Planning first, very whirlwind, visit to Tobago

[Camille M]

Hello everyone,

I am visiting Trinidad and Tobago at the end of June (just a couple of weeks from now!). This will be a very quick trip over a long weekend. There will be 2 of us visiting Tobago (both female, ages late 20's and early 40's). We ended up finding an incredible airfare deal and even though our time on the islands will be brief, the deal was too good to pass up. The way things work out with our itinerary, we basically plan to do a daytrip to Tobago on Sunday the 22nd. We'll fly over from Trinidad in the morning and fly back that same evening. I wish we had more time, but it is what it is...

I'm looking for general information and some suggestions for how to optimize our time. I've read the post "If you only had 24 hours on Tobago!", which is a good starting point. We plan to rent a car, and our main objectives for the day are taking in the lovely scenery and doing some snorkeling.

Here are a few questions that come to mind:

-We will be in Tobago on a Sunday. Will most businesses be open that day? Will we have any trouble tracking down a rental car, snorkel tour or good places to eat?

-Do we need to pre-book the car and snorkel tour at this time of year, or are we okay to make arrangements upon arrival?

-There are several snorkel tour operators recommended on this site. We'll probably do a tour rather than just snorkel from the beach on our own. Given our limited time on Tobago and the fact that this will be our first visit, any recommendations of where to snorkel and which operator to go with?

-June is the beginning of the rainy season. Any feedback on 'typical' weather patterns this time of year? Just wondering if all-day torrential downpours are the norm, or if clear mornings and afternoon showers are more typical...

-We try not to be overly paranoid or worried about safety when we travel. We know to use basic common sense and don't typically put ourselves in harm's way, but some of the reports of robberies (and worse) are disconcerting. Since we will be driving ourselves around, are there areas we should steer clear of?

This has become a long winded post, so I'd better wrap it up.

I'm really glad to have come across this site, as it truly does have a wealth of information. Looking forward to your suggestions!

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Camille

Welcome aboard!

This will have to be a very quick answer to your questions as I need to leave the office in just a minute.

Most tourism-related businesses are open on Sundays.

Yes, if you only have a day you would be advised to arrange it beforehand, or you'll spend more time arranging things than doing them.

If you have your own snorkelling equipment, just go along to Arnos Vale bay and do-it-yourself. I just don't think you have enough time in a day for organised tours.

It's anybody's guess on weather - but at least the rain is warm.

There are no "no go" areas in Tobago. Just apply commonsense. Do not stop if anybody tries to flag you down.

Have fun. Sorry to rush.

[Hugh S]

Hello Camille,

I'm curious about your airfare deal. Care to share?

Thanks, Hugh

[Camille M]

Thanks for the quick response, Steve! I appreciate you taking the time on your way out the door...

We will follow your advice and try to get things booked in advance to optimize our short time in Tobago.

Regarding the snorkeling; we don't own equipment. I suppose we'll be able to rent it easily enough? Also, we'll have small daypacks with us (for hauling change of clothes, camera, etc...). Will we be safe to lock stuff out-of-sight in the car while we snorkel? Are there lockers or anything else available at Arnos Vale that would be a better option?

Thanks again for your input!

Hugh,

We got our flight deal through Spirit Airlines (spiritair.com). They are a low-cost, no-frills carrier that primarily operates in the Eastern U.S., the Caribbean, and Central America. They have periodic airfare sales, and some of them are true steals. Our round trip flights from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Trinidad were 88$ (USD) each! Last year, we flew from Ft. Lauderdale to St. Thomas (USVI) for 63$ RT each. I've also flown to Costa Rica on one of their full-priced flights (which was cheaper than any other fares available at the time). Their sale deals are only offered for certain days and flight times, so you do have to be flexible and spontaneous (as the sales come and go quickly). As mentioned before, they are no-frills; you pay extra fees for pretty much everything; checking luggage (carry-ons are no charge), in-flight beverages and snacks, etc., but my experience with them has been positive so far.

I see that you are located in San Francisco. Unfortunately, I think the only city they serve in CA is Los Angeles, but they do keep adding new routes so you never know... They are definitely worth checking out if you live close to an airport they fly through.

Regards,
Camille

[Hugh S]

Thanks Camille,

I've been following Spirit's sales, mostly for relatives in Tampa, and I saw the ad for the POS trip. My friends missed it by a couple of hours. Glad to hear a positive report and that the flights actually exist. In a few more years I will be a lot more flexible in my travel plans. Also, we tend to travel with maximum luggage going out, light (except for 1919 rum ) coming back.

To help with your snorkeling plans, I think your belongings would be safe at the Arnos Vale parking area if out of sight in the trunk. The reef there begins right as you step into the water! Arnos Vale was my first introduction to Tobago many, many years ago and it is still a special place even if the hotel and restaurant are not at their peak right now. You will love it.

Everything else you need to know before you go is right here at myTobago.

Enjoy, Hugh

[Camille M]

Thanks for the added rec for Arnos Vale, Hugh. I'm getting very excited for this trip!

Tell your Tampa folks to sign up for the Spirit Airlines emails (if they have not already done so). Some deals are definitely better than others, but when they're good, they're good!

[David Watkins]

Camille if you want to see the country and do some snorkelling then I would suggest you rent a car and drive to Castara,a little fishing village on the Caribbean coast.You will drive through some spectacular scenery and when you reach Castara you have two beaches to pick from Big Bay and Heavenly Bay.The reef comes to the beach at Heavenly and I believe you can rent snorkelling equipment there.
Have alook at my site for pics of Castara
Enjoy,
David

[Camille M]

Thanks for the link to your photographs, David. Very nice work!

I've noticed that Castara is recommended by many on the forum here as a key place to visit, so we'll definitely check it out. I know that in such a short amount of time, we'll only just get a small taste of what Tobago has to offer. Perhaps we'll fall in love with it like so many here have done, and then we'll be looking for more of those terrific airfare deals!