With the world to choose from, the chore — if one dare call it that — of selecting the destination for you next vacation can be overwhelming. If, however, your only criterion is blissful relaxation, there’s no place better than the Caribbean where blue seas, white sand and a warm sun blend together to make a memorable experience.
That’s why for my last vacation I chose the sister islands of Trinidad and Tobago, just off the coast of South America.
My trip started in Trinidad where I opted to stay at a guesthouse operated by a local in lieu of a fancy hotel as I’ve always been a proponent of experiencing new places through the perspective of locals. The host recommended places to visit and arranged a few excursions to beaches with locals.
The first was to a beautiful beach called Maracas. The drive took a little over an hour and was one of the best yet scariest experiences I’ve ever had as the road to Maracas is a winding, narrow one up a mountainside. If driving on the outside lane, a glance out your window will show a steep drop into what seems like a bottomless pit of trees and jagged rocks. That coupled with the dangerous “fast and loose” driving habits of the locals leaves one holding onto their seat more than a few times.
When we arrived, however, it was absolutely worth it. The breathtaking view and endless food huts offering the local staple of bake and shark render Maracas a must for anyone visiting Trinidad. The second beach trip I took was to the northeast point of Toco where I dabbled in amateur surfing and visited the Galera Point Lighthouse, a national landmark.
After a final day spent shopping in the capital Port of Spain, I took a 4-hour boat ride to the smaller island of Tobago where I stayed at another local guesthouse right across the street from the ocean. I have to say the sound of waves crashing at night is absolutely the best lullaby.
With just 2 days to enjoy this smaller island, I chose to spend them lounging on the beach in the day and experiencing the nightlife and local cuisine afterwards. The first day I hired a driver — left-lane driving and the insanely fast speeds of the motorists were enough to scare me away from getting behind the wheel myself — and went to a beach in a local town called Charlotteville. The lush green forestry contrasting against the blues of the ocean made for a postcard-perfect day of relaxation.
That day I met a group of locals who invited me to a house party, which I gladly accepted as it was located near the guesthouse. The night was spent dancing away to the sounds of reggae and calypso, the preferred music of the island.
The next day this same group invited me on a boat trip to the Nylon Pool, a shallow point in the Caribbean Sea where the water is only waist-high and a transparent blue, and Bucco Reef, an endangered reef where I enjoyed some snorkeling. On the way back to the shore we stopped to fish and my last night was spent barbecuing our catches. It was a perfect, laid-back way to end my trip.
Trinidad & Tobago offered a magnificent experience that left me yearning to return.
