Christmas in the Caribbean

 

I meant to post this earlier this year when we actually spent Christmas in the Caribbean.

Tobago: A Caribbean Gem

Since living in the US, a day doesn't go by without someone asking me where my accent is from. Usually Trinidad and Tobago is the last thing on their mind. Trinidad is where I grew up which is more of a bustling kind of island but Tobago is a short 20 minute flight where we go to relax.

Home For The Holidays

The weekend was extremely low-key around here after returning from vacation so I'm diving right into my travel recaps this week sharing some highlights from our trip to Trinidad & Tobago.

Beautiful Caribbean Homes

Most of you know that I was born and raised in Trinidad, a southern Caribbean island that has a small sister island called Tobago. Houses there are far from cookie cutter looking and homeowners aren't afraid to use lots of color. I travel there quite often to visit my family and lifelong friends, some who have amazing homes filled with lots of character and color. I've also rented several vacation homes in Tobago that are just as cute and tropical so I thought I'd share some of my favorite Caribbean style homes.

Tippy Top

It was named Tippy Top because it sits on the top of a mountain with a beautiful view of the golf course.

Tobago Rental Houses

Houses in the islands are often given "nicknames" which becomes part of their mailing address. This is more common for vacation rental properties but some people name their private homes (like Tippy Top) to distinguish it from others.

Villa Rose

Coco Loco

 Canboulay Villa

Wanderlust Wednesdays: Trinidad & Tobago

Welcome to Wanderlust Wednesdays which I co-host with two of my faves - Kerri and Kate - on the 2nd Wednesday of every month so please feel free to share your new and old travel adventures.

Today I wanted to talk about Trinidad & Tobago (which is where I was born and raised for anyone new around here). I've posted about T&T several times before since I go there fairly often for weddings, the holidays, NYE and other big events. I've written about my trips (here and here) but never really focused on the beauty of the two islands and what it has to offer visitors.

Let me explain a little bit. Trinidad and Tobago are two sister islands located in the south eastern Caribbean right above Venezuela. Together they make up one country with one government, economy, legal system, etc. I grew up in the capital of Trinidad which is Port of Spain, but spent countless weekends and holidays over in Tobago since the flight is cheap and only takes 20 minutes. While Trinidad has some beautiful beaches it also has a bustling city life with a solid economy. Tobago on the other hand is the true definition of a laid back island that depends heavily on tourism.

The city of Port of Spain. A lot of the cruise ships arrive here but I don't find there's much to see here other than businesses and buildings. The beauty of Trinidad lies mainly on the other coasts. 

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Macqueripe Bay has a nice and fairly quiet beach as well as a zip-lining facility. I went last year with my extended family to go zip-lining but I was the only one that didn't end up taking the plunge (blame it on my fear of heights). K had a blast though!

The Maracas Lookout which is on the way to Maracas Beach.

Don't ask me why there was an American flag on the beach but it made for a good photo op for K.

Maracas is probably the most popular beach in Trinidad and usually busy on the weekends. We went during the week. There's lots of good food huts to grab lunch or a cold drink.

Sunday stroll around the Queen's Park Savannah and getting some fresh coconut water from the Coconut Truck.

Heading "Down The Islands" with friends. There are several tiny islands off the north coast of Trinidad that have vacation homes which is how I spent most of my childhood weekends. If you don't have access to a vacation house you can also anchor the boat in a quiet bay and hang out for the day. There are several charter boat companies that will take you out for a day around the islands and provide lunch, drinks etc.

The architecture and gardens of Caribbean homes are also a sight to be seen. This house being my late grandmother's which we still have and sometimes stay at when we visit. It's now a rental property for short-term and long-term visitors.

The backyard overlooks the ocean which is perfect for relaxing and watching the sun go down. 

As I mentioned, it's only a quick plane ride to get over to Tobago from Trinidad or you can also go via the Ferry which takes about 2.5 hours but you risk the possibility of sea sickness. 

You land at the airport which is in Crown Point and we sometimes stay at the Crown Point hotel across the street so you walk out of the airport and into the hotel. Otherwise taxis are readily available to take you to your hotel.

We like Crown Point Hotel because it's oceanfront with a nice beach off to the side and gorgeous views. Otherwise there's nothing fancy about the hotel itself which means it's very affordable.





We took a scenic drive to Blue Waters Bay which is breathtaking. There is also a hotel and restaurant in this bay but it's quite far out the way. Definitely worth a day trip.

If you're visiting with a large group, there's tons of beautiful villas you can rent that will accommodate a big party giving you access to a private pool (if it comes with one) and often a housekeeper who will cook and clean. We usually rent a villa around New Years Eve with approximately 5 couples or 10 people. There are tons of beautiful villas such as the one below in the Tobago Plantations and a lot of them are oceanfront with pools and great amenities.

There's SO much more to do and see. I could go on forever but I hope I've given you a good enough idea of what T&T has to offer.

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