Soaking up Caribbean sunshine... in Speyside
SETTLING down in Speyside with glass in hand, it didn’t take long to ease into a feeling of relaxed contentment. Locals will tell you the amber liquid must be consumed neat and I sipped it slowly to savour each drop.
The national drink has a proud place in these parts and its smooth warmth fits well with the lazy island vibe that a tropical climate induces.
For, rather than shivering on the Moray coast with a glass of whisky, I was lucky enough to find myself soaking up the sun in the Caribbean with a tumbler of rum.
The village is just one of several locations in Tobago with a name that recalls its British links.
At the centre of a 400-plus year game of ‘pass the parcel’, the island was lost or captured time and again by Europeans. Brits were ‘guaranteed’ possession by treaty in 1762 and plots of land were divvied up and sold to wealthy businessmen.
Relics of these times are scattered across the island and places such as Scarborough – the capital – Stonehaven and the popular natural swimnatural ming spot of Argyle Falls all have a familiar ring.
I was at Speyside’s Blue Waters Inn, which boasts an enviable position on a bay looking out to Goat Island.
Rumour has it the house that can be seen from the shore was once a retreat for James Bond author Ian Fleming.
However, the unhurried, laidback vibe at our resort can be somewhat soporific so we opted for something more lively, with a tour that showcased the beauty of the 26-mile long, seven-mile wide island – the smaller of the two that together form the country of Trinidad and Tobago.
Ellis, our fearless driver and guide, took us on a fast-paced – at times bumpy – ride on roads that zig-zagged through the largely remote land, where the ‘backbone’ – the Main Ridge Forest Reserve – is hailed as the western hemisphere’s first legally protected tropical rainforest, established in 1765. We saw beautiful beaches such as those at Bloody Bay and Englishman’s Bay and walked to serene Parlatuvier waterfall.
Throughout the trip, friendly and knowledgeable Ellis pointed out the island’s wildlife, such as hummingbirds, colourful Amazonian parrots and the crocodile-like caiman slinking its way beneath the water’s surface as we drove past.
Of course, it was not just the animals that were unusual to us, the plants were equally exotic. Tobago’s warm, moist climate lends itself well to the growth of bamboo. Hanging from trees we saw breadfruit – a large, green, spherical fruit that, oddly enough, tastes more like potato. It has a starchy flesh that can be boiled, stuffed and baked or fried like chips.
From rural, end-of-the-road Speyside on the east of the island we changed style and
pace somewhat as we moved to the more populated south-west and the luxurious Magdalena Grand Beach Resort.
Here the emphasis is on service with various accommodation and dining options catering to a range of budgets and tastes.
Courteous, affable staff were eager to please and an evening spent at the exquisite Kali’na restaurant was an experience in itself. Just a short drive from the vast resort – which not only boasts a spa but also an 18-hole, PGAdesigned golf course – is the beautiful Buccoo reef, where a few hours on a glass-bottomed boat offering stops for snorkelling is rewarded with views of incredible coral and sealife.
At the village of Buccoo, we joined Veronika and Lennon La Fortune for an exhilarating couple of hours ‘Being With Horses’.
What a wonderful feeling as we rode – all but bareback and with no stirrups or bits between the animals’ teeth – through the village towards the beach.
As I became familiar with striking chestnut King my confidence was such that when we stopped for photos I was able to stand on his back and grin at the camera.
The real thrill came when we plunged into the sea and this graceful horse cantered through the water.
It was in moments like that, as I was surrounded by vibrant scenery and genial, easy-going people, it truly felt like I’d found my island paradise.
This being my first taste of the Caribbean, I will remember it as entirely pleasurable and one I hope to appreciate again… and that’s not just the rum.