First Timers' Report

[Bob Kerr]

My wife and I had never visited the Caribbean before our week at the Blue Waters Inn which ended last Thursday, although we’ve travelled extensively in other parts of the world. Here are our impressions of the holiday.

First of all huge thanks to Steve for this site. We had bought all the usual books but myTobago.info proved to be by far the most valuable source of practical information; information which really helped us during our visit. For example we hired an Almera from Thrifty, stocked up at the PennySavers supermarket at Canaan before travelling north east. We were prepared for a ninety minute drive (even though it was only twenty odd miles) and we were prepared for the potholes, chickens and lazy dogs in the road etc. All this information and much more is available on this site and I can thoroughly recommend anyone visiting for the first time to read it thoroughly and forget the books.

If you like to do a little self catering - as we do, it’s not that easy to buy stuff on Tobago - not until you’re used to it anyway. The villages have small shops often in roadside shacks but opening hours are unreliable, stock very limited and the shops may not be easy to recognise as shops at all! Even though we were tired after the journey the stop at PennySavers supermarket at Canaan was excellent advice. We stocked up on basics (and booze) here which lasted us for the week. Then we went to the local shops just to top up. Shopping locally is great fun of course and much can be learned about the local culture on a jaunt to track down half a dozen eggs and some bananas. Charlotville was our favourite for local shopping.

At BWI we had three nights in a self-catering room and then moved to a bungalow for the last four nights. The latter was far better than the former but cost more too. Generally the standard of accommodation was fine. Improvements could be made to the bathrooms which could do with an overhaul. The rusty fridge/freezers also give a poor impression. In the self catering room (efficiency) there was a lack of privacy because the bed was right next to double clear glass patio doors in front of which was a path which was a fairly busy thoroughfare to the other ground floor rooms and the dive centre. The only way to have any privacy was to draw the navy blue curtains which made the room into a dark cave by day. At night the curtain could been seen through if the light was on the inside - revealing all. None of this would cause a problem if your room is on the upper floor but we found it unacceptable and requested a move - which we got.

The restaurant and bar were just fine. I really can’t understand the regular posts on this site complaining about the staff. We found them to be very good. In fact we found them a highlight of our stay. One contributor was complaining that they had to go to the bar themselves and were not waited upon. Now the average price of a meal in the bar was between £4 and £6.50. I’m a big lad but this was sufficient to fill me. We were waited on each time we ate there but even if we weren’t at these prices for casual bar food - who the hell cares about going to the bar to order.

The staff in the restaurant were also very good. Food in the evening was mainly buffet style so there was rarely any need for waiting staff, but when they were needed they were efficient and cheerful. I really cannot understand the criticisms.

The general staff and management were friendly, helpful and had a good sense of humour. Any minor problems were sorted out quickly and with good grace. We also had lots of laughs along the way. My guess is that if you expect the staff to be servile and obsequious then all you’ll get is surly. Treat them as equals and you’ll get good service and lots of broad smiles.

We’ve never been to the Caribbean before so cannot really judge the food fairly. The hotel dinners were a bit too similar from one night to the next. By the time we came home we were fed up with it, but this is probably just personal taste. A trip to Jemma’s in Speyside did little to change our opinion. Perhaps we’re just not keen on Caribbean cuisine - or haven’t tried enough of it yet. The highlight for me was a chicken roti at a beachside shack in Charlotville. We made our own breakfasts so can’t comment on those in the hotel.

The beach was wonderful. The water was clear and warm and the slope to deeper water was gentle enough and predictable. A diving platform provided a resting place for the unfit swimmer (like me). I did get a six inch jelly fish sting on our last night which brought a minor swelling and a small amount of blood but no pain. There are also those little stingers which you get in Thailand which give a pinpricking sensation for about thirty seconds then go away with no lasting effects. Anyone know what these are? Anyway we both swam every day and my wife who stays within her depth had neither stingers nor jelly fish.

I read on another post that someone complains that the beach was not clean. In our experience this is total rubbish. The beach was PRISTINE and kept this way by a group of cleaners who cleaned and raked up any almonds and leaves every single morning. I repeat that the beach was perfectly clean.

Beach loungers could have been better. There are two types: wood with blue canvas and white resin with yellow cushions. The latter are far fewer but much more comfortable than the former, so there is a scramble to get the comfy ones in the morning with all the usual farce of false towels going over the prized white resin ones to stake claims before breakfast. I’ve seen this situation so often elsewhere with some extraordinary situations developing as a result - we like to call it lounger rage. IMHO BWI should scrap the aging blue ones and provide sufficient of the more comfortable (and less likely to rot) resin ones. Help keep blood off the beaches!

We tried lots of stuff on the island. Good things included my first attempt at SCUBA diving, Englishman’s Bay, the glass bottomed boat trip to Little Tobago, Argyle falls, the Waterwheel restaurant at Arnos Vale (superb location for a lunch), the birds which are all around the BWI. Not so good things included a look around the hotels and resorts in the south, a tour of Cocoa Reef Resort (if you like this place you don’t like the sort of holiday we do), the Saturday market at Scarborough. The very best things were: the people, a guided walk into the rain forest with a guide named Alison who also works at Argyle Falls, the kids as they leave school with their shining faces and pristine uniforms, the rain forest.

We flew Excel Airways from Gatwick and, because this was just a one-week break we took advantage of the low cost fare and went economy. This was a BIG mistake. I’m over six feet tall and “well built”. The space in the seats was very small. It would have been difficult if it was a three hour flight to Spain but nine hours across the Atlantic was torture. My wife is a seven stone sparrow and she found it cramped also. The food wasn’t up to much either. We asked about the cost of an upgrade at the airport but this is more than double the cost than if it’s purchased in advance. We found that “economy” turned out to be a false economy and won’t make this mistake again.

Duane, the hotel manager, gave us a very valuable piece of information about getting on well with Tobagonians (is that the collective noun?). It’s this: start every conversation with “Good morning/afternoon/evening” and you’ll get on much better than if you just say “Hi”. This was so true and I recommend it to anyone.

Will we go back to Tobago and the Blue Waters Inn? Oh yes!!


__________________________
Bob & Jeannette Kerr.

[Duane Kenny]

Just thought I would give you some feedback and also thank you for the comments. I understand your complaint about the ground floor glass door rooms. Its a challenge as evryone wants the glass doors to sea the ocean but people do pass infront of your rooms. I'm thinking up a few solutions hopefully I can get a feasable one.
In the next few months or so I will be purchasing some new stoves, and fridges as the sea blast really get to them fast over here, especially as the rooms are only a few feet from the beach.
Beach Chairs: The blue ones($450TT) are the newest and are designed to last and are imported made with strong woods and brasss fittings. The plastic ones cost almost twice the amount($900TT locally) and are regularly damaged. The new Chairs was a test to see if they would last be a better option. when these chairs need to be replaced I will go back to the plastic ones as they are the ones everyone seems to like.
P.S. I will do my part to keep the blood bath low. Teddy says he will offer his service to protect your chair in return for a sample of your dinner!

Anybody coming to Tobago in the next week, the Angostura Sailing week is from the 10th to the 14th and it is a blast! I recommend it to anyone who likes
Sailing(normally associated with lots of rum and beer drinking),
Liming (hanging out - normally associated with lots of rum and beer drinking),
Volley ball (normally associated with lots of rum and beer drinking),
Fun partys for all ages (normally associated with lots of rum and beer drinking),
and Goat Racing which Your evry own Richard Branson is quite the profesional(you know already what this is associated with).
If you want to know more drop me an email.
Irie!

[Kevin Hampson]

Hi Duane,
Some of us can't come next week but I am booked for a week around 9th of October. Are there any local events on then or will I just be divin' n' limin' like the last time.

Regards
Kevin

Ps thanks for the Rum at the Dive Show it was really kickin'

[Kevin Hampson]

Hi Bob,
Nice report it brought back lots of memories or a great holiday at BWI in November thanks
Kevin

[Marc Jones]

Great stuff. Not going to BWI myself but a compelling read!

Now, someone, please, calm me the hell down about the "daily thunderstorms" I keep seeing currently in force and predicted for some time to come!

[Jill M]

Marc - just Chill about the rain. We had NO thunderstorms and just rain on one morning last week and a few spits & spots at other times. You won't get any wetter if you are swimming in the sea or the pool. Sometimes it can be quite a relief as it cools the place down a little - Not much though !! Don't concern yourself with things you can't alter. If it's gonna rain - it's gonna rain - just have an hour in the pool bar.

[Marc Jones]

Jill, nice positive waves. Many thanks.

I must stop looking at weather websites that tell me it's raining on the hour every hour all day long!

http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/current/TTCP.html

[Kevin Hampson]

Hi Marc,
Yes it does rain, but don't let it get you down.
Your not going in the rainy season so they should be more like heavy showers. The best description I can think of is, it's like being in a warm power shower.

We went last year in November which is the middle of the rainy season and had a few days of heavy stuff but it didn't cause us any problems and the smell of the rain forest after it stops is amazing.

If you have never seen a tropical thunderstorm you don't know what your missing, it's Gods very own firework display.

Regards
Kevin

[Duane Kenny]

Bummer that you are not coming next week Kevin. Today has cleared up significantly and the weather satellite shows pretty clear for the next few days. Most guests at dinner last night were sun burned from the sun yesterday so don't fret.
Let's see now what to do in October. There is Tobago Fest at the end of September (23rd to the 26th). Its like Tobago Carnival. Its mainly in Scarborough. I went ahead and called the tourism Board and they told me of some interesting festivals that are taking place in October.
On the 10th of October is the "Blue Food festival" in Lanse Forme (thats on the North Caribbean side). Blue Food is ground provisions, for example eddoes, dasheen, casava, local stuff. There is also "The World Food day" on the 13th and 14th of October. Its basically a big food festival in Scarborough. Teddy is telling me we have to attend (He's start to get like Scobby doo, and with my recent long hair I may make shaggy's profile soon). I hope that helps a bit.
Duane

[Kevin Hampson]

Hi Duane,
Thanks for that well be arriving on the 9th so I'll miss the Carnival (real downer) Still World Food Day sounds right up my street,

Regards
Kevin