Let me start this out by saying I've been to a dozen or more, different islands in the Caribbean...Tobago is by far the prettiest island I've visited, and some of the friendliest people, as well. When you see those postcards showing a white sandy beach with coconut palms and a blue ocean, you now know what I saw everyday on Tobago.

That is just part of it. Tobago lays claim to the oldest protected forest in the western hemisphere. If you are into hiking in a lush forest to see parrots and other tropical birds, you are in luck. If you are like me, and enjoy what is below the water, you are in luck as well. Not much has been written about Tobago diving, and that might be a good thing. Not one time on my five boat dives, did I ever see another dive boat on the same site, or near by. The reefs were healthy, with abundant fish life. We saw a few turtles, a couple of sharks, and a ray or two.

If you get a chance to visit the island, and are staying in the "lowlands" or southern part of the island, check out Frontier Divers at the Sandy Point Beach Club, where we stayed. Big Dougie, is the owner, and "big" is an understatement. He is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. He took care of me and my friends. Big Dougie was very flexible when I wanted to dive a different site. If you are into staying on the 40th floor to have a view of the ocean, walk a half mile to your football size pool, with the other thousand people staying at the same resort, Tobago is not the place to go. My room was a short nine iron from the beach where I could hear the water and the birds each morning.

If you would like more information about my trip you can email me at bearjohnston@cusd.com.