Trinidad Adventure Guide

By Kathleen O'Donnell

Trinidad and Tobago is a country of twin islands, but they are fraternal rather than identical. The familial relationship is there, but each has grown in different and special ways. The British joined Trinidad and Tobago as one country in the latter 19th

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hunter Publishing
• Release date: Jan 15, 2013
• ISBN: 9781556501326

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Introduction 

Why Visit Trinidad & Tobago? 

Trinidad and Tobago is a country of twin islands, but they are fraternal rather than identical. The familial relationship is there, but each has grown in different and special ways. The British joined Trinidad and Tobago as one country in the latter 19th century, though each island has a very distinct history and culture. They also differ geographically: Tobago feels Caribbean in nature, while Trinidad feels more South American. 

Tobago's history is one of estate plantations. Agriculture dominated the island's economy into the 1960s. It is still, in many ways, rural in character. Its people are mostly of African origin, while Trinidad's nature was shaped by the much wider variety of people who settled there. Trinidad has lush jungle in the north, a heavily developed central corridor, and swamps and savannah in the south. Though it, too, has an agricultural base, Trinidad also has almost a hundred years of modern industrial development. 

Together, the two islands form a fascinating country with an intriguing history, wonderful people, and an array of unique places to explore and things to do. 

The majority of visitors to the islands right now are British, Scandinavian, and German. Americans have long known of the bird watching opportunities in Trinidad, but have only recently discovered Tobago. 

Visiting Trinidad 

Many people travel to Tobago and fail to visit Trinidad. Probably equal numbers visit Trinidad for Carnival and fail to visit neighboring Tobago. There's not much excuse for that, since the two islands are connected by ferry rides or short flights. Each island has a very distinct appeal. 

Though a small island, Trinidad is appealing to visitors from two very different perspectives. On one hand, it is cosmopolitan. The capital city, Port of Spain, has one of the best zoos in the Caribbean and one of the oldest botanical gardens. It has nightclubs and chic restaurants, and there is an air of hustle and bustle that is native to an urban environment. It is also home to one of the biggest parties in the world - Carnival, a spectacular event attracting visitors from all over the globe. There are calypso competitions and pan music, parades of fabulously costumed revelers, and dancing in the streets. Officially lasting only a few days, events leading up to the Carnival crescendo start at the beginning of the year. Carnival is the best-known reason to visit the island. 

The lesser-known side of Trinidad is its wonderful natural environment. Within a short drive from the city, you'll find huge mangrove swamps, mountainous jungle rain forests, deserted wind-swept beaches, remarkable bird preserves, a pitch lake, island caves, mud volcanoes, and a wealth of micro-climates with an enormous variety of plants and animals. Each time we visit Trinidad, it seems even more remarkable. 

Then there are the people of Trinidad. Here you will find a true melting pot. Cultures and races have mixed and remixed through the years, and a person's character has finally become more important than his or her color. Trinis are well-educated, politically informed, and sophisticated. They are kind, helpful, and open-minded. Wherever you go, you will be well treated. 

Visiting Trinidad is a step into a world where people of all colors and cultures work hard at getting along. This may be the island's most special quality. 

Visiting Tobago 

Like so many Caribbean islands, Tobago offers an exquisite environment, but it has other major advantages. Until recently, Tobago's tourism industry was relatively undeveloped. There were only a few resort-style hotels on the island, and none were more than three stories high. Numerous small hotels and guest houses dotted the towns, and there was a very low-key feel to the island. Tobago has now found itself on the tourist map, and hotels and holiday villa construction projects are  in the works around the island or planned to begin in the next few years. Poised between the quiet life of local people and developing tourism, Tobago is still a very friendly and safe island. There are beautiful beaches, of course, but Tobago offers much more. It is a bird watcher's paradise. It also has the oldest national park in this hemisphere and some of the best scuba diving in the Caribbean for experienced divers. 

Tobago offers visitors a true Caribbean getaway. It is very relaxed, with sunning and swimming its major attractions. Golf, tennis, and numerous water sports are available, including snorkeling, windsurfing, diving, sailing, and deep-sea fishing. The natural environment is perfect for hiking along nature trails in the rain forest, and people in Tobago are open and friendly. Like us and so many others, you'll find yourself wishing a part of Tobago could be yours forever. 

Not much remains unchanging in this world of ours, and Tobago is no exception. With assistance and encouragement from the government, Tobago is making its mark on the world of tourism. Trinidad and Tobago has an advantage in being late to explore economic development through tourism; it has the rest of the Caribbean from which to study and learn. There is an unwritten law in Tobago that buildings may not be taller than a palm tree. That unofficial rule is now becoming a part of development policy, and hotels may not be more than three stories high anywhere on the island. Attention is also being given to the delicate ecosystem and fragile nature of the land. While the number of hotel rooms will soon more than double, sites are being carefully selected to avoid damaging the very thing that makes the island special: its beautiful environment and clean waters. 

As development continues, there is much discussion of what the future will bring. For now, Tobago is a delightful and welcoming destination. 

The People & Their Culture 

When visiting Trinidad and Tobago, remember that Tobago, especially, is still an island of villages and small-town friendliness. We got a lift from a farmer one day and as we rode along he talked about the strong village ties in Tobago. Village elders still try to keep everyone on the straight and narrow so there are fewer social problems in Tobago than in nearby, more urban Trinidad. 

Tobagoins are accepting of visitors and seem to have unending patience with the interruptions in their daily lives caused by tourists. While open minded, the islanders are not sophisticated. Visitors, thoughtlessly sometimes, behave in ways that ignore local customs and, over time, this will certainly cause friction between the island's people and its visitors. 

As a visitor to Tobago, pay a little more attention to dress than you may back home. Bathing suits belong only on the beach. Bring a wrap or shorts to throw on when you're leaving the beach and everyone will be more comfortable. Sunbathing belongs only on the beach or at the pool and sunbathing means in a bathing suit, top and bottom at all times. Public nudity is very offensive to local people and it is illegal. 

Whether man or woman, remember you're the equivalent of a city slicker to the people who live here. Your presence can impress and distort local values on a short-term basis that may have long-term consequences after you leave. As a nation of travelers, we have become more sensitive to taking care of the natural environments we explore. We need to take equal care with the people we encounter. 

Tobagoins are deeply religious and, though it may not be immediately evident, they are more straight-laced than you would expect. A local young man or woman who becomes romantically involved with a foreigner will have problems fitting in again when the visitor leaves. Be careful not to destroy what you came to see and enjoy. 

Trinidad, though more sophisticated and urban in character than Tobago, is still a place where deeply held religious beliefs guide behavior. Dressing in a provocative manner will get you more of a response than you might expect (or want). 

The people of Trinidad and Tobago are beautiful and you cannot help but want to take a few photos. However, always ask permission before pointing a camera at someone.  

Language 

Although the language of both Trinidad and Tobago is English, when the locals are talking among themselves it can sound like another language entirely. Here are some colloquial expressions you might find interesting. 

"Lime"is to spend time talking and socializing with friends. You'll see lots of fellows liming during the hotter parts of the day as you drive around the islands; work is done in the cooler morning and evening hours. 

Free upis to relax and let go of your inhibitions. 

Atraceis a road or lane. 

Calabash housesare the old-style gingerbread houses you'll see as you explore the island. Locally, Trinidadians are calledTrinis.A new word,Trinbago,is being used more commonly now when talking about both islands together. 

You will please many a person in Trinidad and Tobago if you use more formal greetings, such as good morning, good afternoon, good evening. The informal American greeting, Hello, how are you? doesn't seem to do the trick. You'll also hear good night used as a greeting, rather than as something to say when leaving for the evening. 

Geography 

The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is the most southerly Caribbean country. Positioned just off the coast of Venezuela, Trinidad is seven miles from the mainland and Tobago is 21 miles off the coast of Trinidad. Rather than having volcanic or coral origins like many Caribbean islands, it is believed that these islands broke from the mainland and share many geologic features with Venezuela. Visible from one to the other because of their relatively high mountain ridges - 1,860 feet in Tobago and 3,085 feet in Trinidad - the two islands, though related politically, are worlds apart in physical characteristics. 

Balata & Maracas Bays

Government 

Organization 

The President of Trinidad and Tobago is elected Head of State by Parliament, but executive powers are held by the popularly elected Prime Minister and his Cabinet. Legislative power resides in the two houses of Parliament - the popularly elected 36-member House of Representatives and the appointed 31-member Senate. In addition to its representation in Parliament, Tobago has a voice in its local affairs through its 12-member House of Assembly. George Maxwell Richards, TC, CM is the current, and fourth, President of Trinidad and Tobago. A chemical engineer by training, Richards was Principal of the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies in Trinidad in 1996.

George Maxwell Richards

History 

Trinidad and Tobago gained political independence from Britain in 1962. Since that time it has held elections every five years, peaceably transferring the powers of government with each new ruling party. Because of its unusual history as a Crown Colony, Trinidad and Tobago has less political experience than other of Britain's colonies in the Caribbean. Most of Britain's other colonies enjoyed local political control and they developed political skills, becoming progressively more adept in managing the plurality that makes a democratic process. Crown Colony status for Trinidad meant that its government was appointed by the Crown and, until 1925, the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago were almost entirely excluded from the political process. 

In the short period of time from the mid-1920s to the mid-1950s, their political control evolved from having only an advisory capacity to a British-appointed governor to full independence as a country with freely elected political parties and universal suffrage. Evidently their relative lack of experience in political and governmental processes did not greatly impede the development of their political sophistication. 

Economy 

Trinidad and Tobago differ in their history and in their economic development. Tobago is decidedly rural - economically relying on locally consumed agricultural products, fishing, civil service employment, and, more recently, tourism. While also having a significant agricultural sector, Trinidad has diversified manufacturing and a petroleum products industry that developed early in the 20th century. Current oil reserves might not provide a rosy economic future for the country, though its reserves of natural gas and methanol may. 

Oil 

High worldwide oil prices in the 1970s created a financial boon for Trinidad and Tobago. Money was suddenly available for major infrastructure expenditures and ambitious projects were undertaken. Unfortunately, with the contraction of oil industry prices in the late 1970s, Trinidad and Tobago found itself in a financial squeeze. Like many smaller oil-producing countries, it had greatly over-extended public spending on development projects based on the widely accepted prediction of continued high oil prices. An economic crisis was averted, but severe cutbacks in public spending by the late 1980s and into the '90s sent waves of recession throughout the economy. With World Bank and IMF intervention, changes in economic policy have been implemented, including a loosening of restraint on foreign investment. The development of a tourism sector in the economy is also a part of these policy changes. Tourism in Trinidad and Tobago had never been a significant portion of the economy; it was not perceived as necessary or potentially beneficial. 

Tourism 

While tourism is cited as a major income-producing sector for many smaller Caribbean countries, it remains to be seen if tourism will appreciably improve or even help to maintain a desirable standard of living for people in Trinidad and Tobago. Given that the Republic of Trinidad