The twin island nation of Trinidad and Tobago has plenty of ways to immerse oneself into the infectious Caribbean vibe. Raul Dias recently discovered a few…
In 2015, Bollywood’s Badshah Shah Rukh Khan put the spotlight on the twin island nation of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) by buying out the T&T Red Steel franchise—that he’s now renamed the Trinbago Knight Riders—in the five-seasons-old Caribbean Premier League (CPL). But there’s a whole lot more than cricket on offer in this stunning Caribbean country. Here are a few ways to get the most out of T&T after you’ve had enough of your share of bouncers, yorkers, googlies and those all-important sixers. And yes, we Indian’s don’t even need a visa to go tripping T&T style! Here’s a list of our very own sixers…
1. Get your fill of Port of Spain
Though it may be diminutive in size, T&T’s capital Port of Spain on the main island of Trinidad is full of interesting places to visit. So, once you’ve had enough of the CPL action at the Queens Park Oval Stadium, take a short walk down to the National Museum of Trinidad and Tobago on Frederick Street where you can marvel at a large collection of works by local artists. The museum also has a number of exhibits on the cultural history of the islands that will give you a great insight into T&T’s colonial past. Speaking of which, as the last surviving fort form the period of the Spanish occupation of Trinidad, Fort San Andres in the middle of the city should not be missed, as should the lush Royal Botanic Gardens that is home to 700 exotic species of trees, 13 per cent of which are indigenous to this part of the world.
2. ‘Sea’ the beauty!
While Big Brother aka. Trinidad might hold sway as the more ‘happening’ of the two, it is little Tobago, all of 300 sq km, that advertises its title of WATERWORLD in big bold letters, thanks to the plethora of water sport action on offer for the intrepid traveller. From the stand-up paddle boarding, canoeing and windsurfing at Pigeon Point Beach to some breathtaking diving and snorkeling at Buccoo Reef there is no dearth of water sports and activities to indulge in. But save all your awestruck wonder for the Nylon Pool that is a sand bank in the middle of the ocean that is so shallow that the water reaches only up to one’s waist, making wading through its crystal clear, warm waters an unusual treat with the deeper (and darker hued) waters surrounding it in an emerald ring.
3. Enjoy a mélange on your plate
Thanks to its ‘creole’ or mixed culture — right from the African and Amerindian to the Chinese, Caucasian and even Indian origin people — the cuisine of T&T is as diverse as it is divine! From the rather odd-sounding ‘blue food’ made up of tubers like dasheen which is a sort of cassava to a leafy vegetable stew called callaloo and India-inspired ‘doubles’ and rotis stuffed with goat or chicken curry, to crabs and dumplings (a Tobagonian specialty) there is a lot on offer here. A must-not-miss local Tinidadian favourite is ‘bake and shark’ best had at Richard’s Shack at Maracas Bay. Basically composed of a piece of fried shark filet wedged between fried roti dough bread, called ‘bake’, no bake and shark sandwich is complete without dousing it with a virtual cornucopia of condiments featuring among others, the unique shado beni chutney that is made from a leafy Trinidadian herb called shado beni that is a bit like coriander.
4. ‘Lime out’ at a pan yard
As T&T’s national musical instrument, the steelpan is made from oil drums hammered on one end and divided into grooves and notes. The steelpan also bears the distinction of being the only acoustic musical instrument to be invented in the twentieth century. But what it also does for the local community is that it gives them a chance to hang out and have some unbridled music-enhanced fun. Simply called ‘limein’ in the local parlance, the Trinbagonians (as the denizens of the island nation refer to themselves as) take hanging out very seriously. And the best place for a bit of ‘lime out’ action is an evening spent lost in the music of a pan yard. What this place basically is, is a sort of community centre where steelpan bands practice almost every day, honing their skills for steelpan competitions which are taken very, very seriously in T&T, almost as much as cricket is.
5. Go swamp boating
The Scarlet Ibis is one of the most vividly coloured birds (hence its name!) you will ever have the pleasure of seeing. And as a protective haven for this, the nation’s national bird, the Caroni Swamp Sanctuary, a little out of Port of Spain, is a great place to become one with nature. A boat tour down the meandering swamp shows you glimpses not just into the habitat of the Scarlet Ibis but also into those of others like snakes, spiders and other swamp critters. Under the patronage and stewardship of Winston Nanan who was driven by his love dedication and commitment to this sensitive eco-system, the Caroni Swamp has become an ornithological wonderland with hourly tours departing from the sanctuary’s pier through the day, right up till 4pm.
6. ‘Bean’ there, done that?
A short distance away from Tobago’s fabulous three-tiered Argyle waterfall — that you can trek up to — is a place that is a sort of open air, lush version of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. The Tobago Cocoa Estate is where you can learn all about how the world’s favourite indulgence — chocolate — gets its start from bean to bar. Here, on his daily tours, Duane Dove who set the estate up in 2005, not only shows you how cocoa beans are grown, but also how they are harvested and processed into some of the finest, organic chocolate you can ever have the pleasure of tasting. And one can even pick up some goodies at the attached shop that does very little to quell your chocolate addiction with its sinful range of goodies on offer.
How to get there?
Although there are no direct flights from India to T&T, one can easily fly in to Port of Spain via New York or London on airlines like Jet Blue and Caribbean Airlines. Travel from Trinidad to Tobago is easy with several air taxi services operating short, hourly 25-minute flights linking the two islands.
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the February 2018 issue of Just Urbane magazine)
In 2015, Bollywood’s Badshah Shah Rukh Khan put the spotlight on the twin island nation of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) by buying out the T&T Red Steel franchise—that he’s now renamed the Trinbago Knight Riders—in the five-seasons-old Caribbean Premier League (CPL). But there’s a whole lot more than cricket on offer in this stunning Caribbean country. Here are a few ways to get the most out of T&T after you’ve had enough of your share of bouncers, yorkers, googlies and those all-important sixers. And yes, we Indian’s don’t even need a visa to go tripping T&T style! Here’s a list of our very own sixers…
1. Get your fill of Port of Spain
Though it may be diminutive in size, T&T’s capital Port of Spain on the main island of Trinidad is full of interesting places to visit. So, once you’ve had enough of the CPL action at the Queens Park Oval Stadium, take a short walk down to the National Museum of Trinidad and Tobago on Frederick Street where you can marvel at a large collection of works by local artists. The museum also has a number of exhibits on the cultural history of the islands that will give you a great insight into T&T’s colonial past. Speaking of which, as the last surviving fort form the period of the Spanish occupation of Trinidad, Fort San Andres in the middle of the city should not be missed, as should the lush Royal Botanic Gardens that is home to 700 exotic species of trees, 13 per cent of which are indigenous to this part of the world.
2. ‘Sea’ the beauty!
While Big Brother aka. Trinidad might hold sway as the more ‘happening’ of the two, it is little Tobago, all of 300 sq km, that advertises its title of WATERWORLD in big bold letters, thanks to the plethora of water sport action on offer for the intrepid traveller. From the stand-up paddle boarding, canoeing and windsurfing at Pigeon Point Beach to some breathtaking diving and snorkeling at Buccoo Reef there is no dearth of water sports and activities to indulge in. But save all your awestruck wonder for the Nylon Pool that is a sand bank in the middle of the ocean that is so shallow that the water reaches only up to one’s waist, making wading through its crystal clear, warm waters an unusual treat with the deeper (and darker hued) waters surrounding it in an emerald ring.
3. Enjoy a mélange on your plate
Thanks to its ‘creole’ or mixed culture — right from the African and Amerindian to the Chinese, Caucasian and even Indian origin people — the cuisine of T&T is as diverse as it is divine! From the rather odd-sounding ‘blue food’ made up of tubers like dasheen which is a sort of cassava to a leafy vegetable stew called callaloo and India-inspired ‘doubles’ and rotis stuffed with goat or chicken curry, to crabs and dumplings (a Tobagonian specialty) there is a lot on offer here. A must-not-miss local Tinidadian favourite is ‘bake and shark’ best had at Richard’s Shack at Maracas Bay. Basically composed of a piece of fried shark filet wedged between fried roti dough bread, called ‘bake’, no bake and shark sandwich is complete without dousing it with a virtual cornucopia of condiments featuring among others, the unique shado beni chutney that is made from a leafy Trinidadian herb called shado beni that is a bit like coriander.
4. ‘Lime out’ at a pan yard
As T&T’s national musical instrument, the steelpan is made from oil drums hammered on one end and divided into grooves and notes. The steelpan also bears the distinction of being the only acoustic musical instrument to be invented in the twentieth century. But what it also does for the local community is that it gives them a chance to hang out and have some unbridled music-enhanced fun. Simply called ‘limein’ in the local parlance, the Trinbagonians (as the denizens of the island nation refer to themselves as) take hanging out very seriously. And the best place for a bit of ‘lime out’ action is an evening spent lost in the music of a pan yard. What this place basically is, is a sort of community centre where steelpan bands practice almost every day, honing their skills for steelpan competitions which are taken very, very seriously in T&T, almost as much as cricket is.
5. Go swamp boating
The Scarlet Ibis is one of the most vividly coloured birds (hence its name!) you will ever have the pleasure of seeing. And as a protective haven for this, the nation’s national bird, the Caroni Swamp Sanctuary, a little out of Port of Spain, is a great place to become one with nature. A boat tour down the meandering swamp shows you glimpses not just into the habitat of the Scarlet Ibis but also into those of others like snakes, spiders and other swamp critters. Under the patronage and stewardship of Winston Nanan who was driven by his love dedication and commitment to this sensitive eco-system, the Caroni Swamp has become an ornithological wonderland with hourly tours departing from the sanctuary’s pier through the day, right up till 4pm.
6. ‘Bean’ there, done that?
A short distance away from Tobago’s fabulous three-tiered Argyle waterfall — that you can trek up to — is a place that is a sort of open air, lush version of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. The Tobago Cocoa Estate is where you can learn all about how the world’s favourite indulgence — chocolate — gets its start from bean to bar. Here, on his daily tours, Duane Dove who set the estate up in 2005, not only shows you how cocoa beans are grown, but also how they are harvested and processed into some of the finest, organic chocolate you can ever have the pleasure of tasting. And one can even pick up some goodies at the attached shop that does very little to quell your chocolate addiction with its sinful range of goodies on offer.
How to get there?
Although there are no direct flights from India to T&T, one can easily fly in to Port of Spain via New York or London on airlines like Jet Blue and Caribbean Airlines. Travel from Trinidad to Tobago is easy with several air taxi services operating short, hourly 25-minute flights linking the two islands.
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the February 2018 issue of Just Urbane magazine)
No comments:
Post a Comment