myTobago – your questions, review and comment about Tobago

Hi,
I'm hoping that you will be able to give me some advice about travelling around Tobago with 2 small children aged 5 and 2. What are your recommendations of things to do and places to eat with children.

Many thanks
Lucy

Personally, I would wait until they are older although some would disagree with me but it is my opinion.

To start with, you have a flight each way of between 9 and 11 hours depending on the operator you choose.

If that (and jet-lag) isn't enough, I would recommend a comfortable resort such as Coco Reef that has excellent facilities (including a calm beach) although some of the elder visitors to this resort may not like children and you could get those withering stares most commonly occurring in smart UK diners!

Air-con may also be important as young children from cooler climates may struggle with the humidity.

The children may also find any driving around Tobago rather tedious because the roads are bendy and car sickness can be a problem as I found out this year with my 9 year old nephew.

I brought my youngest out here at the age of 7. He was OK but did not benefit fully from all the activities such as snorkelling although he would always love the beaches and the boat trips. I finally got him snorkelling at about the age of 10.

My eldest son is now 23 and he still gets sea-sick so you can imagine what he was like at the age of 11 when I first brought him out here. All children will be different.

And then you have the risk of sandfly bites ... it may not be a problem but if your youngest child has an allergy to these bites then he/she will be very uncomfortable.

On the plus side, Tobagonians love children and the supermarkets are well stocked for child needs. Healthcare at the Scarborough A&E is also free and better than most holiday destinations (I will cover this in more detail in a future post after my holiday).

If you plan it right and rent somewhere (perhaps a villa with a pool) you could have a great time and maybe even a nice babysitter so you can go out for dinner in the evenings.

So for young children I would always lean towards European resorts that are not too far away and probably more child friendly (i.e.; the Portugese always take their children out for dinner ... my daughter was aged 2 and slinging potato at the walls of a Portugese restuarant and they thought she was really cute ... while I was considering strangulation!!).

But if you do bring your children to Tobago and they really enjoy it please accept my apologies in advance for putting you off.

Either way I hope this helps get everything into perspective as I am sure you are best placed to understand your children's tolerance levels for long distance travel.

Regards

I travelled between Tobago and UK with my son as a baby, toddler and then pre-schooler - if you are accustomed to flying I don't think you should be put off and the airlines generally do what they can to make family travel as straightforward as possible... Often the kids adjust much more quickly to time differences/ jet lag than us "big people" !

I would agree with Paul that you maybe consider either Coco Reef, which has a sheltered private beach and bay and is very popular with families, especially during school holiday times. Or alternatively the newer Magdalena Grand is also very kid friendly and has a kids club, plus a selection of pools and a childrens outdoor play area. They also run a free shuttle service to Pigeon Point beach which again is very kid-friendly.

Travelling around Tobago is easy with a rental car - all the reputable rental companies such as Sheppy's supply both children's car seats and booster seats. There are plenty of nice spots and beaches to stop off at so you don't have to drive for hours at a time.

I think you and the kids would enjoy Tobago - it's great at any age!

Hi
Thank you for your comments. We fly out on Wednesday and are staying at the Magdelena Grand. We have done a lot of Europe but fancied a change. I am slightly nervous of the long flight but have lots of child friendly activities planned for the journey. I appreciate your comments and will let you know how we get on. I'm glad the supermarkets stock child friendly products as I seem to be packing far too many bits and pieces I probably don't need. Yes we plan to rent a car and explore the island.

We used to whiz back and forth between UK and Tobago many times with babies and toddlers when we had the luxury of free or cheap flights, up to 5 times in one year (wife was BA crew on maternity leave and kept getting preggers to extend it for several years into our life in Tobago, no idea how that happened!).

We managed the flights ok although once they started toddling it did mean plenty of walking around the plane with them and trying/failing to stop them patting sleeping passengers on the head for fun.

Tobago is great for tiny kids if you watch them like hawks around swimming pools and water, do not rely on lifeguards or staff for one moment. And slather on the sunscreen. Try and avoid beaches or direct sun during the hottest part of the day. Also, Canoe Bay beach is the shallowest, calmest beach on Tobago for toddlers to splash in, totally sheltered. You will need a rental car to drive in but otherwise it is close to you - take your own food and drinks in case there is none on offer when you visit Canoe Bay. Enjoy