Trinidad and Tobago Vacation Guide

Introduction

Trinidad & Tobago lie off the Venezuelan coast. Along the north of Trinidad runs the Northern Range of mountains, looming over the country’s capital, Port of Spain. On the north and east coasts lie beautiful beaches. Port of Spain, surrounded by lush green hills, is the capital and business hub of oil-rich Trinidad. Bazaars throng beneath modern skyscrapers and mosques rub shoulders with cathedrals. San Fernando is the island’s second town and the main commercial centre in the south. Close by is the fascinating natural phenomenon of the Pitch Lake, a 90-acre (36.4 hectares) lake of asphalt which constantly replenishes itself. Tobago is very different from her sister isle 32km (20 miles) away. It is a tranquil island with calm waters and a number of fine beaches, each with their own flavour. They include Pigeon Point on the southwest coast. Buccoo Reef, an extensive coral reef, lies offshore. Excursions can be made in glass-bottomed boats and it is an excellent place for snorkelling. Local dishes include quenk (wild pig) and pastelles (meat folded into cornmeal and wrapped in a banana leaf). Trinidad has a wide and varied nightlife including nightclubs with calypso, limbo dancers and steel bands. In Tobago, the main Calypsonians from Trinidad travel over to perform at Shaw Park, Scarborough and Roxborough.

Full country name: Trinidad & Tobago
Area: 5,128 sq km
Population: 1.27 million
Capital City: Port-of-Spain
People: African (39%), East Indian (40%), with significant European, Chinese, Syrian, Lebanese and Carib minorities
Language: Spanish; Castilian, Hindi, English
Religion: Roman Catholic (30%), Hindu (24%), Anglican (11%), other Protestant denominations (29%) and Muslim (6%)
Government: independent republic within the British Commonwealth
Time Zone: GMT/UTC -4 (Atlantic Time)
Dialling Code: 868
Electricity: 115V ,60Hz
Currency: Trinidad Tobago Dollar (TT$)

We constantly update vacation deals and flights + hotel packages for Trinidad & Tobago and the Caribbean. You can also check out some of the best hotels and resorts in Trinidad and Tobago with exciting attractions like golf, casino, scuba diving and other water sports. Popular hotels & resorts in Trinidad and Tobago are Crowne Plaza Trinidad and Hilton Tobago.

Citizens of the USA, Canada, and most European Commonwealth countries do not require visas. Visas are required by citizens of some countries, including Australia, New Zealand, India and Sri Lanka. In most countries, visas are obtained through the British Embassy.
More Information About Visa Requirements

Flights to and from the USA, Canada, the UK, South America and other Caribbean Islands come and go from Piarco International Airport (23km/14mi east of Port of Spain in Trinidad) and Crown Point International Airport in Tobago. Taxis with established fares link Piarco International airport with Port of Spain. Windward Lines Limited has a passenger/cargo boat that connects Trinidad with St Lucia, Barbados, St Vincent and Venezuela. Cruise ships dock at the south side of Port of Spain. There's a smaller cruise-ship facility in central Scarborough on Tobago. Trinidad & Tobago is beyond the main sweep of most hurricanes, making it a safe haven for yachters.

Both Trinidad & Tobago are home to international airports. Tobago's Crown Point International Airport dominates the island's southwest corner and Trinidad's Piarco International Airport is 23km (14mi) east of Port of Spain. Direct flights from the US arrive in Trinidad; planes from London fly to Tobago. Within the Caribbean, LIAT (the major inter-island carrier) has nonstop flights between Port of Spain and St Lucia, Grenada and St Croix. Trinidad-based BWIA also flies between the Caribbean islands.

Plenty of bus choices operate in Port of Spain linking Trinidad's largest towns. The main departure point is the City Gate terminal on South Quay. Regular taxis ('tourist taxis') are available at the airports on both islands, and you'll find them lurking around hotels and cruise-ship docks as well. There are no taxi meters, so try to negotiate a fare before setting off. Driving is on the left here and a home driver's license from the USA, Canada, UK, France or Germany or an International Driving Permit is valid on Trinidad & Tobago for stays of up to three months. There are car rental offices in both Trinidad and Tobago, though you must be 25 or older to rent in Tobago.

Carnival, two days before Ash Wednesday in either February or March, is the best reason to go to Trinidad. However, if you can live without the big party, you'll enjoy steeply discounted hotel prices and cheaper airfares by visiting in the low season from mid-April to mid-December. During this period, the beaches are less crowded, tourist areas are more relaxed and last-minute bookings are not a problem.

From New Year's Day onwards, Trinidadians begin their obsessive preparations for Carnival, organising themselves into costume-making working bees, testing out the steel drums and rehearsing Calypso. The Pan Jazz Festival, held in November, brings together pan drummers and jazz musicians for three days of concerts in Trinidad. Tobago's Heritage Festival consists of two weeks of traditional-style festivities that begin in late July.

Tobago has some fine strands of beach on a par with many of the Caribbean's better known destinations. There are white-sand beaches and glass-clear water at Store Bay and Pigeon Point.

Trinidad is not known for its beaches, but the island's singular favourite is Maracas Bay, a scenic spot north of Port of Spain. Trinidad boasts several worthwhile hikes, including a fine hiking trail to Blue Basin Waterfall in the Northern Range.

To see and hear the birds on Trinidad, check out the Caroni Bird Sanctuary, Pointe-a-Pierre Wildfowl Trust, the Asa Wright Nature Center or the bird sanctuary on Little Tobago, the islet close to Speyside. Golf can be enjoyed just outside Port of Spain (Maraval) or in Tobago at the marvellous Mount Irvine Golf Course, former host to the Johnny Walker Pro Am. Cricket is the major spectator sport and the season runs from February to June.

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