Visitor CommentsWe welcome comments from our Guests - Here are a few. Why not add your own comments? We would be delighted to include your report on this page. Please just send it to . Richard Cooke Visited: Rainforest/Hummingbird 2 - May/June 2008 We had a truly wonderful time at Castara, easily the most beautiful location on the island. It's a sleepy fishing village and if relaxation is what you are looking for then don't bother finding anywhere else. What makes it stand out is that they have a fantastic manager who can provide whatever bespoke trip you want, whether that be by boat, hiring a jeep hire, going turtle watching or anything else. Just ask for 'Porridge' and I bet he will be able to facilitate that. The apartments are lovely and well looked after. But it is the location and unrivalled view that really make the stay memorable. Jeremy Bines Visited: Fisherman's - May/June 2008 We had a terrific time in Castara Retreats - thanks for everything at the booking stage, and all your helpful and speedy replies to my emails. Back in the grimness of London, I'm imagining the whining of the fridge is the chirping of the cicadas... Castara truly is a paradise on earth, the locals are unbelievably friendly, and I hope it stays that way. With all best wishes Sara Rahlff Visited: Hummingbird 1 Apartment - May 2008 We had a brilliant two weeks at Castara Retreats in May. Hummingbird 1 has a wonderful view of the bay and beach and we spent a great deal of time watching the boats go in and out, the stingrays crossing the bay, the birds coming to feed or the sun go down over the sea. The apartment had everything we needed, including an outdoor as well as an indoor shower. Every few days it was cleaned and the sheets and towels changed, which was great given the climate. Porridge, Jeanelle, and their team made sure we knew how to get anything we needed, including food and excursions, and Carrington the gardener was lovely in supplying fruit fresh from the garden. We especially appreciated Porridge taking the time one evening to come let us all know that a leatherback turtle had come up to nest on the beach. Not everywhere cares about its guests that much. On the final day, having shower and changing facilities made all the difference after the beach when preparing for the long flight home. Castara itself is a lovely location – the beach and snorkelling are great and the people very friendly in the nicest way. We travelled the island but could happily have spent most of our time just in the village. We will definitely be back as soon as possible. Christian, Sara and Peter(5) Michael Rogers Visited: Hummingbird Apartment - May 2008 We stayed at the Hummingbird apartment at Castara Retreats for 10 days and would have liked to have stayed longer. The apartment was well equipped and we especially appreciated the little welcoming touches (cold beers in the 'frig ). The view from Hummingbird was fantastic , hard to imagine a better aspect. The birds were a constant delight and the gardens colourful. We were well looked after by Porridge and Jeanell , nothing was too much trouble. We liked the transit showers and lockers which were ideal for the period between checking out and leaving for the airport. For a laid-back , relaxing but never boring holiday Castara Bay is hard to beat and Castara Retreats the perfect place to stay. Lesley O'Keeffe Visited: Rainforest & Coasthanger - May 2008 Dear All We can't thank everyone enough.... We have just returned from 3 weeks stay at Castara Retreats (from 1st May 2008) and are now truly chilled and grilled! We had an amazing time and quickly bedded into village life. Castara Retreats offers outstanding accommodation in a fantastic location away from the tourist thing allowing you to experience the real Tobago. The entire team at Castara Retreats are fantastic and you will feel welcome and at home from the minute you arrive in Tobago. Porridge is 'The Man', a fantastic host who can help you with anything you need during your stay. We stayed in both Rainforest and Coasthanger during our visit and both were superb - a true tree house experience with breathtaking views of the bay and village. We enjoyed Porridge & Sherwin's boat trip and beach BBQs which included catching your lunch, meeting the resident Sting Ray, and fantastic snorkeling along the coast. The locals also made our stay truly memorable with their happy go lucky charm and laidback attitudes which left us really appreciating the simple things in life...... It has been quite difficult adjusting to the rat race of being back in London when we have been used to rush hour on Castara Beach which included us and a few stray chickens. I have been to other islands in the West Indies BUT this was the first time I felt truly at home (part of the community) and even after 3 weeks didn't want to leave!!!! Steve & Sue - you have created something very unique and special which runs seamlessly with Porridge at the helm to integrate and look after your guests. We certainly look forward to returning in the future. Thanks a million! Lesley & Wayne Janet Thompson Visited: Birdsong - February 2008 Dear Jean Heather and Barry Ford Visited: Hummingbird 2 - January/February 2008 Hello Jean, We have just returned from a fantastic 2 weeks staying at Castara Retreats and as many previous visitors have said the accommodation was great and truly up to expectations, the website was correct in every way, everything needed was there, the fabulous views, the wonderful birds and the beautiful gardens, Porridge and Jeanell were great, very attentive and helpful, as all working at Castara Retreats. We enjoyed very much our days spent in the village and on the beach meeting the locals and having a lime with them ( l even managed to make the ladies that bake the bread laugh!). We had some lovely meals at Marguerite's cooked by Sherwin, the shrimps were lovely, the crab and dumplings were a bit more of a challenge but very tasty. Had a great time at Scarborough Carnival with Porridge, a bit of an experience but great fun. Please pass on our congratulations to Sue and Steve, we wouldn't hesitate in recommending Castara Retreats, they have made a wonderful haven for us holiday makers who appreciate very much the hard work that has been put into building a "Heaven on a Hill". Kindest regards Heather and Barry FordJenny and Per Bernstrom Visited: Hummingbird 1 - January/February 2008 Dear Jean, Just wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful vacation in Castara and three days in the "tourist district". Everything was perfect, our accommodation in Hummingbird 1 was, as I see it, the best option by far! That private outdoor terrace where we had breakfast every morning was absolutely gorgeous and the view fantastic! If we decide to return in a couple of years I hope we'll be able to rent it again! We visited more or less the entire island and went for wonderful walks in the rain forest, on boat trips etc... All the people we met at the Retreats were VERY nice people! We are really hoping to see them all again! Best wishes again from Jenny and Per Richard Bernstrom, SwedenCharles Elliott Visited: Coasthanger - January 2008 We first stayed at Castara Retreats (in Coasthanger) in January 2006, and liked it so well that we came back again in January 2008. We are booked to return yet again in January 2009, and on that occasion will be joined by American friends who have booked another apartment in the same complex. This history should give some idea of our opinion of the place, which we found to be absolutely delightful, managed by delightful people, in a location that would be hard to match for beauty, unpretentiousness and all round charm. I hesitate to recommend it only for fear of its being "discovered." Jacqui and Maurice Dougan Visited: Fisherman's - January 2008 Hi We stayed in Fisherman's lodge on our honeymoon. When we landed in Tobago after an nine hour flight and already delayed by Xcel Airways for one day, we were tired and pretty fed up. But as we walked out the door of the airport we were greeted by Porridge and Milk (both smiling), the stress lifted and thoughts of our businesses back home just drifted away. The area surrounding the airport is off putting and you do wonder where you have come to on holidays, but then Milk takes you off towards Castara and you see the real island, the non tourist side and we can easily say one of the best sights in the world. We stayed in Fisherman's lodge and we feel after our two weeks it was the best one to stay in. If you like relaxing on the deck (two of them) with iced rum punch, good food and local nature, you will love this lodge. We met many of the locals and I can say we have made many friends. The area is just beautiful, the beach, the green hills and the local people make this a worthwhile stop in the world. Marieta provided a home cooked meal on our first night. We unfortunately missed her famous bust up shut dish- there needs to be enough people ordering so check with her in advance, her food is great. Veronica, just a lovely woman cooked a one month anniversary dinner for us in the lodge, she will buy food in advance (you provide money) and she will cook for you. We just loved her, she is great woman and we hope that we will see her when we go back. We got big hugs on our departure. Some advice- beware sandflies, we got eaten alive. Speak to the locals, do not ignore them!! Buy bread from the local ladies on Thursday and Saturday! Keep everything in the fridge or you will be overun with ants- Buy local rum and have cool punches on the deck- Bring LED tealights for the decks outside rather than burning tealights- Watch the sun-it is really intensive so wear high factor- there were a few people on the beach who resembled a rotisserie chicken- come for longer than a week- if you love chocolate bring it with you! - always tip people- its just rude not to Was this an Eco Responsible holiday- absolutely- but you have to engage with the community- buy local food and drink. We love Tobago and will be going back next year We love you all! Maurice and Jacqui XXXXXXXX Sue Vernon Visited: January 2008 Our whole holiday was memorable and exciting - particularly realising the accommodation in Rainforest was better than anticipated. Stay longer than one week! We also felt our holiday benefited local people because we ate out in the village, bought fish from the fishermen and products from the shops. We would rate our holiday as absolutely excellent – 4 stars – we have some wonderful memories and would not hesitate to recommend Castara Retreats to a friend. Madeleine Poynter Visited: December 07/January 08 My husband I stayed in Castara recently for a few nights and enjoyed our visit immensely. This was our first holiday in Tobago and, since we relied heavily on visitor reports in planning our trip, I felt we should add a report of our own. Firstly, all the positive comments about Castara Retreats turned out to be absolutely true. The village is a friendly community with a lovely sand beach and several good eating establishments including The Almond tree and Marguerite’s. Our accommodation at Castara Retreats was everything we could have hoped for and more. Our cottage included a large, covered balcony with a fantastic view of the beach and comfortable seating where we spent hours and hours bird-watching, reading, eating and limin’, also a fully-equipped kitchen, comfortable bed, and a clean, insect-free environment. We were in paradise! As Canadians, we found the driving quite challenging and will definitely use the services of Porridge on our return visit. However, there's lots to see and do around the village. Do walk up to the waterfalls for a fresh-water dip. Also, explore the stock of the many little storefronts. We were surprised to find some interesting wine, wonderful produce and even bread fresh from the oven at 8 pm. Thanks so much to Sue, Steve and Freya for your warm welcome and hospitality and to Porridge and Jeanell for organizing New Year’s Eve and the snorkeling excursion. We will see you all again next year. Laura Kyte Visited: December 2007 We had an absolutely wonderful wedding. It was everything we had hoped and dreamt of. Porridge was so great (like everyone has said) he couldn’t do enough for us and was great fun to be around. The only thing that couldn’t be fixed was the weather. It was very rainy. On the wedding day the sun shone but clouded over by the afternoon. When I walked down the beach to meet Mark the sun came out again and held out until the end of the ceremony where we had a shower. By then it did not even matter….. It truly was perfect and we have so many happy memories and some beautiful pictures. Tobago was lovely - the local people are so friendly and Castara was the perfect holiday destination for us. Love Laura xSuzanne and Dan Wheeler Visited: November/December 07 We visited Castara Nov/Dec 2007, taking our family and friends with us to celebrate our wedding..... We simply could not have found a more perfect place to get married or indeed, a more able team to assist us than that of Porridge and Jeanelle. The retreats are fantastic, the island is fantastic and the people the warmest, kindest people you will ever meet. Unfortunately we are unable to return in 2008 as we had already booked our holiday, but will definately return in 2009. Thanks to Sue and Steve for creating a truly special place, huge thanks to Porridge and Jeanelle for making this the best two weeks of our lives so far......... Suzanne and Dan Wheeler Becky & Chris Carroll Visited: November 2007 Hi Jean Chris and I recently returned from 2 wonderful weeks at Castara. We stayed the first week in Fishersmans, which is fabulous and then moved to Osprey, which again is wonderful accommodation. We wanted to pass on our thanks to everyone at Castara.....particularly Porridge and Jeanell who are amazing hosts. Nothing was ever too much trouble. They were incredibly helpful and really made the holiday enjoyable and relaxing, safe in the knowledge that if we needed anything, they were always happy to help. Chris and I spent a lovely morning with Jeanell at Argyll Falls, which was the only time we left Castara in 2 weeks. It really wasn't necessary. It was great to just sit back on the veranda and watch the life go by (especially the birdlife!). Best Regards Becky & Chris Carroll Caroline Good Visited: October 2007 Hello Jean Peter & I would just like to pass on to all concerned what a wonderful holiday we had in Osprey! We are just back and wish we were still in Castara. It was nice to meet Steve if only briefly and put a face to the name. Porridge, Jeanell, Sherman and all the team are just fantastic. The new boat "Sun Arise" is brilliant We will definitely be back--maybe Steve is rethinking the plan to amalgamate Osprey & Pelican now he has seen for himself how secluded and perfect Osprey is! Thanks to all Caroline Rosy & Roger Dickinson Visited: July/August 2007 Well Castara certainly worked its magic on us. We had a glorious time, made even more wonderful by the fact that we were able to meet Sue, Steve and the lovely Freya and spend some time with them. We were fascinated with how Castara Retreats has developed over the years and we loved Coasthanger, especially the new deck where we breakfasted every morning with the humming birds for company. We hired one of Porridge's jeeps for a couple of days and covered the whole of the island and came to the conclusion that Castara is the prettiest place on the island. We loved our boat trip, we went up to Parlatuvier waterfall with Sue and Steve one afternoon and loved it there, we went to Sunday School and I danced with the old men and Porridge (isn't he adorable?). We joined the big party on the beach for Emancipation Day celebrations, we 'limed' with Porridge and the locals, Rog went fishing with Steve on his newly acquired dingy with engine and generally had a great time and now we are back to reality but trying to keep the spirit alive with copious amounts of rum!! Thank you Jean for always being at the other end of my e-mails and answering all my questions so promptly. You have been wonderful and you certainly reflect the concept of Castara Retreats. Thanks again. Love Rosy Helen Hirst Visited: Rainforest - July 2007 Lovely apartment with fantastic views over Castara Bay. Simply equipped but perfect for our family. All the staff friendly and helpful. Wouldn't recommend for those with walking difficulties or young children as the appartments are set on a hill side and it's quite a steep climb down to the beach. Do not choose Castara if you want busy night life, air conditioning, and all mod coms. Do choose if you want to fall asleep to the sound of the waves on the beach, wake to a view you'll never tire of and want to enjoy a little slice of Tobagan paradise. Only criticism is that we could have done with more than one hammock - there was always a bunfight for it! Matt Jarman Visited: July 2007 Well, what can we say guys? Thanks for the fantastic accommodation and hospitality that you all provided. We all certainly had the holiday of a lifetime on Tobago and especially at Castara. We're all missing it very much and are all definitely coming back to visit. We all feel that we've made some good friends there. Take care, Matt, Kaja, Lene and Kristen. Kim Rhodes Visited: June 2007 The apartment was lovely, absolutely lovely, and we had a wonderful time. The view was extraordinary, and far exceeded our expectations. Very hard to come back, though. The village was perfect and the people were friendly. The food was incredible -I didn't have a single bad meal on the island, or even a mediocre one for that matter. Kim Daniel and Amanda Irons Visited: May-June 2007 After having spent the most 2 perfect weeks of our lives at fishermans lodge cant begin to tell you how much we fell in love with the place, Its the most friendliest place and nothing is too much trouble for anyone. Everything was perfect, views were fantastic and the trips with jeanell were fun, The boat trips are not to be missed. Porridge what can we say, perfect gent and cant thank you enough for organising our wedding from flowers down to photographs. You made our day perfect Dan is still determined to set up a business out there and has been furiously working hard to try and find out all that he can. This may have been our first visit to Tobago but it wont be the last Once again many many thanks Daniel and Amanda Irons ps:I hope your improving your poker game porridge :o) Paul Mullens Visited: April-May 2007 Well what a beautiful place, lovely people, and Mr Fixit (Porridge) - what a character, he gets thing done and I got on very well with him and his family. Penny, my wife, has had her breath taken away by the sheer level of welcome from the old men sitting in the village right through to Porridge and his team. I have to say people in Tobago, such as King David and a most marvellous man by the name of Harold at Argyll are world class people in their knowledge of the subjects and the way they put them over. It’s not often these days one meets such interesting and committed people. Best Regards Paul Mullens Georgina Dean Visited: April 2007 We just wanted to let you know what an absolutely wonderful trip we had to Tobago, I didn't quite realise what an amazing place it was and we both fell desperately in love with the country and the people. Porridge and Jeanelle and his team couldn't have been more welcoming and friendly, we couldn't have been better looked after. We went out on the boat and had another wonderful day and spent many a lazy afternoon sharing a beer with the locals at Marvins. We truly believe that Castara is the most beautiful place on the island, we went out on the boat trip and didn't see anywhere that could even get close to Castara. We even went to Englishmans Bay and didn't stay very long because we wanted to get back to the paradise of Castara! Right, I could write about how wonderful our holiday was for ages, but thank you again and we can't wait to go back again one day. Best Wishes Georgina, Chris and Greg Anne, Bill & Alison Visited: March 2007 How do you spell wonderful?? The website and Jean’s helpful answers to our questions led us to have pretty high expectations, but the reality exceeded in every way. Porridge, Jeanell- and all your relations- thank you for welcoming us to your little corner of Tobago. Thanks also to Steve and Sue - you’ve created something very special. Birdsong is beautiful, and so relaxing. But you still need to put down your Carib once in a while and take a boat tour, and let Kelly (or his uncle King David) show you his rainforest. When you’re down at the beach ask for Kenneth for steel pan lessons. We sampled a fair bit of the island, and clearly there is nowhere prettier and more welcoming than Castara. Other Castara guests only confirmed this. Many of them couldn’t get accommodation at Castara Retreats for all of their stay in Tobago, and were kicking themselves once they saw what they were missing. One thing we did want to note - mosquitoes and insects. We saw a lot of comments from other visitors about this, and were sort of expecting to be battling the wildlife off with our machetes. Then we remembered that many of the visitors were from England and Europe where there are no mosquitoes. Compared to a Canadian summer, we were surprised how little bug life there was (at least in March, when we visited.) The mosquito nets at night with the fan blowing, worked for us but we did take the advice of keeping the lights on dimmers. Long pants & bug repellent suggested for the rain forest though. On food. Cooking dinners was a challenge. Lots of ingredients if you know what to do with them. Breakfast & lunches were no problem but we tended to eat out although we’re not very adventurous, mostly stuck to chicken or vegetarian dishes. Vera cooked delicious roti. Be sure to indulge in homemade ice cream from Curtis at Englishman’s’ Bay – passion fruit was a favourite. If you’d like a change of hair style, Claudette (close to Vera’s) will do corn braids. She charged 100 TT dollars ($20 cdn) for our daughter’s long thick hair. We’re counting the days until we can return. Anne, Bill & Alison, Richard & Bev Durnham Visited: March 2007 Jean, Despite only being at Castara in March we're looking forward to coming again already, in fact even more than last year now we know what to expect (there was always the fear of the unknown before, even with the fantastic reports!). We wanted to sample the Tobago lifestyle as it really was, and that's exactly what we got, from meeting Porridge for the first time and being told to relax and let him deal with everything, to queuing in Pennysavers for ages as they only had one till open (despite having about half a dozen staff standing around chatting!), to the driving standards on the island (abysmal), to getting used to eating only chicken or fish, to the snorkelling, to getting bitten to death (citronella oil next time!), to the rainforest tour with Newton George, to the beautiful beaches, to the noise of horns/sea/reggae/wildlife, to the wonderful barracuda BBQ on our boat trip, and so on - it was a fantastic experience. Best regards, Richard & Bev Kristin Foord and Howard Thomas Visited: February 2007 We just came back from a delightful week in Fisherman's Cottage: a beautiful and superbly equipped place to stay. We are the couple who, according to Porridge, were the only people to ever complain about loud music from the Cascreole!!! However we still had a wonderful time, but are seriously looking forward to the installation of the Stannah Stair Lift!!! My sincere congratulations on your marvellous eye(s?) for location, architecture, style and general ambience. Tim and Lynn Morris Visited: February 2007 Returned from Tobago yesterday - I hear we missed you by a few days, hopefully we will meet next time!! We had such a lovely time at Castara Retreats for a second time. There is nowhere on the Island that is so stunning or of such a high standard. The people are lovely and they have now become great friends. I forsee Castara Retreats being our winter holiday destination for many years to come. Trevor & Gaby Williams Visited: October 2006 Wanted to write and say what a wonderful time we recently had in Coasthanger. We had quite high expectations ...but even so can honestly say the accommodation, people and of course Castara exceeded even these. We loved Coasthanger and especially the views and the 'open air' style of living it provides. Coming home to windows and closed in rooms was nearly as hard as the 20 degree drop in temperature we experienced coming back to London. The support from Porridge and Jeanell (as well as the other staff we met) was fantastic. We had two days out on a boat and enjoyed them both immensely. Thank you very much for answering my continuous stream of questions before we went. All the best Dave and Marion Hampton Visited: October 2006 Hello Jean and all involved in Castara retreats We have just returned form a most marvellous holiday in Castara, staying in Osprey. We'd like to say thanks for the wonderful accommodation, and the outstanding services of Porridge and his team....it's a winning combination! Looking forward to the next time!! Bless up! ( as Porridge would say!) Dave and Marion Hampton Peter & Sally Hudson Visited: August 2006 We had a wonderful time in August, Castara Retreats was out of this world, and I think we will enjoy it even more on our second visit in February (I'm always a bit nervous my first time in a new place) so I can't wait. I've also got a treat to look forward to - we won a meal at Adam's place in the mytobago competition. I've heard good things about it so I'm looking forward to that. Thanks for all your work, Sally Hudson Derek Visited: August 2006 We had an absolutely wonderful holiday, staying at Rainforest....we had thought August might be a bit rainy, but we had fantastic sunshine for most of the time, and the very occasional hot shower, which lasted no more than 20 mins.... the accommodation at Rainforest is superb, Castara beach is perhaps the most perfect beach we have ever experienced, great sand and swimming etc... we were made very welcome by everyone at Castara, Porridge was so generous and friendly, and we enjoyed our fishing trips enormously.... Derek Phil, Sharon & Dylan Robinson Visited: June 2006 Hi Steve, Sue & Jean, We have just got back from our 2 weeks in Tobago with one week at Fisherman's Lodge and wanted to write to say a huge THANKS! Fisherman's is one of the nicest accomodation places we've ever stayed in and it was perfect for us with Dylan (17 months). Porridge and Carrington made us feel very welcome - Carrington bought us fresh fruit (mango and banana) every morning and our boat trip was a great day out. Porridge was also fab - always turning up with a smile on his face and nothing was too much trouble. We certainly hope to visit Castara Retreats again in the future and have already recommended it to a few friends - we will certainly be talking about it for a long time to come! Thank you also for the quick response to all of our emails and for making it so easy for us to book with you. Thanks again - we really did have a great time and have lots of lovely memories.... Phil, Sharon & Dylan Robinson. Chris and George Lea Visited: May 2006 Having stayed in Fisherman Lodge earlier in the year. (We had been told 'you have to go' by our daughter, last year). I can honestly say that we have never been anywhere quite so perfect (for us) or more beautiful. We still have in our minds vivid pictures of days out in 'Blessed' with the A crew, and of the fish we caught and later ate. Vivid pictures of our wonderful early morning bird watching walk with Newton George. Vivid pictures of the colours of the flowers in the garden and of the taste of the mangoes, paw paw and bananas, that we shared with 'our' birds. Vivid pictures of bumbling around our deck and house in the early morning doing nothing much, and also evenings on the same deck, buzzing with shared laughter with all our new made friends. Unbeatable. Where shall we go next year to beat that .........I think we shall have to come back!!! Claudia and Hugo Meier Visited: April 2006 Dear Sue and Steve, Just wanted to say what great place you have created with Coasthanger. The overview is just breathtaking. We enjoyed our stay very much and felt like home, as it was our third stay at Castara. Thanks to Porridge, Jeanell, Hermin, Carrington, Doris and the rest of the crew caring for us. We loved the parties with the other guests or to chat with whoever dropping in. We made some lovely friends we hope to see soon. Lots of love Fiona & Graham Smith Visited: April 2006 Dear Sue and Steve, We had a fab holiday in Castara, the village and people were very welcoming and friendly. Fisherman's lodge was everything we hoped it would be and more. Mrs Mot Mot together with all the other colourful birds visited us every morning for their banana and bread breakfast. Even the local chickens managed to steal some! The snorkelling was amazing, swimming with turtles, sting rays and squid among others, even being chased by a moray eel! Thank you to Porridge for all the fun times, especially the parties with the other guests, we made some lovely friends. We hope to see you again one day. Love Juliet, Julian , Lewis and Oscar Silburn Visited: April 2006 Sue and Steve, Our stay in Rainforest was delightful. The welcome and care we received from Porridge, Jeanell, Ovita and ladies was outstanding. We fell in love with the warmth and charm of Castara, its people and its way of life. We will have many,many happy memories, especially the fantastic barbeques, boat trips and rum punches! Also partying until the early hours at Sunday School with Porridge and other guests. Thank you Sue and Steve for the wonderful experience of Castara Retreats. Thank you Porridge and Jeanell - you made our holiday so very special. Until the next time, Peter Zaremba Visited: December 05 - January 2006 Dear Steven and Sue, Just wanted to drop you a line to say thanks.
We returned late last night after spending a really
wonderful week at fisherman's retreat. Castara is a great
place to spend time and we can't say enough about Porridge. Also, I wouldn't exactly say my wife and I are
avid birders, but just sitting on the terrace each morning,
taking in the view and the birds in the mango tree was
really memorable. We even saw a hawk-eagle (very close-up)
which I take it is not too common. It rained quite a bit as
well, which clouded up the snorkeling, but that's what keeps
everything so green and lush. We did manage to see the
resident squid (at the reef that is), blackfinned moray,
snake eels, a curious and large barraccuda and nice schools
of good sized tang. Tim and Debra Elder Visited: November/December 2005 Dear Sue and Steve, Just thinking of the wonderful experience of staying at your Rainforest Lodge. Wow.... Porridge and his staff were gracious hosts, helping bridge the culture barrier and making us feel welcome. The rainforest lodge is a spectacular place to stay for those folks who enjoy privacy along with an amazing view of Castara village, the ocean, beaches and many fine feathered friends. If you are expecting or desiring an all inclusive resort where you seem to have never left you own country, then you may want to take your holiday elsewhere. We were married in Castara during our stay and feel as if it is a part of us now. P.S. Thank you Porridge for arranging the delivery of our marriage certificate from the "Red House" Hope to take a holiday every year in Tobago Tim & Debra Sharon Visited: November 05 Dear Sue and Steve, In our misery at leaving (or should I say
haste to catch the last few rays of sunshine after a wet
weekend!) we forgot to write in the visitors book in
Rainforest before we left so I just wanted to drop you a
line to say what a wonderful place you have created at
Castara Retreats. We had a fantastic holiday, the place is
just as you describe it in your notes (although perhaps the
photos don't do it justice!) and we couldn't have asked for
more from Porrige and Jeanelle. The only downsides
were a few rainy days but its hard to complain when we could
just lie in the hammock looking at the bay, watching the
birds and waiting for the rain to pass! Sharon Diana, Abigail and Lucy Visited: August 05 Dear Sue and Steve, We loved staying in Rainforest, and miss the sound of the sea, the music drifting up from the village, the views, chickens and Chachalacas. There was something for all 3 generations to enjoy, Lucy especially had great fun swimming and playing with Freya and Darisia. Abi took instant possession of the hammock.....We all loved the swimming and snorkelling, the boat trips, Lucy is now addicted to fishing. Our holiday was made so easy thanks to the benevolent care of Porridge, Jeanell, and Ovita. We had 2 unforgettable days with the guide Newton George, who took us through the rainforest, and in the glass bottomed boat to Little Tobago. Thanks to everyone, Di, Abi & Lucy Harriet Crosse Visited: May 05 I wanted say what a fantastic time we had in Osprey. We have completely fallen in love with Castara. We swam in the sea every day which was clear because of the sunshine we only had two days of rain in the two weeks we were there. The view from our balcony was stunning and I am already missing waking up to sound of the birds every morning. Porridge was the best hosts ever we spent many a night liming with him and the other locals. We managed to get hold of some of our favourite local songs on CD and have brought some killer hot sauce home with us which we ate with everything. I am gutted to be sitting here at work trudging through my emails in the knowledge that less than two days ago we were swimming along with sting rays and sunning ourselves in the most magical place I have ever visited. We are already planning another trip to Castara Retreats next year even though we always said we wouldn't go to the same place twice. Anne & Don Francis Visited: April 05 We just returned from Castara a couple of weeks ago, and we still miss beautiful Tobago and the people of Castara. Even though we looked at the website every day (often more than once a day) we were still stunned by the amazing view from our bed in Fisherman's Lodge that first morning. Words can not fully express how wonderful everyone was to us. Carrington brought us fresh bananas from the garden every morning; We went on two wonderful boat trips (watch those rum punches); Cheryl made us delicious buss-up-shut; Jeanell's fresh bread was lovely, and Porridge was just a phone call away if we needed anything and (most importantly) when we needed a bottle of rum on a Sunday. We also had the pleasure of meeting Nigel Mills, the clever fellow who built the new deck, bedroom and awesome new table on the deck at Fisherman's. Almost every evening after returning from another beautiful beach, we would have lively cocktail hours on our deck with whomever happened by. We made sure to keep a supply of beer and rum on hand and it was a wonderful, casual, way to get to know our new friends. After a while we began to feel like we were a part of the village and its life. We miss our little house on the hill and all the kind people we met, but we will return again to beautiful Tobago and Castara. Thanks everyone Anne & Don Francis Katie & Mark Visited: March 05 I just wanted to write to say thank you so
much for the most amazing holiday we have ever ever had. We
arrived in Tobago and luckily Porridge was there to meet us
after the slight hitch of our flight from Barbados being
cancelled. We then woke up the first morning to the most
amazing views!!! Breathtaking is not the word. Jean & Tony Whieldon Visited: December 04/January 05 We managed to set aside enough time to spend a whole month at Fisherman's in Castara and we still think often of our dear turquoise cabin on the hillside. Although the website is crammed with excellent information, NOTHING but nothing could possibly have prepared us for the reality of the place. Everything was just so INTENSE, so much larger than life somehow. It took us three days to just let go of the world as we knew it and go with the flow at Castara. We nearly fell out of bed every morning when we woke up to that incredible view and went to bed each night listening to the crashing surf and watching the cicadas, geckos and fireflies above our bed after eating fish bought on the beach served with pumpkin bread from the clay oven ladies. Wonderful garden stuffed with wildlife and birds and kindly support from Porridge, Jeanell, Carrington and Carol. We loved it - even in the wild weather of a tropical convergence - and can't wait to get back... Rick & Tina Preece, USA Visited: January 2005 After planning and looking forward to this trip for 10 months I had high expectations going in. They were not only met but exceeded! From Porridge meeting us as planned at that late hour to taking us back as such an early hour. Awoke the first morning to the weather going from wet to dry season over night and a fresh loaf of bread from Jeanell. Accommodations were spectacular. I do not think there is a better spot in the whole village than Fisherman's. Once in Castara, we never felt the need to leave. Ventured to Scarborough w/ Porridge and 2 other couples for $ exchange and groceries 5 days after we were there. Castara is a vacation vs. a destination. We also enjoyed our fishing trip and barbeque at "no man's land". Again, thank you so very much for all that you all have done to make Castara Retreats a truly memorable experience. Viktoria Heard Visited: November 2004 Just back from Tobago (physically here, mentally still on the beach). Everything went smoothly with Rainforest and it goes without saying that we loved its wonderful design - fill in all the usual superlatives! Thank you both for having the vision to create such a haven with beautiful materials in a lovely position - next time I'll make sure the stay is for a bit longer. Sarah Netherclift Visited: October 2004 Christopher and I enjoyed a blissful honeymoon in Fisherman's Lodge last October. We fully intend to come back and stay again in a couple of years - but we regularly visit your website to see what has been going on. We got on so well with Porridge and with Carrington and his brother who came to do the gardening and was really entertaining! When life gets a bit stressful we now have a saying: "What would people in Castara be doing?" - which generally means, chill out, relax and everything will take care of itself. Thanks for sharing a bit of your paradise with us. We have memories that give us, as they say, "roses in December". Richard, Angela, Rob and Emma Brook Visited: August 2004 What a fantastic place to explore and relax. Over 50 species of birds without leaving the garden, and about the same number of fish in the reef at Little Bay. The hospitality shown by everyone we met was superb - we felt extremely safe and had a great time. The best thing was that we never really felt like tourists, being accepted as part of the Castara community almost straight away. That meant we had to work a bit harder than normal to find out where things are, for instance buying fresh fish and bread took patience and persistence, but that was all part of the fun. I asked Porridge, looking for some inside info on where to go, 'where would you go for a special day out with your family?' He just looked at me strangely and said, quite honestly, 'Castara!' Mel and Amanda Visited: June 2004 We were so looking forward to our stay at
Castara Retreats – and for so many months - that as the
holiday got closer we feared we might have built up
unrealistic expectations and we desperately tried to prepare
ourselves for disappointment. We actually failed in this
attempt but it didn’t matter because from the moment we
stepped out of the airport into the heat and sunshine we had
the most fabulous time – better than we could have even
imagined. Ruana & Mike Di Marco Submitted: 06 July 2004 - Visited: June 04 Dear Sue & Steve, Andrew & Sheila Peat Submitted: 26 June 2004 - Visited: May 04 We stayed a week at Osprey at the end of May, and we just wanted to write to say how much we had enjoyed it. The view from the balcony was all and more than we hoped for, and even when it was raining we were still able to sit out there! Congratulations on the location and design of the flats and contents - if we could, we would give you constructive suggestions but we can't think of anything we would want to change! We found your notes about the village very helpful as it gave us an idea what to expect as we might otherwise have taken a while to suss out where to eat out and buy food! We were very well looked after by Porridge and Jeanell, and despite usually being bad sailors couldn't resist a boat trip, which was rewarded by being surrounded by 30+ dolphins at one stage! We had also dipped into the myTobago website which, as you probably know, has had extensive discussions on Castara - as well as very positive reports of Castara Retreats. We loved watching the birds and can thoroughly recommend a new bird book just published by Macmillan which you might like to suggest to future residents - it concentrates on the common birds and has lovely pictures, and we saw lots of them from the balcony and gardens. It is Birds of Trinidad and Tobago (Second Edition published 2004) by Richard ffrench ISBN 0 333 99584 8 - can't remember exactly how much but definitely under £10. We also spent a week in Trinidad and can recommend the Mount Plaisir Hotel at Grande Riviere where we saw dozens of leatherback turtles laying their eggs each night, and a small B&B in Port of Spain called The Gingerbread House. We really enjoyed our holiday in Tobago and hope to be back some time! Best wishes Paul, Helen, Emily & Ben Child Submitted: 04 May 2004 - Visited: February 04 We are just trying to work out how we can come back, fitting round GCSEs, work etc. etc. We had such a brilliant time, no other holiday has ever compared to our too short week in Castara. The company of Steve, Sue and Freya made our stay even more special. This is a place to totally chill out and not expect to stick to any deadlines. We loved the food, especially at Marguerites, it was all so fresh and just tasted delicious. Everyone was so friendly and we felt so welcome, Lodie and Porridge were lovely. Definitely an experience worth repeating. Denise Kilgallon Submitted: 27 April 2004 - Visited: April 04 Just to say thank you for making such a 'heaven on earth'
available to mere mortals! I can't tell you how much we
loved it. We loved Fisherman's, we loved the views of the
unbelievable bay, we loved Castara - and the people were
just so lovely. I miss it all so badly- it's almost physical
( well, I am still slaving at my desk as I write this) Did I
mention the birds? To die for. I spent every early morning
down at the little waterfall forest feeling that life
couldn't really get any better. What an inspired choice of
location you made. Where ever we visited on the Island,
lovely though it was, we were always happy to return to the
'little house on the hill' - perfection. Sandy Edmond Submitted: 10 April 2004 - Visited: April 04 We have now returned home to Scotland after a great holiday in Tobago. The time has flown past and the whole holiday exceeded our expectations. Our time at Castara was wonderful and made all the better by the house, Porridge, Jeanell, etc etc. Our kids had a great time on the beach and Ruari, our six year old, could not believe the fish which he saw when snorkelling, and the one he caught. (I couldn't believe it either). Your house is beautiful and so ideal for the purpose; we quickly got used to the other occupants including the bats, the birds, the cockroaches and the mosquitoes, this all being part of the great experience that we had. We will cherish the memories of sitting on the verandah drinking beer in the sunset. Marguarite's food was delicious and eating at Max's was the ultimate in informal dining (at a cost of £8.00 for four including beer!!!!) A special thanks must go to Porridge who does a great job
for you and who was always there to advise and help; nothing
seemed too much trouble. Melissa McGarity Submitted: 16 March 2004 - Visited: February 04 I can't even begin to explain what a wonderful time we had in Castara. We want to come back next year around the same time and rent the whole place out for family. That is how much we loved it. Porridge took real good care of us. Lisa Adam Submitted: 12 March 2004 - Visited: 4/10/2003 Martin and I stayed in Pelican for two weeks and I would like to let you know that we had a fantastic time. The apartment itself was wonderful and the views breathtaking. We left Castara only to go fishing with Porridge for one day and for a day trip out to Pigeon Point and Buccoo Bay. Castara is such a friendly atmospheric place that you never ever want to leave. I actually shed a tear on our last day. Porridge looked after us brilliantly, so much so that he made us feel special and that we were the only people in the world he'd ever treated that way. I know this is not true and that Porridge is the same with all your guests - he's a gem. Ryan Price Submitted: 21 October 2003 If I had one bad thing to say about tobago it would be that I'm not there now. In the time that I was in Tobago I fell in love, with the place the people, the views, everything. Without a doubt the best time I have ever had, and I will never forget it. Thank you Steve and thank you Sue. Sam and Nina Submitted: 04 August 2003 We really enjoyed it in Castara. It's the most beautiful beach we have been to (and we have travelled quite a lot). The water was lovely and the beach empty, clean and unspoilt. The people were really nice. The apartment was lovely. The view from the bed is just magic, so we when we woke up in the mornings we just sat there on the bed admiring the gorgeous view. We had a great time at the carnival. Kathey and Don Anthony from US Submitted: 29 July 2003 Some points from us:
Andy Submitted: 03 March 2003 I had a wonderful time; Rainforest lodge was even better than I’d hoped, in a very pleasant location, with great views and a refreshing cooling breeze almost all the time. I’d also like to thank Porridge and Jeanell on the wonderful way they looked after me. They were always friendly and very helpful, while never seeming pushy or intrusive. They really treat people as guests rather than ‘customers’ or ‘tourists’. I’d certainly recommend Tobago, Castara, and Rainforest Lodge to friends. Thanks again. Louise Submitted: 25 February 2003 We both really loved Castara and the house is truly unique. We also thought Porridge and Jeanell were absolutely lovely! We are absolutely in love with Tobago and are still utterly shocked to be back! We hope you all have many more lovely times out there - we’ll definitely be back. Helen Submitted: 30 December 2002 In this place, after just a few days, the stress and strain of my busy life falls from me. I feel relaxed and happy. What a treat to leave my folding shutters wide open so that my bed feels to be suspended within the magnificent constantly moving landscape. Pelicans swoop and dive, the frigate birds wheel and turn, and sometimes an osprey visits. I may wake to watch the fishing boats set out in the early morning. Each day offers ocean swimming, beach combing and the possibility of snorkelling. I may choose to rest, read or just daydream on the terrace where I am entertained by the swoop of brightly coloured birds and cooled by the through breeze. From here you can see a shoal of fish enter the bay and drift into the daily net. This, and the return of the fishing boats in the late afternoon, signal the time to meander down through the village, to choose fish for supper. Some days I retreat into the cool of my beautiful room for a siesta. I am sheltered in paradise. |
©2004 Castara Retreats