What are We Here For?

[Paul Tallet]

Hi all

The purpose of this post is to encourage positive debate about the accommodation issues that have been raised in this forum.

I appreciate that this could be best viewed in the Accommodation section but this, after all, is a general issue that is being spread too widely across many sections of the Accommodation Forum to be picked up ... consequently, the same issues arise again and again and, to be quite frank, it is becoming unnecessarily negative.

I have read as best I can the points raised, but the intriguing aspects are as follows:-


1. Many that choose All Inclusive options with the major resorts think the food is crap.

2. Many that go to the top resorts complain about the service or lack of facilities.

3. There have also been some complaints by those that use small establishments on a 'self catering' basis and allege sub-standard accommodation and service.

Sometimes it seems that those in smaller establishments would be happier in more expensive accommodation and vice versa.

Overall, many people on this forum appear very happy with their experience of Tobago but I keep getting this impression that, for some, it just is not stacked up to what it was supposed to be when I read the Accommodation section of this forum.

I guess it would be really positive if people are able to express their expectations as well as their experiences, rather than just their experiences.

I have been to a few places around the Caribbean and, in my opinion, Tobago is unique ... for others it is a great dive destination, or great for ornithology, fishing, sailing ... it can be many things ... I just like the place and it's culture ... it is different, call it 'raw' Caribbean if you like.

So why would someone staying in a small establishment get upset about the loud music next door? ... or lack of ventilation/airconditioning?

And why would someone in a top hotel get upset about not being served a drink or the lack of sun beds/towels?

I wonder if this debate could provide us with some positive perspective of expectations as well as the service delivered by Tobago and it's residential institutions?

Why did we go?

What did we Expect?

Did we check out myTobago before booking our holiday or do other reseach?

Where did we Stay?

Was it Good or Bad?

How have we learned or benefited from the Experience?

Will we go again?

Honest responses to these questions would be invaluable to those that have yet to visit Tobago.

Regards

[Cornelia Montgomery]

Paul.
Those are such good questions, but sooo many. I'll start with one answer. When we first went to Tobago several years ago, it was because we had heard it was still a "genunine" Caribbean experience -- moreso than, for example, perhaps, Barbados.
For us Americans, Tobago is off the beaten track, and it still was several years ago. I never went there expecting slick service. We wanted summer in winter in a beautiful, friendly place. The prices were reasonable, compared to many other Caribbean destinations. I'm happy with sun, beach, warm water, good food, and a few rum punches.
Lately, it seems that so many people are going to Tobago expecting the Seychelles at one-quarter the price. I wonder if marketing by package-tour companies is to blame.
Anyway, I'll ponder the answers to your other questions. But as I'm headed back to Tobago soon, I may have to ponder them under a seagrape tree, and if I have too many rum punches, I may forget what your questions were. (By the way, there's a snowstorm predicted for Boston on my departure day -- can you do anything about that?)

[Paul Tallet]

Oh Cornelia

You know I only have my wishful magic weather wand ... I'm sure you will cope.

Thanks for the feedback ... I confess to wondering about your point ... which is basically the point, that people expect too much or are given high expectations by tour operators.

Cheers ... and enjoy the shade of the sea grape.

[Stephen Turner]

I wonder whether people who've been to other Caribbean resorts first have a different expectation from those whose first experience was Tobago. We loved Tobago and thought the Coco Reef was great, but it was our first trip to the Caribbean. Are people who've been to one of the more commercialised islands first more likely to be disappointed?

It must be something to do with one's temperament too. At the Blue Waters Inn, the menu bore little relation to the food which was actually available. We didn't mind, because the food they did have was fine, and the staff were very friendly. People who aren't prepared to go with the flow might have been disappointed.

[Dave B]

I've been to an AI in St. Lucia and it was very good if a little remote from the town which made travelling around difficult. I will be off to Coco Reef in about eight weeks where my fiancee and I will be married during our stay.

I've done a lot of research (mainly from this site) and believe Coco Reef is the right choice. Although we are going AI I'm happy to dine out several times to try something other than the hotel food. The location of the hotel was important because we can walk to nearby establishments.

I think we'll be fairly laid back in our attitude and it seems that some people complain about anything (I remember the complaints about the noise of the gulls on the beach). Can't rely on nature! We intend to go on several trips to see the island.

I've also read about the AI ending at 3pm at Coco Reef with our Virgin flight in the evening. I'm sure we can deal with that now we know it in advance through this excellent website.

I'm sure we'll go with the flow and have a wonderful time.

[Brian Taylor]

hello all
I think the goal of the forum is not ONLY to gather positive opinions about accommodation (and the whole rest). I think if someone was dissappointed of something he/she should say so but:

- if it is a real bad complaint, it should be made at the guesthouse/hotel itself first and then it should be mentioned if things where made better/fixed/or good reasons brought up for it.
- the bad reviews should happen in a modest way, not angry! try to stick to the facts
- and as paul said: tell us about expectations, maybe made by wrong descripyions at the website of the property and ths situation you found.

as for example, pages promise you a few minutes way to the beach and you have to walk half an hour...
when pages say the place is remote, although they know about this neighbour with the music system....
tobago is a place where you have accom. far away from everything, really remote, or close to the real local life with chicken, dogs and sound systems or car alarms and neighbours singing in the shower (not to mention the neighbours daughter learning to play the pan...even pan lovers would go crazy)...

the point is, if you don't find what was promised you have a right to be dissappointed and say so.
first to the landlord...then to the rest of the world in a modest way and with the details that bothered you...
some people don't mind plastic plates in their apartment some do....get the facts out in the open and every one can make a choice and find the place of their dreams for the holidays of their dreams....
it is all about facts...

have a splendid holiday wherever you go and give full reviews with all you liked and would change if you could...it helps the owners of the places, too. you can only change what you are aware of....

[SJKeeler]

Paul,

All good questions. We first went to Tobago 5 years ago. It was a timeshare exchange and we said send us anywhere in the Caribbean. Tobago came up and we were headed to Sandy Point Beach Club. We really didn't have any expectations. We'd been to St. John in the USVI, Tortola, St. Thomas, Virgin Gorda and Bermuda before. But we fell in love with Tobago. Why? The culture and the people. We like that it is laid back, that the Tobagonians want to interact with us (unlike many of the other places we have visited, where you always know you are a tourist, even if the people living there are nice). We like that it is an ecotourist hotspot, that we can go hiking in the rainforest, snorkling on beautiful reefs, and horseback riding through abandoned plantations. We've made friends we can't wait to see when we return on our next visit. But I guess it all depends on what you like on a holiday. I don't like all inclusives, or cruise ships, or fancy frozen drinks. I like simple, clean accomodations, good, fresh, local food. And a place where my dollar goes a long way...and into the local economy and not some corporate establishment. But everytime we bring friends to Tobago I say, "it's not a 5-star resort kind of place." I'm glad it's not.

Sharon

[Steve Wooler]

LETTER FROM TOBAGO

A fascinating question, Paul. I could not resist adding my two-pence worth, despite the painful experience of connecting to the forum on a 28kbps line.

Since publication of our original ‘Coco Reef Resort Review’ and forum in 2000, which ultimately led to myTobago, I have long pondered these questions. The only firm conclusion I have drawn is that visitors who return disappointed have, in the vast, vast majority of cases, failed to do proper holiday research. Sadly, all too many book their holidays from travel brochures and THEN do some research, mainly looking for places to eat, what to do, and finally for comment on the hotel they have chosen/booked at.

The truth is that most first-timers consider Tobago just another holiday destination. Just another place to ‘try’. Sadly, not knowing and understanding Tobago, there is a good chance that the island will fail to meet expectations and they will return home disappointed.

Let’s be honest about it. Tobago is not somewhere you go for great hotels. It is not somewhere you go for top service. It is not even somewhere you go for excellent food. If these things are very important to you, go to Dubai, go to the Far East, go to the Maldives – or even go to Barbados and other more developed Caribbean destinations.

It is difficult to describe Tobago to someone who doesn’t know the island. And it’s not simply a question of visiting the island. I have met many people who have come here and yet totally missed the point; have simply not seen what it is that causes so many visitors to fall in love with Tobago.

As I say on the home page, Tobago will not be everyone’s cup of tea. That is an easy and obvious statement. It is considerably more difficult to define what sort of person is likely to enjoy Tobago.

I had a long discussion earlier this week with the owner of one of the island’s best hotels. He maintains that most of his guests come to visit his hotel, not Tobago. That may seem like a particularly arrogant statement, but having stayed there many times, I do understand what he means. He enjoys a repeat rate of over 45% and many of his guests only leave the hotel once or twice during a two-week holiday. They don’t come to visit Tobago, do they? Something about the resort brings them back, time after time. Judged by international standards, the hotel doesn’t rank well. Visitors who judge a hotel by star ranking will be sadly disappointed. Visitors unable, or unwilling, to switch off their clock or ‘connect’ with the staff will totally miss the point. If you judge service on speed, efficiency and courtesy, you are bound to be disappointed.

To get the best of Tobago, you must have some understanding of Tobagonian psychology. They are a fiercely independent and proud people. Their island has changed hands more than 32 times since it was first sighted by Columbus in 1498. Trinidad, a most unlikely partner, was ‘lumbered’ with Tobago in 1889 when England decided it had no further use for the island. Trinidad simply ignored and treated the island with disdain right up until very recent years when the couple of seats that Tobago holds in the national parliament were critical to the outcome of elections.

Despite a heritage of not being wanted, Tobagonians are wonderfully, and rightly, immensely proud of their island. If a visitor shows appreciation and pleasure in the island and/or their culture, they will rapidly take you to their hearts and their hospitality and friendship knows no bounds.

‘Service’ is not something that comes easy to Tobagonians. Look at their slave ancestry and you can perhaps understand why. As one local lady told me recently, she feels ‘presumptuous’ to speak to a foreigner (by which she meant ‘whites’) before they have spoken to her. I know she is not alone in this. Sad, but if you understand this you can so easily counter it. It simply means breaking the ice by bidding the waitress/barman/shop assistant a ‘good day’ with a nice friendly smile. Locals will regularly pass you in the street without making eye contact. Don’t be fazed. Bid them a ‘good day’. Pass the same stranger tomorrow and I bet you $100 that they will make eye contact and nod, at the very least. By day three, they will bid you a ‘good day’ and by day four will be asking how you are enjoying your holiday and whether you have been here before.

The biggest mistake that so many visitors make – far more so in the ‘top’ and ‘bottom’ hotels rather than in the middle-ranking establishments, is addressing waiting staff in a demanding manner. This is not the Far East. The staff won’t simply meekly lower their eyes, apologise and then go to the kitchen and pee in your tea. At the best you will be ignored; at the worst you will get back a little more than you bargained for. Mutual respect is vitally important to Tobagonians.

They also have a naturally brusque manner, which visitors can easily confuse with surliness. Study the way they address each other. It will either be with open laughter and smiles, or very curt and sharp. This is their way. They mean no harm by it and visitors must take them at face value. Understand that it is simply a local mannerism and don’t take offence.

We are at the Rex Turtle Beach at the moment. Sadly, we are experiencing the best and the worst of Brits abroad. It is patently clear why this hotel gets such wildly mixed reviews. The staff here are friendly and in every way up to normal Tobagonian standards. The guests are another thing altogether. It horrifies me to say it, but they have sadly been the unfriendliest, miserable bunch of people I have every had the misfortune to share a hotel with. We have been here five days and have only spoken to about two people. They don’t even make eye contact or pass a ‘good day’ with you as they pass in the corridors. We have been here a month this Thursday and have stayed at five establishments. I don’t know whether it is the size of the hotel or the market positioning. We’ll be able to better judge over the coming weeks when we stay at an even larger hotel.

I thought we were just unlucky with the mix last week, but yesterday was a major changeover day, with the Monday Virgin flight. Its early days, but initial signs aren’t encouraging. We’ve just come back from breakfast and were sat next to a family group of 14 new arrivals. I found it hard to hold my tongue when I heard the way they were speaking to the waiting staff. They will judge the hotel by its amenities, facilities, service efficiency and catering and go home disappointed. They will be just the sort of people that will post highly negative reports about the Rex Turtle Beach. After five days, we are of the opinion that the Rex Turtle Beach is a good 3* hotel offering incredible value for money.

A final story, if I may. While suffering breakfast next to the bunch above, a lady came out from the kitchen dressed in kitchen whites. She approached our table, smiled and said “Remember me?” We half-recognised the face but her chef’s cap disguised her features and we couldn’t place her. She gave her name and we immediately recognised her. She had been the cook at a villa we stayed at for a few days a couple of years ago. Well, it was big hugs all round. She was genuinely so thrilled so see us. This was nothing to do with myTobago – she’s probably never even heard of the site. She had worked for us for a few days; we had treated her with respect and friendliness; she would probably remember and greet us in just the same manner if we hadn’t seen her for 10 years. That’s Tobago! That’s why we love this funny, eccentric island despite its many failings.

Yes, Cornelia, you are so right. Tobago does still offer a ‘genuine’ Caribbean experience. Yes, the island is busy and with more tourists than ever before. However, it doesn’t seem in the slightest bit crowded and I haven’t seen Tobagonians so happy for 30 years or more. Unemployment is virtually zero (2.6% - most of whom don’t want to work), which is actually causing the hospitality industry major grief because they can’t get waiting staff in particular (largely because of the factors mentioned above). For the first time the populace have some money in their pockets and the pride of being self-sufficient. Their true nature is showing again. The island is buzzing and Tobagonians are buzzing. It is wonderful to see.

Oh! I didn’t mention the looks on the faces of the party at the next table seeing us hugging this cook in her kitchen whites. Sorry if we offended their sensibilities! Maybe they should choose Disneyland next time.

Sorry to rant, but the guests here have really wound me up and the situation is just so relevant to Paul’s original posting and questions.

[Julia C.]

Great thread and very interesting posts.
We've never done an AI holiday and have no plans in near future to do so. Therefore I don't feel "qualified" to comment. Having said that I really don't understand why anyone would suffer a 10 hour flight to stay in a hotel that could be anywhere, not venture out and spend the whole time lying by the pool or on the hotel's beach?
We like to be a bit independant, experience a different place from home, get a bit of a tan, have some adventures, fill our eyes with beautiful surroundings, have a chance to meet some people, relax (a lot), drink a few drinks and try out some different food. Tobago met all these "wants" and more in abundance. Our first two weeks was not enough so we are returning for more.
Each to his/her own I suppose, though I do feel sad for people who don't get it and don't enjoy their holidays.

[Kevin Hampson]

Hi Paul,

Why do I go to Tobago, diving mostly, It's not always the best but over the two weeks I get a few good challenging drifts dives in, meet some nice people and sink a few rum punches so what more could I ask.

Staying up at the top of the Island away from the crowds "my wife thinks more than 5 people on a beach is a crowd" and going back to Bluewaters each time is like going to see old friends is just perfect for us.

For me Tobago is old style Caribbean, no big hi rise five stars, rows of sun lounge’s and jet skis, just quite beaches, wonderful people and good diving.

Regards
Kevin

[Paul Tallet]

Hi everyone.

I am pleasantly surprised by the lovely contributions to this debate ... I thought it was a risky (controversial?) point but it had been bugging me.

All the contributions contain something that I have felt over the years and from my readings (mainly) in the Accomodation section.

For instance, Stephen Turner points out that other more commercialised Caribbeans destinations can often skew expectations and this emphasises the uniqueness of Tobago.

Steve W expands on this and, indeed, I can relate to his experiences.

Sharon Keeler has done what I did ... I first went to the Rex for my 15th wedding anniversary ... it was just a holiday for me and my wife and we loved it, got a car and explored, got soaked in the rainforest and sat on Englishmans Bay and missed the children ... we've been back every year with the children ever since.

As Cornelia points out, Tobago is off the beaten track for Americans and, indeed, there are few Americans there although it is worth emphasising that the Americans I have met in Tobago are among the nicest people I have met.

Brian says we should complain if it is justifiable ... quite right ... but Tobago is unique and the people that love Tobago are unique and feel it is a privilege to have the opportunity to be there.

It takes 2 to tango !!

Thanks for all your fantastic responses.

Regards

[Roel le Pair]

Interesting thoughts in this thread. Like some of you mentioned before me (Stephen, Dave): GO WITH THE FLOW says it all, in my opinion, and Steve adds 'the flow' even exists within (inside) some accommodation.
So for first time visitors: try to find out whether the flow will fit or not.
Another aspect that strikes me as so very true: you have to be able to enjoy simple things, quoting Julia:
"We like to be a bit independant, experience a different place from home, get a bit of a tan, have some adventures, fill our eyes with beautiful surroundings, have a chance to meet some people, relax (a lot), drink a few drinks and try out some different food. Tobago met all these "wants" and more in abundance. Our first two weeks was not enough so we are returning for more"

For everyone: enjoy your flow ! ! . . .

[John Gilham]

Excellent thread and good to read the response from Steve.

Chris (my wife) and I have visited Barbados many times, St Kitts, Bahamas, Cuba, St Lucia, The USA many times, the Maldives and the Far East in the last 15 years for our holidays. All had their own qualities.

In the last 5 years we have come to want to spend our holiday relaxing in a pleasant climate in a quality hotel with good food and dare I say it away from 'the Brit' on holiday and to some extent children, though we are proud grandparents and love our grand sons we want to be away from screaming children and their parents who seem to think that holidays mean kids do what they want.

15 year ago it was easier to get a little further away from 'the Brit' on Holiday but more recently they seem to be able to afford to come to higher quality hotels where snobs like me hang out!!

Out of all the places we have been we have never been back to the same hotel as we like to try others even if we visit the same location.

In recent years we have come to the conclusion that the Caribbean is where we enjoy taking our hard earned holiday.
Barbados we enjoy but it has become too fast, we first visited in 1983 when it was much slower, but it has become too commercialised, St Lucia comes a close second in our favourites with great hotels fantastic people and wonderful scenery.

Prior to visiting St Lucia we visited the CoCo Reef in Tobago, this was in 2003. As always we had thouroughly reviewed the Hotel on the internet, this I believe is key to achieving your expectations, the worst thing you can do is book a holiday and then look at reviews as you start to build a list of all the negative things that you have the need to confirm whilst there.

The CoCo Reef was exactly as expected and in fact because of the prior picture we had built from the My Tobago website it was better than we hoped.
On the outward journey we blew a tyre on landing at Granada and lost a whole 24 hours of our holiday but the remaining 13 were so good that I never even bothered claiming on my policy.

Unlike the previous review we prefer All Inclusive as I like to put my wallet in the safe on arrival and not see it again for two weeks (other than when we go out of the hotel). This doesn't restrict us from eating out if we wish as we treat that as an excursion, its far more relaxing than adding up how much we could be clocking up each day.

The Maldives were fantastic for swimming and the magic of the very small island with nothing but the hotel on it. However we missed the dressing for dinner that can be such a great end to a fantastic day in the Caribbean. The holiday to us is two parts, the sun, sea and relaxing in the day time and then eating good food in a pleasing atmosphere in the evening.

We don't expect too much of the entertainment either as in some cases the island cannot support top end acts and so are locally produced. Having said that local entertainment is what we want, not international caberet that could be anywhere in the world!

This year we are about to break with our norm and return to a hotel for the second time. This will be the CoCo Reef in Tobago. To us it is the best overall hotel we have stayed at in the Caribbean.
The Lobsters are definitely the largest we have ever eaten and the Souffle to follow is worth the 20 minute wait.

I think that also sums it up.
We are on holiday in someone elses country where everyone is not in a hurry as we are in London.
When I am on holiday I like to say good morning and pass the time of day politely but I don't always want the staff to act as though they are my best friend.

The only complaint I could muster of the CoCo Reef after two weeks there, was in fact about the residents, why do they put thier towels on the sunbeds at 6am (or the previous night) and not use them until mid morning. That is pure disregard for everyone and actually gets the hotel bad press. I think it is the height of bad manners.

Steve this is a fantastic website from a technical and content point of view, I have referred to it many times and even had the opportunity to mention it to John Jefferis as a deciding factor to stay at the CoCo reef when we stayed there in 2003.

Regards
John Gilham

[Paul Tallet]

John

You have helped put alot of the Accommodation Forum contributions into perspective.

Enjoy your next visit and with kindest regards

[Alison Meyers]

What a fantastic thread, thank you Paul for posing the questions and to Steve for his fantastically honest opinion and insight into what Tobago is all about. We are off to Tobago for our first time in March, for us we chose the coco reef as it got repeated good reviews, and was within walking distance of other restaurants and bars to try out. As for expectations , we have booked AI, the reason being that the reviews of the food were good and its nice not to have to worry about the size of your bar bill at the end of two weeks, and again like John mentioned, although AI we will be going out and about to sample other food and bars but AI is something less to worry about. We’ve never done AI before, when we holiday in Europe we always go off the beaten track and self cater to get a true feel for the place. I’m not expecting all inclusive to be fantastic, but then again I don’t go on holiday for the food, although it is nice to sample the local cuisine. For me the holiday is about exploring a new place seeing what it has to offer, snorkelling, catching some rays and having a few drinks and spending time with my hubby. Also we don’t expect a four star to be like a four star in Asia or even Europe, as long as the food is edible, the room clean and the rum punches drinkable then that’s us happy. We tend to avoid the popular tourist spots as we hate the commercialism that these places so often have, so although at first disheartened by some of the bad reviews we soon realised that as so many of you have said before, that the bad reviews are from people who were expecting something very different from their hotels. My first post was in reply to someone who was posting over and over about what an appalling time they had at coco reef, it seemed to us that the “unfriendly staff “ they had referred to in the post had probably taken offence at the way they were treated and I felt the need to have my say. I do feel that as these places get more and more accessible to people there will be more and more disappointed people coming back from their holidays to places like Tobago as they are often very shortsighted and want the same service they get in Europe or Asia. I feel the tour operators have a lot to answer for, the descriptions don’t tell you things you really want to know, like how will the staff be, how long will it take to get a drink, will there be enough sunbeds/parasols? if they did, then the people who seem to have a bad time in Tobago might be less tempted to go and then everyone would be happier! Anyway I am sooooooo looking forward to getting out to Tobago, and doing the things you have all recommended. Thanks for this brilliant website, which is not only informative but gives me something to do at lunchtimes!

[John Gilham]

Alison

You will love the Coco Reef its a great hotel. Definitely you made the right decision to go AI in my opinion as the food is so good in both restaurants at the hotel. The Lobsters are at a suplement but still exceptional value for money, they even served it with a special order of chips for me!!
It is very difficult to find anything to complain about and I usually can.

Have a great time and let us all know what you think when you get home.
Regards
John

[Kate H]

what Steve said...

amen!

[Gabrielle E]

I agree with so much of what has been said here. But to add our experience. Having decided to go to the Caribbean for the winter sun, we chose Tobago because it seemed to be less commercialised than many other islands, but accessible, and because the snorkelling and diving was so highly recommended. We didn't want to go to a large hotel (and frankly couldn't really afford it) so it was a fairly easy decision to split our time between Castara and Charlotteville. Basically, we wanted sun, sea, colourful fish and cheap and plentiful rum! Tobago exceeded all our expectations.

We weren't after smart places to eat, and we found what we needed in both Charlotteville and Castara. You can't beat eating a roti looking out over Man of War bay, or going to the fishermans co-op and walking out with the largest (and cheapest!) pieces of tuna I've ever had, fresh from the sea.

We stayed in lovely apartments close to the sea. Who needs a swimming pool when you can pop straight out from your apartment into the waves (though not quite that quick when you need to walk down all the steps to Pirates Bay!). What beats floating in the sea, bobbing with the waves, looking back at the forest coming down to the edge of the beach? And getting out in time to watch the sun set through the trees as you haul yourself back up from the beach?

Everyone we met on Tobago was incredibly friendly, and I'd rather lime and drink rum and coke outside a bar on the main street of Castara than hang around in a hotel bar any day.

Oh and the fish were fantastic!

[Steve Fifield]

Paul,

It is hard to add anything to this thread that hasn't already been said however, you asked "what are we here for". The Hotel? The Island's attractions and sporting opportunities?

Well most of all after a stressful year at work, I want to relax, wind down, and not have a deadline. That can almost be achieved in 2 weeks, but for me a few things are mandatory.

One of those, is a good night's sleep without having to resort to too much alcohol (which always wipes out the next day for me anyway).

I must confess that if I stayed anywhere near the neighbours from hell, with loud music every night until 2:00AM, this would not be a holiday for me at all, even if that was a taste of part of Tobagonian culture in some area or another. Fortunately I've never come across that sort of thing, and I imagined that all over Tobago, everyone slept quietly with just the sounds of the sea and birds until 8:00 or 9:00AM if they wanted to, just as I usually can if so inclined. If an advert for an accommadation says it is a peaceful setting, then that is what you should get. Not building work at 6:00AM. And this is not just a requirement for Tobago, it is universal, and noise is probably the most common cause for a stessful holiday, and complaints.

What I'm there for, is to do what ever I want to do at the time (no I'm not the type to disrupt anyone elses holiday!), and not to have my daily routine dictated by somebody elses (or some animal's) habits.

We are all most dissapointed if a Holiday does not live up to our expectations. That can be a tall order for some people. Our expectations are set by the travel brochures, write ups, and previous experiences. This of course also includes our expectations of the weather. Back to you Paul.

Steve F.

[David Watkins]

A great thread this,and interestingly enough so far only "enthusiasts" seem to have contributed.Why do I love Tobago? because it IS Tobago and not the Cost del Carib.It is the real people that make Tobago not the artificial resorts.I cannot see how people can say the have been to Tobago when they have stayed AI for two weeks in a resort and not stepped out of the gates,these are the ones that seem to be the dissatisfied.And Steve as regards your cook and hugs all round Iknow it happenned similarly to me and the people I was with(Nort Ams) we gob smacked!!!
David with sadly only ten days left .(but i"ll be back on 24/10/05 Tee he)