The emerald green mountains are a backdrop to the turquoise Caribbean Sea. Is there any place on earth more appealing than the picture perfect isles of Trinidad and Tobago? Their breathtaking beaches, sparkling pools, and variety of recreational options await you.
Although everyone’s idea of a perfect honeymoon is different, these islands can provide countless ways to make your own honeymoon fantasies come true.
Where are they?
Lying just northeast of Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago are where you go to play! An archipelago (a state whose primary territory consists of one or more islands), these two have found a symmetry in their love of nature.
When is the best time to go?
Because of its southern location, temperatures are great year-round. Its average daily temperature is around 80°F. The only real seasons in Trinidad and Tobago are the rainy season (June to November) and the dry season (December to May).
The high season is January to March, with a noticeable peak in February when Carnival draws crowds and hotel costs skyrocket. Booking ahead is essential at this time.
Accommodations are cheaper and crowds almost nonexistent in the shoulder seasons–October to December and April to June. It is important to note that these islands lie outside of the hurricane belt, which means they don't generally experience severe storms like northern islands do.
Where to stay
While quaint lodges, guest houses, and inns make up the bulk of accommodations on Trinidad and Tobago, should you want to stay in a luxury resort that offers packages with meals, recreational activities, and entertainment, a few all-inclusive options are also available on the islands.
You may want to tour different areas of the islands and spend time staying in accommodations in and/or near natural preserves or in secluded beach villages. By splitting your honeymoon into a couple of locales, you can cut down on travel time to visit specific sites.
What to do?
Although one nation, these two islands are very different.
Trinidad
The number one attraction in Trinidad, Caroni Bird Sanctuary, is home of the Scarlet Ibis. Also not to be missed is the Santa Cruz Valley with its endless cocoa and coffee plantations along with the scenic North Coast Road, where you can take in a panoramic view of the Caribbean Sea at Maracas Lookout. But this island is much more industrious than its sister, Tobago. The booming oil and gas industry is the real bread and butter in Trinidad with tourism a distant second.
Best known for its Carnival celebrations, Port of Spain, Trinidad’s capital, is a busy place any time of year. The electricity here peaks just before Lent. Known to be one of the biggest celebrations in the world, it features detailed costumes, raucous music, and thousands of revelers. This city also offers diverse cuisine—everything from Indian to Asian fusion to local comfort foods. The nightlife in Trinidad is unparalleled.
Trinidad is also ideal for nature lovers. Maracas Valley is a spectacular natural site where hikers can trek 45 minutes to its waterfall, cascading from a 300 foot high cliff. There is also the Asa Weight Nature Center, which is a world-renowned habitat. Home to over 200 species of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, as well as an astonishing 617 butterfly species and 400 species of birds including toucans, cuckoos and coquettes—truly a destination for all adventurers.
Tobago
This isle gives you an undiscovered island honeymoon experience. Tobago is a more traditional Caribbean destination focused on sun, sand and nature. The oldest protected rain forest in the Western Hemisphere (established in the eighteenth century) is in Tobago.
Although sleepy, Tobago is being awakened by a tourism industry that loves it for its great value, beauty and genuinely friendly culture. Tobago is proud of its thick rain forests, incredible dive sites, spectacular aquamarine bays and unbelievable nature reserves. It accepts its tourists without vigor, but rather with languor, and allows them to choose between plush ocean-side hotels or tiny guesthouses in villages where you walk straight to the open-air bar with sandy bare feet and laugh with the locals drinking rum.
What are the must-see attractions?
There’s plenty more to see under the sea, thanks to Tobago’s surrounding coral reefs, teeming with tropical fish. Nearly 300 different species of coral serve as the foundations for the schools of fish, sea turtles, sponges, and even dolphins. Drift diving is particularly popular here among experienced divers.
Named one of the most spectacular sights in the world, Buccoo Point (where even non-swimmers will delight in the underwater world with a glass bottom boat ride) takes centre stage on Sundays with the traditional “Sunday School” beach party. This is the mother of all parties held on Sunday night every week. Songs of the village steel band will caress your soul. This party goes into full swing as local DJs take charge with their infectious mixture of reggae and calypso.
Of course, big game fishing, snorkeling, and golf are also available, but enjoying the nature of Trinidad and Tobago is in the sand and sun itself. If you opt to explore Trinidad and Tobago on your honeymoon, you will be infused with a spirit of adventure. The spirit of life awaits you....
Photo sources: Maracas, Carnival, snorkeling, scarlet ibis