myTobago – your questions, review and comment about Tobago

I read on this board that it's better to pay with TT $'s than US cash for general shopping and also that banks give better exchange than hotels.

I'll be staying at Sandy Point village (Crown Point) the first week and won't have a car.
Any suggestions where to exchange money in that neighborhood. Banks in walking/taxi ride vicinity?

Thanks for your help
Ute

Hi Ute

Yes, its far better to pay in local currency - shops and businesses are happy to accept payment in US dollars, but it will, in general, cost you a lot more because they will convert it at no more than TT$6=US$1 and often a lot less.

There are ATM/ABM machines at the airport, which is less than a 10 minute walk from the Sandy Point Village. There is also a brank of the RBTT bank about 5 minutes further down towards Pigeon Point. See our Miscellaneous/Money Matters section for addresses of the banks.

Thank you Steve. I'll walk to the bank. Actually I'll be staying at the Sandy Point Beach Club, not the Village..but i suppose they are both close to the RBTT bank.
Ute

Ute:
Enjoy the trip. Sandy Point Beach Club is excellent and is within easy walking distance to the RBTT bank just beyond Store Bay. (There's a nice CD music shop called One World just down the street a bit; pick up some Carnival music to take home to California).
Re: ATMs: All ATM transactions on the island (and at Piarco airport) will debit your account by about $5 US. It's therefore better to take out the maximum ($3000 TT) if you want to avoid paying too many of these transaction fees.

Say hi to Big Doggy at the Frontier Divers' office from Troy and Jenn. For that matter, have a rum punch at the SPBC clubhouse and put it on my tab (tell the bartender Jiselle that we'll be back soon to pay for it).

Troy

Thanks Troy,

Good idea with the rum punch!!
I'll also will be doing some dives with Frontier and will tell them 'Hi' from you.
Thanks also for the other info.
Any fave food places?

Ute

Hi!

Thought, it might be the best to reply to this thread, since my question also deals with money issues:

I'm about to visit Tobago for the first time in september nad I wonder if it's allright to bring a "maestro"-card with me (german "EC-Karte") to get cash from the machines. Found the logo on the misc -money info but ne direct statement to it.

The other thing I thought about was to buy US$-Traveller-Cheques - but I guess jusing the ATM would be easyer and beter to "controll" (got no clue yet, how much money I would need, besides accomondation).

Btw, does anyone now "Redmens Appartments"? It's fairly cheap, that's why I've choosen it .

Would be happy to get any advises on maestro vs. traveller-cheques

oh, forgot that: Redmens is stated to be in the Crown Point area... pictures can be found on tobagovacation.net

Cheers,
Gorden

Hi Gorden

Welcome aboard!

ITHINK you're OK with the EC-Karte Maestro card, but hopefully somebody else from Germany will confirm. It would certainly be more convenient that bring travellers cheques.

I'm sorry, but I've never heard of Reds Apartments - that's why they're not listed on myTobago. It you let me know an email address or telephone number for them, I'll be able to add them to our listings.

Hi
I don know how your card looks, if it has a VISA-sign or not added on the card. I using my Swedish Bank Card on the ATM-Machine, I take money directly from my account in Sweden. But I can only do so because I have a VISA-sign on the card, otherwise it wouldn´t work.

Because I go to Tobago every year, I also have an account in Republic Bank. Before I go I transfer some money to my account, than I can use the Blue Machine as well as the ATM. I only have a small amount USD as a reserve, in case something happend when travelling.
Ronald

the maestro ec card works on every machine for me!!! (account in germany, so don't worry, you don't have to make yourself a credit card especially for this holiday, only hope you chekced the location of the machines, all in the low-lands).
have a nice holiday
steph

Guys, thanks a lot for the information!

@Steve: I'll just write you a message with all the infos about "Reds" I got so far. A review will follow in 2 months

Just bought shorts and bodyboard for the holiday!

Cheers,
Gorden

Hi Gorden,
Just got back from Tobago ( and Dennis & Emily).
Whatever you do , don't just get stuck in the 'low lands', go north and visit the Castara , Speyside and Charlotteville area.
Go snorkel in Castara, lots of stuff to see at the rocks!
Also try Callallo, a Tobago specialty dish ...delicious! I'm making it at home now it was sooo good!
Ute

Hi, Gordon,
Like Steve, I'm not sure where Redman's Apartments is but there is a Redman's Dive shack and restaurant up in Speyside so he may be branching out. If the apartments are up there you may not have much joy getting money out of an ATM I have never seen on in Speyside or Charlotville.

Let us know what they are like and where they are.
Regards
Kevin

Just ot confirm Stephanies post I always took/take money at the "blue machines" with my ec card from Germany. Its really easy and cheap.

Have a nice time on Tobago and enjoy!

Cheers

The times i've been to Tobago i've taken US$ travellers cheques and changed them into TT$ in the banks in either Crown point or Scarborough,you get a good exchange rate and it works for me but saying that it's just as easy using cashpoints.Andy (20 weeks to go!!)

But why US$ traveller cheques, Andy? Tobago has no connection with the USA. Taking Sterling travellers cheques is a damn site easier, if you're British. Mind you, the banks are obviously happier if they can charge you for converting the cheques into a foreign currency - which you're then going to change into yet another foreign currency.

steve is right!

why using us traveller cheques?

You´d better take your EC - Visa - Master and take the money from the Blue Machines... Just take a little Sterling or US$ in Cash to get around for the first couple of days... We ´ve been there for first time and found out that traveller cheques are useless if you have a bank-card...

Hi Chris

Thanks for your input. However, may I please clarify that my issue is NOT with travellers cheques. They represent a cheap and secure method of taking currency, if you're prepared to waste valuable holiday time queuing at a bank. My issue is with changing currency through multiple currencies.

If you are from the States, then bringing US$ is one thing. However, changing Pounds Sterling, Euros, Sheckels or anything else into a second currency, to then change it into a third just seems pointless to me. Or am I missing something?

Hi Steve,

you are right! It doesn´t make sense to change the money to many different Currencies. Even you have to pay for every change. Spending time at the bank takes time sometimes... (In our case we had to wait max. 1/2 hour at high business time (except Fri. or Mon.) at the Bank in ´borough. I can´t describe how much this page helped us to spend relaxed holidays in ´bago.
Thanks to you.

Good point Steve,the only reason i took US$ cheques was that it was suggested as a good idea by a friend of mine who'd been and did the same,to be honest i cant remember if he said US$ or Sterling in the first place so it may well have been my mistake.I think i'll take sterling cheques next time if it's going to work out better or even the same.Cheers,Andy.