Hello everybody,
at fist please appollogize my bad English. I will try my best.
I plan to visit Tobago with a friend. We want to stay there for a 4-week-hollyday in July.
I have a few questions there about.
Is it nice in July? Is it raining much? What would be the best month to have hollyday in Tobago?
Is it dangerous to stay there together? We are both 20 years and have white skin. Do they often rob young white tourists?
Can we use our 240V - appliances? Or do we need a transformer for 115V?
Is it usual to give the waitress some tips? In Germany it is usual but it's a tabu in some countries
Does the poeple have an accent?
Thank you
Best regards
Max
Visiting Tobago
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Gisela Grell
- Tobago Anorak
- Posts: 576
- Joined: Sun Oct 22, 2006 8:56 pm
- Location: Bonn, Germany
- Contact:
Hi Mr. Mustermann,
why so shy and don't tell us your right name? Well, its your own decision and will not keep the people away to give you some advices.
The local people in Tobago have black skin but I go there now for years and nobody ever was talking about the skin color. The Tobagonians are very friendly people and if you will go there you can find out that this is almost the safest place on the earth.
If you need some advices in German, send me an eMail and I will tell you
whatever you need to know.
Cheers
why so shy and don't tell us your right name? Well, its your own decision and will not keep the people away to give you some advices.
The local people in Tobago have black skin but I go there now for years and nobody ever was talking about the skin color. The Tobagonians are very friendly people and if you will go there you can find out that this is almost the safest place on the earth.
If you need some advices in German, send me an eMail and I will tell you
whatever you need to know.
Cheers
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Steve Wooler
- myTobago Editor & Chief Anorak
- Posts: 4856
- Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2002 11:00 pm
- Location: Suffolk, England
- Contact:
Hi Max
Welcome aboard!
The early months of the year are the coolest and driest, but there's not a vast difference in the weather around the year. I would go when it suits your plans rather than trying to pick a 'good' month in Tobago.
As anywhere in the world, you must apply common sense when you are out and about. Skin colour is not an issue, as Gisela has said.
Tobago is unusual in that it offers both 240v and 110v electrical systems, but the majority of places only have the 110v. Once you have decided where you will stay, write and ask them which power system they have. You don't need a transformer for reducing current - only a plug converter. But, remember that things like hairdryers and kettles will not work as well at 110v.
Yes, it is usual to give waiters and serving staff a tip.
Yes, Tobagonians have a lovely accent - but you may find it takes some getting used to if English is not your first language. However, people working with tourists are well used to this and I'm sure you won't have a problem.
Welcome aboard!
The early months of the year are the coolest and driest, but there's not a vast difference in the weather around the year. I would go when it suits your plans rather than trying to pick a 'good' month in Tobago.
As anywhere in the world, you must apply common sense when you are out and about. Skin colour is not an issue, as Gisela has said.
Tobago is unusual in that it offers both 240v and 110v electrical systems, but the majority of places only have the 110v. Once you have decided where you will stay, write and ask them which power system they have. You don't need a transformer for reducing current - only a plug converter. But, remember that things like hairdryers and kettles will not work as well at 110v.
Yes, it is usual to give waiters and serving staff a tip.
Yes, Tobagonians have a lovely accent - but you may find it takes some getting used to if English is not your first language. However, people working with tourists are well used to this and I'm sure you won't have a problem.
Steve Wooler
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
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Chris Cross
- myTobago Nut
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 12:05 pm
- Location: Germany
...
Go there!
Just planning to go there, maybe in June 06, again!
Just planning to go there, maybe in June 06, again!
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Bryan Guignard
July is the beginning of the rainy season. We always bring a small umbrella. White skin is not a problem, but the sun burns very fast. There is some service in German in the Crown Point area, but not very much. Some restaurant menus are available in German. You will meet many German tourists (and Europeans) in Crown Point.
Tobago is very safe, but you need to be more careful if you go at Easter, Christmas, or during a big holiday, when there are many Trinis on the island. Trinis are more aggressive and are not always as nice as Tobagonians and they cause most of the crime. We avoid traveling to Tobago at those times because it's very hard to get hotels and things are more expensive.
4 weeks is a long time. Many people get heat sickness (hyperthermia or heat exhaustion from dehydration and salt deficiency) when they stay too long. Be careful. More details here: http://www.medicdirect.co.uk/travel/def ... p=4&pid=82
It helps is you sleep in an air conditioned or cool room at night to give your body a rest from the intense heat and humidity. Drink plenty of water. It happened to me the first time I went. I stayed for 8 weeks (no air conditioning), and the third week I got heat sickness. I was sick in bed for 9 days! That is why most travel packages are only 2 weeks, so you go back home before you get heat sickness. Heat sickness is not dangerous, but it can be very uncomfortable (like a bad flu). It happens when your body is forced to adjust to the intense heat too quickly. Heat sickness is not the same as heat stroke. Heat stroke is very dangerous and can kill you.
Yes the people speak with an accent, but they can also speak proper English. They are taught proper English in school. I often ask them to speak proper English, and they do.
Military style clothes, camouflage (cammo), and police style uniforms are illegal. Leave them home.
It is illegal for females to go topless. There are always European women who go topless on some beaches, but they are taking a risk to go topless on busy beaches. There is less risk at secluded beaches like Englishmen's Bay.
Be careful about buying souvenirs. It is easy to get coral, crocodile skin, turtle shell and many other things that are banned. It is safe to purchase items made of coconut, calabash, bamboo, stone, and ordinary leather. Check German import laws to see what your country allows you to bring back.
NEVER drink bush rum. It is home made rum, and it can sometimes be poisonous or deadly.
Be careful at Sunday School, and big parties. Fights can break out.
Tobago is very safe, but you need to be more careful if you go at Easter, Christmas, or during a big holiday, when there are many Trinis on the island. Trinis are more aggressive and are not always as nice as Tobagonians and they cause most of the crime. We avoid traveling to Tobago at those times because it's very hard to get hotels and things are more expensive.
4 weeks is a long time. Many people get heat sickness (hyperthermia or heat exhaustion from dehydration and salt deficiency) when they stay too long. Be careful. More details here: http://www.medicdirect.co.uk/travel/def ... p=4&pid=82
It helps is you sleep in an air conditioned or cool room at night to give your body a rest from the intense heat and humidity. Drink plenty of water. It happened to me the first time I went. I stayed for 8 weeks (no air conditioning), and the third week I got heat sickness. I was sick in bed for 9 days! That is why most travel packages are only 2 weeks, so you go back home before you get heat sickness. Heat sickness is not dangerous, but it can be very uncomfortable (like a bad flu). It happens when your body is forced to adjust to the intense heat too quickly. Heat sickness is not the same as heat stroke. Heat stroke is very dangerous and can kill you.
Yes the people speak with an accent, but they can also speak proper English. They are taught proper English in school. I often ask them to speak proper English, and they do.
Military style clothes, camouflage (cammo), and police style uniforms are illegal. Leave them home.
It is illegal for females to go topless. There are always European women who go topless on some beaches, but they are taking a risk to go topless on busy beaches. There is less risk at secluded beaches like Englishmen's Bay.
Be careful about buying souvenirs. It is easy to get coral, crocodile skin, turtle shell and many other things that are banned. It is safe to purchase items made of coconut, calabash, bamboo, stone, and ordinary leather. Check German import laws to see what your country allows you to bring back.
NEVER drink bush rum. It is home made rum, and it can sometimes be poisonous or deadly.
Be careful at Sunday School, and big parties. Fights can break out.
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Gisela Grell
- Tobago Anorak
- Posts: 576
- Joined: Sun Oct 22, 2006 8:56 pm
- Location: Bonn, Germany
- Contact:
Scary?
Hi Bryan,
I guess you are right in everything you mentioned but it will maybe scare Max or keep him away so I have to ease it a bit.
Sure cou can get heat sick and you can burn your skin when you are not uesd to it but you only have to be as careful as in every warm/hot country (and I guess there are a lot of countrys more warm than Germany).
Prepare youself with spray or creme against moskitos (see other item on this site) and drink a lot of water. If you have a sensible stomache better drink water from bottles not from the pipe (what I always do and never get sick).
Sure you have to be careful if you go to big partys like Sunday School but not more than if you go to an open air discothec in Germany. And sure you have to keep your money close and not show or spread around with packeges of $ but this is obvious everywhere where people don't have too much money....
What is really right that there are no topless beaches and it would hurt the feelings of the (mostly religious) people in Tobago. If you need topless beaches, go to Martinique!
Military clothes are illegal and could bring you in bad trouble if you where it, that also right.
Hope that helps and don't want do say that your are not right Bryan, but I found our post a bit too negavite.
Cheers and enjoy Tobago whenever you go there
I guess you are right in everything you mentioned but it will maybe scare Max or keep him away so I have to ease it a bit.
Sure cou can get heat sick and you can burn your skin when you are not uesd to it but you only have to be as careful as in every warm/hot country (and I guess there are a lot of countrys more warm than Germany).
Prepare youself with spray or creme against moskitos (see other item on this site) and drink a lot of water. If you have a sensible stomache better drink water from bottles not from the pipe (what I always do and never get sick).
Sure you have to be careful if you go to big partys like Sunday School but not more than if you go to an open air discothec in Germany. And sure you have to keep your money close and not show or spread around with packeges of $ but this is obvious everywhere where people don't have too much money....
What is really right that there are no topless beaches and it would hurt the feelings of the (mostly religious) people in Tobago. If you need topless beaches, go to Martinique!
Military clothes are illegal and could bring you in bad trouble if you where it, that also right.
Hope that helps and don't want do say that your are not right Bryan, but I found our post a bit too negavite.
Cheers and enjoy Tobago whenever you go there
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Ronald
- Tobago Fanatic
- Posts: 480
- Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2005 3:43 pm
- Location: Uppsala, Sweden
Heat Sickness
Gisela is right when she say that anyone can be sick when if he/she isn´t used to the climate, a hot, humidy tropical area. But my opinion is that they doesn´t get sick because they spend more than two weeks there. A longer stay only make it more easy to adapt.
Peoples who live in Europe are, in common, not so familar with tropic climate. We need time to adapt, and that time is different from person to person, some hardly can adapt at all. After 1-2 weeks mostly peoples start feeling more custom with the sun, humidy and so forth. But for a short vacation as two weeks, mostly doesn´t take the time to get custom, "vacation, sun, beach, party".
Many also drink too little water, a Carib is nice once in a while when it´s hot, but too many will not help you, the body loose liquid and than you might feel sick. We should drink a little every half hour, much better compared with a lot of water when we feel really thirsty, because than your body are already too dry.
Brian is talking about AC, and that´s a good thing for those who have problems with the heat. But the AC is often set to low, the air is too cold, the body get a chock every time they move out/in. Set the AC 7-8 degrees lower than the outside temp, not more. Is it 30 outside, set the AC at 22-23, is 35 outside, set the AC at 27-28.
Myself has been in W.I. since 1987, I always stay 4-5 weeks in Tobago every year, I stay by locals I know, using only a fan. Mostly it takes me 4-5 days until I feel "at home" with the climate. I haven´t much problem with the heat, been into other countries with higher temps. The water isn´t a problem and the mosquitos are "quite nice" compared with the ones we have in Sweden.
The problem is that mostly peoples have too fun, they forget to take proper care for them self. Use common sense, whatever we are talking about, and the visit in Tobago will be great.
Peoples who live in Europe are, in common, not so familar with tropic climate. We need time to adapt, and that time is different from person to person, some hardly can adapt at all. After 1-2 weeks mostly peoples start feeling more custom with the sun, humidy and so forth. But for a short vacation as two weeks, mostly doesn´t take the time to get custom, "vacation, sun, beach, party".
Many also drink too little water, a Carib is nice once in a while when it´s hot, but too many will not help you, the body loose liquid and than you might feel sick. We should drink a little every half hour, much better compared with a lot of water when we feel really thirsty, because than your body are already too dry.
Brian is talking about AC, and that´s a good thing for those who have problems with the heat. But the AC is often set to low, the air is too cold, the body get a chock every time they move out/in. Set the AC 7-8 degrees lower than the outside temp, not more. Is it 30 outside, set the AC at 22-23, is 35 outside, set the AC at 27-28.
Myself has been in W.I. since 1987, I always stay 4-5 weeks in Tobago every year, I stay by locals I know, using only a fan. Mostly it takes me 4-5 days until I feel "at home" with the climate. I haven´t much problem with the heat, been into other countries with higher temps. The water isn´t a problem and the mosquitos are "quite nice" compared with the ones we have in Sweden.
The problem is that mostly peoples have too fun, they forget to take proper care for them self. Use common sense, whatever we are talking about, and the visit in Tobago will be great.
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Gisela Grell
- Tobago Anorak
- Posts: 576
- Joined: Sun Oct 22, 2006 8:56 pm
- Location: Bonn, Germany
- Contact:
Hi Ronald and thanks for your nice words.
I really envy you that you come to Tobago since 1987! and are able to stay 4 - 5 weeks each visit. For me I come to Tobago since 1998 now and in the last 5 years almost twice a year for 2 - 3 weeks. I really love the heat and have no problems with the humidity. I get acustom to it when I have my first Carib at the airport. (Note for David W.: my frist after moth of suffering!). This is like a ritual act what my freinds prepare for me when I arrive.
Last October I took some friends with me who have never been out of Europe. I jumped out of the plane and felt home and really good. My friend came out of the plan and almost collapsed.
I must say that I don't like AC. I always catch a cold when I have to be in rooms with AC and try to stay away if possible. A fan is rigth for a light breeze and to keep the mossies away. One point I can't share with you. I hate mossies. They see me coming and eat me alive, whatever I try to put on my scin to keep them away. But this is nothing what can keep me away from the island
Cheers
I really envy you that you come to Tobago since 1987! and are able to stay 4 - 5 weeks each visit. For me I come to Tobago since 1998 now and in the last 5 years almost twice a year for 2 - 3 weeks. I really love the heat and have no problems with the humidity. I get acustom to it when I have my first Carib at the airport. (Note for David W.: my frist after moth of suffering!). This is like a ritual act what my freinds prepare for me when I arrive.
Last October I took some friends with me who have never been out of Europe. I jumped out of the plane and felt home and really good. My friend came out of the plan and almost collapsed.
I must say that I don't like AC. I always catch a cold when I have to be in rooms with AC and try to stay away if possible. A fan is rigth for a light breeze and to keep the mossies away. One point I can't share with you. I hate mossies. They see me coming and eat me alive, whatever I try to put on my scin to keep them away. But this is nothing what can keep me away from the island
Cheers