Guest Report

[Nancy Reigel]

The island of Tobago is a most wonderful getaway with Parlatuvier Bay being one of our favorite bays on the island. The vacation gods must have overseen our choice of accommodations as we fell into the perfect location with a breathtaking view and amazingly hospitable hosts. Bea & Winn not only offered a home cooked dinner on our first night of arrival, but provided excellent hiking, snorkeling and sightseeing suggestions. They lent us snorkel gear, helped us exchange money and Bea personally escorted us to a local trail head, where their Wonderdog led us on a trek up waterfalls and through dense foliage. The modestly priced cottage at Gloucester Place offered a peaceful and breathtaking view of palms, banana trees, vivid flowering plants and the sea in the distance. Winn brought us fresh fruits in the morning from their property. We loved the open air kitchen and bedroom that provided just enough privacy. Downstairs was another more private bedroom for our friends, but most of our time “at home” was spent on the deck relaxing, reading and enjoying happy hour. The cottage stay is not for those who expect air conditioning , but then I would recommend staying at the main house. The dipping pool, available to all guests, was quite refreshing! The only pitfall with the open air cottage was the loud bus that rolled past around 7:30 am, but the birds were already singing for us at that hour. The Gloucester Place was perfect for our party of 4 who were more interested in exploring the beauty of the island and meeting the locals than frequenting the busy tourist spots near the airport. There were plenty of beautiful beaches nearby with excellent snorkeling and tasty local food. You could hike from Gloucester Place down steep stone steps to Parlatuvier Bay where we bought fresh fish when the fishing boats docked and enjoyed “liming” with the locals to calypso music. Castara offered fun beach dining with steel drums, limbo and a drum circle. We bought souveniers from our hosts, who display their gardener’s handiwork at the main guest house. Bea and Winn are active in the community tutoring the children; so at the mention of their names, the locals took care of us Our hosts were like having a personal friend/travel agent/tour guide all wrapped up in one. We so enjoyed their company, but they were careful to maintain their guests’ privacy. We highly recommend The Gloucester Place and cottage because it is a most lovely place to vacation, but it is so because Bea and Winn have the special gift of welcoming, caring for and enjoying their guests. Relax and take in Tobago!!