Trinidad and Tobago holidays

One of the world’s most famous street parties, Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival takes place each year with the biggest events over the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. It all kicks off with J’Ouvert at four in the morning on Carnival Monday, when revellers spill out of houses and hotels onto the streets, covered in mud and bright paints. The party continues, with parades all over the islands featuring amazing masks and costumes (in all colours, fitted with lights, smoke machines, sound effects…), and the Caribbean beats of steelpan, calypso and soca. Other parts of the Carnival include the Panorama at Queen’s Park Savannah in Trinidad’s Port of Spain – a huge steel pan contest, among other music competitions and cultural shows.

Steelpan, calypso and soca – the sounds that fill the air all over the Caribbean – have their roots in Trinidad and Tobago. Steelpan originates from the days of slavery when slaves would use oil drums, bin lids and cooking pans to make music. With African and French influence, calypso’s identified by ballad rhythms and lyrics talking about social or political issues. It’s this that soca stems from, with faster beats and instructional lyrics. Chutney music also comes from these parts, taken from Indian folk, soca and Bollywood music with lyrics in Hindi or English.

A mix of Creole, African, Indian, European, Middle Eastern and Oriental influences can be found in the food around here. Crab and callaloo is the national dish, made from curried crabmeat, vegetables, flour dumplings and a spicy, coconutty sauce. You’ll find a lot of street food, with favourite dishes including doubles (fried bread filled with chickpea daal) roti (Indian flatbread with curry filling) and bake and fish (a fried sandwich with fish and veg – bake and shark was the most popular variety, but with shark populations dropping it’s more eco to order catfish or lionfish instead). Sweet treats include Tobago’s legendary Bene Balls – syrupy balls of sesame seeds – and the ever-popular snow cones made of fruit syrup, condensed milk and shaved ice.

Brewed in Trinidad, Carib Lager began being sold here in the fifties and an ice-cold Carib has become the iconic drink of the Caribbean. As you’d expect from islands once covered in sugar plantations, rum is hugely important here. The Angostura brand has been distilling in Trinidad since 1875, and the company has won tonnes of awards for its 5-year-old, 7-year-old, 1919 and 1824 label rums as well as the iconic Angostura Bitters. Rum is mixed with fruit juices, Coca-Cola or together in cocktails and rum punch – served all over both islands.

Alcohol aside, coconut water is plentiful and fresh as can be, while ginger beer is also very popular. Favourite fruit juices include passionfruit, pineapple, orange and grapefruit.

Introduced by British settlers, cricket plays a massive role in T&T life. Port of Spain is home to the Queen’s Park Oval, which has hosted events like the Caribbean Premier League T20 and the Community Cricket League’s T10. Red Force is the country’s official cricket team, and there are clubs and school teams all over both islands.

Between them, Trinidad and Tobago have some of the best shopping in the Caribbean - 25 malls and more indie boutiques and market stalls than you can shake a shopping bag at. Trinidad’s main shopping centres include the Trincity Mall (near the Millennium Lakes Golf Course), which is one of the biggest in the Caribbean with 300 plus stores and two food courts. The Gulf City Mall’s 150+ stores sell fabrics, craft materials, clothes, makeup, food, jewellery and more – find it near San Fernando on the west coast. In Port of Spain, the Falls at Westmall has over 130 stores, selling clothing, jewellery, cosmetics, art and electricals.

Port of Spain has streets lined with vendors downtown – go to Charlotte Street for bargains, and Queen Street for gorgeous fabrics. More can be found along streets and beaches on both islands, where you can pick up locally made chocolates, fresh fruits, rum and knick-knacks.

Shops can be found along streets, beaches and in big shopping centres. Local chocolates, fruits, rums. Locally created clothing at Port of Spain’s House of Jaipur. Jewellery made from wood and pearls. Tobago’s Craft market at Store Bay is very popular, with some brilliant beach clothes, jewellery and home decorations to take home for friends or keep to remind you of your travels.