Trinidad and Tobago - December 2023
Trinidad and Tobago is a country that is near and dear to my heart. My father was born in Trinidad and raised me to value the foods, culture, and traditions of the West Indies. This trip was the first opportunity for my mom, brother, and I to return to T&T since my father passed away two years ago. In addition, this was the first opportunity for Yana to be able to come with us! I had visited six times before, but it had been four years since my last. I was super excited to re-connect with the country and show Yana the areas that I adore. We all had a great time on our vacation - we were able to pack in a lot of great activities!
We flew out of our hometown Minneapolis-Saint Paul airport with an overnight layover in Miami. Then, we boarded a Caribbean Airlines flight that took us to the capital city of Port of Spain, Trinidad. Once we made it to Port of Spain, we were given a ride from a family friend to our hotel, The BRIX by Marriot. The location of this hotel cannot be beat - it’s walking distance to Queens Park Savannah and has excellent views of the city. The hotel has multiple restaurants, a rooftop bar, and a lovely pool. We only stayed two nights at this hotel, but we enjoyed it so much that it will become our regular stay in Port of Spain.
On our first day in Trinidad, I organized a sunrise breakfast tour of the Caroni Bird Sanctuary with Nanan’s Eco Tours. The bird sanctuary is a can’t miss in Trinidad, and this was the first time we organized a private tour for our family. The tour started at 5am and allowed for us to view thousands of Scarlet Ibis - the national bird of Trinidad and Tobago. We loved this tour - it was the perfect balance of bird watching, photo opportunities, and food! The guide served us a delicious local breakfast of saltfish, curried potatoes, and roti. I highly recommend booking this tour for those that are taking a trip to Trinidad.
The following day we made our way back to the airport and boarded a 15 minute flight to Tobago. I adore Tobago; the tempo of life is relaxed and it has idyllic blue water. We decided to stay at the Naturalist in the lovely village of Castara for our 5 nights in Tobago. The Naturalist is a great place to stay for those looking for a relaxing Bed and Breakfast right on the beach. Castara is my favorite village in Tobago - it’s quiet, but still has enough restaurant options and entertainment to make for a fun trip. Some of my favorite restaurants in Castara are D’Almond Tree, Riverside Local Cuisine, and Duck’s Seaside Cafe & Grill.
I planned one day-trip in Tobago to Little Tobago and Goat Island with Island Experiences. We were picked up from Castara and driven about 2 hours to the coastal town of Speyside. From there, we boarded a private Glass Bottom Boat that took us to Little Tobago - a small island off the coast. Our guide then took us on a bird-watching hike, where we got to see some of the tropical birds that are unique to the island. Then, we got back on our Glass Bottom Boat and snorkeled over a tropical reef. Our guide was excellent and this was a great way to get some time on the water just to ourselves. This tour is also one of the more affordable options if you wish to privately charter a boat.
The cuisine in Trinidad and Tobago is some of the best in the Caribbean. Every time I return to the islands, I am impressed with the quality of the food. There are many dishes that make up typical cuisine in T&T, but a few stand above the rest. Doubles - the unofficial national dish. Doubles contain curried chickpeas and a blend of pepper sauce and sweet tamarind sauce over two pieces of fried dough. This is by far my favorite dish and there are many incredible places to find it, including right outside the airport in Piarco! Roti - a lovely fried bread similar to an Indian paratha. Commonly served with curried meat and potatoes inside, roti is a great casual lunch if you find yourself on the go.
Although it is not as well-known as other Caribbean islands like Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago has much to offer travelers. With lovely beaches, stunning nature, and incredibly unique cuisine there is plenty to see and enjoy. My family and I loved re-connecting with my father’s home country and I loved being able to show Yana the magic of T&T.
-DB
