myTobago – your questions, review and comment about Tobago

I am just back from my first visit to Tobago, and can't wait to go back! The fact that I am sitting here in my office writing comments instead of working indicates how much I did enjoy my time there.

The only thing that I wanted to say is that having been to Tobago has made me a better person - I really needed the warmth, the beauty, the laid back attitude, the music...

Kevin says diving ... I have met many smitten ornithologists in Tobago but none have come forward to express their view on this particular thread.

An interesting perspective from Steve F regarding expectations, he has made some really valid points about the way that holidaying in Tobago is marketed/advertised, although not sure what he means about the weather .... I think my forecasts were pretty grim when the weather was, in fact, pretty grim ... anyway, that's another story that can be found in the weather forum.

But I think this thread is losing it's plot.

We need to be honestly assessing our expectations and making objective comparisons of these expectations with our experiences ... whether you had a good time in Tobago or not.

OK, sure ... there will always be some really valid complaints and everyone should feel free to shout about them.

But this thread is all about expectations and experiences.

Let's be positive ... we are seeking the elusive catalyst that makes Tobago special to some but not so special to others.

Regards

I didn’t want to join the debate and sing the praise of such a beautiful island with wonderful people but feel that some comments being made are unjustified.
Being a repeater I have just returned from the LGC after an excellent two-week relaxing holiday and feel it, and the island are getting an unfair amount of criticism. Of all the people complaining about the standard and level of service can any of them name any of the staff who served them breakfast or offered them a drink as they relaxed by the pool.

Last year Laverne the waitress at the pool bar was 7 months pregnant, now she is the proud mum of an 8-month baby boy.

Denise a lunchtime waitress was 4 hours late for her wedding last year (the longest time a groom has had to wait for his bride in Tobagian history!!) and had 14 bridesmaids.

Liz the barmaid in Breezers is soon to move to Signal Hill.

Ronaldo who did double shifts and Roger who was a trainee, two waiters in the Pinnacle, both from Trinidad – I can go on!!!

Did any of these wonderful people start these conversations? No – By not treating them as something you found on the bottom of your shoe if you stop and talk they will respond.

We had kept in touch with a waitress from last year – a young girl called Kerlene who now works at the Blue Waters. When we told her we were on the island she sent her brother in law, Finton, to pick us up and then took us on a tour of the recent devastation caused by the rainfall in November. We exchanged gifts, met her whole family and were delivered back to our hotel – a truly amazing experience that both my wife and I enjoyed.

All the staff at the LGC were polite and courteous, and if other guests had bothered to smile then it would have been returned.

Sorry if I have offended people but when I hear guests shouting across the bar “Oi can we have some service” with no please or thank you it makes my blood boil.

Well said David - you echo the commments I made in the LGC thread last week.

Steve W. your comments almost sums up my feelings too. Although not having stayed in hotel accommodation I cannot comment on that. I have just returned but unlike the great majority I stayed in private accommodation firstly for 9 days in Speyside. I was awoken there by scores of cockerels at sun up, after all that's what cockerels do, and then the world and his wife playing music loudly with each house playing a different song. BUT that is Tobago and its lively and I love it and I feel I am somewhere where the people have no airs and graces and care too much about what they have or have not. When I sat on the balcony in the morning many hummingbirds were hovering by the orange blossoms of a nearby bush and across the road the family used the stand pipe for their ablutions. Children walked to school immaculately turned out laughing and enjoying life. The house at the bottom of the road had seats in a row outside where people sat to have their haircut. When I walked down to Batteau Bay EVERYONE I passed greeted me with a smile and said goodmorning and asked me if I was enjoying Tobago. I was warmly welcomed. When I went to Store Bay at the latter end of my holiday I sat on Pigeon Point Beach one day and observed the holidaymakers. Near me sat an English couple who read their books and in three hours said hardly one word to each other. No smiles on their faces nor any contact with either their countrymen nor the Tobagonians as far as I could see. The air was very warm but they were icy. I sat and drank Carib with the brother of Verona Mitchell who has the little bar opposite Spences Car Rentals in Store Bay Road. He was such an eloquent gentleman of some years who told me so much about Tobago, his life as a child, what he thought of the schooling these days compared to his days, his opinion of the holidaymakers which was an eyeopener.-( I refered to his comment in another forum subject, about them living in posh hotels like fortresses, cosseted and unaware of how Tobagonians live or their culture.) Leave your cosseted fortresses, get out there, take these warmhearted and friendly people to your hearts. They will reward you with such kindness and their warm smiles will melt those icy exteriors. Many of the people at Store Bay recognised me from last year I believe possibly because I talked with them and so many people do not. Tobago is special. Tobago has such beautiful scenery and such warm friendly people. We can learn a lot from them and the one thing that stands out more than any is their openess and warmth of their smiles. No amount of AI comfort and exquisitely prepared lobster can compensate for missing that. How can you not like Tobago?

Period: 2 weeks in february 2005
Where: Hibiscus villas and appartments and 1 studio.

Why did we go:
Wanted to experience a genuine carribean island and we love unspoiled nature.

Expectations:
Great nature, beautiful beaches, nice people, adventure, comfortable stay. We make our holiday.

Results:

- Our studio was a winning ticket in the lottery.
- Nature was unbelievable beautiful. Beaches are oooooooohhh.......!
- We had our adventure moments with special tour trough rainforrest and some offroading.
- 75% is unspoiled and genuine. Crownpoint is like any other touristic area. Scarborough felt dirty and is a spot on our memories.
- Many people we met where friendly but it seemed "made" not real. Some where genuine though.

That this website has reassured me and calmed my fears. My husband and I were students when we married and could not afford a luxurious honeymoon. After a tumultous year that included losing a much wanted baby son we have decided to go on a real 'get away from it all' holiday. After extensive research we chose Tobago. We have no wish to indulge in 'Cancun' type resorts, we wanted something a little bit different whilst spoiling ourselves at the same time. After reading everything here I have concluded that we have made the correct choice and I can't wait to get to Tobago and see as much of the island as is possible in 14 days .

I have just read through this entire thread and i'm quite hurt in a way by a comment made by Cornelia and Paul. Don't blame the tour operators for things that are in the brochures. The brochures are there as a guideline only and so you can have pretty pictures to look at of the hotels and island. They will give a brief description on things but nothing like talking someone that has been and that will rave about the island. If you haven't already guessed I work for a tour operator. Many times when travel agents or direct customers phone us wanting to know a bit more about Tobago, if i'm in the office i'll talk about it for hours.But a sad thing is that sometimes (and i'm not generalising) I can tell a travel agent all about being on turtle beach to see the leatherbacks while i'm getting a price or about sunday school and the atmosphere of the island but none of this gets relayed back to the client so then the only info you will have is the brochure.
If you are booking your first time holiday to tobago (or anywhere, not that we'd go anywhere else!!) and you go to a travel agent, if they phone the tour op for a quote get them to ask for someone who has been and ask if you can speak to them personally. What someone can say who has been there and what a holiday brochure will say are different. Tobago isn't for everyone.
And I have stayed twice at RTB, both times on AI and i don't think i can complain too much about the food. It's a 3* hotel so you can't expect 5* food. But the fresh pineapple in the mornin is to die for!!! Treat the staff with respect and you will laugh with them morning, noon and night. I love all the staff there. Everyone remembers me at that hotel and we all have our own silly little nicknames that we gave each other last year. They all loved my daughter and helped her so much with food and drinks, that to me is what has made my holiday in tobago. The people.

Don't feel hurt Lou.

That was not the intention ... I was inviting debate.

Seeing as the question of tour operators was raised this has given you an opportunity to present your views which I fully agree with.

Thank you for your contribution.

Regards

What an interesting discussion!

Well, my husband and I are coming to Tobago in October and can't wait. My only previous experience of the Caribbean is St Lucia, where we have been twice, but I recognise similar situations from there. We are very much in the anti-AI camp, and both times in St Lucia we rented a house privately, south of the developed part of the island. Whilst on a dive boat last year, we were extolling the virtues of St L, when a fellow passenger said yes, but Tobago was even lovelier.

I am following the same principles for this year's holiday - we are renting a private house in Castara. We look forward to being close to the village and real life, and will explore the island as much as we can, as well as fitting in a few days' diving. That is what we want from a holiday, but can appreciate it is not to everyone's taste.

I think accommodation is a very personal choice - we have friends who love AI resorts and come home raving about the pool, beach, watersports, restaurants. We in turn will talk for hours about where we have explored, which eating establishments we have tried, the people we have met, the friends we have made.

I promise to report back on our visit in the autumn, but in the meantime, thanks for this site - I am doing so much research and I am almost wanting the summer to end so that we can experience Tobago for ourselves.

Jo x

Well said, Jo - I couldn't agree more. The truth is that we should be grateful that everyone has different tastes, otherwise we'd all be crammed into identical accommodation/restaurants/beaches, etc.

Have a great holiday. With your attitude, I'm sure you are going to have an amazing time.

Why thank you, Steve. Roll on October!

Jo x

Though all my German friends know that I'm going to Tobago for years now as often as possible, some of them come up to me to ask me if this is the right place for them.
I try to tell them my experiences (good and bad - the good ones are the majority) and as neutral as possible (what is not really easy for me, I always start getting enthusiastic). And I tried to be honest. When I started to talk about cockroaches one of my friends start screeming....

At my ten times in Tobago I met cockroaches only two times. I also talked about sandflies (see another topic) and my best friends girlfriend was shocked. I asked her if they don't have flies, ants or moskitos at their place (they are living outside in the landscape) and she start thinking about ist. They are still thinking about their holidays but in the end I'm sure they will come with me and have the best time of their lives

I prefer to stay at a guesthouse (my favourite McKnights at Castara - Thanks a lot for everything Mrs. Joycy) and not in a big hotel with AI. But for me maybe it's more easy because in between I have a lot of friends on the island who come up to me to cook for me (and also do the dishes).
Otherwise I think everyone can make this experiences if he is just friendly and honest to the people.
I love to sleep long and if I'm in the mood to stay the whole day in the hammack on my balkony. As long as I have a good book, cigarettes and a cold carib - who needs more luxury on an island like that?

I also made a total different experience. One day Condor had a problem with my flight back and we had to stay another day (THANK YOU CONDOR, I went to Sunday School) all passengers where brought to big hotels with free dinner, free breakfast, free Lunch and soft drinks. Still some people complaint. I didn't understand. Did the wanted do go back in a broken plane??? Condor ordered a new plane from Frankfurt to brin g us back!
Well, the Tobago Hilton is a really nice place and I enoyed my unexpected additional day on Tobago but for me I would never like to spend my whole holidays in a hotel like this. I need the personal contact to the locals and I want to know how they live, see how they cook, talk to them and have a Carib or rumpunch with them.
As Julia (?) wrote, if you stay in a hotel, spending the time at the hotel-pool, the hotel-bar, the hotel-beach and the hotel-restaurant you can go anywhere.

Best whishes