Avocado Cottage
Mini-review by Steve & Jill Wooler, March 2008
The number of invitations and requests that we receive to review properties far outstrips our ability to undertake them. In an ideal world, we would visit every accommodation property on Tobago. As a non-commercial site, we simply lack the time and resources to accomplish this.
So, the best we can do is to spend two months each year producing detailed reports on as wide a range of accommodation as possible. While conducting the main reviews, we also undertake detailed inspections of properties that we intend to stay at, and fully review, the following year.
This mini-review of Avocado Cottage follows one such inspection. It will be replaced by a full report after our 2009 visit to Tobago. In the meantime, we believe that the property deserves inclusion in our coveted list of “Reviewed & Recommended” properties.
Mini-Review
Avocado Cottage is a small wooden two-bedroom cottage located on Mount Irvine.
Visitors tend to associate Mount Irvine with expensive holiday rental villas and it is certainly true that the spectacular views and handy location have made the area much sought after. However, Mount Irvine was home to ordinary Tobagonian families long before the golf course was built and the hillside dominated by expensive villas. Some Tobagonians have ignored all offers to buy their family land and stayed put, asserting their right to live in this desirable location. Good for them! I find the fact that multi-million dollar luxury villas can exist cheek by jowl with modest local accommodation greatly refreshing and one of the charms of Tobago.
Tony Bobb is one such Tobagonian. His two small wooden houses are nestled in a lush mature tropical garden on the lower slopes of the hill. He built the second cottage, right beside his own home, specifically as a holiday rental property. Tony is a gentle softly-spoken guy with clear and obvious pride in the island and an apparently genuine desire to make visitors welcome. I have been most impressed by the fact that his rental rates offer real value for money and do not cash-in on the exclusive location.
Located at the bottom of Jacamar Drive, with access off the Auchenskeoch Road between Buccoo and Carnbee, Avocado Cottage is situated no more than 20 minutes from the 
airport and around the same from Scarborough. Every restaurant, supermarket and feature in the main Crown Point-Scarborough-Plymouth triangle is within a 5-15 minute drive and two excellent sandy beaches are just a ten-minute walk across the golf course. With these factors in mind, the cottage undoubtedly boasts a fine central location. In fairness, I must repeat the recommendation we make in almost all of our reviews: to get the best out of Tobago you need to hire a self-drive car or jeep.
As already mentioned, Avocado Cottage is a small wooden two bedroom cottage. It is built on the gentle incline of the Mount Irvine hillside and is of typical local design. The property offers simple, but comfortable, holiday accommodation in a wonderfully peaceful environment. Don’t expect anything fancy; this is not the Coco Reef Resort. However, it is as near ‘real’ Tobagonian living as you are likely to get and guarantees a unique holiday experience.
Without doubt the most attractive feature of the house isthe large covered veranda area at the front of the house. Furnished with a table and chairs and two hammock-style swinging chairs, the veranda offers wonderful views across the Mount Irvine golf course and out across Mount Irvine Bay. There are no busy roads within sight or hearing. The ambience is one of peace and quiet – other than for the ever-present sound of myriad birdlife attracted by the lush mature gardens.
The cottage has two bedrooms. The larger has a double bed. In fact if you don’t mind a bit of a squeeze, the master room can optionally be fitted with a small additional single bed. The second bedroom is furnished with two single beds. Each bed has a mosquito net. The cottage is not air-conditioned, but the wide double doors leading onto the veranda and large kitchen window ensure that every morsel of cooling breeze is captured.
Guests are unlikely to spend much time indoors, given the wonderful views available from the veranda, but should they wish to a pair of sofas and an armchair are provided in a narrow living area. Adjacent to this living area is the modest kitchen area furnished with a gas cooker, fridge-freezer and a small selection of kitchenware. Thebathroom is housed in a small extension to the main cottage and consists of toilet, wash basin and shower.
Conclusion
Avocado Cottage is simple and modest in both style and furnishing. However, it has immense charm and offers guests the possibility of a unique holiday. Visitors wanting to learn more about Tobago and immerse themselves in local culture could not ask for a more genial host that the cottage’s owner, Tony Bobb.
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