Independant travel info

[Eleanor Walshe]

Hey there,

My boyfriend and I prefer to travel independently in the summer, this year we are so excited to be going to the Caribbean for 4 weeks . We fly into Tobago on July 28th and are just about to book our 1st weeks accommodation.

Our plans are to spend the majority of our time on Tobago & use it as a base to travel in and out of Trinidad, Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique as we are totally flexible, I have the following questions…

* Is it wiser to pre-book all our accommodation to avoid disappointment?
* Are there any festivals on the islands we should see & if so should we pre-book accommodation?
* Is it better to fly or get a boat between Tobago, Trinidad and Grenada?
* Is there anywhere/anything we definitely shouldn’t ‘miss’

I do have The Rough Guide, but experience has proven insider/local knowledge to be ‘golden’. We would really appreciate any pointers, tips and advice you may have!

Thanks a million,

Eleanor & Russell

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Eleanor

Welcome aboard!

The bottom line is, I guess, that the only way to guarantee the accommodation you want is to book in advance. A lot will depend upon the type/quality of accommodation you are looking for. The big hotels are most popular with foreign visitors and are busiest during the winter months so getting in during the summer months should be no problem. However Tobago is the main holiday destination for Trinidadians during the summer months and you will be there right at the busy time. The Trinis tend to stay in the guest houses and self-catering apartments in the south-west of the island, so availability there may be more limited.

There are no major festivals in July/August. See the menu Out & About/Calendar of Events.

As regards travel between Trinidad and Tobago - I would recommend flying. The ferry is not an enjoyable experience, although it does have the advantage of getting you into Port of Spain. You have no option but to fly to get to Grenada.

Tobago is mainly a 'chill-out' destination and the things to see and do depend very largely on your tastes and preferences. However, explore the main menus at the top of the page and you will find everything you need to know.

Have fun with your research.

[David Watkins]

Hi Eleanor,altough July is the start of the low season,it is still to your advantage to book ahead as many places close for the "winter"(inc reataurants,bars etc) You can take the sea ferry from Tobago to Trini or fly.
I believe you can only fly from 'Bago to Grenada..... unless you charter(£££££££££).
Contact Yestourism and they will sort it out and help you a lot.
Enjoy Tobago!
David

[Steve Pitts]

Hi Eleanor

Steve's just beat me to it with a reply - Grenada really is a flight only destination, unless you have the time and your own yacht.

I was looking at the Calender of events - see http://www.mytobago.info/calendar.php and noticed that the Black Rock festival is coming to a close just as you arrive. You may catch the last day or two, especially if you book into Birdie's nest - Black Rock.

The Tobago Heritage Festival is also on through July and various villages may still have the annual celebrations going on when you arrive.

If you're into extreme sports, then some brave (or lunatic) souls will be boarding, biking and bungieing until 29th at their annual adrenaline fest venue TBA, but I imagine that you'll hear the screams from mile around.

August is quiet, but the Muhtadi drumming festival at Dwight York stadium should get your foot tapping.

The best news is that you only have 28 days to scoure myTobago for all the info. you need. Some of us have several months on our hands.

Cheers
Steve

[Ronald]

Hi Eleanor

If you leave to Tobago to Grenada or any other island without a reservation for room, the custom will stop you and send you to tourist information to get a accomondation, same role into every island.

That doesn´t mean that you have to stay on that address all the time, you can move later on if you want. But you need an address to be allowed to enter the island.

I have done som island-hopping before, late -80´s and early -90s, using Barbados or Trinidad as a start. I didn´t even had a reservtion the first time I came to the Caribbean, to Barbados, I´d choose a room at the airports tourist information.

So, it is possible to go from Tobago to other islands without reservation, but it´s more easy to have an address when arriveing to a new place. It also depend on the type of accomondation you want/need.

July-august are low season, so I never had problem to find rooms, but I did only use guesthouses and/or B&B during my island-hopping.

And as Steve say, going by air is the only way. Only if you were travelling in the Grenadines you could go by boat from island to island.

Ronald

[Eleanor Walshe]

Lads,

Thank you all so much for your info & advice.
Were gonna be stating in guesthouses mainly & didnt know about the customs thing if you dont have an address to quote so (again) thank you for the heads-up

15 days and counting . . . . . bring on the adventure

Eleanor

x