Safety in Trinidad and Tobago

Crime: Trinidad has genuine problem areas where the risk of armed robbery is high. This is not a reason to avoid the country, but it is a reason to plan your movements deliberately.

Areas to avoid: Stay out of Laventille, Beetham and Cocorite entirely, including in broad daylight. If in doubt, ask your guesthouse which streets are fine and which are not.

After dark: Walking around central Port of Spain once the sun goes down is not advisable. Take a taxi even for short distances at night.

Tobago: The beach island is far calmer, though theft from beaches and unlocked rooms is common. Never leave a bag on the sand while you swim.

Valuables: Leave gold and expensive watches at home and do not pull out a thick roll of notes to pay for a beer. Blending in costs nothing.

Carnival: Big street crowds attract pickpockets, so carry copies of your documents rather than the originals. Keep your phone secured and your cash split between pockets.

Transport and sea: Use official taxi services rather than unlicensed drivers. On Trinidad's north coast the currents are strong, so swim only where locals swim and check your own government's travel advisory before you travel.

Trinidad and Tobago are two very different islands. Trinidad is industrial and urbanised with high violent crime. Tobago is a resort island and markedly calmer.

Port of Spain. Urban caution is needed at a high level. Laventille, Beetham and Morvant are not places for a tourist, and the boundary with prosperous quarters is close. Nobody walks at night.

Taxis. Maxi-taxis and shared routes are the local transport. A foreigner is better off ordering through a hotel or app. Unmarked street cars must not be taken.

ATMs. Skimming occurs; withdraw inside banks and malls in daylight.

Carnival. The event of the year and a time of crowds. Crush, alcohol and pickpockets. Bring no valuables at all.

Tobago. Markedly calmer, though theft from beaches and hire cars occurs.

Camouflage is prohibited for civilians, as elsewhere in the region.

Drugs. The law is strict. Cannabis is decriminalised in small quantities, but selling is illegal.

Weapons and ammunition. Importing them is a serious offence. Trinidad has an illegal firearms problem and screening is strict.

States of emergency. The authorities have declared states of emergency over rising crime, meaning expanded police powers and possible curfews. Check current status.

Turtles. Tobago and Trinidad's north coast are important leatherback nesting sites. Night excursions with a licensed guide and permit only.

Hurricanes. The islands lie south of the main belt and hits are rare.

Driving on the left.

Vaccinations. Yellow fever vaccination is advised, and a certificate is required from arrivals out of endemic countries and when travelling on to several others.

Dengue, chikungunya and Zika. Present, with regular outbreaks.

Water. Tap water is broadly safe, but visitors are better off with bottled.

The sea. Tobago has calm bays and reefs. Trinidad's Atlantic coast has heavy surf, and Maracas beach has rip currents; lifeguards work there.

Diving. Tobago has good sites and a hyperbaric chamber. Currents at Speyside are strong and the diving there is for the experienced.

Healthcare. Port of Spain has decent private clinics. Tobago's standard is basic. Anything serious means evacuation. Insurance is needed.

Emergency numbers: 999 police, 811 ambulance.

Trinidad and Tobago has one of the Caribbean's highest homicide rates. The violence mainly involves gang activity and is concentrated in specific districts.

Police. Correct with tourists, and English is official. Clearance rates are low, however.

Do not resist a robbery.

Reporting theft. Reports are taken and certificates issued.

Geography decides. Western Port of Spain, West Mall, Maraval, Chaguaramas and all of Tobago are ordinary calm places. The eastern districts of the capital, Laventille and its surroundings, are not.

At night. By car only, and in tourist areas.

Carnival. Police increase their presence, but a crowd is a crowd: minimal belongings and no jewellery.

What actually matters. Tobago is a resort island where holidays pass calmly. Trinidad requires urban discipline at the level of a Latin American metropolis.

Emergency number is 999.