Tobago: experiences of a 15 year old
Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 4:05 pm
Just before I start, I thought I should mention that My name is Dom (or Dominic to be formal), I am 15, live in Woking (sigh) and have just experienced a holiday of a lifetime in Tobago!
Upon return from the lovely Tobago, I thought it would be a nice idea to reflect on my holiday experiences from a visit to myTobago. Having read a good selection of the various reviews, i couldn't help but notice there was a definite lack of feedback from the younger generation! I was looking for such information in the run up to the holiday, but i was left decidedly short handed. So i have decided to step in and save the day! ahem.
The holiday did not kick off with the most enjoyable of starts. Naturally fidgety, I found the Excel flight cramped (sitting still for 12 hours is not my forte), and was soon bored. This was not helped by a 2 hour delay in Grenada, when 3 individual passengers were removed from the plane.
Nevertheless, the flight eventually landed, and I stepped out from my cylindrical prison a free man! It was only a short wait in customs before we were met and led away to pick up our car (a Suzuki Jimny: top speed 15 MpH, half that in the highlands!) at Sheppy's Auto Rentals. Although I was hot, sticky and extremely tired, I still was struck by the friendliness of everyone who worked there.
This being only the second time I have travelled outside of Europe, I was a little overwhelmed by the different sights, smells and sounds. We seemed to arrive on the day Crown Point was engulfed in a celebration of car horns. Anyone ever heard of such a festival? Through my exhausted and bleary eyes, i took this as hostility, and began to get anxious. I guess that's what you call culture - shock! However, after a few missed turnings (nearly ending up in black rock!), we arrived at the exquisite teak villa in the 'Villas on the Green' complex on Mount Irvine, and all my fears were immediately dispelled!
Other than the fact the kitchen was near enough the size of our house, the most stunning aspect of our villa was the beautiful balcony area. Resisting the urge to sleep in the hammock, we retired to our bedrooms and anticipated our first full day.
Not feeling very adventurous, we decided to fill our day with a general tour of the lower island, and the task of finding gourmet foods (a supermarket near Buccoo) to stock up on provisions. We slept sound that night having started to get into the rhythm of the island.
The next few days were spent settling in, eating out, general exploration and (dare i say it) limin'. The only event worthy of mention is the trading of our 'much loved' Jimny for Postman Pat's van disguised as a Nissan Cube. This swap was followed by a trip to Arnos Vale. Well - a would be trip - if not for a wrong turning at Plymouth, and subsequently a 4 hour long trip round the entire island. Culminating in a smashed - up bumper, which ironically occurred at Arnos Vale! cool.
Our next mentionable trip the first of two to Sunday School. Based on first impressions, I was originally a little concerned, but soon relaxed and got into the swing of things. After an excellent meal (served by a local nurse who explained the advantages of safe sex to my sister... Favourite quote: 'When you go fishin', always use a net'. Classic.) Particularly recommended for those under drinking age are the home - made roulette wheels. a great opportunity to flash your 10p notes!
After many lazy days on the beach, we had fully adjusted to Tobagoan life. This spelt the end of our one week stay in Mount Irvine, and the advent of our 'proper' Tobago experience. We moved to the stunning Castara Retreats. On our mountainside apartment, we had wonderful views over the sea that someone even as young as myself can enjoy. Sleeping with the shutters open was an experience, and watching the fireflies blink under the eaves was magical.
On the day after we arrived, the local women were baking some wonderful bread and treats in a clay oven. The smell was magnetic, and we followed our noses! After coffing We organised a trip with boatsman duck for the next day. He took us fishing alongside the rocks, followed by a delectable BBQ on the secluded beach of cotton bay. Local to this beach are two enormous sting rays. They seem to crave human attention, and it his truly an amazing thing to dive under and hold a ray in your arms.
Not being much of a walker, our next outing (a rainforest tour with King David, a local guide) was not something i was looking forward to so much. However, (after a brief stop for wellies!) all my doubts vanished when we took our first few steps into the oldest rainforest reserve anywhere. Our guide pointed out incredible sights (land crabs, mot-mot holes, trap door spiders etc) that we would have walked right past! The highlight of the tour was seeing a very rare hummingbird that attracted a mate by fanning out its tail like a deck of cards. In perfect contrast to the hummingbird, King David himself is a sight to be seen. Tall and heavy set, he is so softly spoken, you would not believe it is him speaking!
Other than a second trip to sunday school (again, a great time had) led by Porridge (the Castara team manager), our next adventure was a 'Boat Lime' in celebration of one guest's birthday. Everyone staying in castara retreats was invited by the owners, along with plenty of the locals. And so in the morning two boats set sail for cotton bay. What followed was copious amounts of booze, fish stew and culminated in a furious game of frisbee. Guess whose team won? oh yes
.
The remaining days were made up of lazing about on the beautiful beach in Castara, and realising how much I would miss the place once we left on our cramped flight. And so the inevitable came to pass, and I spent my last few moments on Tobagoan soil one very happy 15 year old!
Top 3 peices of advice for teenagers in Tobago:
1. Relax! though you may be slightly on edge when you arrive, try to get into the swing of thigns as soon as possible. Ignore everything said by the Foreign Office, Tobago is nothing like the advice suggests. Crime is not a word in the vocabulary of most Tobagoans!
2. Talk to the people! This is about as far away from the hostile world of Europe as can possibly be. Get chatting, and they really give you the time of day! Dad managed to involve what seemed like the whole of Castara in a discussion about the ashes, and we were invited for a drink on numerous occasions!
3. Cover Up! I'm most certainly not saying you should walk around in winter clothes, but make sure you dress respectfully beyond the beach. ie Guys should always have a shirt on, and Girls should not have fully bare backs.
Top 3 restaurants. Although there are several fast food outlets on the island, make sure you branch out and try the local cuisine. Tobago isn't famed for its food, but the fresh fish cannot be beat. My top three restaurants are thusly:
1. Rub-Y-Lou's. On a spacious deck surrounded by foliage, the simple menu offers delicious grilled fish and seafood!
2. Marguerites. A tiny hut in castara. By no means go out of your way just to eat here, but if in Castara, the food cannot be missed.
3. Indigo. An open air restaurant at the top of a flight of stairs. perhaps we were luckybecause we ate on friday night, the very day they had set up a BBQ and steel drum music!
Top three beaches.
1. Cotton Bay. Although only accessible by boat, a trip here is well worth it. A deserted beach, tame sting rays and fantastic snorkelling. Its got it all!
2. Heavenly bay. Cut off by rocks from the larger part of Castara beach, this small slice of paradise has a fantastic beach bar that serves an ice cold bottle of stag (wishful thinking) or coke (damn).
3. Stone Haven Bay. A long sweeping beach with palapas (glorified parasols) and the customary rentable sun loungers. Gorgeous.
Final thought
the holiday of lifetime. wholeheartedly recommended for those of any age, not just 15!
In the words of porridge:
Bless Up!
Dom.
Upon return from the lovely Tobago, I thought it would be a nice idea to reflect on my holiday experiences from a visit to myTobago. Having read a good selection of the various reviews, i couldn't help but notice there was a definite lack of feedback from the younger generation! I was looking for such information in the run up to the holiday, but i was left decidedly short handed. So i have decided to step in and save the day! ahem.
The holiday did not kick off with the most enjoyable of starts. Naturally fidgety, I found the Excel flight cramped (sitting still for 12 hours is not my forte), and was soon bored. This was not helped by a 2 hour delay in Grenada, when 3 individual passengers were removed from the plane.
Nevertheless, the flight eventually landed, and I stepped out from my cylindrical prison a free man! It was only a short wait in customs before we were met and led away to pick up our car (a Suzuki Jimny: top speed 15 MpH, half that in the highlands!) at Sheppy's Auto Rentals. Although I was hot, sticky and extremely tired, I still was struck by the friendliness of everyone who worked there.
This being only the second time I have travelled outside of Europe, I was a little overwhelmed by the different sights, smells and sounds. We seemed to arrive on the day Crown Point was engulfed in a celebration of car horns. Anyone ever heard of such a festival? Through my exhausted and bleary eyes, i took this as hostility, and began to get anxious. I guess that's what you call culture - shock! However, after a few missed turnings (nearly ending up in black rock!), we arrived at the exquisite teak villa in the 'Villas on the Green' complex on Mount Irvine, and all my fears were immediately dispelled!
Other than the fact the kitchen was near enough the size of our house, the most stunning aspect of our villa was the beautiful balcony area. Resisting the urge to sleep in the hammock, we retired to our bedrooms and anticipated our first full day.
Not feeling very adventurous, we decided to fill our day with a general tour of the lower island, and the task of finding gourmet foods (a supermarket near Buccoo) to stock up on provisions. We slept sound that night having started to get into the rhythm of the island.
The next few days were spent settling in, eating out, general exploration and (dare i say it) limin'. The only event worthy of mention is the trading of our 'much loved' Jimny for Postman Pat's van disguised as a Nissan Cube. This swap was followed by a trip to Arnos Vale. Well - a would be trip - if not for a wrong turning at Plymouth, and subsequently a 4 hour long trip round the entire island. Culminating in a smashed - up bumper, which ironically occurred at Arnos Vale! cool.
Our next mentionable trip the first of two to Sunday School. Based on first impressions, I was originally a little concerned, but soon relaxed and got into the swing of things. After an excellent meal (served by a local nurse who explained the advantages of safe sex to my sister... Favourite quote: 'When you go fishin', always use a net'. Classic.) Particularly recommended for those under drinking age are the home - made roulette wheels. a great opportunity to flash your 10p notes!
After many lazy days on the beach, we had fully adjusted to Tobagoan life. This spelt the end of our one week stay in Mount Irvine, and the advent of our 'proper' Tobago experience. We moved to the stunning Castara Retreats. On our mountainside apartment, we had wonderful views over the sea that someone even as young as myself can enjoy. Sleeping with the shutters open was an experience, and watching the fireflies blink under the eaves was magical.
On the day after we arrived, the local women were baking some wonderful bread and treats in a clay oven. The smell was magnetic, and we followed our noses! After coffing We organised a trip with boatsman duck for the next day. He took us fishing alongside the rocks, followed by a delectable BBQ on the secluded beach of cotton bay. Local to this beach are two enormous sting rays. They seem to crave human attention, and it his truly an amazing thing to dive under and hold a ray in your arms.
Not being much of a walker, our next outing (a rainforest tour with King David, a local guide) was not something i was looking forward to so much. However, (after a brief stop for wellies!) all my doubts vanished when we took our first few steps into the oldest rainforest reserve anywhere. Our guide pointed out incredible sights (land crabs, mot-mot holes, trap door spiders etc) that we would have walked right past! The highlight of the tour was seeing a very rare hummingbird that attracted a mate by fanning out its tail like a deck of cards. In perfect contrast to the hummingbird, King David himself is a sight to be seen. Tall and heavy set, he is so softly spoken, you would not believe it is him speaking!
Other than a second trip to sunday school (again, a great time had) led by Porridge (the Castara team manager), our next adventure was a 'Boat Lime' in celebration of one guest's birthday. Everyone staying in castara retreats was invited by the owners, along with plenty of the locals. And so in the morning two boats set sail for cotton bay. What followed was copious amounts of booze, fish stew and culminated in a furious game of frisbee. Guess whose team won? oh yes
. The remaining days were made up of lazing about on the beautiful beach in Castara, and realising how much I would miss the place once we left on our cramped flight. And so the inevitable came to pass, and I spent my last few moments on Tobagoan soil one very happy 15 year old!
Top 3 peices of advice for teenagers in Tobago:
1. Relax! though you may be slightly on edge when you arrive, try to get into the swing of thigns as soon as possible. Ignore everything said by the Foreign Office, Tobago is nothing like the advice suggests. Crime is not a word in the vocabulary of most Tobagoans!
2. Talk to the people! This is about as far away from the hostile world of Europe as can possibly be. Get chatting, and they really give you the time of day! Dad managed to involve what seemed like the whole of Castara in a discussion about the ashes, and we were invited for a drink on numerous occasions!
3. Cover Up! I'm most certainly not saying you should walk around in winter clothes, but make sure you dress respectfully beyond the beach. ie Guys should always have a shirt on, and Girls should not have fully bare backs.
Top 3 restaurants. Although there are several fast food outlets on the island, make sure you branch out and try the local cuisine. Tobago isn't famed for its food, but the fresh fish cannot be beat. My top three restaurants are thusly:
1. Rub-Y-Lou's. On a spacious deck surrounded by foliage, the simple menu offers delicious grilled fish and seafood!
2. Marguerites. A tiny hut in castara. By no means go out of your way just to eat here, but if in Castara, the food cannot be missed.
3. Indigo. An open air restaurant at the top of a flight of stairs. perhaps we were luckybecause we ate on friday night, the very day they had set up a BBQ and steel drum music!
Top three beaches.
1. Cotton Bay. Although only accessible by boat, a trip here is well worth it. A deserted beach, tame sting rays and fantastic snorkelling. Its got it all!
2. Heavenly bay. Cut off by rocks from the larger part of Castara beach, this small slice of paradise has a fantastic beach bar that serves an ice cold bottle of stag (wishful thinking) or coke (damn).
3. Stone Haven Bay. A long sweeping beach with palapas (glorified parasols) and the customary rentable sun loungers. Gorgeous.
Final thought
the holiday of lifetime. wholeheartedly recommended for those of any age, not just 15!
In the words of porridge:
Bless Up!
Dom.
), but regardless of your age, if you can write like that and express your feelings so well, you should be running this site.
RESPECT
. On the way back from the falls, make sure you ask your guide to grab you a coco pod. The beans within are so far away from chocolate! Apparently everyone tastes a different flavour when you suck them. Mmm