Tromelin Island is not open to tourism It is uninhabited, and serves as a sea tortoise and seabird sanctuary The only facility on the island is an important meteorological station which gathers data for forecasting cyclones First explored by the French in 1776, the island came under the jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814
English is the official language Words are spelt with British spellings eg colour, labour, tyre, etc English Creole though it is not referred to by locals by that name is very frequently used for informal communication among locals It's mostly an oral language, and is seldom written and then just by ad-lib A Trinidadian Dictionary, "Cote Ci Cote La" can be found at one of the many bookstores in the country and is an excellent souvenir to remember your vacation to Trinidad and Tobago Here's an example of just one of those many words that have radically different meanings from American English:
Also, Hindi, French mostly Creole or Patois, Spanish, and Chinese are occasionally heard It may seem, at times, you are in a country that only speaks a foreign language However, since virtually everyone knows standard British English, there's no need to ask Of course, if someone does suddenly start talking in standard English -- take notice They may very well be talking to you!
Popular beaches in Trinidad are Maracas, Tyrico, Las Cuevas, Toco, Mayaro, Chagville, Los Iros and Quinam Most of the beaches on the North coast are beautiful, with powdery sand and clear blue water Los Iros and Quinam are okay, however Quinam's water may be brown, largely due to sediment from the orinoco river in South America Although Maracas and Tyrico are not too far apart, you cannot walk from one to the other along the beach
Popular beaches in Tobago include Pigeon Point, Store Bay and Man-of-War Bay Tobago's beaches are extremely beautiful, but are beginning to suffer the effects of population expansion and the resultant pollution
Buccoo Reef is a natural coral reef on the North Coast of Tobago Glass Bottom Boat tours are available from Pigeon Point and Store Bay The 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
Located in the Caroni Swamp, this is a must for bird watchers Several indigenous species of bird nest in the bird sanctuary, including one of the national birds - the Scarlet Ibis Eudocimus ruber Tours generally take place during dusk as the Scarlet Ibis returns to the swamp to roost It is also a good idea to wear thick clothingjeans and a jacket/sweater as the mosquitoes in the bird sanctuary are especially vicious and are capable of biting through the thickest of clothing
The Hindu festival of lights, Divali, is celebrated in most areas in Trinidad and a few areas in Tobago Every year during one night in October-November small oil lamps called deyas are lit on the inside and outside of homes and in public places Additionally, there is a celebration and festival called the Divali Nagar, where Indian song, dance, plays and other cultural items are on display The Divali Nagar takes place at the Divali Nagar Site in Chaguanas, Trinidad Many corporate sponsors set up booths and there is even an open air indian restaurant where one can purchase Indian food including roti Divali is a public holiday in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago's only zoo features a wide variety of tropical species including lions, tigers, monkeys, birds and fish It is in the capital, Port of Spain The Botanical Gardens contains many species of plants and is right next to the zoo, close to the President's house
Tobago's Fort George offers a glimpse into Tobago's colonial history and beautiful views of the ocean
Goat racing in Tobago on Easter Tuesday is a tradition dating back to 1925 Amazingly, it shares many similarities to horse racing, where there are owners, stables and trainers
During the month of August mainly in second or last weekend of August there is an annual power boat race from Trinidad to Tobago called the Great Race11 It starts at Pier 1 in Chaguaramas, Trinidad and ends at Store Bay in Tobago There are places to see the boats racing live such as Maracas Bay The boats typically travel around the North West peninsula, then along the north coast then make a bee line to Tobago The first finishers typically finish in an hour
The La Brea Pitch Lake is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt However, commercial excavation of asphalt has slowed down considerably, since other more cost effective materials are available for road construction The pitch lake is now primarily a tourist destination Many go to bathe in its waters, which contain sulphur, which some say has healing properties
The Leatherback sea turtles Dermochelys coriacea can be seen on Trinidad's Mathura beach Every year around Easter, the turtles return to Trinidad to lay their eggs Tours are available from conservation groups Volunteer opportunities are also available Since the turtles are an endangered species, it is illegal to kill the turtles or the eggs, therefore care and caution should be exercised so as not to disturb the turtles
Every year during the last week in July and first week in August, the Tobago heritage festival takes place It is a two week long show of Tobagonian dance, music, story telling, culture and food It is a showpiece into Tobago's long held traditions and a unique glimpse into the island's way of life
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
The annual festival of Carnival is one of the most famous things about Trinidad and TobagoThere are many beautiful dances and a lot of celebrating around this time Every year 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" They are accompanied by music from steel bands, with calypso and soca music played on large loudspeakers carried on large trucks In the buildup to the two day Carnival celebration there are other activities including Calypso tents indoor calypso concerts, the "Panorama" steelband competition, Soca monarch, Chutney Soca monarch, as well as open air parties called fetes Carnival Monday and Tuesday are not official public holidays, but many businesses and all schools close for those two days anyway Carnival derives from the French traditions which were adopted by African slaves
Carnival is both a "See" and "Do" activity One can just stand at the side of the road and watch the parade of the bands, or actually participate and "play mas" Many tourists participate in Carnival bands Booking well in advance is a must as the spaces fill up quickly Getting in shape is also a must as many costumes are very skimpy In fact some locals' physical fitness goals are centered around Carnival
There are quite a few nightclubs in Trinidad and Tobago, especially in the Chaguaramas area Pier 1, Anchorage, Base, MoBS2 to name a few Some very popular night clubs are Club Zen and 51 Degrees Lounge in Port of Spain and Sting nightclub in La Romaine, as well as Space la Nouba and Prive, both also in La Romaine However, due to the crime situation, caution is advised and it is a good idea to be with a group rather than by yourself
One can play golf at several golf courses throughout Trinidad and Tobago Some courses are 9 holes and others are 18 holes Two popular golf courses are the St Andrews' Golf course 12 in Maraval just outside of Port of Spain and the Mt Irvine Golf Course in Tobago
There are no businesses on the island
Due to its varied background, Trinidad and Tobago has excellent and varied food options In particular, the Indian roots have added to some of the best foods of any country in the world If you can't tolerate extremely hot and spicy food, be sure to let the cook or waiter know in advance
Popular throughout T&T are tasty rotis, Indian flatbreads stuffed with Channachickpea curry, usually some meat, and other items including green beans, pumpkin, and mangoes There are several types of roti available in Trinidad-- sada, which is similar to pita or naan; dhalpouri, which is filled with ground yellow split peas; and buss up shut, a heartier bread, with a silken texture Cheap breakfasts of sada roti and 'choka' - vegetables of all kinds are available for about TT$3-4 But the most popular fast snack is a 'doubles' One Famous spot is "GEORGE DOUBLES" located in Woodbrook outside the ever famous "Brooklyn Bar" Doubles is curried chick peas enclosed in two pieces of fried bread, and servied your choice of condiments It is a roadside snack, available everywhere at about TT$2-$4 "Ali's Doubles" is a chain that sells doubles There are a few locations around Trinidad, mostly in San Fernando Eat hot
Phoulourie is another popular roadside snack Phoulourie are small balls, made of fried ground chick peas and flour It and other popular snack foods like roast corn, cow heel soup, aloo pies fried potato pies and saheena spinach dipped in batter and fried, are often available from street vendors, especially around the Savannah
Trinidad and Tobago is also famous for its mouth watering callaloo-- a soup made from green leafy vegetables, similar to spinach or kale, sometimes with crab or pigtail added vegetarians beware! Callalloo is not the most appetizing of foods to look at, but it is certainly worth a try
Another must try in T&T is the infamous Bake and Shark or Shark 'n Bake Most easily obtained along the north coast near Maracas Bay, pieces of Shark are deep fried, served in cut fried bread called "fried bake", and accompanied by various sauces, most popular of which is a puree of shadow beni a herb similar to cilantro
Another popular food traditionally associated with beach limes is pelau, usually accompanied with coleslaw Pelau, is not, however, available for purchase at the beach, although you may be able to find it in a creole restaurant
If you have a sweet tooth, there are many local sweets and candies to sample like Toolum, Tambran Ball, Guava Cheese, Sugar Cake, Paw Paw Ball, Benna Ball, Jub Jub, Kurma, Barfi, Ladoo, Peera Many of these will be available on the "lookout" on the way to Maracas Beach, and prepackaged in some supermarkets
A few American style fast food chains are available including KFC, Subway, Pizza Hut and Burger King There are also a few franchised eat-in restaurants such as TGI Friday's and Ruby Tuesday There are a few local chains such as Royal Castle chicken and chips, Chicken Unlimited These local fried chicken chains have a different taste from American or European fried chicken chains Pizza Boys and Mario's are two popular local Pizza chains The pizza is quite different from American or Italian pizza
Chinese food is available in many places from Chinese takeout stores It is Cantonese style but the spices are uniquely Trinidadian
Barbecued chicken is another popular Trinbagonian dish It is similar to American barbecue, but with local spices There are roadside barbecue stands that sell a box of barbecued chicken quarter with fries, salad and garlic bread One popular place is The Barbecue Hut which is an open air tent where patrons will buy barbecue to sit down and eat or take away It is on the South Trunk Road in La Romaine, South Trinidad close to the Gulf City mall Be aware that it is run by Muslims therefore no alcohol is allowed on the compound
The condiments available in Trinbagonian restaurants are ketchup, plain mustard and hot pepper Soy sauce is available in Chinese restaurants If taking hot pepper as a condiment, be warned! It is extremely hot! You may see locals putting a lot of pepper on their food, but remember they have been eating it for years so they are accustomed to it It is best to try a little and if you feel comfortable add more If in doubt, avoid it Salt and black pepper are generally not available as in American restaurants
Local bakeries sell pastries such as beef and chicken pies and currant rolls They also sell hops bread which are rolls made with white or whole wheat flour Hops bread is best eaten hot and can be enjoyed with cheese or butter for a quick snack
Grocery stores sell a wide variety of packaged goods and produce However, for really fresh produce, one can go to the market Towns usually have a market day or days where sellers, usually local farmers, will bring their produce to sell The Government publishes prices for produce, however one may be able to bargain to get a better price Again, while weights and measures are officially in Metric, most sellers use imperial units
The most refreshing drink on a hot sunny day is a large glass of a very cold delicious Mauby, a beverage made with the bark of the mauby tree and spices, such as anise and cinnamon It is very refreshing and cooling, but may be an acquired taste, since it has a bitter aftertaste
Cold soft jelly coconut water -- available along the roadsides -- costs about TT$3-4 And do try all the many varied local fruit juices, readily available chilled in most groceries
Sorrel is a popular drink available during Christmas time It is made from the boiled flowers of the Roselle hibiscus sabdariffa plant It is red in colour and best enjoyed cold It also has nutritious benefits
Soft drinks are sweetened with cane sugar, rather than high fructose corn syrup as is the common practice in North America This gives soft drinks a different taste, which some argue is better
Malta is a popular drink, made from malt and hops and available from local bars, restaurants and supermarkets It is high calorie and full of b vitamins, and best enjoyed ice cold
Being a former sugar cane colony, Trinidad and Tobago is famous for its Rum Popular brands of Rum are Black Label and Vat 19 by Fernandes and White Oak, Old Oak by Angostura Some Bars will allow you to buy individual rum drinks either straight with or without a chaser, or mixed Some bars will allow you to purchase a whole bottle of Rum, or a "half" which is equivalent to half a bottle Some bars will sell a "nip" which is less than half One can also purchase bottles of Rum in stores and at duty free stores at the airport to carry home Puncheon Rum is a stronger type of Rum no less than 75% alcohol It is not quite like moonshine but definitely stronger than regular Rum In fact it may not be legal to take it back with you However it is legal in Trinidad and Tobago and is available from many local bars
Beer is available and quite popular The two most popular brands of beer are Carib and Stag, which are brewed locally Additionally, some imported beer such as Miller is available Other malt liquor drinks are available, brewed locally, such as Smirnoff Ice, and various stouts Mackeson, Guinness etc There are no microbreweries in Trinidad, and beer-lovers may find the local beers not to their taste
Wine, vodka, tequila and other spirits are usually imported There are no wineries in Trinidad and Tobago, as the tropical climate is not conducive to the growing of grapes Many restaurants will serve a range of imported wines, however, and wine bars, such as More Vino in Woodbrook have opened in the past few years
Not surprisingly, drinking alcohol in public is not frowned upon in Trinidad and Tobago It is legal to drink alcohol in public Public drunkenness may get you arrested only if you engage in disorderly conduct Also the legal drinking age is 18 yrs However, during election day, sale of alcohol is prohibited and must not be overtly displayed
There are no accommodations open to the public
Tourist visas do not permit employment In order to work, one must obtain a work permit for the job and there must be no suitably qualified nationals to fill the job In addition, to pay taxes, one needs to apply for a BIR file number used like a social security number and a PAYE number One must file tax returns every year if taxes are owed, and pay those taxes
