myTobago – your questions, review and comment about Tobago

Delighted to have found your excellent site, and have read many of the accomodation reviews/posts with great interest. We are a family with 2 young children (ages 6 and 4) and plan to make our first visit to Tobago for a fortnight in Feb-05.

Having browsed around myTobago we thought we'd like to spend a week in the South and a week either in Castara or Speyside nearer to what seems to be the better diving/snorkelling, and a more away from it atmosphere.

Then in a bizarre twist it turns out a friend has just bought an appartment in the Tobago Plantations development and has offered it to us at a knockdown rate.

Lovely though the TP resort looks (per Steve's review of Ocen Air), we have some reservations as to whether we should stay there for the full fortnight or not as:
- local beach (Little Rockley) appears likely to be too rough for the kids to swim from, and is not a good snorkelling venue
- we aren't really 5* resort type folks, we just like to relax and enjoy a bit of the local colour and so we worry whether it will feel too artificial & remote.

On the other hand, assuming we hire a car (which seems to be highly recommended) TP resort appears to be well located for day trips to other parts of the island.

Any comments as to choice of location from those who know Tobago, especially if they've had children in tow most gratefully received!

Hi Nicola

Welcome aboard!

You probably know my views on the subject if you have read our Ocean Air review, so hopefully other readers will add their comments. However, I like to welcome new users and for what it's worth, here's my take on your questions.

To be totally honest, we have found that all our trips to Tobago have been enhanced considerably by splitting it across two different accommodation properties. It's a very small but diverse island. There's limited options in any one place and you increase the choice enormously by splitting it between the north and south of the island. This particularly applies in small local villages like Charlotteville, Castara or Speyside.

The Tobago Plantations estate is ideally located. But then so is everywhere around Tobago's coast. Remember, the island is only 26 miles long and 8 miles wide.

Yes, the Atlantic coast is windswept and can be the rougher of the two sides. There is effectively no snorkelling in Rockly Bay.

So, as long as you have transport you will have a wonderful holiday on Tobago Plantations, but personally I would split it as you suggest. Bear in mind that I would give the same answer regardless of where you were staying.