Nudging the South American mainland they were once attached to, Trinidad and Tobago (usually shortened to T&T) form the southernmost islands of the Lesser Antilles chain and the most influential republic in the Eastern Caribbean. They are the most exciting, unexplored and uncontrived of Caribbean islands, rich in indigenous culture. A cultural pacemaker best known as the home and heart of West Indian Carnival, the nation can boast the most diverse and absorbing society in the region.

Trinidad and Tobago remain relatively inexpensive, and are well-geared to independent travellers without being fully fledged tourist resorts. Natural reserves of gas and oil twinned with a strong manufacturing industry have ensured economic independence, and you'll find the islands refreshingly unfettered by the pretensions of the tourist trade. Visitors are not corralled in all-inclusives or holed up on private beaches, and - though you could easily spend two weeks exploring seashores, which range from palm-lined white sand fringed by translucent waters to secluded, wave-whipped outcrops - you'll find there's far more to T&T than suntans and snorkelling.

These are among the richest destinations for eco-tourism in the Caribbean, combining the characteristic flora and fauna of the region with the wilder aspect of the South American mainland. You'd be hard pressed to come up with anywhere that offers such a variety of habitats in such a compact land area (Trinidad covers no more than 4830 square kilometres, Tobago just 300).

In Trinidad, you can hike through undisturbed tropical rainforest where towering canopies of mahogany, teak and balata bedecked with lianas and epiphytic plants shelter opossums, red howler monkeys and ocelots. The wetlands and mangrove swamps harbour all manner of exotic wildlife, including the endangered West Indian manatee and the giant anaconda, while leatherback turtles lay eggs on remote and rugged beaches. Huge blue emperor butterflies flit around the cool water of innumerable inland rivers and waterfalls, and the birdwatching - with more than 430 brilliantly hued species - is among the world's best.

Though Tobago boasts the oldest protected rainforest in the western hemisphere, the smaller island is better known for its stunning coral reefs, declared third best in the Caribbean by Jacques Cousteau and favoured by graceful seven-metre manta rays and shoals of technicolour tropical fish.

Vital, crowded and dynamic, T&T's towns and cities are equally absorbing, unique showcases for the architectural, religious and cultural traditions of their cosmopolitan populations. Fretworked townhouses, Georgian-style mansions and barrack-house complexes built for plantation workers sit side by side with temples, mosques, Catholic cathedrals and Anglican churches. The varied ethnic groups brought to labour in the islands after the slaves were freed in 1834 have given rise to an unimaginably varied populace, hailing from India, China, Portugal and Syria as well as Africa, England, France and Spain. Though racial tensions are inevitably present, Trinbagonians (as they're collectively known) generally coexist with good-humour, and are proud of the multiculturalism that has so enriched the life of the nation. Nowhere is this more visible than in a lively music scene that rivals even that of Jamaica. The steel drum was invented in the Port of Spain suburb of Laventille, while calypso, first developed in African communities, evolved into contemporary soca. That in turn has spawned the Indian-influenced chutney soca and the danceable beats and politically conscious lyrics of rapso, the nation's newest musical creation.

Trinbagonians have a less harrowing past to contend with than many of their Caribbean neighbours. Neglected by the Spanish for most of their three centuries of rule, Trinidad experienced full-scale slavery for only fifty years, while the Dutch, French and English were too busy fighting over Tobago to turn it into a giant plantation. Consequently, the national psyche is characterized by a strong sense of identity and a laid-back enjoyment of the good things in life. This ethos is best displayed in the local propensity for liming, taking time out to meet friends, talk, and sink a Carib beer or a rum. Thirteen public holidays and numerous local festivals are mere limbering up for the republic's most famous party, the annual pre-Lenten Carnival, when the no-holds-barred small-hours abandon of Jouvert is followed by two days of pure joy as five-thousand-strong bands of intricately costumed revellers take to the streets in a celebration of life.

Synopsis
A handbook to the diverse Caribbean nation that comprises the small island of Tobago and its more rural and much larger neighbour, Trinidad. Features include: critical listings of the best places to stay and eat; practical tips on how to explore; and coverage of the islands' cultural life.

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