Guest Report

[Caroline Edmonds]

Tobago is a beautiful island with paradise bays and if you've chosen Castara as your base you've certainly chosen the best village in our eyes. It is a charming, quaint, cultural village and fulfils all your needs for the perfect 'get away from it all' holiday - restaurants, bars, two beautiful, clean sandy beaches, the friendliest and most helpful of people, a bit of cultural nightlife if you want it with themed evenings of drums, barbecues, limbo dancing and steel band playing, grocery shops, two small souvenir shops, cheap buses to and from Scarborough, car rentals and island tours. The village has a laid back ambience to it and lies on a beautiful bay with the backdrop of the rainforest. You see how the locals live as they pull in their fishing nets (seine nets) and later you can join in their 'Liming' (chatting with a Carib beer or another drink).

We chose 'Lillibets' as our base for 3 weeks over Christmas and New Year 2012/13 and were so glad we did - a beautiful, rustic building with vaulted ceilings on the top floor. Tom and Liz, the owners, are the most perfect, friendly hosts and were always there if we needed anything at all. We were welcomed with a cup of tea after our flight and hour taxi journey from the airport to the apartment which was really appreciated. They both have a great sense of humour and were so patient and helpful with our keep asking if we could borrow the phone (as we hadn't set ours up properly for international calling), sorting out taxis and car rentals for us or unlocking the door again after we'd left the key in the apartment and locked ourselves out for the umpteenth time! They will give you any advice you need and will recommend places or people to see if you have any questions at all. There are clean towels, tea towels and sheets changed every two or three days at Lillibets and they even left a bottle of wine on the patio table for us to wake up to on Christmas morning with a christmas decoration as if from Santa - the little things all add to our choosing Lillibets again if we were fortunate enough to go back to Tobago.

Lillibets has a fabulous view of the bay, especially from the top floor and is approached via a very steep downhill road which goes lower than the property to the beach. You then walk uphill past Angel Apartments (with a pool you can use if you're staying at Lillibets) to the foot of the steps to Lillibets. We took my 77 year old Mother in Law with us to Tobago who has had two knee replacements in the last two years and she managed the steps one at a time slowly but then she is very determined - so I would say it's not ideal, but it can be done if you have a mobility problem - take it very slow and at your own pace stopping every few steps. I must say, it did give her good exercise! The road that goes from the main road down to the beach lower than Lillibets is very very steep, especially at one part so, again take it very slow and stop every few paces if you're walking up it. Also, it is advisable to take a torch out with you in the evening (Lillibets supplies a torch for you). Most places are lit but some go into darkness for a few yards and it was me who found a pothole in the dark bit and ended up with cut knees and bruises - very attractive to add to the mozzie bites on my legs! hahaha!

Every morning we fed the birds on the balcony with crumbs from our toast or some pineapple skins if we'd had fresh pineapple that day. If we had a banana, we would put it in the bamboo bird feeder and watch the Mot Mot (a beautiful tropical bird) eat it.

The Boathouse restaurant on the beach just below Angel Apartments and the Coffee House on the main road were the main places we ate at. Sharon and Brenton from the Boathouse are just great - a wonderful friendly, helpful husband and wife team and Wednesday nights are 'drum' nights with barbecue - not to be missed - especially with 'stilt' man who is an entertainer. A spooky 'witch doctor' character who dances to the drums with a suit and long trousers over stilts. Sunday lunchtime pizzas are fabulous there! Try the chill beef one it's delicious!

Chino at the Coffee House on the main road is very friendly too - as are all of his brothers. Saturday night there is BBQ night with a steel drum one man band which is another night not to be missed. Chino, Carl and their brother Joshua were especially helpful in lifts in their cars too if we didn't fancy the walk back to Lillibets or needed a taxi somewhere.

Oh - and another night is Friday BBQ night at Shirma's half way up the main road. For $40TTD (£4) a head it is really recommended!

Put an order in for your bread or coconut tarts or drops (like coconut scones) from the women at the clay oven (behind the school playground) on Wednesday and Saturday mornings to pick up later in the day but don't be tempted to take photos without asking and don't take photos of the women - they're not that happy at the best of times - the only people we met that seemed to be unfriendly and miserable - perhaps it may be their signature - to be different from the rest of Tobago!

I would thoroughly recommend Castara and Lillibets apartments for your holiday in Tobago. We would love to go back there again one day in the future and I hope you will enjoy your stay too!