myTobago – your questions, review and comment about Tobago

Hi All,

It is only 7 weeks until we head for Tobago on our first trip so I just want to ask a few questions about car rental and Taxis.

We are staying at the Toucan Inn, which from reading the forum is off the beaten track but not a million miles from beaches etc. What I want to know is;
1. Is it plausible to walk to beaches and restaurants for lunch during the day?
2. Is it safe to walk to restaurants at night, and more importantly are there any nice restaurants within walking distance? Obviously with the reviews that Bonkers has gotten, we will eat in some nights but we want to keep our options open.
3. we are planning on hiring a vehicle for about 3/4 days of our stay so that we can tour the Island, but should we go for a car or a jeep. We drive a car 24/7/365 so I think a jeep would be good fun but I have seen warnings about belongings getting stolen etc, So what is the best??

and completely off topic, is it true that there is a real Toucan that lives at bonkers bar????

Thanks, Joe.

Hi Joe

1) 10-15 minute walk from Toucan Inn to Store Bay area. 10 minutes longer to Pigeon Point.
2) Yes, but don’t go flashing fancy jewellery, etc. 5 minutes = Kariwak Restaurant/Café Iguana/Crystals; 10-15 mins = Ru-B-Lous/Red Crab/Best of Thymes; 15-20 mins = Coco Reef/Dillons/Pelican Reef/Panache/Café Coco.
3) See our Car Rental article available through the Tobago/Getting Around/Car Rental menu. It’s largely a matter of personal preference.

Finally, although I had dinner at Bonkers one night a few weeks ago, I never noticed a toucan in the bar, but it was pretty crowded so maybe somebody else knows.

Just as an addendum - I've never walked the journeys mentioned, so anybody who has, please correct me if my times are out.

I still don't know about a toucan at the Toucan Inn, but I was just having a look at a visitor's photos and came across one that gave me the impresson that there is a macaw called Bonkers who lives at the Toucan Inn.

Sorry did I say Toucan I meant Macaw!! You were obviously just looking at the same photos as I was Steve!! You kinda get the impression they had an experience with a big bird of some kind, or maybe the rum really is as good as everybody lets on

Joe

It's been a couple of years since we last visited Bonkers for a meal, but I do recall that a toucan and a scarlet mackaw were on the premises.
If it's still there, I'm sure you'll recognise it as the Guiness bird.

I certainly wouldn't call Toucan Inn 'off the beaten track' and would suggest that most of the Crown Point area, including store bay, is within a 10 minute stroll. Mind you, I wouldn't like to lug a suitcase that far, so a very short taxi ride would be in order, upon your arrival.

Cheers
Steve

Yes! There is both a toucan and a macaw at the Toucan Inn and Bonkers.

Here is Bonkers the macaw:


And his neighbor Toco, the toucan:


Only a little bit of rum was involved in the taking of these pictures!

Karin

I had the same concerns before I selected my vehicle. I was very happy with my choice of the Terios. It was fully enclosed and could be locked up. Space wise it was ideal for two and luggage as we moved around the island. Our service provider, Shermans, was excellent on all counts. I guess cheaper would have been better but you ussually pay for quality.

Hi all,

Thank you for all your wonderful replies.

I just priced jeeps with Yes Tourism and on Sheppys website. It appears that if you hire a jeep from Sheppy through Yes Tourism it is $45 dollars per week more expensive than booking direct through Sheppys website! Is this normal, and am I better off to pay the extra to have Yes Tourism playing on my team??

Real birdies to play with in Bonkers... cool!!! I wonder if Toco has ever had a drop of Guinness I might bring him a can from Ireland, see how he reacts to it

Joe

Hi Joe

Yes Tourism state that it will cost you no more through them than direct. I wonder when Sheppy's website was last updated? Personally, I would email YT ([email protected]) and ask them.

Guiness in a can? Shame on you Joe!!!

I never drink it out of a can Steve, I was just thinking a can would travel better than a pint!!!

Hi Joe

Guiness is brewed in Trinidad and readily available in many bars in Tobago - although mainly in bottles.

Enjoy - the locals take it "beastly cold".

Hi Joe

It gets worse - brewed in Trinidad? (and I can bet who by, but we won't go there).

I've just had an email from a friend who lives a few doors from the Toucan Inn/Bonkers (in fact his wife works there). He hasn't got a car, so is now our offical "walking time" expert for the Crown Point area. He says that from the Toucan Inn, it is 10 minutes to Store Bay, 15-20 minutes to the Pigeon Point Road junction and 30 minutes to the end of Pigeon Point.

Message for Steve Pitts: Whilst I agree that it would be wrong to call the Toucan Inn "off the beaten tracken", you must be a very quick walker. You've worn me out just thinking about it, so you now owe ME a beer.

Dear Steven

I'm afraid that you will have to whistle for that beer (or get Toco to whistle for you).

Admitedly, I do walk at quite a brisk pace, back here in the UK - BUT NEVER whilst on Tobago. A gentle amble, is more my stylee.
In fact I was once accosted by Tobago's finest law enforcement officers for 'loitering' outside the KFC in Scarborough!

I stated in my email :
I would suggest that most of the Crown Point area, including store bay, is within a 10 minute stroll.

My estimate was then confirmed by this site's official pedestrian:
''our offical "walking time" expert for the Crown Point area. He says that from the Toucan Inn, it is 10 minutes to Store Bay,''

I rest my case.

I trust that a suitably abject apology will follow and now you owe ME 2 beers.

Cheers
Steve

Alright, alright! . I totally accept that you can walk the entire official Crown Point area within 10 minutes, but if you're going to get pedantic then we've got to tell Joe that's there's no decent restaurants in Crown Point. After all, all the restaurants I mentioned are in Bon Accord and/or Sandy Point. It may not be technically correct, but rather than confuse, I always refer to Crown Point as being that entire area from Crown Point to Canaan.

Anyway, I'll take your two beers and raise you two! I think we shall have to settle this by meeting up at Bonkers (good name for us) next year and putting it to the test. We'll see how many restaurants/eateries we can get to. I will buy you a bottle of Stag for every restaurant we reach within 10 minutes. You buy me a bottle for every restaurant over the 10 minutes, but within 20 minutes. Then the least drunk has to carry the other home. Can't say fairer than that.

Are you sure that it was only the Scarborough KFC you were "loitering" outside. What was that building immediately next door? You don't fool me!

Joe, you have an awful lot to answer for!

Excuse me while I drag myself off the floor!!! Laugh I nearly cried, you two are like old women fighting over who's turn it is to feed the goldfish!!!

Anyway, can I safely assume that being relatively fit, and being prepared to walk for anything up to half an hour, that we will not starve on Tobago? Thats a rhetorical question by the way, I don't want anymore 'handbags' on my account

Steve W, I love your idea for the challenge, but make sure you bring a camera and please, oh please, post the pics after. That is of course if Mr. Pitts takes you up on the challenge?!?!

Just on the Guinness, I don't usually partake in it while on holiday, as they say, 'when in Rome...'

Don't talk about feeding the goldfish, Steve P spend his time on Tobago fishing them out of the sea. He's our resident "fishing" expert.

Anyway, I thought this was supposed to be a "silly" thread - after all, it was you who brought up Guiness in cans (not literally, I hope).

Hi Joe

Don't take any notice of us, we enjoy taking the rise out of each other, so this little 'disagreement' is nothing more than friendly banter.
You should see the emails that we exchange off forum.
On second thoughts - perhaps you wouldn't want to.

Any way, I'm glad that it gave you a good laugh.
Sometimes these private jokes are lost on other forum readers, but at least you have now been drawn into the infectious virtual world that is myTobago.

In answer to Steve's challenge. I accept...however...
I hate to be pedantic (again) but Stag does not agree with me, the morning after, so I must insist on the chosen brew for this wager being Carib and furthermore, I really don't know what his insinuation is, about me loitering with intent, next door to the KFC.
As I told the officer, I only wanted a breast fillet.

Cheers
Steve

Come on, Steve, drink the MAN's beer!

Tell you what, I'll buy you Carib and you'll buy me Stag. Either way, it sounds like it's going to be fun. We could make the bet even more fun by seeing who can walk back to Bonkers in the straighest line. Mind you, seeing as I will have had three or four times as much as you, I will probably stagger back via Charlotteville.

Again moving off topic, are Carib and Stag both Lagers? Stag in Ireland is a brand of Cider, not a good one may I add!!!

And just to fuel the arguement some more... which is better/stronger/tastier???

Joe

Stag/Stag/Stag

Who hasn't read our Food & Drink (menus: Food & Drink/Cuisine) page?

Yes, they are both lager beers. No, Stag has no connection with the Irish cider. Stag, Carib and Heineken (under licence) are all brewed in Trinidad by the same company. Stag (5.5%) has a drier, less fruity taste than Carib (5.2%). I love the first half bottle of Carib, but then find it gets a little sweet for my taste, but Stag hits the spot. Try them both and make up your own mind. You probably won't be able to commit yourself on the first attempt, so will have to try a second round of each. They probably taste rubbish over here, but in that heat, they are by far the best thirst quenchers I've found. Trouble is, I've got not head for alcohol, so can't indulge during the day while I'm writing reviews - my head hitting the laptop leaves nasty spears on the screen.