review in 2005. We feel it is about time that we examined the village in detail.
Incidentally, please do not think that this is typical of Tobago. We started our 2004 visit with four days in Charlotteville and were highly impressed by the warmth and friendliness of the local population, despite their initial somewhat abrupt manner. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and look forward to a longer return.
Steve Wooler
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
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Paul Tallet
- Weather Guru
- Posts: 3641
- Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2003 3:43 am
- Location: Yorkshire
Castara
Hi
I have just returned from Castara and will be putting some general comments in as an update ... as soon as I get some time.
Joana's remarks have prompted me to say a few points as follows:-
Firstly, while I agree that there is a degree of abruptness on the part of a minority of locals, it seems understandable to me that part of such a small community could feel that their lives are being a little overwhelmed by the number of tourists.
There are 2 types, the ones that welcome us and the ones that do not (i.e.; some fisherman are best avoided).
My family have gone there for the last 3 years and have felt more and more welcome each year as the locals have become accustomed to us and we to them.
I have discussed it with some there and my impression, surprisingly, is that it is simply down to a racist issue ... for instance, Margarites will charge $TT20 for Chicken and Chips to a local and $TT40 to a white visitor and ... yes ... one of her daughters can seem rude (but she is only 12 even if she does not look it), however Margerite and the rest of her family are a real delight and we got on so well that they were sitting and exchanging pleasantries each evening with me at my table.
I fully agree with Joana about the food ...
The Heavenly Bay Resturant is so bad that I gave up on it last year and did not pay a visit this year.
The Cascreole/Treehouse has great potential but they are very over priced at $TT65 per meal upwards and they can dish out absolute slop sometimes and about 2 nights per week the food is very good.
I have seen the Cascreole compared to Jemma's of Speyside ... not a chance ... Jemma's is better by miles and cheaper.
L & H is very basic and very cheap but absolutely fine if you are happy to get what you pay for.
Margarites, for me, was the best by far ... and consequently her service could become strained at times when all the diners in Castara turned up (without warning) at her place in favour of the other less worthy establishments.
I disagree about the beach ... it is very clean. OK, there are some plastic bottles lying around here and there but please note that the Government employs locals to clean and sweep the beach every morning ... the main culprits, in my view, are the tourists, otherwise there is one area on the beach next to the Naturalist Beach Resort that has been a little unsightly recently due to the building and development of a new apartment/juice bar.
Heavenly Bay is a little risky ... I am concerned about the numbers that use that beach and consequently the coral reef that goes right up to the breakwater line is getting damaged ... also please note that there is extensive fire coral and some sea urchins quite close to the shore which is dangerous for swimmers ... I would swim where the locals swim ... in the main beach.
As for the 3 pups ... they are fine ... a minority of the locals are cruel to their dogs and the pups have had a hard time ... we fed them as best we could and a lady from Lancashire has taken on this chore ... I hope they will survive.
Overall though, Castara is the best place on the Island for me ... yes ... you will see some aspects of life and some individuals that you would prefer not to see ... but don't we all see this in all societies around the world (even our own)?
Remember that Castara is NOT a holiday resort ... it is a small community coming to terms with a weekly influx of wealthier tourists ... and we must respect that before assessing it as a suitable place to stay.
As yet only a small element of the community is providing facilities to tourists ... I hope it stays this way.
You have to take the rough with the smooth !
Regards
Paul
I have just returned from Castara and will be putting some general comments in as an update ... as soon as I get some time.
Joana's remarks have prompted me to say a few points as follows:-
Firstly, while I agree that there is a degree of abruptness on the part of a minority of locals, it seems understandable to me that part of such a small community could feel that their lives are being a little overwhelmed by the number of tourists.
There are 2 types, the ones that welcome us and the ones that do not (i.e.; some fisherman are best avoided).
My family have gone there for the last 3 years and have felt more and more welcome each year as the locals have become accustomed to us and we to them.
I have discussed it with some there and my impression, surprisingly, is that it is simply down to a racist issue ... for instance, Margarites will charge $TT20 for Chicken and Chips to a local and $TT40 to a white visitor and ... yes ... one of her daughters can seem rude (but she is only 12 even if she does not look it), however Margerite and the rest of her family are a real delight and we got on so well that they were sitting and exchanging pleasantries each evening with me at my table.
I fully agree with Joana about the food ...
The Heavenly Bay Resturant is so bad that I gave up on it last year and did not pay a visit this year.
The Cascreole/Treehouse has great potential but they are very over priced at $TT65 per meal upwards and they can dish out absolute slop sometimes and about 2 nights per week the food is very good.
I have seen the Cascreole compared to Jemma's of Speyside ... not a chance ... Jemma's is better by miles and cheaper.
L & H is very basic and very cheap but absolutely fine if you are happy to get what you pay for.
Margarites, for me, was the best by far ... and consequently her service could become strained at times when all the diners in Castara turned up (without warning) at her place in favour of the other less worthy establishments.
I disagree about the beach ... it is very clean. OK, there are some plastic bottles lying around here and there but please note that the Government employs locals to clean and sweep the beach every morning ... the main culprits, in my view, are the tourists, otherwise there is one area on the beach next to the Naturalist Beach Resort that has been a little unsightly recently due to the building and development of a new apartment/juice bar.
Heavenly Bay is a little risky ... I am concerned about the numbers that use that beach and consequently the coral reef that goes right up to the breakwater line is getting damaged ... also please note that there is extensive fire coral and some sea urchins quite close to the shore which is dangerous for swimmers ... I would swim where the locals swim ... in the main beach.
As for the 3 pups ... they are fine ... a minority of the locals are cruel to their dogs and the pups have had a hard time ... we fed them as best we could and a lady from Lancashire has taken on this chore ... I hope they will survive.
Overall though, Castara is the best place on the Island for me ... yes ... you will see some aspects of life and some individuals that you would prefer not to see ... but don't we all see this in all societies around the world (even our own)?
Remember that Castara is NOT a holiday resort ... it is a small community coming to terms with a weekly influx of wealthier tourists ... and we must respect that before assessing it as a suitable place to stay.
As yet only a small element of the community is providing facilities to tourists ... I hope it stays this way.
You have to take the rough with the smooth !
Regards
Paul
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HelenH
castara a different view
Hi
This is a worrying review. We go to Castara in April our first visit to Tobago or anywhere in the Caribbean. We are not worried about it not being like a resort- we prefer to be in small places and mix with the locals. We are more worried about the places to eat and unfriendly locals.
helen
This is a worrying review. We go to Castara in April our first visit to Tobago or anywhere in the Caribbean. We are not worried about it not being like a resort- we prefer to be in small places and mix with the locals. We are more worried about the places to eat and unfriendly locals.
helen
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Joana
Hello Paul,
Yes, a racist issue indeed. It is apparent and palpable in more than the prices of food. Yes, Margarites is the best in Castara, no doubt. She should be more careful as to how she allows her 'servers' to treat customers. We are, after all, customers. Margarite herself was always nice and accomodating...most of the locals that were selling things to the tourists were somewhat nice. The ladies selling bread..well that was a comedy in and of itself. They were flat out mean one time, but did warm up to us after much persistence of kindness. Humor is the greatest equalizer.
No, the beaches were not overly littered, but they are far from 'clean'. Perhaps a definition problem? I don't know who is the culprit.
Most of the dogs and the pups are unhealthy and some are starving. Fact. I am a professional in the field. We fed them daily in front of their 'owners'. Once again, horrible.
We do understand that there must be a strain on the locals having tourists bumbling through their village. From what I saw, the tourists were kind and careful for the most part. Taking pictures of the locals as if they were strange fruit was not welcome by the locals, or by us. We did not expect banners welcoming our presence, just a bit of kindness would have been nice.
Yes, a racist issue indeed. It is apparent and palpable in more than the prices of food. Yes, Margarites is the best in Castara, no doubt. She should be more careful as to how she allows her 'servers' to treat customers. We are, after all, customers. Margarite herself was always nice and accomodating...most of the locals that were selling things to the tourists were somewhat nice. The ladies selling bread..well that was a comedy in and of itself. They were flat out mean one time, but did warm up to us after much persistence of kindness. Humor is the greatest equalizer.
No, the beaches were not overly littered, but they are far from 'clean'. Perhaps a definition problem? I don't know who is the culprit.
Most of the dogs and the pups are unhealthy and some are starving. Fact. I am a professional in the field. We fed them daily in front of their 'owners'. Once again, horrible.
We do understand that there must be a strain on the locals having tourists bumbling through their village. From what I saw, the tourists were kind and careful for the most part. Taking pictures of the locals as if they were strange fruit was not welcome by the locals, or by us. We did not expect banners welcoming our presence, just a bit of kindness would have been nice.
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Paul Tallet
- Weather Guru
- Posts: 3641
- Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2003 3:43 am
- Location: Yorkshire
Hi
Firstly, Helenh ... don't worry, these are really quite trivial matters in the overall scheme of things ... the benefits of staying in Castara considerably outweigh the pitfalls. The place is sheer beauty and you will have a wonderful stay.
Back to Joana ... is there any need to go on about the negatives of Castara because, as I have said to Helenh, these matters are quite trivial.
I appreciate that it can be distressing to some to see starving dogs (particularly puppies) ... this is the first time in 3 years that I have witnessed this.
I am sorry this spoiled your holiday.
Other than the puppies, there was one dog with a gammy leg and all the other dogs were fit and there were plenty of them ... they were also very friendly which is a good indication of their treatment.
With regard to Margerite ... she is a very good cook and that is about it ... she opened her establishment around April 2003 and therefore she too is new to her dealings with tourists.
One evening I sat with her and found her very receptive to suggestions and hints about improving her business (particularly with regard to managing her workload ... poor soul).
In time ... she will do well and her service will improve ... I personally admire the way that her business is supported by the whole family ... she and her husband also have 2 properties for rent and I was helping her understand all the options she has of marketing them ... honestly, this is a very sincere lady who is working hard to please in a new business venture.
As for humour ... Margerite has it in spades.
All these issues are really very trivial ... I would prefer that the Castara community retained a degree of caution towards tourists otherwise there is the risk that it could become more of a resort and spoil things for them.
Where else can your children play cricket and football with the local kids on the beach ..?. my children have been growing up with the Castara children for the last 3 years and reports of my daughter's football skills were the talk of the town last week.
It is quite a close knit community but this is the real Tobago that I go there for ... I do not feel I am a guest ... I feel privileged to have discovered Castara and to be there ... I hope to return again next year and maintain my acquaintances.
Regards
Paul
Firstly, Helenh ... don't worry, these are really quite trivial matters in the overall scheme of things ... the benefits of staying in Castara considerably outweigh the pitfalls. The place is sheer beauty and you will have a wonderful stay.
Back to Joana ... is there any need to go on about the negatives of Castara because, as I have said to Helenh, these matters are quite trivial.
I appreciate that it can be distressing to some to see starving dogs (particularly puppies) ... this is the first time in 3 years that I have witnessed this.
I am sorry this spoiled your holiday.
Other than the puppies, there was one dog with a gammy leg and all the other dogs were fit and there were plenty of them ... they were also very friendly which is a good indication of their treatment.
With regard to Margerite ... she is a very good cook and that is about it ... she opened her establishment around April 2003 and therefore she too is new to her dealings with tourists.
One evening I sat with her and found her very receptive to suggestions and hints about improving her business (particularly with regard to managing her workload ... poor soul).
In time ... she will do well and her service will improve ... I personally admire the way that her business is supported by the whole family ... she and her husband also have 2 properties for rent and I was helping her understand all the options she has of marketing them ... honestly, this is a very sincere lady who is working hard to please in a new business venture.
As for humour ... Margerite has it in spades.
All these issues are really very trivial ... I would prefer that the Castara community retained a degree of caution towards tourists otherwise there is the risk that it could become more of a resort and spoil things for them.
Where else can your children play cricket and football with the local kids on the beach ..?. my children have been growing up with the Castara children for the last 3 years and reports of my daughter's football skills were the talk of the town last week.
It is quite a close knit community but this is the real Tobago that I go there for ... I do not feel I am a guest ... I feel privileged to have discovered Castara and to be there ... I hope to return again next year and maintain my acquaintances.
Regards
Paul
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Joana
I think it is important to post realistic impressions of Tobago and Castara to the MyTobago readers. Perhaps I have gone off and focused on the negatives, but they are very real problems for the average tourist who stays in Castara. These were our impressions of Castara. Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. I tend to take in the whole picture when describing something as beautiful...the landscape, architecture, folliage, wildlife, and people. A pleasant mix leads to a pleasant stay. No, starving puppies did not ruin our fun...but it did make us sad and it should make everyone sad to see. The beach and the rainforest were lovely. The birds spectacular. The ocean and reef beautiful. Would we stay in Castara again...no, we already experienced it. Would I recommend staying there? No, I would not. That is purely our opinions (my boyfriend and myself). I am happy that Paul and his family enjoyed Castara. We did to a point as well. The positives did outweigh the negatives, but in reality, I don't want those kind of negatives on my vacation. I wish you all well in your travels.
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Paul Tallet
- Weather Guru
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- Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2003 3:43 am
- Location: Yorkshire
Joana
We could not have presented a more realistic and objective aspect about Castara without expressing our differing views ... although I actually agree with most of your points.
I respect your views and I hope our string is of use to others in the forum.
All the best in your future travels too.
Regards
Paul (smitten with Castara !)
We could not have presented a more realistic and objective aspect about Castara without expressing our differing views ... although I actually agree with most of your points.
I respect your views and I hope our string is of use to others in the forum.
All the best in your future travels too.
Regards
Paul (smitten with Castara !)
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Glyn Kirpalani
- Tobago Fanatic
- Posts: 333
- Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2003 1:27 pm
- Location: Norfolk, UK
Hi all
"Trivial" is such a subjective term I feel, and what is one man's molehill is another's mountain.
I think Joana has been forthright and brave with her views of what she and her boyfriend felt were negative issues. Small fishing communities the world over will be hard to penetrate I feel - and rudeness is spreading around the youth of the globe too - I call it the MTV culture - didn't it start in NYC Joana, where it is allegedly considered a sign of weakness to be polite? Mind you, I guess the key difference is that New Yorkers do not pretend to be any different. The THA has recognised this problem in the young, and has introduced a "be nice to tourists" programme in schools, amongst others dealing with animals, litter etc. It's often generational, with those locals aged 40+ being exhibiting old world charm.
The dogs are a menace on Tobago - there can be no realistic argument to the contrary. While a few lucky ones (eg my little sausage) are fenced into large gardens and well fed, neutered etc, the majority are either wild or very loosely "linked" to an owner who may or may not feed them well. Consequently they roam around the villages, hospital and even airport (know locally as "Crown Point Dogs") begging for scraps, getting run over, breeding and spreading disease.
Now for the good news- the Tobago House Of Assembly has bowed to pressure, notably from dog loving - or hating ironically - visitors and locals. It is due to launch the first proper scheme to round up strays, wait awhile to see if they are claimed then destroy them if not.
Let us hope that this will encourage more responsible dog ownership in future, although I fear it will take some time to show a positive effect.
"Trivial" is such a subjective term I feel, and what is one man's molehill is another's mountain.
I think Joana has been forthright and brave with her views of what she and her boyfriend felt were negative issues. Small fishing communities the world over will be hard to penetrate I feel - and rudeness is spreading around the youth of the globe too - I call it the MTV culture - didn't it start in NYC Joana, where it is allegedly considered a sign of weakness to be polite? Mind you, I guess the key difference is that New Yorkers do not pretend to be any different. The THA has recognised this problem in the young, and has introduced a "be nice to tourists" programme in schools, amongst others dealing with animals, litter etc. It's often generational, with those locals aged 40+ being exhibiting old world charm.
The dogs are a menace on Tobago - there can be no realistic argument to the contrary. While a few lucky ones (eg my little sausage) are fenced into large gardens and well fed, neutered etc, the majority are either wild or very loosely "linked" to an owner who may or may not feed them well. Consequently they roam around the villages, hospital and even airport (know locally as "Crown Point Dogs") begging for scraps, getting run over, breeding and spreading disease.
Now for the good news- the Tobago House Of Assembly has bowed to pressure, notably from dog loving - or hating ironically - visitors and locals. It is due to launch the first proper scheme to round up strays, wait awhile to see if they are claimed then destroy them if not.
Let us hope that this will encourage more responsible dog ownership in future, although I fear it will take some time to show a positive effect.
Glyn Kirpalani
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HelenH
our first visit to Tobago.. castara..a different view?
Thanks for all your comments- positive and negative. I agree it is always upsetting to see stray animals. We have witnessed this in Portugal Turkey and Bali to name a few places.
helen
helen
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Brian Taylor
- Tobago Business
- Posts: 994
- Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2003 10:43 am
- Location: Castara, Tobago
- Contact:
Hi to you all!
We live in Castara and might not be objective...but, since we are doing tours, we are in contact with many people staying here or elsewhere.
We often have people who don't want to leave Castara again and come bach right next year.
I think it always about expectations and what you find in the end...
For the restaurants I would recommend to try all of them (make sure you clear the prices upfront to avoid missunderstandings) and make up your own mind. Like in every little village all over the world you will have gossip about each other...don't listen: MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND!
I wish you all a good next holiday, wherever it might be. If it is going to be in Castara...we might meet. And be sure, it will be with a smile from our side!
Ali&Steph
We live in Castara and might not be objective...but, since we are doing tours, we are in contact with many people staying here or elsewhere.
We often have people who don't want to leave Castara again and come bach right next year.
I think it always about expectations and what you find in the end...
For the restaurants I would recommend to try all of them (make sure you clear the prices upfront to avoid missunderstandings) and make up your own mind. Like in every little village all over the world you will have gossip about each other...don't listen: MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND!
I wish you all a good next holiday, wherever it might be. If it is going to be in Castara...we might meet. And be sure, it will be with a smile from our side!
Ali&Steph
Stephanie & Brian "Alibaba" Taylor
Alibaba-Tours - http://www.Alibaba-Tours.com
Alibaba-Tours - http://www.Alibaba-Tours.com
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Achim Lewandowski
Hi,
I would like to contribute to the confusion. Maybe I have been in the Nexus-Castara, where I stayed for ten days last September.
Yes, I have noticed one dog in a bad condition. But I have seen this as the exception and not as the rule.
To be honest, if you want adventures with mad and hungry dogs, visit Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. There, I had a dog "attached" to my ankle for 15 minutes and two large dogs following me through the night to my guest house (where I have been told that I can consider me lucky because other guests had a group of 20 dogs behind them).
I was always friendly welcomed and treated correctly at Margerite's restaurant. I have paid 25 TT for two pieces of fish (or chicken) and chips, this was o.k. to me, nothing to complain.
Not a single person was rude to me. Some youngsters made harmless jokes about me (they wanted me to marry one of the girls). The fishermen left me alone, but not a single one looked angry or made some comments.
The people who approached me just wanted to talk to me and did not expect anything from me in exchange, nobody asked me for a change or to spend him a beer.
In the streets I greeted everybody and was greeted by everybody.
Cascreole's cuisine might not be world class, but if the first and only thing I had to tell after my holidays was that the hotel was great and the food plenty, then something might have gone wrong.
The lady there was friendly, the place is great to watch the sundown and she spent a beer when I told her I had to leave the next day.
I had very often a small chat here and there, with house-owners, football players, people at the water fall, ...
I used the afternoons to relax at the beach and I only noticed some bottles on the small beach. I prefered to stay on the main beach.
When I had a puncture with my bike at Englishman's Bay, the shop owner there brought me together with the bike back to Castara, told me to go to my Hotel (Naturalist Beach Resort, which was nice, too), 5 minutes later a boy arrived ("Worms"), fixed my bike and maybe 30 minutes after I had the puncture, I could use my bike again and was already in Castara.
To make it short:
I had a good time there, it was very relaxing and I would recommend to stay in Castara, if you have a sense for a "normal" environment without any artificial animation or pushed attractions.
Best regards,
Achim
I would like to contribute to the confusion. Maybe I have been in the Nexus-Castara, where I stayed for ten days last September.
Yes, I have noticed one dog in a bad condition. But I have seen this as the exception and not as the rule.
To be honest, if you want adventures with mad and hungry dogs, visit Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. There, I had a dog "attached" to my ankle for 15 minutes and two large dogs following me through the night to my guest house (where I have been told that I can consider me lucky because other guests had a group of 20 dogs behind them).
I was always friendly welcomed and treated correctly at Margerite's restaurant. I have paid 25 TT for two pieces of fish (or chicken) and chips, this was o.k. to me, nothing to complain.
Not a single person was rude to me. Some youngsters made harmless jokes about me (they wanted me to marry one of the girls). The fishermen left me alone, but not a single one looked angry or made some comments.
The people who approached me just wanted to talk to me and did not expect anything from me in exchange, nobody asked me for a change or to spend him a beer.
In the streets I greeted everybody and was greeted by everybody.
Cascreole's cuisine might not be world class, but if the first and only thing I had to tell after my holidays was that the hotel was great and the food plenty, then something might have gone wrong.
The lady there was friendly, the place is great to watch the sundown and she spent a beer when I told her I had to leave the next day.
I had very often a small chat here and there, with house-owners, football players, people at the water fall, ...
I used the afternoons to relax at the beach and I only noticed some bottles on the small beach. I prefered to stay on the main beach.
When I had a puncture with my bike at Englishman's Bay, the shop owner there brought me together with the bike back to Castara, told me to go to my Hotel (Naturalist Beach Resort, which was nice, too), 5 minutes later a boy arrived ("Worms"), fixed my bike and maybe 30 minutes after I had the puncture, I could use my bike again and was already in Castara.
To make it short:
I had a good time there, it was very relaxing and I would recommend to stay in Castara, if you have a sense for a "normal" environment without any artificial animation or pushed attractions.
Best regards,
Achim
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PaulineC
Castara in two weeks
I have been reading this thread with great interest as we are going to Castara (Castara Retreats) for two weeks in March. I was of course dismayed to read Joana's post, but the responses have allayed my worries somewhat. Thank you all for your views. I think Joana has been very honest in reporting how Castara was for her, but clearly each visitor experiences things differently. I am determined not to have any pre-conceived views and will report back in full on the Forum on our return. It is our first visit to Tobago (three years in the planning) and this website has been a mine of information. I will be really interested to hear how your visit went Steve. 2 weeks today and we will be on the plane (Excel - extra legroom seats).
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Steve Wooler
- myTobago Editor & Chief Anorak
- Posts: 4843
- Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2002 11:00 pm
- Location: Suffolk, England
- Contact:
Hi Pauline
Sorry, but I didn’t get to Castara. We are considering a review of Castara Retreats next year and had hoped to visit owner’s Steve and Sue while they were on the island. Sadly, due to either the effects of increasing age (incompetence) or too many rum punches, I left it too late - they left the island last weekend.
Despite that, Jill went up to Castara two days ago, to show that coast to our son, his wife and 16-month old granddaughter who are with us at the moment. They loved it. They were supposed to be going up to Englishman’s Bay, but never got further than Castara. They’re going back within the next hour. They were unaware of this thread, so their views were not prejudiced by any comment here. They found it friendly and the fact that they have chosen to go back there on our last full day on the island this year probably says more than everything above.
Yes, there are probably a few individuals who are having difficulty coming to terms with visitors. Mind you, given the average rudeness of people in most “developed” countries, it probably only stands out because it is largely the exception to the rule.
Sorry, but I didn’t get to Castara. We are considering a review of Castara Retreats next year and had hoped to visit owner’s Steve and Sue while they were on the island. Sadly, due to either the effects of increasing age (incompetence) or too many rum punches, I left it too late - they left the island last weekend.
Despite that, Jill went up to Castara two days ago, to show that coast to our son, his wife and 16-month old granddaughter who are with us at the moment. They loved it. They were supposed to be going up to Englishman’s Bay, but never got further than Castara. They’re going back within the next hour. They were unaware of this thread, so their views were not prejudiced by any comment here. They found it friendly and the fact that they have chosen to go back there on our last full day on the island this year probably says more than everything above.
Yes, there are probably a few individuals who are having difficulty coming to terms with visitors. Mind you, given the average rudeness of people in most “developed” countries, it probably only stands out because it is largely the exception to the rule.
Steve Wooler
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
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Roger Wyatt
We stayed at Castara - at The Naturalist on the beach - in January 2004. We were only there for three days but would have loved to stay longer.
If you want the fine-manicured grounds and service of a gated tourist facility, Castara is not the right place to go. It does, however, offer an opportunity to experience community life in a truly spectacular natural setting.
Let me try to capture why we enjoyed our stay, would recommend it to others and would like to go back:
- terrific beaches (including Englishman's Bay, a short drive away)
- quiet
- a wonderful break from our busy life back in Canada
- homemade bread from a traditional oven (every Thursday and Saturday)
- ability to pick up bits and pieces of foodstuffs from the little "shops" to do some of own cooking
- interesting local restaurants: Marguerite's was fine, though prices were a little higher than elsewhere; L&H looked like little more than a tiny two-story shack but was good (with the manager also being an interesting dispenser of philosophy); Cascreole - a non-descript pool room/bar/restaurant was particularly nice one evening with dinner served on the "outdoors upstairs" that is right on the beach; the BoatHouse was not open while were there (apparently taking a break after catering for a local wedding!)
- good beer (and ginger beer) across T&T
- reportedly good local sightseeing, water tour, snorkeling/diving services (which we did not use but heard were available)
- a nice mix of folks: most very gentle; many very proud and determined; a few very entrpreneurial.
In the latter category, Boboshanti's herbal steam bath and massage on the Castara beach was quite nice but certainly over-priced with far-fetched"healing" claims. (I'm told a lady who lives above Small Beach provides very good massages and steam baths at much more reasonable rate.)
Tourism is a double-edged sword in many regions. Yes, it can contribute to the economy and provide new business and employment opportunities. But it can also be intrusive, affecting local values and cultures - "working for the Yankee dollar" and "workin' for the man" can undermine local lifestyles. But for now Castara seems to have found a good balance.
I also listened-in on part of a very interesting local outdoor political meeting one evening in Castara. One of the political parties was demonstrating that the British parliamentary system of adversarial democracy is alive and well in T&T.
If the tourism industry in Tobago becomes dominated by outside commercial interests, the economic benefits may be more than offset by the new form of colonial economy that emerges. But I think T&T is trying to maintain the right balance, developing the industry in a way that will be bring benefits with limited social disruption.
I am grateful for the opportunity we visitors have been given to experience communities such as Castara. Though it sounds rather selfish and hypocritical, I hope that most tourists will prefer to use all-inclusive facilities away from local cultures and communities - thereby maintaining the character of those cultures and communities that the rest of us prefer to enjoy.
If you want the fine-manicured grounds and service of a gated tourist facility, Castara is not the right place to go. It does, however, offer an opportunity to experience community life in a truly spectacular natural setting.
Let me try to capture why we enjoyed our stay, would recommend it to others and would like to go back:
- terrific beaches (including Englishman's Bay, a short drive away)
- quiet
- a wonderful break from our busy life back in Canada
- homemade bread from a traditional oven (every Thursday and Saturday)
- ability to pick up bits and pieces of foodstuffs from the little "shops" to do some of own cooking
- interesting local restaurants: Marguerite's was fine, though prices were a little higher than elsewhere; L&H looked like little more than a tiny two-story shack but was good (with the manager also being an interesting dispenser of philosophy); Cascreole - a non-descript pool room/bar/restaurant was particularly nice one evening with dinner served on the "outdoors upstairs" that is right on the beach; the BoatHouse was not open while were there (apparently taking a break after catering for a local wedding!)
- good beer (and ginger beer) across T&T
- reportedly good local sightseeing, water tour, snorkeling/diving services (which we did not use but heard were available)
- a nice mix of folks: most very gentle; many very proud and determined; a few very entrpreneurial.
In the latter category, Boboshanti's herbal steam bath and massage on the Castara beach was quite nice but certainly over-priced with far-fetched"healing" claims. (I'm told a lady who lives above Small Beach provides very good massages and steam baths at much more reasonable rate.)
Tourism is a double-edged sword in many regions. Yes, it can contribute to the economy and provide new business and employment opportunities. But it can also be intrusive, affecting local values and cultures - "working for the Yankee dollar" and "workin' for the man" can undermine local lifestyles. But for now Castara seems to have found a good balance.
I also listened-in on part of a very interesting local outdoor political meeting one evening in Castara. One of the political parties was demonstrating that the British parliamentary system of adversarial democracy is alive and well in T&T.
If the tourism industry in Tobago becomes dominated by outside commercial interests, the economic benefits may be more than offset by the new form of colonial economy that emerges. But I think T&T is trying to maintain the right balance, developing the industry in a way that will be bring benefits with limited social disruption.
I am grateful for the opportunity we visitors have been given to experience communities such as Castara. Though it sounds rather selfish and hypocritical, I hope that most tourists will prefer to use all-inclusive facilities away from local cultures and communities - thereby maintaining the character of those cultures and communities that the rest of us prefer to enjoy.
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Tony Taylor
Looking Forward to Castara
Hi to everyone
My wife and I are due to visit Castara for two weeks on 10th April before I go into hospital for major surgery one week after our return.
This will be our first visit to Tobago.
I have been planning this holiday for nearly a year and chose Castara because instinct told me that here we would see the real Tobago.
From all the previous comments it seems that this instinct will hopefully be proven to be correct.
We have visited many places around the world, mostly away from the tourist areas just so that we can experience each local culture.
I think I can sense that we are going to enjoy, whatever we find.
Steve, myTobago has been invaluble. We will be be staying at the Blue Mango Cottages and promise that on my return, when I am fit, I will send you a review.
Keep up the good work
Tony Taylor
My wife and I are due to visit Castara for two weeks on 10th April before I go into hospital for major surgery one week after our return.
This will be our first visit to Tobago.
I have been planning this holiday for nearly a year and chose Castara because instinct told me that here we would see the real Tobago.
From all the previous comments it seems that this instinct will hopefully be proven to be correct.
We have visited many places around the world, mostly away from the tourist areas just so that we can experience each local culture.
I think I can sense that we are going to enjoy, whatever we find.
Steve, myTobago has been invaluble. We will be be staying at the Blue Mango Cottages and promise that on my return, when I am fit, I will send you a review.
Keep up the good work
Tony Taylor
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Steve Wooler
- myTobago Editor & Chief Anorak
- Posts: 4843
- Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2002 11:00 pm
- Location: Suffolk, England
- Contact:
-
AdamHanlon
Re: Our first visit to Tobago...Castara..a different view?
Hello everyone,
My name is Adam and with my wife Ria we run sandcastles in castara.
we have been open just over a year now and still feel we are learning about people every day.
To all out guest who had a wonderful stay with us thank you for your custom and we know we will see you again.
Now to any Guests who didnt have a wonderful time in tobago and it would seem we do have a few who just dont get it,thats fine but perhaps you should look more into what a third world country means.
Castara is a wonderfuly friendly place with many warm indaviduals and familys but it isnt your home.
What i mean by this is YOU are a tourist and you are visiting a working village where people go through the day to day struggle of suporting there family.
If you walk through our village it is up yo you to make the first moves to being friendly a simple greeting of good morning afternoon or good night will do and 9 times out of 10 you will get a posative reply. yes people look at you in silence if you walk about but then we dont know if you speak English. many of our tourist trade dont speak english as there first language.
Now Joana it is very rare that we have had people who stay who dont fall in love with the village but everyone cannot be the same so there must and will be others who like you feel disapointed with our village we dont apologise we are the way we are and i hope we never change.
a few points
1. we have 4 dogs bigboy, marbles ,oxi and zeana the lightest being about 40 pounds and although we hope you love them we understand some people dont like dogs hence the fenced off area but to imply all the dogs are ill or under fed is quite insulting and i would like the record straight that my dogs are well fed trained and lookedafter. I'm sure it wasnt our dogs you were trying to refer to but to others reading it may seam that way.
Yes we do have an open front room took me ages to design but without this you wouldnt have the fantastic views that every one loves sooooo much.
Sorry if the bat got you down but we do live in the jungle and its not like he's invited he was just passing through and liked your acomodation.
Food.... well yes it can be a little tedious being offered fish or chicken all the time but if you went back a few years you didnt even get that....so things are moving forward.
Ria my wife is a fantastic cook and will always be happy to cook for you. we offer 3 local cheff's to come in and cook for you ....saying this if you moan about food at 60-90 tt a plate we wont be offering you anything more expensive.
We love our little village and the people we live with which leads me onto the young men and women of our village.....yes they like a joke and yes they shout and laugh alot but i fail to see how this makes them rude.
There are no children connected to any family i know that wouldnt help or talk to a tourist and never have i heard that they have been rude to any tourist which is more than you can say for children in any other country and ive been to most of them.
the young people here have a inbuilt respect for age somthing that my parents tried to inforce in london but never realy happened outside my house.so i couldnt disagree more.
to those of you who have never been to castara or even tobago come.....come and enjoy life the way its been lived here for hundreds of years but dont expect a big holiday resort or a thriving village we are a peacfully quiet fishing village with a fantasticaly clean and safe beach.
if your lucky you may even get it to youeself.
I'm the white man who walkes around with a big smile so if you see me say hi i promise ill say hello back.
To Steve thanks for organising this web page it really is a great wealth of info and we hope you will pop in and see us soon.
Now if ive been unclear or confusing about anything you just drop me a line and ill do my best to explain or help.
Adam Hanlon
My name is Adam and with my wife Ria we run sandcastles in castara.
we have been open just over a year now and still feel we are learning about people every day.
To all out guest who had a wonderful stay with us thank you for your custom and we know we will see you again.
Now to any Guests who didnt have a wonderful time in tobago and it would seem we do have a few who just dont get it,thats fine but perhaps you should look more into what a third world country means.
Castara is a wonderfuly friendly place with many warm indaviduals and familys but it isnt your home.
What i mean by this is YOU are a tourist and you are visiting a working village where people go through the day to day struggle of suporting there family.
If you walk through our village it is up yo you to make the first moves to being friendly a simple greeting of good morning afternoon or good night will do and 9 times out of 10 you will get a posative reply. yes people look at you in silence if you walk about but then we dont know if you speak English. many of our tourist trade dont speak english as there first language.
Now Joana it is very rare that we have had people who stay who dont fall in love with the village but everyone cannot be the same so there must and will be others who like you feel disapointed with our village we dont apologise we are the way we are and i hope we never change.
a few points
1. we have 4 dogs bigboy, marbles ,oxi and zeana the lightest being about 40 pounds and although we hope you love them we understand some people dont like dogs hence the fenced off area but to imply all the dogs are ill or under fed is quite insulting and i would like the record straight that my dogs are well fed trained and lookedafter. I'm sure it wasnt our dogs you were trying to refer to but to others reading it may seam that way.
Yes we do have an open front room took me ages to design but without this you wouldnt have the fantastic views that every one loves sooooo much.
Sorry if the bat got you down but we do live in the jungle and its not like he's invited he was just passing through and liked your acomodation.
Food.... well yes it can be a little tedious being offered fish or chicken all the time but if you went back a few years you didnt even get that....so things are moving forward.
Ria my wife is a fantastic cook and will always be happy to cook for you. we offer 3 local cheff's to come in and cook for you ....saying this if you moan about food at 60-90 tt a plate we wont be offering you anything more expensive.
We love our little village and the people we live with which leads me onto the young men and women of our village.....yes they like a joke and yes they shout and laugh alot but i fail to see how this makes them rude.
There are no children connected to any family i know that wouldnt help or talk to a tourist and never have i heard that they have been rude to any tourist which is more than you can say for children in any other country and ive been to most of them.
the young people here have a inbuilt respect for age somthing that my parents tried to inforce in london but never realy happened outside my house.so i couldnt disagree more.
to those of you who have never been to castara or even tobago come.....come and enjoy life the way its been lived here for hundreds of years but dont expect a big holiday resort or a thriving village we are a peacfully quiet fishing village with a fantasticaly clean and safe beach.
if your lucky you may even get it to youeself.
I'm the white man who walkes around with a big smile so if you see me say hi i promise ill say hello back.
To Steve thanks for organising this web page it really is a great wealth of info and we hope you will pop in and see us soon.
Now if ive been unclear or confusing about anything you just drop me a line and ill do my best to explain or help.
Adam Hanlon
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Julia C.
- Oh, so Sad!
- Posts: 225
- Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2004 2:15 pm
- Location: Bucks UK
Re: Our first visit to Tobago...Castara..a different view?
We're coming to Castara in late August for a two week stay and we'll be looking out for you Adam so we can say hi. We'll probably be a bit pink and grinning!adamhanlon wrote:I'm the white man who walkes around with a big smile so if you see me say hi i promise ill say hello back.
Julia & Simon