A melting pot of cultures with a non-stop zest for life, this is a land of music and festivals, where Carnival, calypso, steel pan music, and the limbo dance were born.
Trinidad is rich in the architecture, art, fashion, food, festivals, and music derived from this fusion of cultures.
Port of Spain boasts great diversity from the exuberant Carnival to the serene Divali, from roti to callaloo, and to the Christian churches side-by-side with Islamic mosques and Hindu temples.
Historical treasures that can be found in Trinidad include the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception - an interesting mix of Italian marble, Irish stained glass and British ironwork; Fort Chacon - an 18th century Spanish fort; and Fort Picton - British fort.
Trinidad too is a bird watchers paradise. With a 200-acre wildlife sanctuary - the Asa Wright Nature Centre.
Quick Facts
Weather
Average temperature High/Low: Summer 31.2/22.9 degrees C. Winter 30.2/20.8 degrees C. Average Humidity: Summer 84%. Winter 80%. Average Rainfall: Summer 1,553.7mm. Winter 316.2mm. Approx. Sunrise/Sunset: Summer 0556/1825. Winter 0625/1815.
Clothing
Casual. Cool.
Currency
TT Dollar.
Language
English
Time Zone
EST +1. GMT -4. No daylight savings.
Taxes
Departure tax: TT$100 (tax $75.00 plus security fee $25.00). Service charge: 10%. Room tax: 10%. The room taxes are only charged by the larger hotels, for example Hilton and Crowne Plaza Trinidad. Also included is the country's Value Added Tax (VAT), which is 15%.[ /accordion ]
Police : 999 Ambulance :990 Fire :990
Entry Requirements
Valid passports are required for everybody entering the country. Visas are not required for North American, UK, and most European and Commonwealth citizens except for Australia, India, Nigeria, Uganda, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Papua New Guinea and Tanzania.
Health Precautions
Sunburn
Behaviour
N/A
Driving
Driving is on the left hand side of the road. Rentals available include-Cars. Bicycles. Motorcycles. Aircraft. Temporary license/permit requirements-Visitors in possession of valid licenses issued in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, The Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, Japan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Venezuela, among others may drive for up to three months. International licenses are also accepted. Local services. Taxis. Air-Domestic service Air Caribbean and BWIA. Ferry. There is the bus system that operates throughout the island, or you can get a bus from the Airport to Port of Spain at a cost of $4.00TT.
Airlines
Air Canada. Aeropostal. American Airlines. ALM. British Airways. Caribbean Airlines. JMC Airways. Condor. Helen Air. LIAT. Suriname Airways. A regional air carrier Caribbean Star Airlines now operates into Trinidad.
Flight Duration
Barbados - 35 mins.
Caracas - 55 mins.
Frankfurt - 9 3/4 hrs.
London - 8 1/4 hrs.
Miami - 3.5 hrs.
New York - 4 3/4 hrs.
Puerto Rico - 90 mins.
Toronto - 5 3/4 hrs.
Zurich - 9 1/4 hrs.
Airport Details
(POS) Piarco Int'l Airport, Trinidad, 17 mls from the capital, Port of Spain. (TAB) Crown Point Airport, Tobago, 7 mls from the capital, Scarborough.
Taxis
Taxi fares are fixed and you should agree on fares beforehand. Maraval (Chaconia Inn) US$24. Port of Spain $20. Maracas Valley $20. San Fernando $31. Siparia $44. Asa Wright Nature Centre $27. All fares are subject to 50% increase from 2200 PM to 0600 AM.
Best Beaches
North West Coast - Carenage Bay, Macqueripe Beach and Scotland Bay
North Coast - Maracas Bay, Las Cuevas, Blanchisseuse, Grande Riviere, Toco Bay,
North East Coast - Balandra Bay, Salybia
Manzanilla, Mayaro (South East Coast).
Marriage
Documents Required: A valid passport and airline tickets are needed. A notarized English translation (if not in English) of the original copy of the decree absolute, if divorced. A notarized English translation (if not in English) of the original death certificate of spouse, if widowed. Proof of name change when name differs on documents. Parties must establish residence in Trinidad and Tobago of not less than 3 days (the period of residence is calculated from the day after the date of arrival in Trinidad and Tobago). A fee of TT$337.50 includes cost of 2 marriage certificates & is payable in postage stamps from the General Post Office. Registrar General (Trinidad) 868-623-2450, (Tobago): 868-639-2410. Wardens Office (Tobago): 868-639-3210. These requirements are for a Special President's License which is granted to a couple who are both non-residents.
Tipping
Almost all hotels will add a 10%-15% service charge to your bill. Most restaurants include a 10% service charge, which is considered standard on these islands. If a charge isn't on the bill, tip according to service: 10%-15% is fine.
Taxis expect a token tip of around 10%.
At drinking establishments tipping is optional, and the staff at smaller bars may tell you on your way out that you forgot your change.
Electricity
110 or 220 Volts, 60 cycles. Converters are available in hotels.