Tobago can be enjoyed at a slower pace than its bigger neighbor to the southwest. It is a small island shaped like a cigar, with no large urban center. Only 26 mi/41 km long and 7 mi/11 km wide, the island features a beautiful ridge of mountains running down its center. Tobago's motto is "She becomes more beautiful," and many think the island is the perfect example of the Caribbean. Trinidad is high-energy, and Tobago is the opposite—a tranquil temptress with idyllic white- and pink-sand beaches, shallow offshore reefs and mountain jungles. It's the Caribbean of yesteryear, where a question about a restaurant's hours is likely to be met with: "We open anytime for you, sweetheart. You come, we take care of you." April's Tobago Jazz Festival features not only jazz, but soul, reggae and R&B music.
Potpourri
Leatherback turtles, one of the largest species of turtles in the sea, are often seen. On Tobago, the best sightings occur at Stonehaven, Bloody Bay and Parlatuvier. March-July are the best months for viewing. Contact local tour operators for more information.
Buccoo is the goat-racing capital of the world. Started by an Englishman in 1925, the current race has a beautiful facility built beyond the beach at Buccoo, where every Easter Tuesday the races attract a crush of locals and visitors to the island.
If you spot a huge person relaxing outside a hotel on Tobago, it's not a giant, it's art: The 8-ft/2.5-m sculptures produced by artist Luise Kimme are carved from tree trunks and often depict islanders engaged in everyday activities such as relaxing, dancing and going to church. They are also found outside many buildings and landmarks.
The movie Swiss Family Robinson was filmed on Tobago on the beach behind Blue Haven Hotel. Local belief is that Daniel Defoe used the island as a model for the book as well.
Beaches
Busy and crowded Store Bay, at the southwest end of the island, is a mecca for tourists from Trinidad and overseas. You'll find good swimming, powdery-white sand and a lifeguard. The beach is fringed with palms, and the turquoise water is crystal clear, a perfect place to watch the sunset. There's a modest restaurant and a place to rent watersports equipment. You can also take a glass-bottomed-boat ride over the Buccoo Reef. A taxi to Store Bay from Scarborough costs about US$10; a maxi taxi costs US$1.
North of Store Bay is Pigeon Point beach (small admission fee charged). Changing rooms and thatched shelters are available there. The water is shallow and calmer than anywhere else on the island because the point is protected by nearby Buccoo Reef. As a result, this is easily the most beautiful beach on the island.
Bacolet Beach is a short cab ride up the coast from Scarborough, at the start of Windward Road. A winding lane (always take the left fork) leads to the palm-lined beach, where the movie Swiss Family Robinson was filmed in 1960.
Mount Irvine Bay is worth the trip for its wonderful surf and sand; all watersports are available there, from scuba diving to waterskiing to reef and deep-sea fishing safaris, offered by Mount Irvine Bay Watersports. Surfers take note: A perfect right break across the reef is a regular thrill in the winter months. There's a strip of hotels along the water, including the Mount Irvine Bay Hotel (its 18-hole championship course is a magnet for golf enthusiasts), where you can dine in an old, coral-rock sugar mill. The hotel, surf and tidal pools lure many people to Mount Irvine Bay, but just a step up the road is the very secluded Back Bay Beach with good bodysurfing waves—it's a steep scramble down to the sand. Expect to pay about US$25 in taxi fare from Scarborough. Also check out Grange Beach—it is just past Mount Irvine heading north and has great swimming.
Grafton Beach, with its unusual black sand, is a little farther north along the ocean road, but easier to reach. (About a US$25 taxi ride from Scarborough.) You can find good swimming in gentle-lapping waves, but stay close to the shore to avoid dangerous currents. Dining and watersports are available at the Grafton Beach Resort.
On the northern Leeward coast, about a US$40 taxi ride from Scarborough, is Parlatuvier, a sandy, crescent-shaped bay that's ringed by palm-laced hills. Lounge on the sand and enjoy the gentle bustle of village life, with fishermen tending their nets, housewives cleaning pastel-colored homes and children playing in the schoolyard. There are several snack shops open for refreshments.
Be aware that the undertow and waves are fierce at most beaches on this side of the island. Look for warning signs, and if you don't see people in the water, don't go in.
Bird Watching
Bird-watchers, in particular, will enjoy a visit to Little Tobago, an uninhabited island off the east coast, near Speyside (about an hour-and-a-half drive from Scarborough). Boats leave regularly for the 15-minute trip to the island, a 450-acre/182-hectare seabird sanctuary. Snorkeling is excellent, too—there's always the chance you'll see a manta ray. This is one of the best spots in the Caribbean to explore a brain coral reef up close.
Adventure Farm and Nature Reserve is a 12-acre/5-hectare estate on the Arnos Vale Road that allows visitors to pick mangoes and citrus fruit from orchards teeming with birds and butterflies (closed weekends). The Arnos Waterwheel Park has a small museum, restaurant, gift shop and performance stage, and the Arnos Hotel is a dreamy locale surrounded by tropical-forest preserve.
After a hurricane devastated the cocoa crop in the early 1960s, the owner of a plantation south of Plymouth began feeding the birds from the damaged forest. After her death, the estate became the Grafton Caledonia Wildlife Sanctuary, which has a nature center and forest hiking trails. You can sometimes hand-feed the motmots at 4 pm.
Boating & Sailing
At Store Bay, residents park their private boats—Sunfish and other small sailing craft—on the sand and rent them. Prices are based on demand but usually run about US$15-$20 an hour. Glass-bottomed boats cruise Buccoo Reef, leaving from Pigeon Point, Store Bay or the fishing village at Buccoo. Most boats depart at 11 am, but Johnson and Sons sails at low tide, when the reef is just a couple of feet from the surface. The Johnson and Sons tour, by far the most reliable in Buccoo, lasts three to four hours and ends with a swim in the sandy-bottomed Nylon Pool and Coral Gardens and costs about US$20 per person (phone 868-639-8519).
You can rent windsurfing boards on the Great Courland Bay beach at Pigeon Point's Rex Turtle Beach Hotel (phone 868-639-2851), the coarse-sand Grafton Beach Resort (phone 868-639-0191) or the Blue Waters Inn in Speyside (phone 868-660-4341 or 868-660-4077). Expect to pay about US$30.
For those who need some Hobie Cat instruction, Cool Runnings at Mount Irvine Beach offers lessons. A half-day course costs US$95 including lunch or US$399 for a week of six courses plus instruction and even airport transfers. Phone 868-639-6363.
Fishing
In Speyside, Blue Waters Inn in Batteaux Bay runs deep-sea fishing trips (phone 868-639-4341 or 868-639-4077). Trips can also be arranged with local fishermen. (Prices are negotiable.) You can hook wahoo, marlin, dorado, tuna and more.
Golf
The island's oldest golf course is at the Mount Irvine Bay Hotel, which is about 5 mi/8 km from Pigeon Point (phone 868-639-8871). Taxi fare to Mount Irvine Bay from Scarborough is about US$20-$25, and greens fees run about US$84 including the cart and US$33 for the caddy and club fees. Another 18-hole course is at Tobago Plantations, the island's first gated community with more than 2 mi/3 km of oceanfront (phone 868-639-8000). Taxi fare is about US$18 from Scarborough.
Scuba & Snorkeling
Surrounded by shallow-water reefs, Tobago is one of the top places on the planet to snorkel or dive from shore. Buccoo Reef National Park, a reserve of shallow-water corals off the southeastern end of the island, seems to have been created with the snorkeler in mind. The waters are exceptionally clear—especially the Nylon Pool (named by Queen Elizabeth II when she referred to the clarity of the amazing pool as being as clear as her nylons)—and filled with undersea gardens of staghorn, brain and starlet coral. (Because of the shallow depths, the coral has taken a beating from careless visitors walking on the reef. Greater conservation measures are now being enforced.)
The opposite end of the island lures scuba divers with unusual sites off Little Tobago Island and Goat Island. You can try drift diving along reefs with huge sea fans, sponges the size of bathtubs and bushes of black coral. Or spend your afternoon at Manta Reef in hopes of seeing its namesake. (Manta rays are most often seen March-July.) Extra Divers Tobago operates from Pigeon Point (phone 868-639-7424). Alternatively, try R&Sea Divers, Crown Point (phone 868-639-8120); Redman Dive, Speyside (phone 868-660-5464); its sister shops\ Aquamarine Dive at Blue Waters Inn, Speyside (phone 868-660-5445); and World of Watersports, located at the Hilton Hotel in Lowlands (phone 868-660-7234). They are some of the most reputable operators on the island. Man Friday Diving in Charlotteville has a custom-built diving center on the beach and offers night dives (phone 868-660-4676). A one-tank dive runs about US$40 and a two-tank dive about US$80.
If you make prior arrangements, most companies will pick you up at the pier. You must be a certified diver and present your C card to rent equipment and go diving, although some shops may offer a supervised resort-course dive (usually about US$55-$75—check locally).
Tennis & Racquet Sports
Several resort hotels have tennis courts that are available to visitors for a small fee. The closest courts to Scarborough are at Palm Tree Village Beach Resort at Lambeau on Rockley Bay (phone 868-639-4347) and the two world-class courts at the Hilton Hotel, located about 3 mi/5 km from the Scarborough Market (phone 868-660-8500).
Other Options
Sea turtles lay eggs along Great Courland Bay March-September (the best time to see the turtles is June and July and when the hatchlings emerge). Night tours allow visitors to observe the eggs and the hatchlings along this west-coast bay south of Plymouth. Check with the tourist office for more information. The Travel Foundation is also conducting regular viewings as a part of its sustainable-tourism project. http://www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk.
Nightlife
This sleepy island is not known for its nightlife, but the bars or restaurants in town can be hopping after dark. You'll find dancing and calypso, or soca music at most resorts, and there are several excellent folk-dance troupes on the island—check local listings.
The Deep at Sandy Point Hotel has a disco Friday and Saturday nights, and The Steak Hut at Sandy Point Village in Crown Point is a beautiful ocean-side spot to catch some calypso or steel-band music while you sip a rum punch after sundown. Royalton Casino, Tobago's newest gaming house, operates at the Crown Point Beach Resort. The Kaiso Club on Milford Road in Canaan is also a good bet for those in the gaming mood. Bonkers Sports Bar on Store Bay Local Road has live music. Indigo has live jazz on Thursdays, and steel band and barbecue on Fridays. The Shade is a popular Friday and Saturday nightspot in Bon Accord across from Fortune Plaza, where you can dance to whatever the DJ is spinning. Grafton Beach Resort at Black Rock has nightly entertainment. In Crown Point, the Kariwak Village Hotel has weekend entertainment in an elegant tropical environment, and the Pelican Reef has live entertainment nightly.
For those who enjoy a bit of indigenous African drumming, try Arnos Vale Waterwheel, Divers Den Grill & Bar or The Copra Tray on Store Bay Local Road, Bon Accord. For a more relaxed time, check out the Robinson Crusoe Pub and Palm Court Lobby Lounge in the Hilton for live entertainment in nautically themed surroundings. The Pavilion Restaurant has something called the live entertainment program, a great combo of cocktails, sunset and music. Other spots to consider are Copra Tray Bar, Green Light Bar, Coco Cafe and Melange.
Other Options
Cricket fans or those who are curious about it should look for a match at Shaw Park. Being part of the enthusiastic crowd is often a draw in and of itself.
Shopping
Gulf City Mall in Lowlands is a shopper's paradise, with a variety of books, clothing, shoes, household items, fast food and fine dining. Four cinemas and conference facilities are open.
Shoppers may be disappointed with Scarborough's wares, and many of the stores are scruffy and utilitarian. Look for practical items in the small shops in the Scarborough Mall next to the post office—Chadija's Souvenir and Gift Shop is worth a look for souvenirs. But your best bets for gifts are the shops up Burnett Street (expect a climb, but you will be rewarded—the stores get better the higher you go). All of the big hotels have boutiques selling local souvenirs, artwork and designer clothing of a tropical nature. The prices are higher than elsewhere—but so is the quality.
At the cruise-ship terminal, friendly local artists sell traditional goods, including batik, cane and straw items, wood carvings and leather. Duty-free shops also offer bargains on alcohol and other items. You can find duty-free shopping opportunities elsewhere on the island, too.
The shop in Fort King George also sells quality local handicrafts. The Cotton House on Bacolet Street, less than a mile/kilometer south of Main Street, has great island-style cotton and batik clothes and hand-painted T-shirts. Elegant designer clothing and jewelry in natural materials are available at Gallery Reflections in Buccoo Village and Batiki Point next to the Sunday School. Gifts made from natural sources can also be found at Things Natural on Milford Road in Crown Point. Gourmet tastes can be satisfied at R.T. Morshead on Buccoo Road in Mount Pleasant, and Fernandes Fine Wines & Vintage Imports offers quite a good range of spirits and grape labels. Souvenir vendors stroll the sands at Store Bay, and the Clothes Wash Cafe is an interesting combination of Internet cafe and laundromat. You can bargain with street and beach vendors (use local currency to get the best price), but don't try it in the stores. Prices are usually in Trinidadian dollars, but U.S. dollars are also widely accepted. Larger stores give roughly the same rate of exchange and accept most major credit cards.
Don't purchase items made from turtle shell or black coral, which are protected by the government.
Shopping Hours: Monday-Friday 8 am-4:40 pm and Saturday morning. Shops are closed on Sunday.
Local Tours
Tour companies as well as individuals and taxi drivers offer tours. At the terminal, you can select a tour or hire a minibus with driver for a few hours or longer. Among the companies in the cruise-ship terminal is Good Time Tours, which charges US$45-$60 for a half-day tour (phone and fax 868-639-6816). Ted's Sunshine Tours is also a favorite, because it boasts knowledge of secret hideaways that make a trip memorable. Trips last from four to nine hours and range US$35-$75 per person (phone 868-639-0547).
For an insight into the natural beauty of Tobago, try Nature Lovers with Darren Henry, a trained forester and tour guide, who will take you into the rain forest and to Tobago's cascading waterfalls, organize a boat trip to the Little Tobago Wildlife Sanctuary or show you the flora exhibited at the Botanic Gardens. Tours start from US$45 (phone 868-639-4559 or 868-767-9298).
Day Plans
To help you make the most of your time in Tobago, we've designed three different itineraries.Day Plans
PLAN AThe Lazy Beachcomber
Pack your camera and your beach gear and get an early start so you can explore Scarborough in the morning before it gets too hot. (You can easily see it in an hour, maybe less.) Then walk up the hill to Fort King George. Don't miss artist Luise Kimme's huge wooden sculptures (she even offers tours of her studio, phone 868-639-0257). This is the place for panoramic snapshots of the coast—you can glimpse Trinidad on a clear day. Stroll back to town through the Botanic Gardens—there isn't much to see, but you can breathe in the fragrance from the flowering tropical trees. Don't miss the local fruit and vegetable market downtown, especially if you're visiting on a Friday or Saturday.
Then take a taxi to Store Bay, where you can stroll up the beach for a seaside drink on the patio at Conrado Beach Resort. Walk or ride the last half-mile/kilometer to the palm-lined, soft-sand beach at Pigeon Point. When you tire of sun, surf and sand, take a glass-bottomed-boat tour of Buccoo Reef, which lies breathtakingly close to the surface of the water.
PLAN B
The Nature Tour
It's best to rent a car for this trip or hire a taxi for the day. Take your binoculars and a long lens and lots of film for your camera. Pack sunblock, a hat, insect repellent and a long-sleeved shirt. Head east out of Scarborough on the narrow Windward Road—it's a scenic trip past sandy bays and up into jungle valleys (if you hire a driver, you'll have more time to look). About 5 mi/8 km out of town are the ruins and cemetery of Fort Granby. Stop for the view and a drink at the First Historical Cafe & Bar, a colorful stop with bamboo decor, gravel floors and ocean views. Don't forget to ask the proprietor for a tour of the history-laden walls. Drive another 45 minutes, stopping just before Roxborough to hike the three-tiered Argyle Falls. (You can't miss the entrance—government-trained guides in special T-shirts will be waiting.) Best in the rainy season.
Continue to Roxborough and cross the island on the winding but paved Roxborough Parlatuvier Road. It's a 30-minute jungle drive—but don't drive straight through. Stop and walk one of the many hiking trails through the Tobago Forest Reserve. This is the oldest protected rain forest in the Western Hemisphere. (Try Gilpin Trace Trail, but turn around at the Gold and Silver Falls.) If you look up, you might catch sight of a brightly colored trogon.
Just before descending to the northern coast, there's a breathtaking view of Bloody Bay, named for a brutal battle between the Dutch, French and British in the 1600s. Then return along the northern coast, stopping to watch the birds feed while taking afternoon tea at the Arnos Vale Hotel, a restored plantation house in a stunning garden, before entering historic Plymouth and crossing the island to Scarborough.
PLAN C
Around the Island
To sample some of the island's best scenery, rent a car or hire a car and driver for the day and take the snaking Windward Road along the windswept Atlantic coast toward the northeastern point of the island. The drive will take about an hour and a half (great views of the mountains and tiny seaside fishing villages along the way). Get lunch and plenty of water in Speyside, the island's center for diving activities, and catch the boat for the 15-minute ride to Little Tobago, the seabird reserve that's inhabited only by boobies, shearwaters and terns. You will have to take food and water with you because the tiny island has no facilities. Don't forget your snorkeling gear—the visibility underwater is especially fine.
When you return to the mainland, cut across the island and drive along the northern coast to Mount Irvine Bay. Take your afternoon tea at the Sugar Mill Restaurant—it's an alfresco poolside spot built in the ruins of an old sugar mill on the grounds of the very flashy Mount Irvine Bay Hotel. If you feel too grubby and sea-blown to enter these upmarket portals, try the bar on the public beach, just north of the hotel. Before returning to Scarborough, stop in the tiny fishing village of Buccoo. If there's time, take a glass-bottomed-boat ride to the reef or simply snorkel off the beach.
Dining Overview
Seafood is abundant on Tobago, along with spicy Caribbean and Creole dishes. Local specialties include shark-and-bake (a spicy fried-shark sandwich), crab back (stuffed crab), curried goat, callaloo soup (subtly seasoned and made from dasheen leaves, a spinachlike plant),
phuloorie (deep-fried balls of chickpea batter served with hot mango sauce), kingfish, conch, flying fish, and curried crab and dumplings. There is also
pelau (buttery pigeon peas and tasty rice) and roti (curried vegetables or meats wrapped in soft dough). Be sure to sample the exotic ice creams, flavored with
soursop, barbadine, coconut, mango and guava. The less adventurous will find U.S. and English staples at the larger hotels. For liquid refreshment, try Carib or Stag beer, Old Oak Rum or ice-cold coconut milk served in the shell. Mauby is a local drink that tastes like root beer. Another to try is sorrel, made from a type of hibiscus.
Breakfast is served 7-10 am, lunch about 11:30 am-2 pm and dinner 7-10 pm. Beach bars and restaurants serve bikini-clad diners; you should be casually but fully dressed for most resort and hotel restaurants.
Expect to pay within these guidelines for a meal for one, not including drinks, tax or tip: $ = less than US$10; $$ = US$10-$20; $$$ = US$21-$50; and $$$$ = more than US$50.
Personal Safety
Crime against tourists in Tobago remains a problem. Be alert and take sensible precautions. Do not visit isolated beaches. Use taxis after dark. If in doubt, you should consult the tour operator or hotel staff.
You should not carry large amounts of cash or wear eye-catching jewelry. Use hotel safe-deposit boxes to store valuables, money and passports. Photocopies of valuables such as passports, tickets, your driver's license and traveler's checks should be kept separately.
Country areas are best visited in groups. At tourist attractions, use official guides and agree on a price before you set off.
For the latest information, contact your country's travel-advisory agency.
Health
The tap water is safe, as is the food, but use discretion when purchasing seafood. Sunblock is absolutely essential outdoors. Scarborough's hospital is at Fort George (phone 868-639-2551). The emergency number for fire and ambulance is 990; for police, 999. The Scarborough Pharmacy is located at Carrington Street and Wilson Road (phone 868-639-4161).
For the latest information, contact your country's health-advisory agency.
Dos & Don'ts
Do expect a lot of attention if you're white or a single woman, especially on the beach. The island has a macho culture, and local men love to show their appreciation for the opposite sex. If this kind of cultural exchange is not welcome, a firm "no" will do the trick.
Don't be surprised to hear men making a sucking sound to catch a woman's attention. It's known as being sooted.
Don't expect anything to run on time—residents are too laid-back to be hampered by the restrictions of a clock.
Do get familiar with the term "lime," which means to hang out.
Don't leave valuables visible on seats in rental cars—this is an invitation for theft.
Do say "good morning" or "good afternoon" before starting a conversation with someone in the street or in a shop. Don't wear beach attire away from the shore or pool—it is not appreciated on the streets.
Don't remove coral—doing so is illegal.
Don't expect good restaurant service or any hotel-room service during Carnival (your waiters will be out partying in the streets).
Do expect hotel prices to shoot up during Carnival.
Hotel Overview
Accommodations range from fairly deluxe beach properties to local hotels and inns. Most are clean and more than adequate. The most upscale properties are on Tobago. Be sure to do some research before making reservations, as some hotels are isolated—even from beaches. Staying in guesthouses and bed-and-breakfasts is a good way to meet Trinidadians. Some accommodations have kitchenettes, and others even give you the option of hiring a cook. If you're going for Carnival or the month preceding it, book early.
Geostats
Passport/Visa Requirements: All U.S. citizens must have a passport when traveling by air to or from Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America and Mexico. Citizens of Canada, Mexico and the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda also must have a passport or other designated secure document to enter the U.S.
Beginning 1 June 2009, passports are required for land crossings at the Canadian and Mexican borders with the U.S. and for cruise passengers returning to the U.S. from Mexico, the Caribbean, Canada or Bermuda. Reconfirm travel-document requirements with your carrier prior to departure.
Currency Exchange
The official currency is the Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TT$). Coins are of one, five and 25 cents, and there are bill denominations of one, five, 10, 20 and 100. Keep bills of TT$20 or smaller for making change with taxi drivers or street vendors.
U.S. dollars are widely accepted. In Scarborough, all banks have ATMs. The Republic Bank at the Crown Point Airport offers credit card cash advances (with photo ID) and sells phone cards. If you change money, keep your receipt so you can reconvert any currency before your departure (you cannot convert the local currency outside the country). Banks are open Monday-Thursday 8 am-3 pm and Friday 8 am-noon and 3-5 pm.
Taxes
Most hotels and restaurants add a 10% service charge to the bill. If it isn't included, tip 10%-15%.
Weather
The best time to go is January-May, when it's coolest and the least rainy. Daytime temperatures reach the 80s F/28-32 C, with nights in the 60s-70s F/15-27 C. Because of the trade winds, it rarely feels excessively hot. June-November is the rainy season, when the islands are subject to more clouds, rain and humidity. (Some accommodations close during this time, but those still open offer dramatic discounts.) Both islands are usually outside the path of hurricanes. Take a sweater or jacket, because evenings tend to cool off quite a bit.
What to Wear
Hats, sunglasses and sunscreen are a must. Skimpy clothing is fine for the beach, but nowhere else. Nude or topless sunbathing is against the law (though you may encounter it in some secluded areas). Casual clothing is appropriate during the day and for evenings at most restaurants. Long pants and good shoes are recommended for hiking in the forest. Depending on the season, some travelers may find the nights cool. Long sleeves are never a bad idea to fend off mosquitoes around dusk.
Telephone
Tobago's phone system has greatly improved. It's best to buy phone cards, available for TT$30-$100, in shops displaying a red and yellow Phonecard sign. Make international calls from the TSTT office in Scarborough (it's easier and cheaper than anywhere else). The TSTT office is just west of the tourist office.
Internet Access
Most hotels offer Internet access, either wireless or through a computer terminal in the lobby. Internet cafes are common even in some of the smaller towns. Rates are around US$4-$5 per hour in cafes. Hotels either include it in the rates or charge hefty fees.
Mail & Package Services
You can mail postcards and letters at the Central Post Office in Scarborough Port, just west of the tourist office in Scarborough. It's open Monday-Friday 8 am-4:30 pm.
Newspapers & Magazines
The main daily newspaper is
Trinidad Guardian, and there are two daily tabloids: Tri
nidad and Tobago Express and
Newsday. All are a bit larger on the weekends and offer coverage of local entertainment.
Bus
Public buses run every half-hour between Scarborough and Crown Point from 7 am to 7 pm. The fare is US$0.25. The bus terminal is downtown near the Scarborough Mall, but don't count on taking a bus to the airport to catch a plane—service is not frequent enough to be useful. Most visitors prefer to take taxis, which are plentiful. (All commuter vehicles have an H as the first letter of their license plates.)
Car
Rental cars are available for about US$35-$50 a day, or US$210 a week, plus about US$8 for insurance. International as well as local agencies have offices in Scarborough. You must have a valid Canadian, U.S. or international driver's license. Driving is on the left. Mokes (open-top Jeeps) cost about US$40 a day with insurance, but they leave passengers vulnerable to sunburn, rainstorms and uninvited hitchhikers hopping aboard.
If you do rent a vehicle, stop at the first functioning gas station you see—there are only two on the island: one in Scarborough and the other at Crown Point. Many of the smaller roads are suitable only for four-wheel-drive vehicles. Though the island is small, the terrain is rugged and road conditions are poor, so allow more time to travel than you would expect from looking at a map.
Ferry
Daily ferries run between Port of Spain, Trinidad and Scarborough, Tobago, and a round-trip fare for one passenger is about US$17. The catamaran ferries are faster and ride more smoothly, and conventional ferries can be longer and less comfortable. Ferry times change monthly and at short notice. For a full schedule of sailing times, visit the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago Web site, http://www.patnt.com, or call 868-623-2901, ext. 160.
Taxi
Most drivers of metered taxis also offer island tours for about US$100 a day for up to four people. Less-expensive alternatives are collective taxis (called route taxis) and minibuses, called maxi taxis, which follow specific routes and stop often to pick up and drop off passengers. Fares are standard; occasionally drivers will take a passenger a short distance off the regular course for an extra fare. Always agree on prices beforehand, and determine whether the price is in local currency or U.S. dollars. Maxi taxis can be hailed by hand signal. They are usually full during rush hour. Be aware that most are not insured.
Other
Mopeds cost around US$25 a day and trail bikes around US$30 a day at Thrifty, AutoRentals or KCNN, all of which can be contacted through Yes Tourism in Tobago. Phone 868-631-0286.
Calendar
The Tobago Jazz Festival takes place in April at the Plymouth Recreational Grounds and brings in some major acts—jazz and other—such as Sting, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Shakira, Rod Stewart and reggae band Steel Pulse. A variety of local offerings set up along the fringe of the festival. Visit the Web site http://www.tobagojazzfest.com for more information. The annual Heritage Festival is held for two weeks beginning in mid-July. The festival celebrates the island's history and strong African heritage.
