The best of both worlds

8:24am Saturday 21st June 2008

An island paradise and a bustling, exciting city destination. Scott Wilson discovers both - and some Caribbean sun as well.

FINDING the perfect holiday destination is all about striking a balance. You want somewhere with sufficient attractions to keep you entertained, but also somewhere that's quiet enough to enable you to relax.

You want the hurly-burly of the city combined with the breathtaking beauty of a landscape that has been untouched from before the mists of time. You want everything and nothing, and you wouldn't mind a bit of sun on your back while you're there.

In short, it sounds like you want to experience Trinidad & Tobago.

The most southerly of all the Caribbean island groups, and also the most untainted by the more unwelcome elements of the tourist trade, Trinidad & Tobago offers the best of all worlds.

From Trinidad's bustling cities and tropical rainforests to Tobago's unspoiled beaches and stunning coral reefs, there's enough to keep even the most demanding of travellers happy.

Just make sure you don't ignore the attractions of one island because you're so caught up in the appeal of the other.

Land at Tobago's Crown Point Airport and you only have to walk 100 yards to board a 40-minute connecting flight to Trinidad's Piarco International Airport.

Most British tourists don't bother. If you've just landed on a paradise island - and with its white sandy beaches and pristine turquoise sea, Tobago is certainly that - the last thing you want to do is leave it for a city that could best be described as "aesthetically challenged".

Yet, if you fail to visit Port of Spain, Trinidad's chaotic and bustling capital, you'll fail to understand what this proud, independent island nation is all about.

Admittedly, it's not one of the world's great capitals. With its busy, working docks and sprawling streets, it can feel overbearing and even oppressive.

Visit in late February or early March and you'll hardly be able to move as Trinidad & Tobago's carnival, billed as "the greatest show on earth", gets into full swing. Visit at any other time of the year and you'll still struggle to find time to think amid the blaring music that blasts out of cars, shops and pavement stalls. But as your eyes and ears gradually acclimatise, you'll find it hard not to fall in love with this lively, beating heart.

I stayed at the Kapok Hotel overlooking the vast open space of Queen's Park Savannah, great for the carnival and equally ideal for exploring Port of Spain on foot. That's the best way to experience the city, and while its economic independence means you'll probably be one of the few tourists walking the streets, Trinidad's capital is a friendly and welcoming place.

While other Caribbean nations corral tourists into barbed-wire enclosed enclaves, Trinidad & Tobago encourages them to experience the local culture.

The rewards are plentiful, from a gentle stroll along Brian Lara Promenade to a sociable rum and coke in one of the many bars and cafes. Be warned though, if you're going to hold a conversation with a local Trinidadian for more than five minutes, you'd better know your cricket.

Port of Spain can be pretty much exhausted in two or three days, but don't leave Trinidad without having trekked inland at least once.

The Tamana caves have to be seen to be believed - especially at night when more than a million-and-a-half bats leave to start feeding - and the Caroni Swamp offers more than 40km of lagoons, marshland and mangrove forest.

To get a more rounded view of the island's history and geography, it's also worth joining a boat trip that will take you to within three miles of the Venezuelan coastline and visit hidden beaches and bays that are inaccessible by land.

Find a good guide and you'll learn of disused whaling stations, abandoned leper colonies and blast sites that confirm the blood that was shed as Trinidad was swapped between English, French and Spanish hands.

Ultimately, though, there's only going to be so much sightseeing you want to do. If you're in the Caribbean, at some stage you're going to want to lay back on a beach with a cocktail in your hand.

And as soon as that thought takes over, it's time to head back to Tobago.

Named after the Indian word for "tobacco"

because of its cigar-like shape, Tobago is an elongated oval of just 41km by 14km, yet it still boasts over 300 beaches, almost all of which are instantly reminiscent of a Bounty advert.

MY hotel, Half Moon Blue, overlooked arguably the most famous of them, Bacolet Bay, where the Beatles once frolicked and where Walt Disney filmed Swiss Family Robinson. It's supposed to be one of the most visited beaches in Tobago. When I spent half a day there, I shared it four other people and a dog.

For all that it is much more geared towards tourism than its sister island, Tobago remains an unspoiled gem. Its coastline is stunning, and its inland core, with its mountainous, protected rainforest and numerous waterfalls, remains proudly under-developed.

Organised treks and hikes make the otherwise inhospitable terrain negotiable, while a variety of tour groups offer boat trips that allow snorkelling on the Buccoo Reef, swimming off Pigeon Point or dolphin watching in Englishman's Bay.

The Tobago Forest Reserve is a must, a vast expanse of rainforest that has been protected since the late 1700s, and Tobago's capital, Scarborough, is also worth a visit because of its pleasant, laid-back air.

And once you've done all that, of course, there's always the option of a quick return visit to the beach. All of this rushing around can really take it out of you, you know.

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