Trinidad & Tobago

Passport & Visas
Full passports are required by all British visitors and should be valid for the intended length of stay.  Visas are not required by British Passport Holders, other nationalities consult your embassy for details.

Health
Recommended immunisation against Hepatitis A, polio, tetanus and typhoid.   Please consult your GP for further information.

Please be wary of the sun and its detrimental effects.  It can cause the skin to burn which can increase the risk of skin cancer and premature ageing, it can cause sunstroke and exposure to the sun can result in sickness and stomach upset.  Avoid such problems by staying out of the sun, wearing protective clothing or sun block when in the sun.  To guard against sunstroke avoid becoming overheated and replace lost body fluid by drinking plenty of water or soft drinks.

Currency
The currency in is the Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TT$) which is divided into 100 cents. We recommend that you take US dollar travellers cheques with you and you may find that a few dollars in small denominations notes may also prove useful.

Weather
The climate is tropical with rainfall spread throughout the year.  The drier season is from Jan - May and the wetter period between Jun - Dec.  Tobago’s temperatures are cooler owing to the more constant north east trade winds.  Trinidad & Tobago lies just south of the hurricane belt.

General information
Location: Caribbean
Offical name: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Population: 1,300,000 (1994)
Local time: GMT -4
Capital: Port of Spain
Language: English
Electricity: 115 & 230V
Airport: Port of Spain Piarco
Flight time: Approx 9 hours from UK
International dialling code: 1 868
Driving: Driving is on the left. 
Credit Cards: Widely accepted.
Departure tax: TT$100.  Payable locally on departure.
Emergency: Police call 999
Services: Fire and ambulance call 990

Clothing
Lightweights or tropical with light rainwear. Please ensure that upon entry into the country that all sports/walking shoes are clean and free of mud as they may be confiscated to be disinfected which may take several days and will incur a charge to the owner.

Baggage
Ensure all your bags including your hand luggage have your name and home address on the inside as well as your name and destination on the outside.  In this age of security do not pack any electrical/battery items or camera into your suitcase; put them into your hand luggage in order that they may be inspected easily.  You will be asked at check in if all electrical items are in your hand luggage.

Banks and Shopping
The banks are open from 0800 - 1400 on Monday to Thursday, on Friday open from 0800 - 1200 and 1500 - 1700. The principle banks are:-

Citibank, First Citizens Bank, Royal Bank, Scotia Bank, Republic Bank, Royal Bank, Inter Commercial Bank

The shops are general open from 0800 - 1600 Monday to Thursday , 0800 - 1800 on Friday and 0800 - 1300 on Saturday.