Wild Tobago

This newspaper started its Thursday (marine) environmental column in July 2016 in the edition of the paper printed and distributed free in Tobago. Dr Anjani Ganase, then a PhD candidate in Australia, wanted to spread awareness and inspire appreciation of their marine environment with residents of Tobago just as she was herself learning more about the ocean in her studies of marine biology and coral reefs around the world. All the weekly columns have been collected in the Wild Tobago blogspot and shared on-line; and are still available at  www.wildtobago.blogspot.com This feature, published January 22, 2026, in the on-line edition of the Newsday, is the 500th column. Over the time, she has shared the space, every Thursday, with other environmental thinkers, scientists and activists. She felt it was fitting that this 500th should go to the other end of the islands to showcase another unique ecosystem existing in Trinidad. One of the principles of this column is t...

Castara occupies Tobago’s sweet spot for visitors. Joanne Husain looks at the village model for tourism demonstrated at Castara Retreats. All photos by Joanne Husain   The lodges look like a dream carved into the hillside above a small, authentic Caribbean fishing village: wooden cabins tucked among trees with the sea shimmering below. Beneath its postcard-perfect serenity, Castara Retreats is quietly but ambitiously reshaping what tourism can mean to operators and to visitors.   The accommodations at Castara Retreats perched on the hillside. Photo by Joanne Husain   Castara Retreats has long been known as a boutique eco-lodge, having opened its first rustic accommodation 25 years ago. Today, the property features 17 self-catering units, the Caribbean Kitchen restaurant, and a wellness space connected by footpaths that wind through tropical gardens. Accommodations have names such as Birdsong, Coasthanger, and the aptly named Hideaway, where I stayed for a few days...

Joanne Husain visits a bean to bar chocolate house on the other side of the world. All photos by Joanne Husain   On the eve of Solomon Islands 46th Independence day (July 7), we set out early from our hotel in the capital of Honiara on a sunny Saturday morning. Roadside and seaside markets are already brimming with vendors and vibrant energy. The air is alive with excited chatter as people proudly display national colours, and flags adorn cars and buildings in preparation for the multi-island nation’s Independence Day parade. As we journey eastward to our destination - the Amazing Grace Boutique Cocoa Farm - the lively scenes of Honiara quickly give way to humble wooden and thatched structures among lush greenery.   Grace Fekau turns beans to ensure even drying. Photo by Joanne Husain Turning south off the main road means embarking on a rugged mountain ascent. Instead we turn north onto a flat dirt road that eventually leads to Tenaru Beach. As we mak...

  Faraaz Abdool invites you to explore the unique and diverse habitats and species that exist at every corner of   Tobago and Trinidad   Our unique islands at the southernmost extreme of the Caribbean archipelago have distinct geological histories, giving rise to an astounding level of biodiversity. Trinidad and Tobago is a special combination of continents. Drawing from their collective disparate origins, the country boasts the second highest species density of birds on Earth. The impressive species density is the result of the country’s equatorial location along a major migratory pathway as well as the varied habitats that occupy the untamed parts from end to end.    Looking north from Flagstaff Hill, the islands of Saint Giles are T&T's northernmost land. Photo by Joanne Husain   For most of the year Sooty Terns are foraging over the open ocean, but when they wish to breed a significant population returns to Saint Giles. Photo by Fara...