Castara Cottage (formerly the Mango House) is an open, natural style house situated in Castara, Tobago. The cottage is just one minutes walk from the beach and is surrounded by rainforest covered hills. The two-storey house offers flexible and comfortable accommodation for up to 11 adults in 3 apartments. http://www.caribbeanmag.com/search/hotels/Trinidad_and_Tobago/mangohousebeachhouse/hotel/299/5/ en-us Copyright 1998 e-TravelMedia.com/CaribbeanMag.com Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:08:38 EST Castara is a dreamy little fishing village on the Caribbean coast of Tobago. It's the perfect place to forget about your demanding life and just relax. You'll be surrounded by a tropical rainforest with exotic birds and fireflies at night. Nature provides fresh pure breezes and bird song and fantastic views all day long. You won't need air conditioning, TVs or phones! Castara Cottage has views of the rainforest inland towards the mountains and the surrounding hills. The forest cascades down to the sun drenched beaches of the northern and southern bays of Castara. You'll see endless sunsets and the moon over the sea even from your bed - moonlight so bright it will wake you up to enjoy it. Bring your binoculars. The bird life and the night skies are incredible. The cottage is just one minutes walk from both beaches and surrounded by rainforest covered hills, and close to a local waterfall. The two-storey house offers flexible and comfortable accommodation for up to 11 adults in 3 apartments. Tamarind and Cinnamon are two-bedroom apartments sleeping up to four people each, and Saffron is a large studio apartment which can accommodate two adults and one child. groups. Each apartment has its own entrance way, kitchen and bathroom with hot water. The water in Castara is very pure and is safe to drink. The upper and lower apartments have large living / kitchen areas opening out to wooden decks with views of the sea and surrounding fruit trees. Exotic birds love to fly up to the breakfast table and banana, mango, paw paw, grapefruit and breadfruit trees grow within arm's reach. The bright and airy studio apartment has 6 foot high wooden shuttered windows which open up to offer a view of a splendid mango tree and a glimpse of the sea. The upper and studio apartments are interconnected and can be opened up into a 3 bedroom apartment with 2 kitchens and bathrooms to accommodate up to six/seven and one baby/toddler. This makes it very popular with sharing groups of friends and large families with children and teenagers. All beds have large mosquito nets supported by wooden corner posts. Sheets and towels are supplied and changed twice weekly. Don't expect jet skis or water skiing in Castara - this is a fishing village. You can go on boat trips to fish, sightsee, or barbeque on isolated beaches ..... leave at dawn and come back with the setting sun. You can snorkel on the many reefs, see pelicans nesting on the off - shore rocks, catch a fish for lunch, and land on an idyllic out-of -the-way beach for a barbeque and swim with manta - rays. If you're lucky you could even see dolphins! Boating, scuba diving, snorkelling, kayaking, windsurfing, bird-watching, fishing, hiking, tennis, golf, horseback riding, swimming, and relaxing on the beach are just a few ways to spend your days. Deep sea fishing trips are also available for the more serious fishermen/women. Snorkelling and Scuba Diving There's fine snorkelling on the beach at your doorstep - a coral reef lies within 100 meters of the shore. Scuba divers come to Tobago to get some high voltage drift dives at the East End near Speyside and hopefully dive with a friendly manta ray. The Orinoco River pours rich nutrients into Tobago's waters creating an underwater landscape that's healthy and vibrant. Plankton feeders such as the giant manta ray cruise these waters feasting on this smorgasbord. Depending on the season, visibility can vary from 30 feet to 100 feet, with algae in the water and manta rays around several months of the year. Touring Rent a car and do some sightseeing around the 26-mile long island over bumpy roads winding past palm groves, tiny hamlets and deserted beaches. A constant feast for the eyes; even the interior roads are only 15 minutes from glimpses of the sea, and a route through the mountainous rainforest passes stands of towering, creaking bamboo and dense jungle growth before suddenly giving way to vistas of a sparkling palm-fringed beach, or open pastures grazed by cattle and scruffy goats. Any point on the island is reachable in a few hours' drive at most, and well worth the winding narrow roads you'll encounter once leaving the more populated and developed West End, near Scarborough. Nature Eco-tourists come to Tobago to see leatherback turtles nest on the beaches between March and August. You can join an overnight camping tour and enjoy the thrill of seeing the baby turtles emerge from the sand and make a mad dash for the sea. DINING/RESTARUANTS: Type: Vacation Rental No. of Rooms: 5 Beach Location: Near Beach (Walking Distance) http://www.caribbeanmag.com/search/hotels/Trinidad_and_Tobago/mangohousebeachhouse/hotel/299/5/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:08:38 EST