If you choose to take a car-taxi anywhere in Trinidad, taxi stands are delineated in some of the major cities but taxi cabs are recognizable by their license plates that begin with “H”. Cabs in Trinidad take fares along a route until the cab is full, though you can buy the whole cab or the back seat if you want more privacy.
Where to Stay
Major chain hotels have been steadily popping up all over Trinidad and, particularly, Tobago where beach resorts are the norm. On Trinidad, visitors can choose from the Hilton, Marriot Courtyard, Holiday Inn, and Hyatt Regency right in Port of Spain where prices begin at upwards of $150 US per night.
Those looking for a bargain and a true taste of Trinidad can stay at any number of boutique hotels, including the very lovely Coblentz Inn (44 Coblentz Avenue, Cascade, Trinidad; 868-621-0541) and The Chaconia Hotel (106 Saddle Road, Maraval, Trinidad; 868-628-3210). There are a number of small guesthouses throughout the island but safety and security is always an issue in T&T, and readers should note that the large hotels and notable guesthouses are well attended by security guards.
When I visit Trinidad my hands-down preference for accommodations is The Pax Guest House in the hills above Tunapuna, a city about 25 minutes from Port of Spain, and halfway between the capital and Chaguanas, an increasingly bustling metropolis in Central Trinidad that is well known for its shopping, a number of Hindu religious sites, and as the ancestral home of the writer V.S. Naipaul. If you want to have a sense of the Trinidad of days gone by, Pax is the place for you. Nestled in the hillside on the grounds of a Benedictine Monastery, the hotel is peaceful and commodious. While there are no amenities like a pool, the front and rear verandahs are peaceful spots for a rest and a drink. At the front, you’ll enjoy remarkable views of the island, nearly all the way to San Fernando, the largest city in the south. At the rear, bird lovers will be delighted at the array of the country’s astounding number of bird species that alight there. Proprietor Gerard Ramaswak, an avid birder and eco-guide himself, is pleased to share his knowledge of local bird species and the flora and fauna of the country at large. Ask and he will happily arrange tours for you to see giant leatherback turtles in their laying season, rare red howler monkeys in their native habitat, the scarlet ibis known only in T&T and Venezuela, and many more natural wonders of the islands. (Pax Guest House; 868-662-4084)
And check out the very good accommodation finder at The Official Trinidad & Tobago Tourism Site, www.discovertnt.com
Safety in T&T
Sadly, personal safety has increasingly become an issue in Trinidad & Tobago, both for locals and tourists. Robberies are not uncommon and violent crime is on the rise. The U.S. State Department advises travelers not to wear expensive jewelry or carry electronic equipment with them—there have even been cases of working journalists attacked for their gear. The U.S. State Department has issued warnings to travelers to avoid large crowds and demonstrations in T&T and to specifically seek accommodations with 24-hour security.
Health & Medical Facilities
Port of Spain General Hospital: 160 Charlotte Street, Port of Spain, (868) 623-2951
Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex: Uriah Butler Highway, Champ Fleurs, (868) 645-4673 (Referrals, Accident & Emergency only), open 24 hours
San Fernando General Hospital: Independence Avenue, San Fernando, Trinidad, (868) 652-3581, open 24 hours
Arima Health Facility: Queen Mary Avenue, Arima, Trinidad, (868) 667-4714, open 24 hours
Chaguanas Health Facility: Main Road, Chaguanas (opposite RBTT Bank), Trinidad, (868) 665-8958, open 24 hours
Sangre Grande Regional Hospital: Ojoe Road, Sangre Grande, Trinidad, (868) 668-2221, open 24 hours
Scarborough General Hospital: Connector Road, Signal Hill, Scarborough, Tobago, (868) 660-4744, open 24 hour
Public Holidays
As elsewhere in the world, public holidays in T&T are marked by school, bank, and government office closures. In many cases, commercial businesses are closed as well. Note that no dates are given for Hindu, Muslim, and some Christian religious days, which are calculated yearly by astronomical events and moon phases. Actual dates are narrowed down more precisely as the specific event draws near.
Fort George in the hills above Port of Spain
January 1 New Year’s Day
March 30 Spiritual Baptist Shouters Liberation Day
Early Spring Good Friday
Early Spring Easter Monday
May 30 Indian Arrival Day
Late Spring Corpus Christi
End of Ramadan Eid ul Fitr
June 19 Labor Day
August 1 Emancipation Day
August 31 Independence Day
September 24 Republic Day
Autumn Divali
December 25 Christmas Day
December 26 Boxing Day
Some Points of Interest
Fort George—There are two Fort Georges in the nation of Trinidad & Tobago. The older is in Scarborough, Tobago, built in the 1770s. The other, in the hills above Port of Spain overlooking the district of St. James, affords a spectacular view of the west of the nation, the Channel Islands, and the Gulf of Paria.
Hanuman Temple—With nearly half the population of Trinidad being of East Indian descent, there are a number of sites of cultural interest to visitors. Hanuman Temple with its giant statue of the monkey god (right), was crafted by artisans brought directly from India and is the largest temple to the god located outside of India.
Indo-Caribbean Museum, Waterloo—Those interested in the rich culture that East Indians brought to Trinidad as indentured laborers will enjoy the Indo-Caribbean Museum in Waterloo, near the Temple In the Sea, founded in 2006.
La Brea Pitch Lake—This natural pitch or tar lake is one of the world’s largest resources of tar, the main component of asphalt. Homes and other buildings are constantly being twisted and warped by fingers of pitch that reach out underground from the main lake. Considered one of the natural wonders of the world, it is said that the lake was first discovered in 1595 by Sir Walter Raleigh, who promptly used it to waterseal his vessels and exported some back to England, where it was first used for road paving on the Westminster Bridge for the opening of the new Parliament.
Temple In the Sea—A monument to the piety of sugarcane laborer Soodas Sadhu, the temple in the sea was originally a stone and mud structure built in the mudflats off the shoreline of the village of Waterloo in central Trinidad. Finished in 1947, the temple was torn down just five years later because it had been built on land owned by the Caroni Sugar Company. Undaunted, Sadhu hauled rocks into the sea itself because, he claimed, only god owned the ocean. Built of cement on a stone base, the temple was never completed though he spent the remaining twenty-five years of his life on the task. In 1994, twenty years after Sadhu’s death, the government of Trinidad & Tobago finished the temple