Safety in Tobago - The Real Truth

[Neil R]

Just how safe is Tobago right now??
The more i read, the more paranoid i get
Its true the UK is not exactly a safe place, but statistically, if your careful (?) you would be unlucky to get into any serious trouble!

I am off to Tobago in March with my girlfriend, plan to do kitesurfing as often as possible, so intend to hire a car and to visit other beaches - the kit is expensive, how safe is it to leave in a locked car?

Also if you take the advice being given, you wouldn't travel to any isolated beach for fear of mugging, rape or violence, especially Englishmans Bay and Back Bay, both of which we would love to visit, amongst plenty of others.

So in a nutshell, just how safe is Tobago? Is 'just' being careful and not flashing off your jewelry or cash enough, or should we follow the 'advice' and not go anywhere secluded on our own?

We have visited the Carribean before and are no strangers to travelling and don't scare easily, but when you research safety on Tobago, it doesn't make good reading at the moment!!

Please advise just what is the REAL situation at the moment - i hope i am just being paranoid!

Thanks.

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Neil

I wish I could answer you, but the honest truth is that I can't. What is safe? How do you measure it? All I can tell you is that in the last couple of hours I have just returned from the Englishman's Bay area where I spent the day walking in isolated trails above the bay. It was glorious.

As far as your kitesurfing kit goes, that's easy. Car crime is virtually unknown on Tobago. Cars are not stolen and very rarely broken into. When thefts/burglaries occur, they invariably only take cash, mobile phones and jewellery. Cameras, laptops, video cameras and other items are seldom of interest to thieves because they are bulky to carry and hard to dispose of.

[David Watkins]

Hello Neil,if you follow the same rules as if you were in Spain(but it's a lot nicer and safer here!)don't be flash,be aware,be careful and be happy.You will enjoy the island,
David.

ps.as a matter of interest I went to Jouvert yesterday,and did not see a single incident---lots of drinking,whining etc but no problems.Try getting 5 thousand(at least) gathered in the UK without drink and see the problems!

[Steve Pitts]

Neil

I'd go along with the other replies.

I cannot see anyone (other than a fellow tourist perhaps ) nicking your kite-surfing gear.

You can gain immediate access to Back Bay, via the sea, from Mt Irvin Beach (beach facilities) or Stone Haven bay. The bay would be pretty good for kite surfing later in the afternoon, when the wind gets up, I would guess. I'm not so sure about Englishman's bay as a kite-surfing venue though - probably too sheltered.

Sad to say that Pigeon Point is a must - it's the kite-surfing capital of Tobago, but somewhat ressuringly, now that it belongs to the peoples of Tobago at least the entrance fee stays on the island.

Cheers
Steve

[Chris Cross]

I wonder if you plan to bring your own kite-gear...?

Ever planned to rent the gear?
Even you can take it into your rooms as we did... (over night)

Kiting at PigeonPoint is recommended, I chose the little bay on the right hand side... nuff Space and no swimmers...

Wheter in Spain or Fuerte or Tobage I will never let my gear out of sight...

But if you are not using a Cabriolet I don´t think that you will get problems (except at night at lonely places) but that´s like everywhere...

And leave you Swarovski Chain and your Rolex at home...

Talking for me, we are planning to go back to the Rex in a couple of weeks and we have been all over the island and never faced any problems...

[Gisela Grell]

Last night I talked to a good friend on Tobago (Castara) and asked him about the rising crime in Tobago. He said that on Carnival there where a lot of young people from Trinidad coming over and it looks like there were some people robbed but it is really quiet at the moment. I asked about the new discothec (Shade?) and he said, most of the locals are not going there because it is not save.
He also said that the whole village is watching out for the guests (I was told that it is not friendly to say tourists) to keep them save and noone would come far if he is trying to do something wrong.

I was there last October and heard about some houses which were robbed. Everybody I talked to was verry annoyed and looking out for any strange subject. The catched the guys while I was there and I never felt unsave the whole holidays. I need to say that I normally travel alone as a woman and for me Tobago is still the savest place.

I will check it out in late April - early May when I go back (alone again) and will let you know.

[Neil R]

Thanks everyone for your replys - 6 days to go

I am now getting very excited - Tobago looks so fantastic!!
It seems maybe i was getting a bit too paranoid - we will be carefull of course, but we shall certainly be exploring wherever we wander!

[Moritz J.]

Hi Neil,
when you are In Tobago, do you want to make a nice daytrip to Union Island for sailing in the grenadines? We (I and my girlfriend) want to do this tour when we're in holliday (20. march - 29. march), but when need at last 4 - 6 persons to make this trip.

Check this out: http://www.yes-tourism.com/grenadines.htm

[Caroline Brookes]

There is a report in the Tobago News of a violent incident resulting in the death of a man in Moriah on 22 December 2007.

Caroline

[Ronald]

The person who killed the old gardener was a local neighbour, and he´s already arrested by the Police.
Ronald

[David Watkins]

He has also been charged with murder and cannot plead not guilty because it is an indictable offence and will go straight before a judge(No jury).I belive he is due up next week.
David

[C.Phillips]

I happen to know the man that was killed, i've known him since I was a kid. He was a family friend of ours and we're still trying to cope with the loss. It's all so strange to us right now because my mom and I were talking about him a few days before we got the dreaded phone call last year.

From what my dad told me, they caught the culprit, he said he was 19yrs old. I really hope justice is served to the full extent of the law. I'm just sick out of my stomach right now.