Tobago Attractions

Tobago is the sister island of Trinidad, it’s known as the tourist island with the main attraction being the beautiful beaches, waterfalls, coral reefs, deep sea diving, fishing, landscape, and festivals. Tobago is also famous for its food and hand craft merchandise. Visiting this beautiful island you can go to many beaches throughout the island the names of the beaches are Buccoo Bay, Mount Irvine Bay, Plymouth, Englishman’s Bay, Pigeon Point, and Store Bay. There many beautiful waterfalls that can be found throughout the island such as, Argyle Waterfall, Craig Hall Waterfall and Greenhill Waterfall.  The most famous attraction of Tobago is the Bucco Reef and Nylon Pool.  The Bucco Reef is a coral reef located a short distance from Pigeon Point and Store Bay beaches, there are hundreds of fishes and corals. Nylon Pool is a shallow area in the middle of the reef where you can swim. There are glass-bottom boat tours available to carry you to the reef and pool, where you can snorkel and swim. A historical site is Fort King George located in Scarborough, it was built in 1780s as a bell tank, Barracks, cannons and prison, and it has a coastal view. There is also a museum showing Amerindian artifacts. Throughout the years there are many festivals, events and races that take place such as Heritage Festival, Jazz Festival, Carnival, Culinary Festival, Muhtadi International Drumming Festival, Tobago Fest, Harvest and Fisherman’s Festivals, Goat and Crab Racing Festivals, Great Fete and Carib Great Race (speed boat race). 

Glass Bottom Boats 

Englishman's Bay Beach

Video Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyQZDRFgeHg 

Trinidad Attraction

Trinidad is known for its beautiful, clear and sandy beaches, wild life, landscape and rich natural resources. Upon visiting the island you can choose from number of beaches located throughout the northern, eastern, western and southern coastline of the island. The names of the main beaches are Maracas Bay, Las Cuevas, Blanchisseuse, Macqueripe, Toco, Manzanilla, Mayaro, Columbus Bay, Vessigny and Cedros. There are also many beautiful waterfalls located in the northern coast of the island, close to Maracas Beach and Blanchisseuse Beach. There are many rivers where you can bade, cook, picnic, and relax; the most famous river is Caura River. Off the North West coast of Trinidad is a group of six small islands called the Five Islands, you can take a boat and visit the different islands. Along the northern and eastern coast of Trinidad there are nesting grounds for sea turtles. There are five types of sea turtles Leatherbacks, Loggerheads, Olive Ridleys, Green Turtles and Hawksbills. Nesting seasons start from March to September of each year, you can view the turtles on three main beaches Matura, Fishing Pond and Grande Riviere.

You can take in the beautiful site seeing of the mountain range and bird watching. The wild life on the islands are protected so to preserve its species. You can go bird watching from the Caroni Bird Sanctuary, they have daily tour boats that goes around the swamp where you can see our national bird the Scarlet Ibis.   The southern part of the island is known for having refineries, wells and the amazing Pitch Lake. The Pitch Lake is located in La Brea in the southwest part of Trinidad, it is the largest natural sum of asphalt in the world. The Devil’s Wood Yard is a mud volcano, hot steaming mud flows from the crater of the volcano. Lopinot has many historical artifacts, one major attraction is the cocoa estate, as well as a museum with artifacts from the Arawaks and Caribs.  

Sunset Cedros Beach

Macqueripe Beach 

Maracas Beach

Video Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV9XvW2JSVE

Economy

Throughout the years Trinidad and Tobago has been improving its revenue in ways of economy, tourism, oil/gas, import/export, and expansion of the country itself. The main source of income for the country is its oil and gas industry. During the past years, the government of Trinidad and Tobago invested millions of dollars into funding oil and gas companies. In addition to this, there are several foreign investors who signed treaties with the government of Trinidad and Tobago. These investors are owners and operators of many of the onshore, and offshore oil rig platforms. The main petroleum distributer in Trinidad is named Petrotrin. Petrotrin is a local company which provides both oil and gas, locally and internationally. Other petroleum companies include, British Gas (BG), Trinmar, Schlumberger, Trinity Exploration and Tuff Co. Limited.

Local and Foreign trade has also drastically increased local revenue in Trinidad and Tobago. One of the major local companies that used to provide billions of dollars to Trinidad’s revenue was Caroni 1975 Limited. Caroni was closed down by the government of Trinidad in 2003, since then the country has lost a significant amount of yearly income. Caroni 1975 Limited was responsible for providing sugar locally and internationally, now sugar is imported into Trinidad and Tobago. Another major income source for Trinidad and Tobago is agriculture. At least 10 - 15% of people in Trinidad are farmers, each providing vegetables and foods for themselves as well as for retail, wholesale, and export to different countries. Agriculture accounts for around 14% of non-oil income to the country’s economy. Tropical fruits and vegetables are grown and exported, these include, coco, watermelons, coconut, spinach, peppers, seasoning (Green onions, onions, celery, thyme, and shadow-benny), mangoes, papaya, citrus fruits, and many more.

Inclusive of this, Trinidad is the world’s leading provider for petrochemicals. These petrochemicals include methanol and ammoniac. Methanol Holdings (Trinidad) Limited is the name of the methanol plant which is situated in Central Trinidad in the industrial area of Point Lisas. YARA Trinidad Limited is a three-plant ammonia facility located in Central Trinidad in the area of Savonetta. YARA is responsible for providing ammoniac throughout the world, hence being the leading ammoniac distributer worldwide. 

Methanol Plant

Picture Retrieved from https://www.google.ca/search?q=methanol+plant+in+trinidad&espv=2&biw=1821&bih=832&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=fQf9VNWyFdHtgwSUjoSgCQ&ved=0CCYQsAQ&dpr=0.75#imgdii=_&imgrc=MD8wwzo_OiUB5M%253A%3B-OwnD3cpV-T-LM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.elconfidencialquimico.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2014%252F10%252FMHTLWeb.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.elconfidencialquimico.com%252Fcategory%252Fnews%252F%3B702%3B360

Local Cuisine 

Trinidad and Tobago’s cuisine is influenced from across the world, ranging from India, Africa, Europe, China, America and Lebanon. Creole dishes were influenced by African slaves, their dishes were mainly stew meats, red beans, “callaloo”, “pelau”, macaroni pie, oxtail soup, beef soup and cowheel soup. East Indian foods were influenced by Indian slaves, their dishes were sada roti (similar to flatbread and served with vegetables such as pumpkin, orcho (ochra), bodi (string beans), and potato), paratha, dhalpourie (roti made with yellow split peas), aloo-pie (made with flour and potato), chokas (roasted vegetables such as tomatoes and eggplant, served with sada roti), Pholouri (made with spilt peas powder and served with a sauce), Saheena (made with spilt peas powder, flour and spinach) and doubles which is national breakfast for many Trinidadians, it is made from flour and split peas patties filled with curry channa and topic with different sauces. There are many Indian sweets and delicacies such as barfi, goolab jamoom, kurma, sweet rice and ladoo. Chinese dishes are combined with Cantonese style mixed with local ingredients and spices. Some dishes include fried rice, fried/ steamed wantons, spring roll, Chinese style chicken, garlic shrimps, etc. There many unusual cuisines such as curried conch, bake and shark, fruit chow (made with mango, pineapple, plums and half/ripe fruits mixed with cilantro, pepper, garlic and lime juice), souse (made with pig feet or chicken feet), black pudden (made with pig's blood, herbs and spices), barbeque pigtail, curried chip (small shellfish that taste similar to clams), curried Cascadura (freshwater fish) and curried/stew wild meat (agouti, wild hog, armadillo, iguana, possum and ant eaters). Trinidadians are famous for their pepper sauce, as they produce the hottest peppers in the world. Pepper sauce is made with hot peppers, lime juice, carrots, cilantro and vinegar. Some of Trinidad and Tobago’s fast foods are barbecue, corn soup, burgers, homemade ice cream, boiled/roast corns and gyros. You can also get freshly cut coconut water and coconut jelly in many different areas throughout Trinidad and Tobago. 

Trinidad local cuisine can be tried at various restaurants around the Great Toronto Area such as; Lena's Doubles and Roti, Radica's Hot & Spicy and Leela's Roti Shop. 

Have you ever been to anyone of these places?

Rice, Callaloo, Baked chicken and Stew Pigtail 

Corn Soup

Doubles with local fruit soda (Apple J)

Indian Sweet: Barfi, Kumar and Sweet Rice.

Home made Pepper Sauce

Pineapple Chow

Culture of Trinidad and Tobago 

Trinidad and Tobago is made up of different religions, ethnic beliefs, festivals, food, and people making the country multicultural. Trinidad and Tobago’s religions include, Hinduism, Catholicism, Islam, Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptists, Seventh Day Adventists and Pentecostals. Having such a diverse amount of religions, there is a wide variety of religious occasions celebrated. Such occasions are, Good Friday, Easter, Spiritual Baptist, Corpus Christi, Divali, Phagaw or Holi, Eid-ul-Fitr, Hosay and Christmas Day.

One major event that represents the culture of Trinidad and Tobago is Carnival also known as the “Greatest Show on Earth”.  Carnival is an out-burst of music, colour, revelry and creativity. Carnival was originated from the Catholic religion in Italy, they would host a celebration right before they started to fast for lent. Lent is a period where Catholics are not allowed to eat meat. When the European countries conquered Trinidad they brought their tradition with them. Carnival was also influence by African tradition, African slaves held their own celebrations of masks and costumes around burning and harvesting sugar cane. They would mimic their master while combining folklore and rituals.  After the abolishment of slavery, Africans started to celebrate their own Carnival on the streets as a way to express their culture and power. Carnival has become an important and prominent part of Trinidad and Tobago’s culture. Carnival is always celebrated on a Monday and Tuesday.  There is pre-celebration called, J’Ouvert (meaning break of dawn) which comprise of people dressed in costumes of body paint, mud and oil. Carnival also has a lot of music, and musicians as well as bands performing during the two day festival. This event is sponsored by numerous people, businesses and the government of Trinidad and Tobago.  Carnival is one event that brings world renowned personnel to the islands. 

This link provides more insite on Carnival, origin, and pre-events leading up to the big days http://www.gotrinidadandtobago.com/trinidad/carnival/

Video Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F74Jf7sqYkA 

 Have you ever experience Carnival?