At 26 mls long and up to 7½ mls wide, Tobago is much smaller and less developed than its sister island, with only a fraction (50,000) of the country's total population. Tourism is virtually the only industry and even this is on a very small scale compared to most other Caribbean resorts. It has a turbulent history, having been fought over by the Dutch, Spanish, British and French as well as sundry pirates; it gained independence from Britain in 1962. The island is dominated by the rainforest hills of the volcanic Main Ridge, which forms a spine along the centre, sloping steeply to the sea. The main town of Scarborough is the only urban area to speak of, but it isn't of great tourist interest, boasting a few old buildings, a lively market and an 18th-century fort; most Tobagonians live in small villages scattered along the coast or deep in the mountains of the interior. The S end of the island is flat and dry, and it is here that most of the hotels are clustered, partly because of proximity to the airport and partly to take advantage of the calmer Caribbean coast. The poor quality of the roads has also put a stop on development in the N, although the wild beauty of this part of the island is more than worth the minor discomforts of the drive. Roads in general have been greatly improved in recent years although signs are still scarce and pavements nonexistent other than in a few main areas.

Best suited to nature-lovers, bird-watchers and scuba-divers; in short, perfect for the "eco-tourist". Apart from sea and sand, activities for children are scarce although a limited number of resort-type hotels have children's daytime entertainment and dedicated play areas.

About 750 hotel and guesthouse rooms with all the luxury hotels in the S and SW. Hostelry is sparse in the N but worth seeking out, if only for the sheer drama of the scenery. Rates in winter high season (mid-Dec to mid-April) can be as much as 50% higher than the rest of the year. A massive 25% is added to hotel bills (15% VAT and 10% service charge). Children often stay free in parents' room or a minimal charge is made for them.

The long, sandy, sheltered beaches and calm blue waters of the Caribbean coast offer pleasant bathing; unless stated otherwise, all beaches are public. Particularly popular are 1,600-yd-long white-sand Pigeon Point and the smaller 200-yd-long Store Bay in the vicinity of the airport; both have become a little commercialised and suffer from littering. Mount Irvine Beach (800 yds) is especially good for water sports. The Atlantic-coast beaches can be picturesque and romantic but are also windier and come with fierce waves and strong currents.

Poor, on the whole, outside of the pricey hotel boutiques. A few small craft shops in Scarborough; a few more at Pigeon Point. A "street market" in downtown Scarborough sells mainly low-quality clothing. Best buys include handicrafts like colourful clothing, wood carvings and local art as well as rum.

Daytime: a variety of water sports including windsurfing, sailing, kayaking, snorkelling and scuba diving; glass-bottomed boat tours of the reef; golf at Mount Irvine; tennis at a few hotels; 1 small museum at Fort King George in Scarborough. Carnival hits the island in Feb or March each year; traditional goat racing and crab racing at Easter. Nightlife: very limited and unsophisticated - they roll the streets up at 9 pm! What there is revolves around the bigger hotels and restaurants which provide local entertainment including calypso, limbo and steel bands.

The island is certainly not swamped with choice. Lots of greasy fast food and a few good, mid-priced restaurants in Scarborough and near the airport. Food at the top-end hotels is expensive and varies greatly in standard. A few ethnic options, particularly Chinese. Local cuisine includes fish and seafood (lobster, flying fish, kingfish, grouper and mahi-mahi) in creole-style sauce, curried crab with dumplings, "pelau" (pigeon peas with rice) and a range of exotic ice creams.

Exists, but is inefficient and unreliable. A private system of "route cars" and "maxi-taxis" (minibuses) fills the void; these pick up and drop off passengers anywhere along a variety of set routes for minimal fares. The only way to find out what goes where is to ask. Daily ferry to/from Trinidad. Taxis are expensive and the fare should be agreed before getting into the car. Car hire is available at the airport but petrol stations are hard to find.

Half day: historical Tobago, including Scarborough, Fort King George and Plymouth; plantation tours. Full day: rainforest and waterfall tours (waterfalls include Argyle, King's Bay, Pembroke and Highland); Charlotteville and Pirate's Bay; Speyside and Bird of Paradise Island; Trinidad by ferry or air; turtle-watching; deep-sea fishing; yacht charters; catamaran cruises.

21 mls off the NE tip of its sister island, Trinidad. 70 mls off the coast of Venezuela. Crown Point international airport is at the SW tip of the island.

With Trinidad, the most southerly link of the Caribbean chain. The E coast is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, the W coast by the Caribbean Sea.

Telephone Area Code: 868
Website: www.visittnt.com

Airport : Crown Point
Airport Code: TAB
Flight time from ther U.K.: 11 hrs