Castara, Tobago
We have 2 identical bright & airy Studio aptmts, one being the mirror image of the other. Both are located on the lower ground level of our house Carpe Diem Villa.
Each studio has a separate entrance & they share the 45ft Balcony which is perfect for Al fresco dining, birdwatching & sunsets!
The Queen size bed is made of local red cedar & has a 'Four poster' style canopy/mosquito net & Sprung mattresses.
We have a pull out single bed & a cot for a child that can be requested.
Large Whirlpool fridge/f, Saffire stove with integral grill, toaster, electric kettle, cafetière & liquidizer. Crockery/cutlery for 4 + pots/pans.
Small Personal safe. Cotton bed linen & towels are provided.
You can see the view without getting out of bed!
2 sets of louvred red cedar doors open out onto the 45ft balcony.
The bathrooms are 'Wet rooms', fully tiled and of a good size.
The rooms are naturally quite cool but there is a portable and a ceiling fan.
The ceiling are high and with the tiled floors stay quite cool throughout the day.
Up here we hardly have many mosquitoes at all and a breeze blows most days.
We are surround by a good variety of local birds such as MotMots, Ant Shrikes & 5 varieties of hummingbirds. The vegetation is quite lush and we have mango, banana, paw paw and fresh herbs etc growing in the garden.
Wi-fi access throughout is very good & perfect if you need to work remotely.
Carpe Diem Villa was completed in late 2007. Half timbered construction over a block ground floor. It is our house and was designed for US to live in and constructed of local materials using all local labour. The whole point of the house was to take advantage of the view of Castara Bay. It is set back and 80 feet above the Northside Road in the village of Castara, a small unspoilt fishing village on the Caribbean coast of Tobago.
The 2 Sandy beaches are safe and kept clean by the villagers.
Lifeguards are on duty during the day. Come & Swim or snorkel with the Stingrays or Pull the Seine!
Walk to the local Waterfall to cool off in the heat of the day
We invest in the community & can help you organise personalised tours into the rainforest, visit waterfalls, take you fishing & then to a BBQ the catch on a secluded beach. Or tours to Nylon Pool & Buccoo reef, Sunday school, visit Little Tobago & Goat Island, Bio Luminance tours, Being with Horses, Chocolate making & so much more
The local bars are friendly with locals, expats and visitors all 'liming' together.
Come here & write that book you always meant to write! For more reviews (130! ) and photographs check out what guests have said on Trip Advisor !
A paerfectly equiped flat with a great view of the sea and lots of trees. flowers and birds around. The owners were very welcoming d and are prodigal of informations about the place, the people and the way the every day life goes on, so you feel able to integrate in a way you don't normally encounter when you are on vacation on your own in a foreign place.
This place is the perfect holiday getaway. The apartment was clean and the view was even better than pictured. The caretaker to great care of us indeed, with good communication and some recommendations as well. A short walk to all the essentials of town and the beaches.
We went to Castara for the Thursday night beach bon fire & live steel drums! What a lovely place! And I cannot say enough about Chris & Yvonne, such an amazing couple, we had a lot of fun with them. We will DEFINITELY be back next year.
If you're looking for an all-inclusive, luxury, resort-style vacation get away, Carpe Diem studio is NOT for you. If you're looking for wild, all-night parties and clubs then the entire small, sweet town of Castara is not for you. If a few mosquitoes could ruin your vacation, keep looking. You could find an air-conditioned place, near night clubs in Crown Point, or just stay in Trinidad or go to Florida. (Also, if you have a difficult time walking on stairs, you might want to find a different studio.) However, Carpe Diem in Castara was exactly what my companion and I were looking for. The studio is clean, airy and comfortable. The town is laid back, friendly and not overrun with fellow tourists. The deck is at the canopy level of luscious jungly forest that tweets and rattles all day long with vividly colored birds. Just beyond the tree line is a breathtaking, spectacular view of the sea. Sunsets are heavenly. It's a five minute walk to a little beach with excellent snorkeling. We were there towards the end of tourist season and we hardly saw anyone else. It's a 10 minute walk to the larger beach, where you will find a few more tourists during the day, as well as a grocery store, open-air restaurant and beach bar, and the local fishermen coming and going. It's a 15 – 20 minute walk to a beautiful waterfall and a cool, fresh-water pool. The groundskeeper Panday, and caretaker Carolyn were wonderfully friendly and helpful. They made sure we had everything we needed, gave us good recommendations and arranged transportation to and from the airport and ferry. (Panday even picked us a big bowl of fresh mangoes.) We loved every minute of our vacation here, even the rainy ones.
We enjoyed our time in Castara and Chris and Yvonne were helpful and considerate hosts. The room was nicely outfitted with all the necessities including 2 much appreciated fans (AC is not on the menu and we booked knowing and not wanting it). Castara is a charming small town and we enjoyed meals at most of the usual spots. The hosts provide tons of useful information in a guide in the room. We used Castara as our base to poke around the island and we hiked in the park, went to beautiful Englishman’s Bay, went on a snorkeling trip from Speyside including a stop in Little Tobago. Like others have noted, issues with the bank machine in town continue and it is not well stocked with cash. Chris and Yvonne were working to get it resolved, but I suggest to bring the cash (TT or USD) you will need. Head to Castara and enjoy the beach, the food and life in the slow lane. And grab some fresh baked goodies at the beach (put your order in the morning for afternoon pick up).
Chris and Yvonne gave us a warm welcome and were so helpful in connecting us with local guides and steering us to the best places in Castara and beyond. The flat is a comfortable self-catering space with a really good bed and the balcony is joyous with wonderful exotic birds coming to the feeders right in front of you. The view through the lush tropical greenery to the sea below outstanding. We had a very special trip and will certainly be returning.
Excellent well equipped accommodation with a comfy bed and lovely views from it! Good cooker with oven meant we enjoyed a change from the local restaurant staples which were of a very good standard if a little of the sameness. Chris and Yvonne were genial and helpful hosts who involve themselves in village life and impart lots of info. Boat fishing is good.