f Paria - Ins and Outs of Trinidad & Tobago 2013
f Paria - Ins and Outs of Trinidad & Tobago 2013
f Paria - Ins and Outs of Trinidad & Tobago 2013
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The <strong>Tobago</strong><br />
experience<br />
Atlantic coast sights<br />
Petit Trou lagoon, wetl<strong>and</strong>s with<br />
boardwalk through the mangrove, stone<br />
ruins <strong>of</strong> sugar mill on the golf course, all<br />
inside <strong>Tobago</strong> Plantations Beach <strong>and</strong> Golf<br />
Resort<br />
Scarborough (capital town since<br />
1769, pop c.25,000)<br />
Fort King George established 1777<br />
ab<strong>and</strong>oned 1854. Remains <strong>of</strong> powder<br />
magazine, <strong>of</strong>ficers’ mess, old hospital,<br />
cell block <strong>and</strong> water tank. Magnificent<br />
samaan trees <strong>and</strong> palms alongside the<br />
old colonial building now the hospital.<br />
<strong>Tobago</strong> Museum housed at<br />
“Officers’ Mess”, Fort King George:<br />
Monday to Friday 8 AM to 4 PM, curator<br />
Eddie Hern<strong>and</strong>ez. Tel: 639-3970.<br />
Botanic Gardens on 17 acres accessed<br />
from the highway just east <strong>of</strong> the main<br />
traffic lights.<br />
Old Court House dating from 1852 in<br />
James Square, upper Scarborough, used<br />
by THA. There is also an old court house<br />
in Studley Park.<br />
Hillsborough Dam <strong>and</strong> Waterfall<br />
accessed from Mt St George, also Craig<br />
Hall <strong>and</strong> Mason Falls to the west <strong>of</strong> the<br />
dam.<br />
Fort Granby on the beach shortly after<br />
Studley Park quarry.<br />
Goodwood Genesis Nature<br />
Park & Art Gallery on main road.<br />
Entrance fee TT$60 or US$10.<br />
Tel: 660-4668<br />
Rainbown Falls Goldsborough side<br />
road leads to Rainbow Falls, but only go<br />
with a local guide.<br />
Richmond 18th Century<br />
Great House. Small entrance fee.<br />
Refreshments.<br />
Kendal Great House used by the<br />
THA, visible on the hillside just before<br />
Roxborough.<br />
Argyle Waterfall turn left as you<br />
cross the bridge west <strong>of</strong> Roxborough.<br />
Visitors must use local guides for the<br />
twenty-minute walk to the three-tiered<br />
falls. Entrance fee TT$50. Swimming.<br />
Cocoa Factory in nearby cacao<br />
plantation, just past the entrance to Argyle<br />
Falls.<br />
Roxborough capital <strong>of</strong> the northeast.<br />
Examples <strong>of</strong> colonial architecture in the<br />
Court <strong>and</strong> VAT buildings on the waterfront.<br />
Start <strong>of</strong> forest road that crosses the Main<br />
Ridge hills with a lookout mid-way.<br />
Louis d’Or old French Barracks on left<br />
side <strong>of</strong> main road, followed by government<br />
plant nursery.<br />
King’s Bay Great House with<br />
cocoa sheds, waterfall <strong>and</strong> beach facility.<br />
Speyside Lookout across Tyrell’s<br />
Bay to Goat Isl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Little <strong>Tobago</strong>.<br />
Little <strong>Tobago</strong> once known as Bird<br />
<strong>of</strong> Paradise Isl<strong>and</strong> thanks to Sir William<br />
Ingram’s efforts to colonise those exotic<br />
birds on the isl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Goat Isl<strong>and</strong> once visited by Ian<br />
Fleming, creator <strong>of</strong> James Bond, an<br />
ornithologist who wrote a book on T&T<br />
birds around 1984.<br />
Speyside Waterwheel <strong>and</strong><br />
Sugar Factory ruins beside the bridge<br />
on the road to Blue Waters Inn.<br />
Flagstaff Hill Lookout used by USA<br />
during WW2. As far east as you can go!!<br />
Caribbean coast sights<br />
Charlotteville with cocoa sheds <strong>and</strong><br />
Fort Cambleton overlooking Man O' War<br />
Bay.<br />
Bloody Bay start <strong>of</strong> Gilpin Trail<br />
into the Forest Reserve, first track from<br />
Bloody Bay to Roxborough <strong>and</strong> four<br />
waterfalls along the way.<br />
Parlatuvier small waterfall.<br />
Forest Reserve protected since 1765.<br />
Castara small waterfall in rainy season<br />
only.<br />
Mt. Dillon Lookout just after Norman<br />
Parkinson’s old house<br />
Golden Lane The Witch’s Grave—<br />
Gang Gang Sara flew from Africa ate salt<br />
<strong>and</strong> put on weight so she fell from giant<br />
silk cotton trying to fly back home. Silk<br />
Cotton (Kapok Tree) in question may have<br />
been the one on left on the way down<br />
Culloden Road!<br />
Look out for the giant Silk Cotton trees with<br />
their buttress roots <strong>and</strong> thorny bark—one<br />
on the Windward Road after Roxborough,<br />
one literally on the Northside Road <strong>and</strong><br />
one at the start <strong>of</strong> Culloden Road which<br />
goes down to Footprints. According to<br />
folklore, these trees are inhabited by<br />
“jumbies” or spirits <strong>and</strong> must never be<br />
damaged. In Suriname, the small trees<br />
are turned upside down around a village<br />
to make it invisible to attackers. Drive<br />
carefully by…<br />
Les Coteaux Highl<strong>and</strong> Waterfall<br />
(<strong>of</strong>f the beaten track) after coming down<br />
the big hill into Les Coteaux, turn left,<br />
pass a lovely old church on the left <strong>and</strong><br />
follow the paved road turning left after<br />
bridge. Park near the bridge <strong>and</strong> follow<br />
track to falls on foot.<br />
Franklyn/Arnos Vale Waterwheel<br />
site <strong>of</strong> a sugar factory since Courl<strong>and</strong>ers in<br />
1670. Present ruins from British mill that<br />
closed in 1865. Bar <strong>and</strong> Restaurant open<br />
from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Tel: 660-0815<br />
Arnos Vale Hotel for bird feeding <strong>and</strong><br />
snorkeling <strong>and</strong> Amerindian remains.<br />
Plymouth Fort James <strong>and</strong> mystery<br />
tombstone <strong>of</strong> Betty Stivens, 1783<br />
Courl<strong>and</strong>er Monument by Janis<br />
Mintiks 1978, in memory <strong>of</strong> Latvian<br />
settlers.<br />
Courl<strong>and</strong> sugar mill <strong>and</strong> factory<br />
ruins in residential development. Black<br />
Rock old church with wood shingle facade<br />
Fort Bennett site with only two<br />
canons.<br />
Grafton Bird Sanctuary from 1963<br />
after Hurricane Flora, when owner started<br />
feeding birds who had lost their habitats.<br />
The Castle Museum on Kimme<br />
Drive, Mt Irvine, houses Luise Kimme’s<br />
sculptures.<br />
Rocky Point, Mt Irvine remains <strong>of</strong><br />
fort <strong>and</strong> canons on the ground.<br />
Buccoo Marine Park including<br />
Buccoo Marsh for bird watching, Buccoo<br />
Reef <strong>and</strong> Nylon Pool, protected marine<br />
park since 1973.<br />
Bon Accord lagoon, wetl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
<strong>and</strong> No Man’s L<strong>and</strong> (boat access<br />
only).<br />
Pigeon Point state-owned park with<br />
white s<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> turquoise sea.<br />
Store Bay beach <strong>and</strong> facilities <strong>and</strong> local<br />
speciality <strong>of</strong> crab <strong>and</strong> dumpling.<br />
Fort Milford canons <strong>and</strong> remnants <strong>of</strong><br />
fortifications, just after the casino.<br />
162<br />
The <strong>Ins</strong> & <strong>Outs</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Trinidad</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Tobago</strong>