MSC CRUISES – LESSER ANTILLES
Trinidad and Tobago is a nation consisting primarily of two Caribbean islands, Trinidad and Tobago, just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. The country is the most industrialised and one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean. Overall, tourism is not a major industry (Tobago has more), leaving the islands replete with natural unspoiled beauty not found in most other Caribbean countries.
Capital: Port-of-Spain
Currency: Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD). Credit cards are accepted at many stores. ATM work well.
Speak. English official and English Creole
Country Code: +1868
Visa. Requires a return ticket, proof of funds and an address in TT, such as a hotel or family/friend. Most western countries don’t require a visa.
Climate. Maritime tropical climate influenced by the northeast trade winds. Annual mean temperature is 26°C. The humidity is high. rainfall 2,110 millimetres (83.1 in) in June through December. The islands lie outside the hurricane belt.
Terrain. Trinidad has three distinct mountain ranges and Tobago is mountainous – the Main Ridge is 29kms long and up to 640m. There are deep, fertile valleys running north and south of the Main Ridge.
Get In. By plane.Piarco International Airport (POS) on Trinidad, 25 km south east of Port of Spain.
Get Around. By taxi. ‘H”. One pays for an individual seat and the taxicabs are shared.
Maxis” have a specified route, 11-25 passengers. By ferry between Port-of-Spain in the north and San Fernando in the south. 45 minutes.
By car.Driving is on the left side. Reserve a car in advance. Criminals target drivers with an R plate. If planning to go to the other side of the island (Trinidad), get an early start and allow the entire day as traffic jams are not uncommon
Between Trinidad and Tobago: Flying twelve flights per day, 25 minutes each way. Caribbean Airlines (http://www.caribbean-airlines.com)
Fast ferry 2.75 hours. Conventional ferry 5.5 hours.
SEE
What to do? Rent a car seeing as much as possible around Port of Spain. Fly to Tobago.
TRINIDAD (Port of Spain).
PORT OF SPAIN (37,074 2011; urban 81,142, transient daily 250,000)
Capital city, the country’s second-largest city after San Fernando, It is located on the Gulf of Paria, on the northwest coast of the island of Trinidad and is part of a larger conurbation stretching from Chaguaramas in the west to Arima in the east with an estimated population of 600,000.
The city serves primarily as a retail and administrative centre and it has been the capital of the island since 1757. It is also an important financial services centre for the Caribbean and is home to two of the largest banks in the region.
The city is also home to the largest container port on the island and is one of several shipping hubs of the Caribbean, exporting both agricultural products and manufactured goods. Bauxite from Guyana is trans-shipped via facilities at Chaguaramas, about 8 kilometres (5 mi) west of the city. The pre-lenten Carnival is the city’s main annual cultural festival and tourist attraction.
Magnificent Seven, Port of Spain
Port of Spain Airport (POS)
Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
Holy Trinity Cathedral
National Museum and Art Gallery
Memorial Park Monument
Queen’s Royal College
Archbishop’s Palace
Fort George
Whitehall
Stollmeyer’s Castle
Royal Botanical Gardens
Green Market
St. Benedict Monastery, St. Augustine:
Tunapuna Market
Bamboo Masjid, Bamboo Village
Flight to Tobago
Caroni Bird Sanctuary. Located in the Caroni Swamp, a large mangrove wetland where the Caroni River meets the Gulf of Paria. The swamp is interrupted by numerous channels, brackish and saline lagoons, and with extensive intertidal mudflats on the seaward side. This is a must for bird watchers. Several indigenous species nest including one of the national birds – the Scarlet Ibis. Tours generally take place during dusk as the Scarlet Ibis returns to the swamp to roost.
CHAGUANAS Fastest growing and largest municipality mostly populated by descendants of East Indian indentured labourers.
Chaguanas Mosque
South West
Indian Caribbean Museum of Trinidad and Tobago, Carapichaima
Banwari Trace Archaeological Site. Tentative WHS: (17/08/2011). On the southern edge of the Oropuche Lagoon in southwest Trinidad. The site occupies the top of a Miocene hillock above the swamp showing shell-collecting habits of the Banwari Trace people in their middens. Oropuche Lagoon changed from a freshwater or slightly brackish lagoon to marine mangrove swamp at about 6200/6100 BP.
The oldest pre-Columbian site in the Caribbean and migration of Archaic (pre-ceramic) peoples from mainland South America to the Lesser Antilles via Trinidad between 5000 and 2000 B.C.
Banwari Man remains of a human skeleton in a typical Amerindian “crouched” burial position. Banwari Man was apparently interred in a shell midden and subsequently covered by shell refuse 3,400 BC to 5,400 years old.
La Brea Pitch Lake. Tentative WHS (17/08/2011). The Pitch Lake is found in southwest Trinidad in the village of La Brea. It covers 100 acres (41 hectares) at a depth of two hundred and fifty (250) feet (76 metres) in the centre. It holds about ten million (10,000,000) tons of pitch. It is situated about twelve hundred (1200) yards from the sea, in a depression immediately south of a 140 feet high hill, from the summit of which the ground slopes gently northwards to the sea.
The asphalt is an emulsion of water, gas, bitumen and mineral matter, the latter consisting largely of fine silica sand and a lesser amount of impalpably fine clay. In some parts of the Lake there is a small influx of soft material. This is accompanied by a stronger evolution of gas consisting principally of methane with a considerable proportion of carbon dioxide, and which also contains hydrogen sulphide. This influx gradually hardens and becomes like the main deposit of the asphalt. As this occurs fresh material breaks out elsewhere.
Although quiescent the asphalt still moves with a natural slow “stirring” action. Not only can the flow lines be seen on the surface of the asphalt, but prehistoric trees and other objects have been known in the past to have appeared, disappeared and reappeared.
In appearance the surface of the Lake is a uniform expanse of asphalt which is intersected by areas of water, the extent of which naturally varies according to the season.
This renowned “Pitch Lake” is the largest, commercial deposit of natural asphalt in the world. A wide range of products with asphalt from the Lake being the base ingredient: anti-corrosive black paint, seam sealant, underbody coating for automobiles, a pipe and metal guard and bitumen emulsion.
The La Brea Pitch Lake is a tourist attraction and attracts about 20,000 visitors annually. People occasionally swim in the waters of the pitch lake which some say is therapeutic because of the sulphur content.
St. Patrick parish extreme west (Icacos Point). M@P, XL
North Coast
Trinidad’s north coast (Toco/Matelot/Grand Riviere). The north coast of Trinidad is beautiful and largely unspoilt. There are a lot of scenic beaches and undeveloped areas. At the North East tip of the island is the village of Toco. The North East trade wind blows literally 24 hours per day and lounging on the beach can be quite relaxing.
North coast beaches (Maracas, Las Cuevas, Tyrico, Blanchisseuse)
Maracas Beach
Blanchisseuse Beach
Asa Wright Nature Reserve
Tamana caves. Second largest bat cave in the world. Fly out at evening.
North West
Chaguaramas Military History and Aerospace Museum, Chaguaramas:
Bocas islands (Chacachacare, Monos, Huevos etc.). M@P, XL
Gasparee Caves
East & South
Ortoire River
MORUGA
Moruga Museum, Moruga
Columbus Monument, Moruga
TOBAGO
SCARBOROUGH
Tobago Historical Museum
Fort King George
St. Joseph R.C Church
Scarborough Botanical Garden
Tobago Airport (TAB)
Tobago Heritage Festival
Tobago Main Ridge Forest Reserve. Tentative WHS (17/08/2011). Tobago is 316 km2 and the Main Ridge is the backbone of the island, cutting lengthways across two thirds of the island. 3958 hectares of tropical rainforest specifically lower montane, lowland and xerophytic rainforest – and reaches a height of 604 metres. The majority is lower montane above 244m. It receives the greatest amount of rainfall, the greatest exposure to wind and the lowest temperatures, making it an Evergreen Forest. The lowland rainforest has copious growth to a maximum of 366m. The xerophytic rainforest is found on the southern slopes above 244 metres, and is the driest.
12-16 mammals, 24 non-poisonous snakes, 16 lizards and 210 birds (White-tailed Sabrewing Hummingbird – both rare and endemic)
Oldest legally protected forest reserve geared specifically towards a conservation purpose established in 1776
A unique feature of the fauna of Tobago is that although Tobago is an island, the fauna are continental in origin, since Tobago was once joined to the South American continent some one million years ago. In addition, it protects against soil erosion, it encourages rainfall and provides significant carbon sinks.
Pigeon Point Beach
Courland Monument, Plymouth. This sculpture was built to honour the early settlers to Plymouth who came from Courland (now called Latvia) It was created in 1976 by a local artist and sculpture and represents “freedom”. The monument offers a great view of Courland Bay and is located next the Fort James.
Bucco Reef and the Nylon Pool. Buccoo Reef is a natural coral reef on the North Coast of Tobago. Nylon Pool is an area of shallow water on top of the reef. The water is crystal clear and looks like fishing line nylon, hence the name. A glass bottom boat tour will take you there and allow you to bathe.
DO
Festivals
Trinidad and Tobago Carnival. Pre-Lenten Carnival. The annual festival is one of the most famous things about Trinidad and Tobago. On the Sunday, Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent, thousands of costumed revelers parade on the streets in an annual street party dubbed “The Greatest Show On Earth.” Music from steel bands, with calypso and soca music. Booking well in advance is a must as the spaces fill up quickly.
We Beat Festival
Divali and the Divali Nagar*. The Hindu festival of lights, one night in October-November small oil lamps called deyas are lit on the inside and outside of homes and in public places. Divali Nagar has Indian song, dance, plays in Chaguanas
Tobago heritage festival*. Last week in July and first week in August, a two week long show of Tobagonian dance, music, story telling, culture and food.
Experiences: Play/hear steelpan
Eat. Excellent and varied with Indian roots – rotis, Indian flatbreads stuffed with channa (chickpea curry), usually some meat, and other items (including green beans, pumpkin, and mangoes). Cheap breakfasts of sada roti and ‘choka’ – vegetables. Doubles are curried chickpeas in two pieces of fried bread with condiments, a roadside snack.
Phoulourie small balls of fried ground chickpeas, roast corn, cow heel soup, aloo pies (fried potato pies) and saheena (spinach dipped in batter and fried). Callaloo soup vegetables, crab or pigtail (not the most appetizing). Bake and Shark shark deep fried, served in fried bread and sauces.
Barbecued chicken popular
Drink. Mauby – bark of the mauby tree and spices is very refreshing and cooling, but with a bitter aftertaste.
Rum. Black Label and Vat 19, Old Oak by Angostura. Puncheon rum is stronger
Sleep. Guest houses.
Respect. Greet a stranger before asking a question.
NOMAD MANIA Trinidad and Tobago – Trinidad (Port of Spain)
Tentative WHS: Banwari Trace Archaeological Site (17/08/2011)”
Islands: Trinidad
Borders: Trinidad and Tobago (sea border/port)
XL
Icacos Point
Monos and Chacachacare Islands
Museums
Carapichaima: Indian Caribbean Museum of Trinidad and Tobago
Chaguaramas: Chaguaramas Military History and Aerospace Museum
Moruga: Moruga Museum
Religious Temples
Bamboo Village: Bamboo Masjid
St. Augustine: St. Benedict Monastery
World of Nature
Asa Wright Nature Reserve (Sight)
Caroni Bird Sanctuary (Sight)
Festivals
Trinidad and Tobago Carnival
We Beat Festival
Experiences: Play/hear steelpan
Beaches
Blanchisseuse Beach
Maracas Beach (Maracas Bay Sight)
Caves
Gasparee Caves
Tamana caves
Markets: Tunapuna Market
Monuments: Moruga: Columbus Monument
Cities of the Americas
CHAGUANAS
Religious Temples: Chaguanas Mosque
PORT OF SPAIN World Capital World City and Popular Town Sight
Sights: Magnificent Seven, Port of Spain
Airports: Port of Spain (POS)
Museums: National Museum and Art Gallery
Castles, Palaces, Forts
Archbishop’s Palace
Fort George
Queen’s Royal College
Stollmeyer’s Castle
Whitehall
Religious Temples
Holy Trinity Cathedral
Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
Botanical Gardens: Royal Botanical Gardens
Markets: Green Market
Monuments: Memorial Park Monument
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NOMAD MANIA Trinidad and Tobago – Tobago
Tentative WHS: Tobago Main Ridge Forest Reserve (17/08/2011)
Islands: Tobago
Borders: Trinidad and Tobago (sea border/port)
Airports: Tobago (TAB)
Festivals: Tobago Heritage Festival
Experiences: Play/hear steelpan
Beaches: Pigeon Point Beach (Sight)
Monuments: Plymouth: Courland Monument
SCARBOROUGH
Museums: Tobago Historical Museum
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Fort King George (Sight)
Religious Temples: St. Joseph R.C Church
Botanical Gardens: Scarborough Botanical Garden
