myTobago – your questions, review and comment about Tobago

Hi - am new to this site and travelling to Tobago for the first time on 27 May. Countdown has now begun ! Will be taking my 4 boys aged 12,7,5 & 1. Can any one recommend any restaurants/activities with this age group in mind? Will boat trips be suitable? Am staying at Courland Bay what are the chances of seeing any turtles and how do I go about it? Congratulations on a fantastic site there's so much information don't think I can take it all in!

We saw egg laying Turtles on Courland bay - can't remember if it was our May or December visit - if at the Rex they'll tell you when they spot Turtles.

All restaurants we visited with our 9 year old were fine - but our nipper liked Bonkers and Pelican Reef best of all.

Thanks for the quick reply. Am staying in a private villa at Courland Bay can I still ask at the hotel?

Natalie,egg laying season is now!Your problem will be to know when they are laying because it dies not occur every night but depends on the moon and tides.
David

Natalie

I spent Easter in Tobao with my family and girls aged 2 and 6. We did not try a boat trip but can recommend the following:
Pigeon Point - calm seas for the youngsters, excellent shade, potential activities for the older child
Canoe Bay - an excellent beach for the nippers, very calm, shallow until very far out, shade, bar
Castara Bay - a bit naff I know but our 6 year old loved having a go on the steel pan from the local peddlar, she got a good 15/20 mins playing time
Arnos Vale - try to see the birds at tea time, parrots, mot mots, blue tanagers, hummingbirds are all abundant with accessible viewing
Fort St. George - you will love the views, kids will love the cannons, we went towards late afternoon / sunset

I can also recommend Bonkers who also have entertainment on some nights.

I'm sure whatever you do the kids will love it escpeially the beach and wildlife.

David

Natalie

Also check out the thread entitled "Tobago: experiences of a 15 year old" on the second page of messages, it contains some excellent advice.

David

Castara a bit naff?Where did this bloke come from?I bet it was a quicky $100 US (for all the family)tour round ,show you a real pan playerbladebla
David (getting a bit p....d off with these so called guides)

David

My words were not well chosen. We went independently to Castara which is a terrific spot and Heavenly Bay in particular was superb (I saw a manta ray about 10 yards from the beach).

There was a local chap on the beach who convinced us he was the prince of pan and charged about TT20 for a lesson on his pan. It was naff in the sense that he taught the pan by numbers and he plainly was not the prince of pan. But he was joivial and the kids (and myself the king of pan) enjoyed it.

The pan we heard at bonkers from a young man called Jaime was terrific.

Sorry for the confusion.

David

David I agree with you about the pan man!!!!!
David

I was just reading about the steel pan man on Castara beach and thought my 10 year old daughter might like to reply so here goes .............

I thought he was good! he taught me to play twinkle twinkle little star - I liked him.

(back to mum) - Yes it is a touristy thing to do but as we don't get many oportunities to play the steel pans back in the UK especially for the princely sum of £2.50 why not? And the kids (and us adults who did not get charged for having a go) really enjoyed themselves.

If your kids enjoyed playing pans, take them to the small drum shop at Fort Bennet, we called in for a look one day when we were out exploring, the owner was great, he told my daughters all about the drums and how they are made, then showed them how to play, before long there was a jamming session going on with the owner, my husband and daughters, all three loved every minute of it!

Linda

Ps, take kids on Fort Bennet beach to collect pebbles, my daughter was amazed at the variety of colours there, and I love free souvenirs!!!

Sounds fab! Millie has nor stopped going on about getting drums since we got home - (though after our evening at the Boathouse in Castara she is even more crazy about the african dums!)

I'll take them there when we next go to paradise!!