Naturalist Beach Resort - Review Page 2
The Blue Marlin Suite
As far as I know, the Blue Marlin Suite is the only Tobago property that can truly claim to be on the beach. Not just beside the beach, but physically on the sand.
The building that houses Café Delight and Blue Marlin Suite is impossible to ignore. It dominates the eastern end of the beach; straddling the sand and backing onto the rocky headland between the main beach and Castara’s smaller Little Bay.
Many an eyebrow was raised when the building was first constructed. It is not our place to criticise Tobago’s building regulations (or lack of them). Café Delight provides a worthwhile facility in a village almost devoid of breakfast and/or light luncheon catering facilities.
Being located on the upper floor of the building, with access via an open wooden staircase, the Blue Marlin apartment is clearly not suitable for wheelchair users or anyone with mobility issues. The stairs, like the main wrap-around veranda, have a sturdy 0.75m-high balustrade. The apartment is reasonably safe for toddlers and babies. However, the staircase does not have a protective gate, so parents will need to keep a close eye on infants.
In keeping with the very lifestyle and ethos of Castara, the Blue Marlin Suite, like other accommodation at the Naturalist, falls into the simple ‘back to basics’ budget category. 
The apartment presents something of a dichotomy. Such a stunning location naturally carries a high premium, so the rates are hardly ‘budget’. The apartment offers spacious, comfortable accommodation in one of the most stunning locations in Tobago. Beach-lovers will absolutely die to stay here. Just don’t expect gold taps, gallons of piping bath water and all the latest kitchen gizmos. We lacked for nothing, but those expecting luxury features will be sadly disappointed.
The apartment offers a spacious 41m2 of internal living area. The piece de resistance is undoubtedly the huge 5.8 x 3.6m veranda which offers stunning 180° views right down the main beach and out across the bay. The veranda is furnished with a pair of comfortable padded sun recliners and a large dining table and chairs. It benefits from shade throughout the morning, but increasing sun as the day progresses. More than three metres of wooden fold-back doors separate the living area from the front veranda. Wooden slatted windows dominate both side walls.
Writing these reviews means working indoors for much of the day, often with blinds drawn and windows shuttered to reduce glare on the screen of our laptop computers. This is a very good test of the practicality of a property. 
In this respect, the Blue Marlin Suite did well. Closing the window shutters on each side of the building reduced light levels (and privacy) perfectly, without in any way detracting from the spectacular views across the beach and bay.
The dominant winds in Tobago are the North-East Trade Winds. These arrive on the Atlantic coast and then pass over the island’s main ridge. They hit the Caribbean coast from ‘behind’. Unless sited on high ground, properties on this can often be hot and relatively airless. Not so the Blue Marlin Suite.
Unlike the apartments in the main building, the Blue Marlin does not have air-conditioning – and absolutely no need for it. In fairness, it has to be said that our stay took place during the coolest period of the year. Nevertheless, even during a couple of particularly hot days the apartment stayed comfortable, both day and night. We never needed the support of the single overhead ceiling fan.
The rear of the apartment is dedicated to the bathroom and spacious open-plan kitchen. The main living area is furnished with a 5-foot Queen-size bed, a smaller single (3ft) divan cot, a small dining table with four chairs and three comfortable rattan armchairs grouped around a matching coffee table. There is a CD/cassette/radio unit and a small colour television. Visitors should be aware that TV reception in Tobago varies from poor to unwatchable and that in all cases the cable and satellite services are dominated by low-quality North American channels whose quality only marginally surpasses that of the local channels.
A sturdy built-in digital safe is provided, large enough to store valuables such as small cameras and documents.
The Queen-size bed was firm and very comfortable. Our problem wasn't sleeping, it was getting up. We slept comfortably, using just a single cotton sheet. We had no need to use the ceiling fan or open any of the windows.
The slatted wooden window shutters have no (unsightly) mosquito mesh, so we were pleasantly surprised to find that we had absolutely no problem with mosquitoes or other insects. I would normally always switch on our trusty electric bug deterrent, but the total absence of pests during the evening persuaded me that its use was totally unnecessary.
The long and narrow bathroom provides a single cold-water washbasin, toilet and a tiled shower enclosure with instantaneous hot water shower head. The shower failed during our stay, but was replaced with a new unit within hours of mention to Ancle. This type of shower only provides warmed water at best. The trick is not to use maximum flow – you need to strike a balance between heat and volume.
Guests staying on a beach holiday in Castara are unlikely to require metres of storage for cosmetics. This is a totally casual resort with nothing to “dress up” for. 
Nevertheless, there was a reasonable amount of space beneath and around the washbasin and a shaver point for gents (and ladies?) who prefer a more shaven appearance than sported by yours truly.
A small 0.75m cupboard offers half-length hanging space for clothes. This is supported by an open wardrobe with a further 0.5m of half-length hanging space plus three storage compartments. An electric iron and portable board were available.
The kitchen is spacious. On arrival, we were pleased to find that the under-unit fridge (with small freezer compartment) was stocked with a generous welcome pack of water, soft drinks and beer. Features like this cost little, but engender a warm welcome and lovely sense of hospitality. A four-ring electric oven, electric kettle, electric toaster/grill and sink with cold water supply are provided. Although there is not a vast amount of storage for supplies, there is a reasonably adequate supply of kitchenware, crockery and cutlery. Although basic, everything was in acceptable condition and, like the rest of the apartment, clean and welcoming.
All the apartments at the Naturalist benefit from daily servicing, seven days a week. This is five-star treatment by any standards and not what one would normally associate with budget accommodation. Towels and linen are changed every other day and the rooms swept every day. Don’t forget to bring your own beach towels though.
In our experience, few budget properties put as much effort into cleaning as the Naturalist. Long before guests are on their way to the beach staff can be seen washing down the main patio and sweeping the road, pathways and beach area. Full marks for their diligence.
The café is very small and only open during the day. Occupants of the Blue Marlin Suite are unlikely to have complaints about noise issues from the café. In fact the sound of the surf breaking does much to mask the cacophony of usual Tobagonian village life – dogs barking, cocks (roosters) crowing, radios blaring and, of course, the curse of the island – the raucous call of the dreaded cocrico bird (a turkey-like pest that happens to be Tobago’s national bird).
Unlike the apartments in the main house, which are rented on a self-catering basis, the Blue Marlin is offered on bed and breakfast terms. A local mobile (cell) phone is included in the price and pay-as-you-go cards are available in the village.
NEXT: The Main House, Café Delight, Other Features, Conclusion
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