Hello all:
I'm considering a long-term stay in Charloteville and am looking for recommendations for cheap, quiet, comfortable guesthouses that have kitchen facilities, and that rent by the month.. has anyone heard of "Doctor P's?"
Thanks!
michael
guesthouses in Charlotteville
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Steve Wooler
- myTobago Editor & Chief Anorak
- Posts: 4856
- Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2002 11:00 pm
- Location: Suffolk, England
- Contact:
Hello Michael
I'm sure that any of the guesthouses/apartments in Charlotteville will happily give you a good, discounted, price for monthly rentals. You will probably be aware from other posts on the subject that I am tending to refer people to Top River Pearl, based on the recommendation of a couple of people whose judgement I trust.
Sorry, I have not heard of "Doctor P's". I do have a list of eight private B&B/Homestay places in Charlotteville, but it's not on that list. If you find that there is such a place, perhaps you would be good enough to let me know so that I can add it to our listings. Wherever you eventually decide to stay, please let us know what you think of it.
I'm sure that any of the guesthouses/apartments in Charlotteville will happily give you a good, discounted, price for monthly rentals. You will probably be aware from other posts on the subject that I am tending to refer people to Top River Pearl, based on the recommendation of a couple of people whose judgement I trust.
Sorry, I have not heard of "Doctor P's". I do have a list of eight private B&B/Homestay places in Charlotteville, but it's not on that list. If you find that there is such a place, perhaps you would be good enough to let me know so that I can add it to our listings. Wherever you eventually decide to stay, please let us know what you think of it.
Steve Wooler
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
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Steve Wooler
- myTobago Editor & Chief Anorak
- Posts: 4856
- Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2002 11:00 pm
- Location: Suffolk, England
- Contact:
Hello Again Michael
Thanks for your Private Message. Sorry that I haven't replied that way, but please understand we get a substantial postbag and time is limited. Unless it's something confidential or 'sensitive', we've simply had to stop answering private questions and only reply through the forum, where the answers will hopefully be of benefit generally.
Here is a list of Charlotteville Bed & Breakfast (also know as HomeStay) homes. I have no knowledge of any of them, so would be really grateful for any feedback, or updates on any additional names or homes that no longer accept guests. All the telephone numbers are local Tobago numbers, so simply prefix with the Tobago international dialling code 868:
In answer to you final question, I am sure that these places will provide mosquito nets if they are available, but wouldn't guarantee it. However, rather than taking one, as you suggest, it would be much cheaper to buy one over there if you find it necessary.
Thanks for your Private Message. Sorry that I haven't replied that way, but please understand we get a substantial postbag and time is limited. Unless it's something confidential or 'sensitive', we've simply had to stop answering private questions and only reply through the forum, where the answers will hopefully be of benefit generally.
Here is a list of Charlotteville Bed & Breakfast (also know as HomeStay) homes. I have no knowledge of any of them, so would be really grateful for any feedback, or updates on any additional names or homes that no longer accept guests. All the telephone numbers are local Tobago numbers, so simply prefix with the Tobago international dialling code 868:
- Mrs Alleyne 660-4423
Campbledon House 660-2217
Mrs Budd 660-5607
Mrs McKenna 660-4446
Nicholsons 639-8553
Sharon’s 660-5036
Mr James 660-5605
Sister Joe’s 660-5717
In answer to you final question, I am sure that these places will provide mosquito nets if they are available, but wouldn't guarantee it. However, rather than taking one, as you suggest, it would be much cheaper to buy one over there if you find it necessary.
Steve Wooler
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
-
Michael
-
Steve Wooler
- myTobago Editor & Chief Anorak
- Posts: 4856
- Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2002 11:00 pm
- Location: Suffolk, England
- Contact:
-
Frank Tettemer
guest houses in Charlotteville
Hi, all!
A small report of Top River Pearl: we did not stay there, but we did go to their kitchen, twice, as they have an advertised Cappachino Bar, with meals, open to the public. Their meals were so-so. We ate just as well at the roti kitchen, right on the beach, for less than half price. The dining room at Top River Pearl was an outdoor shaded patio, with very fine woodworking and furniture, to be sure. The capachino was boiled water with Nescafe instant coffee, made extra strong. (Was their expresso machine clogged up?, I asked. She had a small single-pot hour-glass shaped metal expresso maker there, a very common type. but she said that it was just too hot to use it that day) It still took over half hour to make the Nesafe instant, as she had a lot of chatting to do with some staying guests, and more to say to a friend on the phone. No hurry, she said. One must go slow to enjoy Tobago. Good thing we were not in a hurry.
Charlotteville has even more guest houses! We stayed in one, near the east end of the village that was clean, easy-going, and inexpensive, owned by a Mr. Moore. Moore's Guest House. There were about six rooms, with a shared kitchen in the same building, which was right next door to the owner's house. I can't offer a phone number, but it's up the hill from "Gail's" Restaurant, which is down on the main street, right along the water, east end of town, just across from the dive shop/internet bar.
Directly across the road from Mr. Moore's was a guest house with three rooms, and a kitchen, called [b]"Belle Aire Inn"[/b]. I highly recommend it. This was a pleasant place, also clean, and inexpensive. The owner's name is "Neptune", a gentleman in his mid-years, who had left his home of Tobago for a few years, to go to school in England, and absolutely the most out-going, gregarious person that we had met in the whole village. His smile could light up the village at night.
We were planning on staying at his house, but he was full the first night that we were in town, and he made the arrangements for us to stay across the road at Moore's Guesthouse, which we did. The next day, after a very broken sleep because of the village nocturnal dogs and roosters, we went and talked with Neptune about the village noises, and how we were from an area of Canada that was so quiet, without any neighbors, that we had difficulty sleeping with the noises.
Here's where my hat's off to Neptune: He unhesitatingly reccomended a small guesthouse, just outside of the village proper, gave up his prospective rental income from us, in order to satisfy our need for some quiet nights of sleep. This is generousity far above his own need to make an income. He felt that if we were satified with sleeping soundly and silently, it was a better thing for all of Charlotteville, for we would stay longer, and give good reports to others about the village.
We visited with him a few days later, and he was showing us a small project of his, a two room guest house that he was in the very process of building, at the east end of the village, right next to the water. He was proud of it, and thought that we would enjoy it, next time we were in Charlotteville, as the sounds of the sea would help soothe and over-ride the rooster and dog noises at night. It was a fine spot, it's true, and perhaps it may be finished and for rent soon. (our visit was in March and April, and the roof was not on it as yet.)
Neptune is certainly a gracious host. His number is: cell- 766-4618, or fax- (868) 660-5984.
Enjoy!
Frank Tettemer
A small report of Top River Pearl: we did not stay there, but we did go to their kitchen, twice, as they have an advertised Cappachino Bar, with meals, open to the public. Their meals were so-so. We ate just as well at the roti kitchen, right on the beach, for less than half price. The dining room at Top River Pearl was an outdoor shaded patio, with very fine woodworking and furniture, to be sure. The capachino was boiled water with Nescafe instant coffee, made extra strong. (Was their expresso machine clogged up?, I asked. She had a small single-pot hour-glass shaped metal expresso maker there, a very common type. but she said that it was just too hot to use it that day) It still took over half hour to make the Nesafe instant, as she had a lot of chatting to do with some staying guests, and more to say to a friend on the phone. No hurry, she said. One must go slow to enjoy Tobago. Good thing we were not in a hurry.
Charlotteville has even more guest houses! We stayed in one, near the east end of the village that was clean, easy-going, and inexpensive, owned by a Mr. Moore. Moore's Guest House. There were about six rooms, with a shared kitchen in the same building, which was right next door to the owner's house. I can't offer a phone number, but it's up the hill from "Gail's" Restaurant, which is down on the main street, right along the water, east end of town, just across from the dive shop/internet bar.
Directly across the road from Mr. Moore's was a guest house with three rooms, and a kitchen, called [b]"Belle Aire Inn"[/b]. I highly recommend it. This was a pleasant place, also clean, and inexpensive. The owner's name is "Neptune", a gentleman in his mid-years, who had left his home of Tobago for a few years, to go to school in England, and absolutely the most out-going, gregarious person that we had met in the whole village. His smile could light up the village at night.
We were planning on staying at his house, but he was full the first night that we were in town, and he made the arrangements for us to stay across the road at Moore's Guesthouse, which we did. The next day, after a very broken sleep because of the village nocturnal dogs and roosters, we went and talked with Neptune about the village noises, and how we were from an area of Canada that was so quiet, without any neighbors, that we had difficulty sleeping with the noises.
Here's where my hat's off to Neptune: He unhesitatingly reccomended a small guesthouse, just outside of the village proper, gave up his prospective rental income from us, in order to satisfy our need for some quiet nights of sleep. This is generousity far above his own need to make an income. He felt that if we were satified with sleeping soundly and silently, it was a better thing for all of Charlotteville, for we would stay longer, and give good reports to others about the village.
We visited with him a few days later, and he was showing us a small project of his, a two room guest house that he was in the very process of building, at the east end of the village, right next to the water. He was proud of it, and thought that we would enjoy it, next time we were in Charlotteville, as the sounds of the sea would help soothe and over-ride the rooster and dog noises at night. It was a fine spot, it's true, and perhaps it may be finished and for rent soon. (our visit was in March and April, and the roof was not on it as yet.)
Neptune is certainly a gracious host. His number is: cell- 766-4618, or fax- (868) 660-5984.
Enjoy!
Frank Tettemer
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Louise I
- myTobago Nut
- Posts: 57
- Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2003 8:58 pm
- Location: Brighton UK
Hi,
Dr P's is slightly outside Charlotteville and off the track round to Pirates Bay - we didn't go there but i remember being glad we did not have to climb what appeared to be a large number of steep steps to get there!
We also met Neptune and saw round his place - it looked fabulous and he is very nice - we met guests of his who had just stayed for their second 6 weeks with him.
In fact we met him at a barbecue he held to allow some of his guests to say goodbye to the firends they had made in Charlotteville!
Enjoy!
Louise
Dr P's is slightly outside Charlotteville and off the track round to Pirates Bay - we didn't go there but i remember being glad we did not have to climb what appeared to be a large number of steep steps to get there!
We also met Neptune and saw round his place - it looked fabulous and he is very nice - we met guests of his who had just stayed for their second 6 weeks with him.
In fact we met him at a barbecue he held to allow some of his guests to say goodbye to the firends they had made in Charlotteville!
Enjoy!
Louise
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Michael
dogs and roosters
Thanks for the above posts and reports!
Louise: was Doctor P's quiet?
Frank: Thanks for mentioning the noise from the dogs and chickens. This is a big problem for me, as I'm a light sleeper. Did you finally find a quiet place? If so, can you name it? Price?
Thanks!
michael
Louise: was Doctor P's quiet?
Frank: Thanks for mentioning the noise from the dogs and chickens. This is a big problem for me, as I'm a light sleeper. Did you finally find a quiet place? If so, can you name it? Price?
Thanks!
michael
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Andreas
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Frank Tettemer
guesthouses in Charlotteville
Mr. P’s was in a quiet location, just as Louise described it. It’s located on the dirt track to Pirate’s Bay, at the east end of Charlotteville. And it is also a fairly steep walk/climb to reach the rooms. They are the least expensive rooms in Tobago, at my rough estimation, judging from a woman who stayed there for a few nights. She said that the folks who run Mr. P’s were warm, friendly, made a few miniature steel drums for the tourist trade (made out of large, restaurant-size cans!), and appeared to represent at least some of the Rastafarian population of Charlotteville. These attributes may very well be a plus or a minus, depending upon your own tastes. I can definitely vouch for the view from up on the hill behind Mr. P’s. It’s stunning, but a climb to get to.
As Louise suggested, Neptune was very nice. You could do no better than to have a gracious host such as him. But quiet is not something that he can control, being in the village. Mr. P’s could possibly be a better choice, but I can’t say for sure whether he has his own chickens. He’d probably be outside of the village noise, though.
I can Highly recommend to you the only other guest house on Pirate’s Bay! It’s called Pirate Bay Eco-Home, and it’s owned by Nathaniel Moore. (Perhaps I should have recommended it in my last posting, Michael. It’s just that it is also the farthest outside of the village, and you were asking about Charlotteville.
Pirate Bay Eco-Home is a newly built, four unit home, with the downstairs unit being occupied by Mr. Moore himself. His mother, whom we never saw, has a small, older bungalow, just uphill behind the guest house. She would be a very old woman, judging from Nathaniel Moore’s mid-age appearance, and I got the impression that she rarely comes out from here home somewhere near Scarborough.
The rooms at Eco-Home: the two upstairs units had individual kitchens, with two burner propane cooktops, the standard undercounter fridges, and two bedrooms in each unit, with balconies that faced Pirate Bay, far below, but so deeply grown with trees that the bay was invisible from up there. The downstairs rental unit was the cheapest, so our budget worked fine with it. Small room, brand new double bed, with separate mini kitchen and separate bathroom. No screens on the door or windows, and the downstairs unit did not have enough air circulation to keep the humidity down. No fans. No towels. So bring your own, and the place is new and perfectly comfy. I’m thinking that the unit was about $140.00 TT dollars, though I can’t be sure.
Andreas, you’re almost entirely correct about the noise of chickens. The exception was Nathaniel Moore’s place. It was without a doubt the Quietest place that we stayed in Tobago, which is out of five different guest houses from Buccoo to Castara to Charlotteville. No neighbours, and no chickens. I wouldn’t hesitate to say it was our top pick, and would return there, for sure, if we ever get the time and money to return to Tobago. I would pay a bit more, and book either one of the upstairs units, though. Both for the roomier feeling, and the better air circulation.
And I’d remember to take towels
Pirate’s Bay was the most private and wonderful beach out of many that we tripped to. It’s a bit smaller than Englishman’s Bay, just as pretty as Parlatuvier, more personal than Bloody Bay, and more secluded than Castara Bay.
However, it has no facilities, such as drinking water, bathrooms, or nearby food sources. You must be prepared for a day trip, with lunch, good walking shoes, and a back pack to get there. There are approximately two hundred and twenty five stair steps, built into the side of the steep slope to the beach, with a rest spot halfway up for those whose lungs are not in top shape. It was well worth it for the two of us mid-aged honeymooners, though, as the seclusion and serenity was fabulous. We continued to fall in love for each and every day there. My memories of it are so personal and so grand. I really want to return there, before the press of tourism “develops” the area, and more guest houses are built.
I hope this helps. Nathaniel Moore can be reached at 660-6051, at the guest house, when he’s in. Or, you may try his cell phone, any where on the island, at 767-4666. I believe he would be glad to accommodate you, though his introverted nature will not be attractive to gregarious, party loving guests. He doesn’t appear to want to cater to individual needs, but for those travelers who enjoy being self-reliant, quiet, and private, Eco-Homes is just great!
Frank
As Louise suggested, Neptune was very nice. You could do no better than to have a gracious host such as him. But quiet is not something that he can control, being in the village. Mr. P’s could possibly be a better choice, but I can’t say for sure whether he has his own chickens. He’d probably be outside of the village noise, though.
I can Highly recommend to you the only other guest house on Pirate’s Bay! It’s called Pirate Bay Eco-Home, and it’s owned by Nathaniel Moore. (Perhaps I should have recommended it in my last posting, Michael. It’s just that it is also the farthest outside of the village, and you were asking about Charlotteville.
Pirate Bay Eco-Home is a newly built, four unit home, with the downstairs unit being occupied by Mr. Moore himself. His mother, whom we never saw, has a small, older bungalow, just uphill behind the guest house. She would be a very old woman, judging from Nathaniel Moore’s mid-age appearance, and I got the impression that she rarely comes out from here home somewhere near Scarborough.
The rooms at Eco-Home: the two upstairs units had individual kitchens, with two burner propane cooktops, the standard undercounter fridges, and two bedrooms in each unit, with balconies that faced Pirate Bay, far below, but so deeply grown with trees that the bay was invisible from up there. The downstairs rental unit was the cheapest, so our budget worked fine with it. Small room, brand new double bed, with separate mini kitchen and separate bathroom. No screens on the door or windows, and the downstairs unit did not have enough air circulation to keep the humidity down. No fans. No towels. So bring your own, and the place is new and perfectly comfy. I’m thinking that the unit was about $140.00 TT dollars, though I can’t be sure.
Andreas, you’re almost entirely correct about the noise of chickens. The exception was Nathaniel Moore’s place. It was without a doubt the Quietest place that we stayed in Tobago, which is out of five different guest houses from Buccoo to Castara to Charlotteville. No neighbours, and no chickens. I wouldn’t hesitate to say it was our top pick, and would return there, for sure, if we ever get the time and money to return to Tobago. I would pay a bit more, and book either one of the upstairs units, though. Both for the roomier feeling, and the better air circulation.
And I’d remember to take towels
Pirate’s Bay was the most private and wonderful beach out of many that we tripped to. It’s a bit smaller than Englishman’s Bay, just as pretty as Parlatuvier, more personal than Bloody Bay, and more secluded than Castara Bay.
However, it has no facilities, such as drinking water, bathrooms, or nearby food sources. You must be prepared for a day trip, with lunch, good walking shoes, and a back pack to get there. There are approximately two hundred and twenty five stair steps, built into the side of the steep slope to the beach, with a rest spot halfway up for those whose lungs are not in top shape. It was well worth it for the two of us mid-aged honeymooners, though, as the seclusion and serenity was fabulous. We continued to fall in love for each and every day there. My memories of it are so personal and so grand. I really want to return there, before the press of tourism “develops” the area, and more guest houses are built.
I hope this helps. Nathaniel Moore can be reached at 660-6051, at the guest house, when he’s in. Or, you may try his cell phone, any where on the island, at 767-4666. I believe he would be glad to accommodate you, though his introverted nature will not be attractive to gregarious, party loving guests. He doesn’t appear to want to cater to individual needs, but for those travelers who enjoy being self-reliant, quiet, and private, Eco-Homes is just great!
Frank
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Michael
Hey Frank..
I can't thank you enough for the great details on guesthouses..
The Eco-home place sounds nice. I'd be willing to walk up a hill for quiet. But was there any problem with moquitoes at night cuz of no screens? The price may be a touch higher, but I assume he'd make a deal for monthly rates?
Dr. P's also sounds like it may be a possibility..
Thanks again!!
michael
I can't thank you enough for the great details on guesthouses..
The Eco-home place sounds nice. I'd be willing to walk up a hill for quiet. But was there any problem with moquitoes at night cuz of no screens? The price may be a touch higher, but I assume he'd make a deal for monthly rates?
Dr. P's also sounds like it may be a possibility..
Thanks again!!
michael
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Frank Tettemer
guesthouses in Charlotteville
Hi Michael,
I can't say for sure about Mr. Moore offering a weekly rate, but it seems logical that he would.
Mosquitos? Well, we were there late March, early April, the weather had been Very Dry for quite a long while, so I would assume that it was a low period for mosquito larva to hatch. Non the less, we sometimes closed a full length curtain in the open doorway, (provided), and experiencing just a few mosquitos, and also experiencing lack of air circulation. And at other, more humid evenings, opening the curtained doorway, and getting a few more mosquitos.
Moquitos-as-a-problem is a very subjective experience. We live in the bush of north eastern Ontario, Canada, with a very 'severe' mosquito season, between July and mid August. I'm a builder, and as a builder, it is my goal to create insect-proof homes for our area. 'Severe' to me means: having to go inside the house at sunset on the most gorgeous evenings, and not gardening, swimming, nor lounging at all outside. Everyone in the neighborhood acts upon this schedule. From 8:00 PM onward, "Mosquitos Rule".
It was never that severe in Tobago during our stay, except briefly at sunset at Nathaniel Moore's guesthouse. It is in the bush, surrounded by trees. The entire rest of the daytime, we never even complained about mosquitos. It was heavenly.
My suggestion would be to negotiate in advance and try out the area. See about a long-term price ahead of time, express your concerns about accomodation details, and just book one night to see what you think, either at Mr. P's or Eco-home. If you know in advance that they are not pre-booked, that scheme just might work for you, especially if you are willing to be open about your intentions and your concerns. You'll get to know, at the very least, which host will accomodate your concerns, and perhaps find a host as sensible as "Neptune", at the Belle Aire, who's concerns are with the tourists' satisfaction.
Frank
I can't say for sure about Mr. Moore offering a weekly rate, but it seems logical that he would.
Mosquitos? Well, we were there late March, early April, the weather had been Very Dry for quite a long while, so I would assume that it was a low period for mosquito larva to hatch. Non the less, we sometimes closed a full length curtain in the open doorway, (provided), and experiencing just a few mosquitos, and also experiencing lack of air circulation. And at other, more humid evenings, opening the curtained doorway, and getting a few more mosquitos.
Moquitos-as-a-problem is a very subjective experience. We live in the bush of north eastern Ontario, Canada, with a very 'severe' mosquito season, between July and mid August. I'm a builder, and as a builder, it is my goal to create insect-proof homes for our area. 'Severe' to me means: having to go inside the house at sunset on the most gorgeous evenings, and not gardening, swimming, nor lounging at all outside. Everyone in the neighborhood acts upon this schedule. From 8:00 PM onward, "Mosquitos Rule".
It was never that severe in Tobago during our stay, except briefly at sunset at Nathaniel Moore's guesthouse. It is in the bush, surrounded by trees. The entire rest of the daytime, we never even complained about mosquitos. It was heavenly.
My suggestion would be to negotiate in advance and try out the area. See about a long-term price ahead of time, express your concerns about accomodation details, and just book one night to see what you think, either at Mr. P's or Eco-home. If you know in advance that they are not pre-booked, that scheme just might work for you, especially if you are willing to be open about your intentions and your concerns. You'll get to know, at the very least, which host will accomodate your concerns, and perhaps find a host as sensible as "Neptune", at the Belle Aire, who's concerns are with the tourists' satisfaction.
Frank
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Frank Tettemer
guesthouses in Charlotteville
Hi Louise,
I've enjoyed your viewpoint of Mr. P's. And I'm facinated that you met Neptune, and also had a positive impression of him.
It seems that Charlotteville has strong memories for you. Would you be willing to share your stories of this village, or have you already posted same, somewhere else in the Forum?
Questions come up for me:
Where did you stay, and eat?
How long did you stay in Charlotteville?
And what did you enjoy doing most?
Look forward to hearing from you!
Frank
I've enjoyed your viewpoint of Mr. P's. And I'm facinated that you met Neptune, and also had a positive impression of him.
It seems that Charlotteville has strong memories for you. Would you be willing to share your stories of this village, or have you already posted same, somewhere else in the Forum?
Questions come up for me:
Where did you stay, and eat?
How long did you stay in Charlotteville?
And what did you enjoy doing most?
Look forward to hearing from you!
Frank
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Louise I
- myTobago Nut
- Posts: 57
- Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2003 8:58 pm
- Location: Brighton UK
Hi Frank,
you spotted that I love Charlotteville then?
We have been twice recently, two weeks in December and 10 days in March. The first time we stayed at Man O'War Bay Cottages which were really nice - although only seconds from the center you felt that you had your own private beach. The cottages were well but basically equipped - we didn't need the knife/can opener/bottle opener etc that we took!
The second time we went we stayed at Cholson Chalets which are the Pirates Bay side of the jetty. they were also nice but you were much more aware of other people and it was noisy if something was on in the village - although it didn't bother us as we were at all the parties!!
We have eaten at many places in the village - but still have a few to try! Here are a few impressions
Jaynes Kitchen - looks like a little shack right on the sea front, opposite the fishing cooperative. Probably our favourite - you really do sit almost on the beach. And the fresh fish was always wonderful. Also does great Roti at lunchtime.
Sharon and Phebes - Larger restaurant which was extending to put a roof terrace on when we were there in March. Very friendly - when we first got to Charlotteville in the dark and couldn't find our cottage Sharon phoned the owners, found where we were staying and accompanied us there to make sure we found it! Again nice fresh food - slightly more variety.
Gayles Restaurant - really nice restaurant and nice food.
Bar opposite Sharon and Phebes which has a blue "shack" on the beach - only ate there once so far but it was very nice - good shrimp - and was highly recommended by others.
Michelles - local lady who lives in the house at the far end of the bay on the Pirates Bay side of the village. Michelle cooks traditional Tobogian food for visitors on Wednesdays and saturdays - and explains what evrything is and how it is cooked! She is great to stand and natter with.
Banana Boat - haven't eaten there yet but the food looks nice - however it is the only place that does Pina Coladas so we occasionally had a few sun downers there!
Lyda's bar - Little blue bar near Gayles. The first time we were in Tobago Lyda insisted on cooking a farewell dinner for us - but wouldn't take any money for it. She cooks on Friday lunchtime usually and if you are nice to her she will cook on other occasions! last time we were there she was shocked we hadn't had salt fish so insisted on cooking for us. As there were 4 of us this time we insisted on paying - a massive $10TT each..
What we enjoy most is the people - we met Neptune when one of the friends we had met last time invited us there for a barbecue.
On our second visit we felt like we were seeing old friends again and enjoyed sitting liming with them.
We managed to find plenty to do so as not to get bored - various little trips round the island, including i am afraid a trip along the Hermitage road - won't say anymore as do not want to stir up the trouble again but we did have a 4WD!
All this is making me remember how fabulous - and unspoilt - Charlotteville is, we can't wait to go back!
Regards
Louise
you spotted that I love Charlotteville then?
We have been twice recently, two weeks in December and 10 days in March. The first time we stayed at Man O'War Bay Cottages which were really nice - although only seconds from the center you felt that you had your own private beach. The cottages were well but basically equipped - we didn't need the knife/can opener/bottle opener etc that we took!The second time we went we stayed at Cholson Chalets which are the Pirates Bay side of the jetty. they were also nice but you were much more aware of other people and it was noisy if something was on in the village - although it didn't bother us as we were at all the parties!!
We have eaten at many places in the village - but still have a few to try! Here are a few impressions
Jaynes Kitchen - looks like a little shack right on the sea front, opposite the fishing cooperative. Probably our favourite - you really do sit almost on the beach. And the fresh fish was always wonderful. Also does great Roti at lunchtime.
Sharon and Phebes - Larger restaurant which was extending to put a roof terrace on when we were there in March. Very friendly - when we first got to Charlotteville in the dark and couldn't find our cottage Sharon phoned the owners, found where we were staying and accompanied us there to make sure we found it! Again nice fresh food - slightly more variety.
Gayles Restaurant - really nice restaurant and nice food.
Bar opposite Sharon and Phebes which has a blue "shack" on the beach - only ate there once so far but it was very nice - good shrimp - and was highly recommended by others.
Michelles - local lady who lives in the house at the far end of the bay on the Pirates Bay side of the village. Michelle cooks traditional Tobogian food for visitors on Wednesdays and saturdays - and explains what evrything is and how it is cooked! She is great to stand and natter with.
Banana Boat - haven't eaten there yet but the food looks nice - however it is the only place that does Pina Coladas so we occasionally had a few sun downers there!
Lyda's bar - Little blue bar near Gayles. The first time we were in Tobago Lyda insisted on cooking a farewell dinner for us - but wouldn't take any money for it. She cooks on Friday lunchtime usually and if you are nice to her she will cook on other occasions! last time we were there she was shocked we hadn't had salt fish so insisted on cooking for us. As there were 4 of us this time we insisted on paying - a massive $10TT each..
What we enjoy most is the people - we met Neptune when one of the friends we had met last time invited us there for a barbecue.
On our second visit we felt like we were seeing old friends again and enjoyed sitting liming with them.
We managed to find plenty to do so as not to get bored - various little trips round the island, including i am afraid a trip along the Hermitage road - won't say anymore as do not want to stir up the trouble again but we did have a 4WD!
All this is making me remember how fabulous - and unspoilt - Charlotteville is, we can't wait to go back!
Regards
Louise
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Steve Wooler
- myTobago Editor & Chief Anorak
- Posts: 4856
- Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2002 11:00 pm
- Location: Suffolk, England
- Contact:
Louise
If anyone wonders why I expend so much time and effort on this site, may I simply refer them to your comments about Sharon, Lyda and Michelle. THAT is the real Tobago. Their attitude towards visitors is the reason that I am prepared to work so hard for Tobago. They deserve our support and custom and lets just pray that modern commercial pressures do not spoil them.
If anyone wonders why I expend so much time and effort on this site, may I simply refer them to your comments about Sharon, Lyda and Michelle. THAT is the real Tobago. Their attitude towards visitors is the reason that I am prepared to work so hard for Tobago. They deserve our support and custom and lets just pray that modern commercial pressures do not spoil them.
Steve Wooler
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago