Guest Report

[Maureen Taylor]

We stayed in Saffron for the first few nights, then we moved down into Cinnamon for the remainder of our holiday. Both apartments were just as described on the website i.e. traditional, clean, comfortable and well equipped but as a couple we found the layout of Saffron suited us best . The open plan apartment felt spacious and airy, unlike other studio apartments which we have rented. It was natural, unpretentious and simple – with a few quirky decorations.

Since coming back from Tobago we heard that some guests have complained about the passing traffic behind the studio, but that was a minor irritation for us, it was definitely offset by the positives of our holiday.

The manager, Brigitte was attentive, friendly, helpful & unobtrusive. She popped in now and again to check everything was OK and left us her mobile number just in case we had any problems (we didn’t).

Try calling in to see Cheno for breakfast as you walk through Castara. He has the small cafe on the edge of town and serves fresh, local food at a good price. You must put a special dinner order in for Crab and Dumplings, as the restaurant claims this is “ finger lickin’ good” !!

Don’t miss the stern old women who bake bread at the clay oven twice a week in Castara. The small number of restaurants in the village serve similar food ie chicken or goat, and all are good, but Cascreole (raised up on stilts on the beach) is the best for sunset drinks.

Castara fish must be the best we have ever tasted, the price is fantastic and it was certainly fresh. We bought it off the local fishermen on Big Bay beach and cooked it back at the apartment within an hour or so. The local shops sell most items that you will need but go to Scarborough market for a real eye-opening treat.

Bird watching is a must on this holiday and to see some you don’t have to leave the apartment. The small local yellow and black birds (bananaquit) fly onto the balcony and even hop in now and again. If you put food out on the balcony for the birds the results are breathtaking, especially when the MotMot lands. I would recommend you beg, borrow or buy a local bird book and check out how many different varieties you can spot. Many other species can be spotted on the beach or while travelling around the island.

The two local beaches are quite different, but both are wonderful. We often had the sea to ourselves and snorkelling off Heavenly Bay is brilliant.

We visited the Castara and Argyle waterfalls – fantastic ! We took a fresh-water dip in both of them and saw amazing butterflies and yet more birds.

A boat trip to Nylon Pool and Coral Gardens is a must – but even better is the BBQ on No Man’s Land when you cook what you catch.


Before you leave you MUST ‘lime’ at Codrington’s rum shop next door to the house. There you will get the feel of village life and meet lots of interesting local people, along with fellow tourists.

We really enjoyed our stay in Tobago and we give Castara Cottage a 5-star rating as natural, friendly apartments within a local community. However those wanting 5-star, up-market, sterile, ‘manufactured’ accommodation with all mod cons – maybe this place is not for you.

Maureen & Steve, Huddersfield