myTobago – your questions, review and comment about Tobago

Dear Steve and all contributors,

I am just about to book my first trip to Tobago and have found your comments and suggestions exceptionally useful (god I love the internet!).
I am really excited about taking my wife and children (well, 18 year old and 15year old!) to an Island paradise.

I have read with great interest the support you have all given Marc as a first timer and many of the suggestions I have taken on board.

One in particular was that I was about to book and all-inclusive at the Rex Turtle 19th July-2nd August 2004) for £5000 with Virgin as a package. Reading Marc's notes and advice I have been offered room only with Virgin again at Rex for £3620!, big difference.

Can I please have your advice?
My children will require some activity, snorkelling, Windserving etc we will also need to eat out of course and maybe hire a car.

As a first timer should I just throw in with Virgin for all-inclusive or would I benefit by going room only and pay locally for everything else?

I am a frequent Eurpoean traveller, and have done the Florida bit (x3), but still a little 'worried' about wanting to get it right for the family.

It is great to meet such a mature bunch of people, happy new year to you all.

Jim

Hi Jim

I recall from my stay in the Rex 3 years ago that the 'All-Inclusive' mob can order a picnic hamper for lunch if they go away on travels ... so All-Inclusive is worth considering.

If this facility is still available I think you need to order it the previous evening ... that should save you from tearing yourself away from some interesting underwater sea-life to rush back for lunch !!

I won't say anymore as it will spoil all the surprises ... don't worry ... you and the children will love it and the Rex is an ideal starting point.

The Virgin seems a decent package for a family during the UK summer hols, you may get cheaper by going DIY but it would be small change spare (and more worry) and it's worth going the All Inclusive first and get a feel for Tobago before going DIY.

Have fun.

Paul

Hi Jim

Paul is quite right in many ways. I guess it largely depends upon how adventurous you are and how tight your budget is. The All Inclusive options are generally remarkably good value for money, but the big problem is that you really miss seeing the 'true' Tobago. With all respect to the Rex, most reports indicate that the catering is not exactly their strongest point and the external options are just so good on Tobago that I, personally, couldn't conceive staying and eating in the same place more than two or three times in a two week holiday. If you're going to eat out, you will need a car because the Rex is not within walking distance of any good eateries. However, I couldn't conceive visiting Tobago and not having a set of wheels.

If budget allows, I would suggest that you consider the Rex Turtle Beach on Bed & Breakfast and then dine out each evening. That way you are guaranteed to find restaurants that satisfy all four of you. Yes, it's less hassle to stay and dine at the hotel but Tobago is so small and so safe and easy to drive around that you truly will be missing so much to eat in every night.

Steve is absolutely right.

I found breakfast to be the best meal of the day.

The lunches and dinners were generally good but they had the occasional bad day.

Speaking of eating out ... and sorry to digress a bit ... a nearby place was 'Under the Mango Tree' down the road ... the lady who 'literally did everything' from scratch in there told me she was retiring, effective May 2003 to follow a lucrative career in bossing German Hotels about how to do Caribbean cuisine.

Maybe this query should go to the Food part of the Forum (sorry !) ... but I would be intrigued to know if she saw her threat through ... although she never changed the menu ... she was a damned good cook !!

Paul

Hi Jim!

Glad me pestering everyone helped you as well!

My main reasons for going room only were two-fold.

1) All my party are Veggie, so I was wary of paying for food we couldn't eat however tasty

2) I want to be able to travel about a lot and see as much of Tobago as possible, all-in may have hindered me a little.

I will have been and got back before you go so hopefully I can help even more before you go.

I honestly think of my pending trip the minute I wake up - daily. In no small part to the people on here I hasten to add.

Thank you Marc, Paul and Steve for your help and support.

I am thinking at the moment of going for the Room only option (£3500) for a family of four.

Having a car (we love exploring), perhaps arraging breakfast with the hotel locally? (I don't know how that will work out price wise) and then eat out at various locations around the island for evening meals. This picks up on your advice about having a good breakfast.

The all-inclusive package is an additional £1500, I would imagine that I would not spend in excess of that amount eating out and paying for local watersports over the two weeks (therby staying within the all-inclusive budget). We then have the added advantage of seeing the Island which would appear to be criminal not to do whislt we are there.

Does anyone have any idea of the cost of watersports locally?

Thank you for your advice and support I am feeling a little better about choosing an option now.

Jim, I would say go for the room only every time! We were at the Rex in August on this basis and found it a brilliant base to explore from. We had the breakfast there on the first morning, before our car arrived, and it was very expensive, I think about £30+ for 2 adults and a child, there was also far too much of it and we could not have faced it every day. We ended up with cereal and fruit (I took the plastic bowls!) on our patio balcony looking out on the Caribbean, which I have to say was far better than sat in the hot dining room.
You can hire a small fridge for your room and a kettle, so you can set yourselves up quite well with a quick visit to the supermarket - there is a small one within 15 mins walking distance, and a much larger one a 15 minute drive away.
We had the option of all inclusive (for 3) at a cost of £1000 more than the RO, and we ended up spending £750 on ALL food & drink, the spare £250 going a long way towards the car hire.
I'm sure you won't fail to enjoy whatever you decide.
Jacqui.

Thank you Jacqui, your advice has been taken on board and we will certainly consider the excellent options.

How did you find the cost of the watersports? (assuming you did any) and also do you have any recommendations and advice on car hire?

Thank you once again and a Happy New Year to you.

Jim

Jim,
We hired our car through Yes Tourism, using Shermans. We had one of those controversial, totally impractical, Jimny Jeeps - and absolutely loved it - would definatley have one again. The service by both Yes Tourism and Shermans was excellent. It was delivered on time to the hotel, and we were given an excellent introduction by the Sherman's representative, we encountered no problems at all.
We did take the hotel Kayaks out twice, once all 3 of us and once just husband and daughter. They were very laid back about this and I don't think they charged for daughter (11), we were out about an hour both times - which is long enough in the sun, and they charged just over £4 to our room, so nothing that will break the bank there!
If kids, or adults, are interested in horse riding there's a great 4 hour ride down on to Turtle beach where you then get to ride the horses in to the sea - a great day for riders or non riders alike.
My husband also did some (quite extreme) mountain biking with a guide who came with the bikes to the hotel, which was very hard work but he enjoyed it immensely.
Happy New Year to you also.
Jacqui

Thank you Jacqui, I have kept a note of your comments and will explore the car hire.

Thank you,

Jim

Hi Jim

At the end of the day its Hobson’s choice we stayed at the REX last year (it will be last year in a few hours time) all inclusive and did not regret it, we considered it good value for money, drinks are quite expensive except if you buy in shops and its nice just to walk up to the bar no money and get a drink, the food was good with a good selection. We eat out also, mainly on days when we had a car and was out sight seeing, super food.

Just remember every evening you will have to drive out to get a meal or pay over the odds at the hotel for food, if you come back to the hotel for the evening entertainment more cash on drinks it soon adds up.

You will have a super time which ever way you go, as they say “the choice is yours”.

A post
I have just returned from Turtle Beach was it you who wanted the meal prices well Breakfast Full English 85TT$ Dinner Buffet 185TT$ Steak 8oz with Veg 130TT$ there are two cafe's in Black Rock that you could walk to along the Road or Beach about 15 mins walk. Under the Mango Tree is very good but closed till mid July owner home in Germany. Drinks at Turtle were around 13TT$ for a beer. We were AI and got a very good deal the food was very good as were the Hic Drinks.

Thank you John for your comments, also interested to note that you are in Bedfordshire, me being in Milton Keynes we are only a few miles apart!

Happy New Year.

Jim