INTRODUCTION
Just off the coast of the South American mainland they were once part of, Trinidad and Tobago (usually shortened to T&T) form the southernmost islands of the Lesser Antilles chain and the most influential republic in the Eastern Caribbean. They are the most exciting, underexplored and uncontrived of Caribbean islands, rich in indigenous culture. A cultural pacemaker best known as the home and heart of West Indian Carnival, the nation can also boast having the most diverse and absorbing society in the region.
Trinidad and Tobago remain relatively inexpensive, and are well geared to independent travellers without being fully fledged tourist resorts. Natural reserves of gas and oil combined with a strong manufacturing industry have ensured economic independence, and you’ll find the islands refreshingly unfettered by the pretensions of the tourist trade. Visitors are not corralled in all-inclusives or holed up on private beaches, and – though you could easily spend two weeks exploring seashores, which range from palm-lined white sand fringed by limpid waters to secluded, wave-whipped outcrops – you’ll find there’s far more to T&T than suntans and snorkelling.
These are among the richest destinations in the Caribbean for eco-tourism, combining the characteristic flora and fauna of the region with the wilder aspect of the South American mainland. You’d be hard pressed to come up with anywhere that offers such a variety of habitats in such a compact area (Trinidad covers no more than 4830 square kilometres, Tobago just 300). In Trinidad, you can hike through undisturbed tropical rainforest where towering canopies of mahogany and teak bedecked with lianas and epiphytic plants shelter red howler monkeys and ocelots. The wetlands and mangrove swamps harbour all manner of exotic wildlife, while leatherback turtles lay eggs on remote beaches. Huge blue emperor butterflies flit around the cool waters of innumerable inland rivers and waterfalls, and the birdwatching – with more than 430 brilliantly hued species – is among the world’s best. Tobago is best known for its glorious beaches and stunning coral reefs, declared third best in the Caribbean by Jacques Cousteau and favoured by graceful seven-metre manta rays and shoals of technicolour tropical fish.
Equally absorbing are T&T’s vital, crowded and dynamic towns and cities, unique showcases for the architectural, religious and cultural traditions of their cosmopolitan populations. Fretworked townhouses, Georgian-style mansions and barrack-house complexes built for plantation workers sit side by side with temples, mosques, Catholic cathedrals and Anglican churches. The varied ethnic groups brought to labour in the islands after the slaves there were freed in 1834 have given rise to a remarkably varied populace, hailing from India, China, Portugal and Syria as well as Africa, England, France and Spain. Though racial tensions are inevitably present, Trinbagonians (as they’re collectively known) generally coexist with good humour, and are proud of the multiculturalism that has so enriched the life of the nation. Nowhere is this more visible than in a lively music scene that rivals even that of Jamaica. The steel drum was invented in the Port of Spain suburb of Laventille, while calypso, first developed in African communities, evolved into contemporary soca. That in turn has spawned the Indian-influenced chutney soca and the danceable beats and politically conscious lyrics of rapso.
Trinbagonians have a less harrowing past to contend with than many of their Caribbean neighbours. Neglected by the Spanish for most of their three centuries of rule, Trinidad experienced full-scale slavery for only fifty years, while the Dutch, French and English were too busy fighting over Tobago to dedicate it to the demands of King Sugar. Consequently, the national psyche is characterized by a strong sense of identity and a laid-back enjoyment of the good things in life, the latter best displayed in the local propensity for liming – taking time out to meet friends, talk and sink a Carib beer or some rum. Thirteen public holidays and numerous local festivals are mere limbering up for the republic’s most famous party, the annual pre-Lenten Carnival, where the no-holds-barred debauchery of opening night Jouvert celebrations is followed by two days of pure joy as 5000-strong bands of intricately costumed revellers take to the streets in a celebration of life.
WHERE TO GO
As different as chalk and cheese but bound together for the convenience of the British empire, Trinidad and Tobago share little more than their status as a republic. Known chiefly as an island of oil refineries and metropolitan verve, Trinidad offers culture, ethnic diversity, music, great food and a wealth of gorgeous beaches. A more conventional holiday destination, Tobago boasts archetypal Caribbean beaches thronged by hotels of every budget, watersports, restaurants and a rapidly developing resort ethic. It s impossible to get a full picture of all the republic has to offer without visiting both Trinidad and Tobago, but a regular plane and ferry service make it possible to see the best of both even during a short stay.
A visit to Trinidad will inevitably begin in Port of Spain, the brash, bustling capital and centre of Carnival. With its museums, art galleries and restaurants, the best of local music and art, and most of the island s accommodation, this urbane metropolis is a natural base from which to explore the rest of the country. Chaguaramas to the west is the capital s playground, a national park with a string of open-air clubs providing lively, sophisticated nightlife. For the ultimate escape, however, it s not far to the rocky, wooded islands of the Bocas.
A sweeping curve of powdery sand and powerful waves, Maracas Bay is the first of many lovely beaches along the north coast. Between Blanchisseuse and Matelot runs a long stretch of completely undeveloped coastline thirty kilometres of footprint-free sand and total seclusion while the coastline further east is spectacularly rugged. Dominated by the densely forested peaks of the Northern Range, the northern interior offers excellent hiking along hunters trails, and the birdwatching is superb even the lazy can see up to forty unusual species in a morning from the verandah of the Asa Wright Nature Centre. South of the hills, the traffic-choked Eastern Main Road links the capital with the sizeable town of Arima home to the island s last remaining Caribs and provides access to swimmable rivers, caves, and the oldest Benedictine monastery in the Caribbean, from which you get an awesome view of the unravelling plains below.
Dominated by flat agricultural plains with a population of primarily Indian descent, central Trinidad provides a fascinating contrast to the north. From the ethereal Waterloo Temple to the busy market town of Chaguanas, Indian culture predominates. Just forty minutes from Port of Spain lies one of the island s richest natural attractions, the mangrove labyrinth of Caroni Swamp, home of the striking national bird, the scarlet ibis. On the east coast, the protected wetlands at Nariva are the habitat of endangered West Indian manatees and giant anacondas, while four kilometres of fine brown sand lined by groves of coconut palms make Manzanilla a favourite spot to recover from the rigours of Carnival.
The burgeoning commercial city of San Fernando is a friendly base from which to explore Trinidad s "deep south", an area largely unvisited by tourists. Modern oil towns such as Fyzabad contrast with the picturesque fishing villages and calm, deserted beaches of Cedros and Erin, and Mayaro Bay on the southeast coast a stunning, palm-fringed stretch of powdery sand.
Most people travelling to Tobago head for the translucent waters, coral reefs and excellent facilities of the island s low-lying western tip, staying in one of the hundreds of hotels slung along the coastline and playing golf on the island s palm-studded greens. The vibrant capital, Scarborough offers a more genuine picture of local life with its market and historic fort, while the rugged windward or Atlantic coast is best known for the waterfall at Argyll and the island s best scuba diving at Speyside. Heavily visited by day-trippers, the leeward or Caribbean coast is lined by a precipitous snake of tarmac that passes superb beaches at Castara and Englishman s Bay, while Charlotteville in the northwest is the perfect retreat, a picturesque fishing village that tumbles down a hillside to a couple of pretty horseshoe beaches.
WHEN TO GO
Most people visit T&T between January and March, when Carnival explodes into life, the trees are in bloom and the climate is at its most forgiving: the sun shines, rain is rare and the nights are cool. By May, however, the lack of rain has parched the formerly lush landscape: greens turn to yellow, dust clouds put the views into soft focus and bush fires rage through the hills. The only relief from the aridity takes the form of brief, sudden tropical rainstorms. At the end of May, the rainy season sets in, and the skies open up with dramatic deluges. The rainy season often continues into December, but there s usually a respite from the downpours in September, a period of hot sunshine and blue skies known as the petit carem. It s an excellent time to visit, with flights at low season rates, though you ll find the resorts a little quiet. Officially, the high season (Dec 15 April 15) should mean hiked hotel rates on both islands, but in reality, only Tobago hoteliers bother with two rates, and many smaller hotels charge the same all year round in both islands. Many hotels in and around Port of Spain, however, put up their rates during Carnival week.
