Shopping in Tobago Island - authentic goods, best outlets, malls and boutiques

Trinidad and Tobago are one of the cheapest touristic places among those in the Caribbean. The standard of living here is high, and the government strictly controls the entrepreneurs, as they don’t want to lose tourists because of the enormous prices in the service industry. However, that does not stop the locals to drive up the prices on many things. By the way, keep in mind that you’d better not take banknotes with you. The risk is not that you will meet burglars on a street. By the way, there’s practically none of them. It’s just that not all the outlets will have the change. For example, not every taxi driver will accept a 20 Trinidad dollar bill.

If you decided to visit Tobago during the colorful Carnival, be prepared that the prices will go right through the roof. The difference can reach up to 70% from the initial price! This is definitely not the best time to do your shopping. The good news is, it is common in Tobago to bargain anywhere, where there is no cash register. Remember, the sellers here, unlike in Asia, do not consider the argument about the cost of an item an important part of the process. However, you should bargain at any occasion, because if you name not a really low price from the beginning, there is a chance to buy something even cheaper, then it was before. Just don’t get overwhelmed – the locals do not live by the rule that a customer is always right.

Don’t be surprised, if a seller names a price in American dollars. This currency is widely used here, but the exchange rate is not very good, so it is better to have some Trinidad dollars as well. In almost all shops and bars in Tobago there is a grid between a seller and a customer to protect a seller from the wrongdoing by the tipsy citizens. By the way, you can’t just buy beer everywhere due to the tricky local legislation. One important thing – though the drugs are been sold in Tobago quite openly, its possession is punished by the low very strictly. So you’d better not agree to any questionable deal. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The shops here work till 4 p.m., till 1 p.m. on Saturday, so you should think about all the necessary shopping in the morning. Otherwise, you will have to look for the nearest supermarket or, if it’s past six in the evening, wait till morning. As a souvenir from Tobago you can bring a brooch, a necklace, a comb, or a rosary from a unique material – a turtle shell. Do you want something even more exotic? Then buy a national costume. A couple of dances in this costume in the best clubs of the island and you will remember this trip forever. If you happen to see Goat Race, get a souvenir from there, as you can catch such a show hardly anywhere else in the world. As a present for the relatives, family, and colleagues you can get a copy of a sailboat made from the seashells.

You can decorate your kitchen with the dishes from Tobago with the pictures of the cascade waterfalls on them. This is Sombasson, which is a real national symbol of Trinidad and Tobago. In the memory of the trip, get small stone figures, fossil corals, or a locally braided Indian-style doll. Do you prefer to buy something more practical? Then choose the local rum. Thanks to the unique producing technique, this product of the local companies is worldly-recognized and is exported to many countries. Cigarettes and coffee, made in Tobago, also deserve your attention.