Trinidad and Tobago although these are sister islands they differ a lot. Although the official language is English, both islands have many speakers of the islands very own languages, Trinidadian Creole and Tobagonian Creole are the two languages that are commonly spoken on each of the islands. TaT is probably the most diverse country in the Caribbean, not only ethnically but the religious diversity makes the islands so different from the rest of the Caribbean. Although the island may be diverse culturally, it still carries similar dangers as those of the rest of the region.

Traveling info

Visitors traveling from the EU or certain nations of the Commonwealth are allowed to enter the islands without the need of obtaining a visa. (list in sources). All the remaining nationals require to obtain the document. Visitors who choose to drive may use their driving permit from the country of their origin for up to 90 days, after that period of time a local driving permit needs to be obtained. The left-hand side of the road is used for driving.

Traveling hazards

The highways on the islands are well maintained and well paved however the standard quickly decreases when driving on rural roads with some being badly paved or unpaved and poorly marked and signed. Although the left-hand side of the road is used for driving some vehicles may be the left-hand drive which may create confusion on the roads especially for tourists however most rental cars will be right-hand drive.

Environmental hazards

Both Trinidad and Tobago are home to giant centipedes that may bite leaving an adult in a huge pain however for small children and elderly these bites may be fatal. Tobago has no poisonous snakes however the island of Trinidad has several species of which bite may be fatal. Antivenom is available throughout the island. Among others, the coral snake, Fer-de-lance and bushmaster snakes are the most dangerous. Mosquitoes are present on both islands and some may carry Zika or dengue fever and it is advised to exercise increased caution and protection when dealing with bug bites. Waters of both islands are generally safe however swimming after dusk is not advised as sharks are the most active at that time of the day. Sea urchins probably pose the biggest threat that occurs most often however these creatures do not attack anyone and are passive, the only way these will hurt anyone or anything is if they are stepped on as these have long spikes that will shatter when piercing through the skin.
TaT like all of the Caribbean region experiences the hurricane season that begins in early June and lasts until late November. During that time tropical cyclones may occur and damage the country’s infrastructure and impede any sort of tourism.

Health hazards

Visitors traveling to TaT from countries with risk of yellow fever must present proof of yellow fever vaccination prior to entry. (list in sources). There is a number of other vaccines that are recommended but not required. These are the routine vaccines, hepatitis A and B, typhoid and rabies vaccines. There have been reports of people being infected with Zika virus by mosquitoes. It is advised to exercise increased caution when dealing with bug bites. Pregnant women are advised to reconsider travel. The healthcare system is on a modern level, moreover, health services are free of charge for public and non-nationals. However private hospitals will require an upfront payment unless health insurance is presented. Hospitals are able to deal with emergencies and medical evacuation is not necessary.
In case of an emergency dial 990.

Crime

TaT ranks as one of the countries with the highest crime rates in the Caribbean. Homicide is among the highest in the region also, tourists are safe in the popular tourist’s places and resorts however wandering outside of tourist zones is not advised. If doing so traveling in groups of 3 or 4 is preferable. Police are present in the tourist zones however outside of these zones law enforcing activity is less common. To minimize danger and risk of being a crime victim, traveling at night, especially in secluded places is not advised. Wearing money belts prevents pickpocketing and keeps your money out of visibility which reduced the likelihood of being robbed. Most resorts offer safes in which money and valuables can be stored, it is advised to only carry a token sum for planned expenses. Wearing flashy jewelry is also not advised as it may attract potential robbers. The TaT laws are very strict on narcotics. Any sort or amount of narcotics will lead to prison time.

Summary

TaT is not among the safest in the Caribbean although the islands have many attractions that are unique to them such as the hottest pepper in the world or one of the natural asphalt lakes. Remember that planning your trip with Travset.com will give you the quickest information about nearest emergency services and will also help you purchase indispensable travel insurance for the trip of your lifetime. Please feel free to comment and share the experiences of your travels with Travset.com.

Sources

(Visa)
http://www.immigration.gov.tt/Services/Visas.aspx
(Vaccines)
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/trinidad-and-tobago
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2018/infectious-diseases-related-to-travel/yellow-fever#5291
(US travel advisory)
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/trinidad-and-tobago-travel-advisory.html