The home of carnival, steel bands, calypso and limbo dancing, Trinidad and Tobago's blend of different cultures gives them an air of cosmopolitan excitement. Liming, or talking for talking's sake, is a popular pastime, as is chatting about, watching and playing cricket.

 The story of Trinidad and Tobago has been one of invasion and conquest since its discovery by Christopher Columbus, who claimed it for Spain in 1498. The British captured Trinidad in 1797 after settling Tobago in 1642. In 1888, Tobago was amalgamated with Trinidad and administered as a single colony thereafter. The islands achieved full independence in 1962.

 

 

Climate	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average Temp (C)	31	31	32	32	32	32	31	31	32	32	32	31
Average Rainfall (mm)	69	41	46	53	94	193	218	246	193	170	183	125

 

GMT -5. (GMT -4 in summer)

 

Royal Botanic Gardens

See some of the islands' 622 species of butterfly and over 700 species of orchid. The latter are best seen in Port of Spain's Royal Botanic Gardens, along with a wide selection of indigenous trees, shrubs, ferns and cacti. The Emperor Valley Zoo has a good selection of local wildlife.

Carnival

Celebrate Carnival, Trinidad's most wild and colourful event. The world-renowned festivities climax at the beginning of Lent, although the run-up to Carnival starts immediately after Christmas when the Calypso tents open and the Calypsonians perform their latest compositions and arrangements.

Hike the Tobago Forest Reserve

Get active with a long hike along the excellent trails of the Tobago Forest Reserve, climb Pigeon Peak, the highest point on the island, or scuba-dive in Speyside, a colourful beach settlement.

The road network in Trinidad between major towns is good, but traffic around Port of Spain can be difficult during rush hour and around Independence Square at any time. Two major highways run north-south and east-west. Roads which run off major routes can be very unpredictable, and are susceptible to poor weather conditions. In Tobago, the roads, though narrow in parts, are improving dramatically and most of the island is easy to reach.

There is a major highway (Claude Noel Highway) running west-east.

Tourists should have no qualms about driving around Tobago at any time of the day or night, although caution should be exercised in more rural areas where chickens and sheep may wander across roads.

Trinidad's speed limit is 80kph (50mph) on highways and 55kph (34mph) in built-up areas. While in Tobago do not exceed 50kph (31mph). There is no left turn on a red light and u-turns are illegal. Drivers and front-seat passengers are legally required to wear a seat belt.

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar (TTD; symbol TT$) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of TT$100, 20, 10, 5 and 1. Coins are in denominations of 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 cents.

Public sector health care is free. However, health insurance is highly recommended as Tobago's health care provision is basic, with limited supplies and medication.

In general, Trinidadians do not tip. But, even if it is not expected, a small tip is appreciated.

Most restaurants include a 10% service charge on the bill. In many cases, this is goes towards covering service staff overheads or is split equally between all waiters. If you really want to tip a particular waiter for his/her exceptional service, make sure to physically give them the cash or leave it on the tablewhere they can see it. Never add it into the bill or credit card slip.

It is also recommended that you tip if someone did something for you for free or really went out of their way like putting your luggage in your car or carrying something down to the beach for you or made your stay/tour really memorable. A typical tip in such a case could be between $5-$20 TT depending on the assistance provided.

Other services (such as hairdresser, grocery packers, gas station pump attendants) do not need to be tipped but if you want to you'll have to be your own guide - no one will offer how much is acceptable, it's totally up to you. Usually $5-$10 TT would be sufficient.

In Trinidad and Tobago, most taxis/maxi-taxis are shared with several passengers dropping off at different stops along fixed routes. As a rule you don't tip taxis at all. Tipping in this situation would draw unnecessary attention to yourself.

Drinking water outside main cities and towns may be contaminated and sterilisation is advisable. Bottled water is available.

Caribbean Airlines runs flights between Piarco (Port of Spain) and Crown Point (Tobago). During peak seasons (especially Carnival time), these are often heavily booked.

In Tobago, there are a number of places in the Lowlands (southeast) where you can hire bicycles.

All official taxis have registration 'H'. Hiring a private taxi is much more expensive but gives the freedom to go where you like. Though there are fixed rates for certain journeys, it is best to establish this before you start your journey.

The quickest and most cost-effective way to get around is by Route taxis and Maxi taxis which serve standard routes within Trinidad, particularly around Port of Spain, starting their route from, in or near Independence Square. These have fixed rates. In Tobago, Route taxis (H registered and unregistered) are plentiful along most major routes during the day and can be stopped anywhere along them. Drivers will indicate they have room by sounding their horn.

Owing to the deterioration of bus services, most public transport journeys in Port of Spain are now made by shared taxis.

Mon-Thurs 0800-1400, Fri 0900-1200 and 1500-1700.

110-120 Volts

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