Things have changed

[Geoff Langford]

We have just returned from our trip to Tobago, staying at Johnston apartments which we considered to be excellent in all aspects HOWEVER it is very unlikely that we will return to Tobago. We found Crown Point very noisy from Glass bottom boats and local’s cars with huge banks of speakers emitting blasting music at all times day and night.
Since our last visit to Tobago five years ago we found that the people have change in their attitudes towards visitors insomuch as two of our friends were sitting on the beach at Crown Point when they were verbally attacked very loudly by a local guy who said that he was going to chop them up into pieces and nobody tried to stop this onslaught.
We found the service in the restaurants had deteriorated so much that staff almost threw the food at us.
After two weeks in Tobago we very pleased to experience the opposite attitudes from the people of Grenada.
The tourist industry of Tobago has a lot to learn from the other Caribbean Islands

[Paul Tallet]

I don't know if I have fully understood this Geoff so please accept my apologies for any missunderstandings:-


Noisy Glass Bottom Boats ... did you mean that they have 'banks of speakers in them'? ... they have flat bottomed hulls and there is no room anywhere for banks of speakers except on the roof, in which case the boat would get top-heavy and capsize .. wouldn't it?

Local Cars ... these generally have quite powerful speakers in the boot and have been quite common in Tobago going back 10 years or so since I first went there ... I would not argue with anyone that said loud speaker systems in cars is part of Tobago's recent culture.

Banks of Speakers are found in many places in Tobago where there is a party or function. They don't fit in cars and there is a risk that they could capsize boats because of their weight ... obviously more can be found on dry land around Crown Point where there are more parties and functions than in other places in Tobago.

The incident about the 'local guy' is more serious and can never be condoned anywhere in the world ... but 'nobody did anything about it' ... apart from complaining about it on this forum, what did you do about it and what did your friends do about it? If these matters are reported to the correct authorities then there is some faint hope that 'local guys' that are inclined to do this will refrain in future.

Restaurant service has deteriorated so much that 'staff almost threw the food at us' ... did they threaten to? Did they say they would do that? Did they try? Or did they start throwing the food and suddenly change their minds at the last second? Have you recorded any incidents of this at any specific places? Have you told them?

And the lessons that need to be learned? Well all Caribbean countries have different cultures and different attitudes to tourism ... I agree Tobago is not the best and certainly not perfect but there are certainly some worse places.

Finally ... and I have said this before ... I speak for myself and not for this forum on this but I am getting a little narked when I read about a load of random unsubstantiated and sensationalised complaints and rants from people that have had a generally bad holiday.

More substance please.

I just wish I was there

Regards

[Ronald]

As I´ve been coming to T&T since 1989, and know many nice peoples both in Trinidad and in Tobago, and because I spend my time by a family in the Crown Point - Bon Accord area, may add something to Pauls notes..

"..Crown Point very noisy from Glass bottom boats..", it´s true that some of these boats has speakers on top of the boat, why? Mostly because peoples, both locals and indeed also visitors, like that "..we will have a party, a party.."
However, these boats leave around 10am and are back in the afternoon, mostly around 2pm, so they aren´t there all the day.
Some cars also have loud music, it´s true, but not 24 hours a day. And now a days, when the Golden Stars is closed, you don´t even have disco music nearby during in the night.
"..huge banks of speakers emitting blasting music at all times day and night." Excuse me, but this area is very much known as a public area with visitors from both Europe, USA, CAN, Trinidad and so on.
If you did expect it be totally silence in the evening? Sorry, if so, than you didn´t do your "home work" you did choose wrong country, wrong area or wrong place to stay at.

".. they were verbally attacked very loudly by a local guy..", and as Paul did say, what did you do about it? There´s life guards on the beach, if you would be talking to them, than that guy would be picked up by the police.
It´s true that it sometimes happens such things, as an example there´s a guy on the beach selling local crafts, and sometimes he get mad when peoples doesn´t buy, he´s "barking as a mad dog" but it´s just emthy talking.
And that never happens in UK? Or?

"..service in the restaurants had deteriorated.." which restaurants are you talking about? If you say something like that, you can not say it in common. Did you talk to the peoples in charge for example? According to what you write, I don´t think so.
And it´s also so, we mostly get treaten according to how we are against others. As you write, I don´t think you were "on a very good mode". Service are generally slow, but that´s how it is all over the caribbean, if you doesn´t spend your time on 5-stars hotels.

And I´m also, as Paul say, speaking for my self and not for the forum, but I have been travelling quite a lot since the 60´s. How much travelling have you done?
Ronald

[Sharon Keeler]

Just for balance, my observations after just having returned from two wonderful weeks in Tobago. We stayed at the Sandy Point Beach Club in Crown Point. Awesome resort, by the way! This is our ninth visit to Tobago and our time spent was just a good as ever. Beautiful, friendly people. Beautiful weather. Relaxing beaches, great, healthy, local food. Here's a rundown of what we did. Watched the sunrise and set. Laid on the beach and read a book. Snorkeled, swam, went sailing on the Island Girl. Drank Caribs and rum and cokes. Ate fish and macaroni pie. Danced to African drummers. Visited with our local friends and new friends from around the world. Drove and explored the island. Not ONE negative experience. I guess it all lies in the eye of the beholder. I can't think of a more wonderful way to spend our holiday If I had to note one thing that has changed in our years visiting Tobago it is that we cook more of our own food. Restaurants have gotten more expensive, but no more expensive on the whole than in the US (we can't afford to eat out here every night, either).

[Frank and Mina]

Following this thread with interest.

I can't deny that there are subtle changes going on but as far as we are concerned Tobago still ticks most of the boxes. Number one being value for money. 3 weeks for £750 each, from the time of locking the house to back again. Plus a free night in a Manchester hotel unexpectedly (thanks Monarch)!

We have never found ourselves in a nasty situation which we can't handle. Usually friendly banter eases tension, but sometimes a better approach is just a polite "No thanks". Scarborough's one and only beggar with the paint kettle never gives up, though. That guy is on auto repeat mode.

Apart from waiting for the plane on the last day we don't often "do" Crown Point /Store Bay. This year there seemed to be fewer touts for beach chairs and glass bottom boats. Since the soca number "I want a big bottom girl" appeared two or three years ago, I sing "I want a glass bottom boat - to wine upon". This makes them laugh and they forget their mission.

One day this year a guy was driving around shouting " Tourists, F### your Dollars". Mildly unpleasant but we didn't imagine he was addressing us as we only carry TT Dollars! Perhaps this is the same man from the beach, in which case if he persists someone will probably have a word.

Was the loud music problem during Carnival? You could hear the sound systems in Scarborough easily from Lambeau. I stood alongside music trucks that shook my internal organs. Quite an experience. There were some cars from time to time under the trees along the Swallows Beach /Pigeon Point road whose drivers assumed that all beachgoers wanted to hear the music louder than their Ipods. A Buccoo friend of ours says "We are noisy people".

If I thought it would do any good I would tell them how aggravating Tinnitus is in middle aged (y)ears, but it's a bit like telling smokers...

I'm fairly tired of London, which traditionally means I'm tired of life. I'm not yet tired of Tobago or the racket, so there's life in me still. Perhaps Geoff just needs a change. We had a change a couple of years ago and went to St Lucia. Yes, it is different and the people are different but if we could afford it we'd visit both every year for the good things each island has.

Frank