myTobago – your questions, review and comment about Tobago

I found this site a few days ago and have read through most of the articles. What a lot of great information! I have some questions that I hope can be answered.

Five of us will be visiting Tobago for the first time in August for a week (I know it’s not a lot of time, but it’s all our budget will allow), and we want to take advantage of all the sightseeing the area has to offer. This means packing a lot into a short time. (6 days to be exact, considering our plane will likely arrive late in the evening and depart early in the morning – we haven’t yet booked our flight.) I’ve created a tentative itinerary and I’d like to know whether or not it's realistic.

Day 1 – Laid-back day of sunning at the beach/trip to Penny Savers
Day 2 – Rainforest tour with Newton George/Sunday School
Day 3 – Scarborough Market/Botanical Gardens (is this worth a visit?)
Day 4 – R and Sea Diving in Speyside followed by visit to Argyle Waterfall
Day 5 – Tobago Now off-road safari
Day 6 – Island Girl sailing tour

Also, can these tours be booked when we get to the island, or should we book them well in advance? If we need to book before we arrive, how far in advance should we book? I think we’ll only need to rent a car for a day to visit Scarborough since all of the tour operators pick you off and drop you off at your hotel (I think).

Also, what would be the best area to stay considering all of these activities and the fact that my husband and I are vegans (no meat, dairy or eggs) and would like to eat well? Or is this a non-issue if we make a trip to Penny Savers? Do they sell items catering to vegans, such as soy milk? I assume they’ll have an amazing variety of fruits and veggies!
Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

Hi Sharon

Welcome aboard!

Well its not quite an American whistle-stop "Europe in 5 days" type tour and is perfectly feasible in theory, but I would personally suggest that you half the activities and take the opportunity to soak up the vibes of Tobago. Don't get me wrong, all the tours you suggest are the best of Tobago and well worth doing - in fact I would be hard-pressed to suggest which you should drop.

Personally, I would drop Scaroborough. The market can be worth a visit on a Saturday, but its not somewhere most people would go out of their way to visit. Similarly the Botanical Gardens - great if you have to be in the town, but not worth hiring a car to go and see.

Yes, all these tours can be booked after you arrive - but you haven't really got much 'spare' time in which to do that. Also, there's no guarantee that any of those tours will be available on the days you want, so its best to arrange it well in advance. How long in advance? Well, how long is a piece of string?

Just one point: R & Sea are based in Crown Point, not Speyside.

You would be better of in the south-west of the island or lower Caribbean coast for easy access to all of those tours except Newton George (who is based in Speyside but will collect you from anywhere on the island). So, look at Regions 1, 2 and 6 in our listings.

Sorry, but I'm not qualified to comment regarding vegan supplies. Don't expect a great range of fruit and veg at PennySavers or Morsheads - you will be very dissapointed, I'm afraid.

Good luck with your planning.

Hi Sharon

You are planning an action-pact vacation for sure!

Assuming that you arrive on a Friday and are self-catering, you might want to call into Pennysavers on the Friday night, on the way to your accomodation. I think that it's open past 20.00hrs local time on a Friday. If not, there may be other local fruit and veg stalls open along the highway through Cannan and beyond.

I'm sure that I have seen soya milk and plenty of pulses, rice and beans etc. in Pennysavers and other stores too, but I can check for you when I'm out next If you eat fish (showing my ignorance here I'm afraid) then you will be spoilt for choice if you visit the fresh fish stalls at most beaches.

edit:
I agree with Steve, that Scarborough market and the botanical gardens would be things to do once I had exhausted most other things to see on Tobago (haven't got that stage yet ).

If you are planning on partying at Sunday school 'till the early hours, then maybe a day on the beach to recover on Monday would be a good idea? You will also be suitably chilled for your off-road safari the next day.

Have fun
Steve

Sharon,
I would drop Scarborough too. Maybe you'll find it a good idea to take a day trip to Charlotteville, which is a bit out of the way, but offers a very different vibe, away from the more touristy areas. We visited C in our first trip to Tobago, and immediately decided that we'd stay for 2-3 nights there on our next trip, which is exactly what we did. When there, just leave your car and walk the village, soak up the atmosphere, then make the short hike to Pirate's Bay beach, which is exquisite. And have lunch at a local restaurant, too. I won't suggest dinner, because the road to C is a bit tough and I wouldn't recommend driving back at night after a couple of beers.
Also, visit the beaches at the Caribbean side, Englishman's Bay is our favourite, if only for the scenice drive through the heart of the island. And don't make too many plans. Just relax and you'll love the place.

Wow, thanks for the quick replies everyone.

It seems that the consensus is to drop Scarborough, so that's out for sure. The only demand my husband made was to go diving, and I'd love to see the rain forest, so those two are keepers. I know I have a lot on the itinerary, but I don't know when, or if, we'll ever have the opportunity for another visit.

Steve W:
On R & Sea's website, they list Speyside as one of their dive sites. Is this information incorrect?

I thought Regions 1 or 2 might be the best place to stay, and now it's confirmed. Now to find accommodations.


Steve P:
We don't eat fish. That's why I was hoping Pennysavers might be worth visiting. It would be great if you could check for me when you're there. But we'll be able to buy fruits and veggies from a roadside stand?

I think you're right about Sunday School. From what I've been reading, we'll probably want to just chill on the beach the next day.


Nikos:
Charlotteville and the beaches sound wonderful. I'll keep your suggestions in mind. Thanks.

Sharon, keep in mind that Speyside and Charlotteville are on the same side of the island, just a small distance between them. You might be able to combine activites in those two in a single day's excursion. But allow a 1 to 1,5 hour drive from the central Crown Point area.

Sharon,

As far as I understand, R&Sea do run dive trips to Speyside from their base at Crown Point, but this would be on a request basis and provided they have sufficient divers to make the trip worthwhile. If you email them, I know they are very helpful with advice and info.

I would strongly recommend contacting all your prospective tour guides/operators as early as possible to check on their availability - not all will run trips every day (eg Island Girl operates on set days of the week). You may need to alter your schedule depending on what days they can offer you at that time.

Pennysavers have been carrying a range of Soy milks and also refrigerated soy products (eg soy'cheese') recently.

Hi Sharon

Yes, R & Sea do operate dives in the Speyside area, but they don't have an office/branch there. I don't know how often they dive there, but its not every day. Your best bet is to email them and ask.


p.s. Sorry Rachel. I saw you were online but hadn't spotted that you were posting a reply in this thread. Not to worry, great minds think alike.

addition to the vegan part of this thread: at penny savers they also have some dry soy products (in the pasta section I believe) and dried mushrooms and stuff in the special sectien where they carry soy sauce and friends...
enjoy

That's a good point to keep in mind, Nikos. What is the drive time from Speyside to Charlotteville?

I'll be sure to email all of the tour operators to find out when certain tours operate. I hadn't even thought of that.

And thanks for the tips on the vegan products at Pennysavers, Brian and Rachel. A vegan diet can sometimes be difficult to accomodate.

Hi Sharon

Drive time from Speyside to Charlotteville is only about 15 minutes.

I don't know what schedules R&Sea dive to, but chances are it is two or three morning dives.

The best times for rainforest and bird-watching tours is very (very) early in the morning. Not something to be considered on a Monday after Sunday School. Its best if you are on-site by dawn - that's when the birds are most active. Having said that, Newton doesn't take out parties or large groups and the chances are that it will only be you and possibly one other couple. So, he'll arrange the tour for whatever time best suits you guys.

Both the Tobago Now safari and Island Girl are effectively full-day excursions and will pick you up from your accommodation (in the south-west of the island) at around 9am. You won't be able to combine either of these with anything else. If you want a shorter sailing tour (half-day), then look at Kalina Cats.

All these tours are HIGHLY recommended.

We have five in our party, so it looks like we may need to look elsewhere for the rainforest tour? Maybe Peter Cox?

I will keep everything you mentioned in mind when booking our tours, Steve. Thanks!

Hi Sharon

I wasn't meaning "you and possibly one other couple" quite so literally. In your case, Newton would take just your party - you wouldn't be part of a large tour group.

Peter Cox is also good, but exactly the same comments apply. If your focus is on birds, then Newton is the man. For a general rainforest tour, both are great and I would go with whoever is based nearest to your accommodation (i.e. Peter if you're in the south-west and Newton if you're in Speyside/Charlotteville). If you're not specialist bird watchers or naturalists, then you can also widen your net as their are many tour guide services competent to handle general rainforest tours. The only thing I would never recommend is travelling up there and hiring one of the local guides than run into the road and try to stop your vehicle. There are a few good ones, but several are total rip-off merchants.

I wasn't meaning "you and possibly one other couple" quite so literally. In your case, Newton would take just your party - you wouldn't be part of a large tour group.

Ok, I understand now. Thanks for all the info and I'm sure I'll be back with more questions as they arise. And I'll be sure to come back after our trip to give my reviews.

Sharon,I agree with the others re Scarborough,it is not a day out sort of place,if you are there the gardens are interesting for identifying plants you see growing wild,the market is not a'touristy' market but rather a produce(farmer's) market so it is good for fresh veg and fruit etc.As for going round for six different day's activities,I would definitely take a couple of 'chillout days' particularly after Sunday School!!
Enjoy yourself,
David

Hi!

We've just had a fantastic time and can't wait to go back!

We went to Charlotteville and did the trek to Pirate's Bay. I recommend it! Walk the track to Pirate's bay. We saw lots of cars having problems getting up there and turning at the top. It's tight!

We enjoyed Scarborough and walked up to the Fort. Quite a trek in the heat. It's up to you, but I agree that it's important to relax and take the island in. So many people seem to miss the opportunity to explore and experience what is on offer. I think Steve is giving you a good steer about your itinery.

Newton George is fantastic! We went to Little Tobago and the rainforest with him as well as a small extra trip. Emma (8) and Alexander (4) really took to him and he made us all feel very special. We were specifically birding and he found every species we were looking for. He's full of information. I haven't been out with anyone else, so I can't comment. If you e-mail Newton using the address on this site, he should be able to fit you in with a few months notice as long as he's about. Say hello from me!

I was really suprised how good the roads were. The books and some people on the site frightened us about going to Speyside and Charlotteville. They do wind a bit and there are some steep drops, but if you are a good driver you shouldn't have any problems. Just keep alert about local drivers. They have a style all to their own, which you'll soon learn. It's perfectly safe.

We found everyone very, polite, friendly and helpful and felt safe. We followed the advice and tips on this site and everything went very smoothly.

Have a great time!

Anthony.

Dear Steve,

Like Sharon I'm going to be visiting Tobago for the first time this summer. I discovered this site after I'd booked the accommodation - the Rex Turtle Beach Hotel of course but I'm sure we'll survive.

The three of us - myself, my husband and our nine year old daughter will be spending a week on the island starting on the 22nd June.

Just like Sharon I'd like to have your advice on the best activities to do in the short time we are on Tobago.

We'd like to visit a good beach where we can swim safely. Is Turtle Beach any good? All three of us are confident (but not reckless) swimmers.

We'd like to go on a boat trip, maybe even with some snorkelling (can the gear be hired?) but mainly for the fun of being on a boat. Full day or half day would be fine.

We'd like to have a trip to the rainforest, preferably with a guide. My daughter is looking forward particularly to seeing hummingbirds (and so am I).

We'd like to have the chance to soak up the atmosphere and maybe meet local people. Sunday School sounds great fun but not really for children.

Should we hire a small car or depend on local transport to get us to places?

Any nice places to eat? We may have booked all inclusive at the hotel but we're not going to stick to it.

Anything else you could suggest?

With very best wishes,

Sue

Susan,all your questions are answered under various topics on the site.I am sure you willfind wat you want.You will love Tobago.
David(196 days togo )