Guest Report

[Heidi]

Our family of three, including a 5 year old son, rented the Mot Mot house downstairs and 2 of its bedrooms. We were very satisfied with the condition of the house, the lovely little deck pool/jacuzzi and relaxing wrap around balcony. The house combined with short walks to the town of Castara and beach, as well as to the local waterfall, provided the respite we sought during our 4 day stay in Castara. The house was clean, the beds comfortable, and the kitchen well stocked with dishes.

We discovered the local fish market, and with rice, beans, spices and fruit purchased on the drive to Castara, were able to cook lovely meals. We frequented a couple of the restaurants, but found cooking more practical given the spacious kitchen. We also packed in ground coffee, filter and paper filters since it seems TNT only serves Nescafe.

Preperation is key to enjoying your stay in Tobago and Castara. We brought plenty of bug spray and flashlights, the latter of which proved valuable given the sketchy electrical service on Tobago. We were struck by the simplicity of life and remote destination. It was what we had hoped for. It appears that Tobago/Casatara caters less to American tourists and more to Trinidadian and European tourism. The overall infrastructure of Tobago is far less reflective of the ostentacious American Carribean Vacation experience. It is more reflective of local culture.

Having spent time in Trinidad beforehand, we were struck by some cultural difference between Trinidadians and people we met in Castara, specifically that Castarans seemed more "remote." This took a little getting used to, but we found after a couple days we began to strike up a few friendships as people became familiar with us in town.

For people seeking a real Tobago experience situated in the rural and rugged areas, but with some comforts, Hidden Cottage is highly recommended. An additional plus for us was that Hidden Cottage is owned by descendants of the same Tobago family that has lived on the same property since before paved roads even provided access to Castara.