TAMARIND HOUSE APARTMENT

It is a very special place! The most amazing vistas - the whole of the bay at the front and rainforest surrounding the back - The house itself is very well designed and resourced - we chose to stay in the apartment, with the garden and rainforest views - it's quieter - apart from the emerald parrots that fly noisily in pairs overhead and bananquits who hang from the sugar feeders - hummingbirds in the garden too - and a turquoise pool to dip in - You can have the apartment doors open and lie in the hammock overlooking the garden/forest. Plenty of room in the apartment for 4 adults and although you have to share the bathroom, the shower is huge !

A five minute walk gets you on the beach where you can swim, snorkle or buy fresh fish from the boats as they return in the afternoon. A little more exertion gets you quickly into the forest where you will be amazed by the sounds and sights, including a waterfall on either of the rivers that fall swiftly from the hills.

For a week in June 2008, my boyfriend and I stayed in Tamarind House, a ‘5 Star luxury paradise villa' in the remote fishing village of Parlatuvier. The villa had much more to offer than just the day to day household necessities – there were impressive views of not only the bay, but also the surrounding rainforest in which we found ourselves becoming deeply absorbed. Although we stayed in the well equipped downstairs apartment, we still had the luxury of eating breakfast on the veranda which over-looked the bay with a million dollar view that could never tire us.
One of our favourite features of the house was the small, but more than sufficient, outdoor swimming pool, a fantastic place to cool down and watch the sun set after a long day exploring the island. The pool was also the perfect place to spend a romantic evening, sitting under the starry Caribbean night sky accompanied by the serenading sounds of the tropical night-time nature.
The best thing about the apartment was the huge, open spaced shower area decorated with mosaic tiles in different hues of blue. The air-conditioned bedroom with mosquito netting over the bed made for a great night's sleep.
Just a short walk from the end of the drive, is a great little parlour selling delicious Roti, a local lunchtime snack. If what you are wanting is a quick, filling, tasty yet affordable lunch which is also a Caribbean 'delicacy' - then a trip to the Roti hut is a must .
When it came to exploring the island, we did it in true Che Guevara style - via a motorcycle. We rented out a 125cc motorcycle and had a blast! It was a great way of travelling and gave us a real, close-up sense of Tobago. We found ourselves constantly pulling up at the side of the road to embrace those exquisite views and take photos. Probably not such a good idea in rainy season though!
Neighbouring Englishman's Bay really is a spectacular place to soak up the sun and splash around in the sea. If you are really lucky and get there at the right time, you may have the whole beach to yourselves. I completely understand how Englishman’s Bay was once voted one of the top ten beaches in the world.
Overall, we had a wonderful trip to Tobago and could think of no better place to have stayed than Tamarind House. The fact that the owners are willing to share it with others is something that should definitely be taken advantage of - it has to be seen to be believed.