Trinidad and Tobago are the mysterious twins of the Caribbean. Lush rainforest, flooded mangroves, sparkling coral-white beaches and rich indigenous culture provide all the ingredients of a perfect tropical island. Yet, these utopian isles have also managed to escape mass tourism - largely thanks to wealth brought about by the discovery of oil in the 1970s.
Trinidad is the bigger and more boisterous of the two islands, where life lilts along to a Calypso beat. Not surprisingly it's also the birthplace of the steel drum and home to the Caribbean's largest carnival (which kicks of the Monday before Ash Wednesday).
The island's 4830 square kilometres corral together some of the most impressive eco-tourism statistics in the Caribbean - with 622 species of butterfly, more than 700 species of orchid and 430 species of bird - many of which can be seen vying for perch along with thousands of Scarlet Ibis each sunset in the Caroni Bird Sanctuary.
Just a twenty-minute flight away and stepping on to Tobago's runway you'd be forgiven for thinking that someone had forgotten to set the alarm clock. Christened Bellaforma (owing to it's 'beautiful shape') by Columbus in 1498 life on Trinidad's 'little sister' ticks by at a soporific pace. At 42km in length and barely 5km wide anything that happens on Tobago is bound to happen on either the beach or in the surrounding waters that shelter the largest brain coral in the world.
Pristine palm-fringed beaches are the main attraction here, with warm white sand and good water sport facilities. For a break from beach life, the fishing villages of Speyside and Charlotteville are also worth a visit.
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