Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
There is a good opportunity for me to go and do a short expat stint there (< 2 years) in about a year or so. I have no clue on what to expect there. I read about crime statistics, but is it really that bad there? Just for perspective sake; I do not find Rio de Janeiro that dangerous, so how would Trinidad compare.
I really would like to take this opportunity because it may open doors within company I work for, but I need to consider everything.
My wife and I would be going there and at present time we have no kids (but who knows where will be in a year .
There is a good opportunity for me to go and do a short expat stint there (< 2 years) in about a year or so. I have no clue on what to expect there. I read about crime statistics, but is it really that bad there? Just for perspective sake; I do not find Rio de Janeiro that dangerous, so how would Trinidad compare.
I really would like to take this opportunity because it may open doors within company I work for, but I need to consider everything.
My wife and I would be going there and at present time we have no kids (but who knows where will be in a year .
Thanks for any comments.
That's where my parents are from. I've never been there but from the pictures I've seen its a beautiful island. I doubt it's as bad a Rio, but just like anywhere else you have to be aware of your surroundings and be cautious just like you would in Houston. I have family and friends who go back all the time and I never here them complain about crime. Usually its confined to the poorer areas, aka the hood. I think it would be good to experience a new culture, especially during carnival season.
Location: C.E.O. of the international men of leisure
401 posts, read 641,573 times
Reputation: 777
born and raised there. the crime at times is high for a country that small. and don't expect much from the local police force. they're nothing but a bunch of monkeys with pistols. personally i've never had any problems when i visit. unlike the other islands it isn't overrun by tourism, so you still have that raw pristine untouched beauty, and the food. well it's as fresh as you can get.
you will have to get used to their crazy ass driving. man, trini's sure can drive wild.
one more thing. we have a legend, really a superstition. once you visit and partake of our hospitality, you will never be able to stay away. they say it's something in the food or the air, but you always find yourself drawn back there.
my mother is from there. I never been there but mum not been there in such an long time. It must have changed so much since she been there so I would not know now.
I've always to go, mostly because seems like real interesting ethnic mixes.
However, the crime rates always steer me away.
I've also spent six months living in Brazil, and I was fine with that risk there. Still though, tons of tourists go to Brazil.
As T&T doesn't have many tourists, I always feel there might be more opportunistic crime when they do show up. But no evidence of that, just my perception.
Crime in Trinidad is quite real. However the bulk of it is not random. Mostly gang shootings fueled by drug turf wars, and domestic violence(some Trini men can be quite possessive). Once you know what areas to avoid and exercise common sense as you would in any unfamiliar place you should be fine.
In terms of opportunistic crime, I've rarely heard of tourists or expats being targeted really. most crime is sadly directed towards locals.
Generally Trinidadians tend to be quite friendly to foreigners and genuinely enjoy showing a foreigner a good time, even inconveniencing themselves to do so. You will experience people being very nice and helpful toward you.
As a young(I'm assuming) couple with no children attractions would be good beaches, lots of excellent outdoor activities(hiking,hashing,kayaking,biking, bird watching etc), cultural festivals and landmarks (Trinidad is extremely diverse for its size) and quite an active nightlife/party scene for its size.
Don't miss: Carnival, local food(reflects the diverse cultures), Tobago(aka paradise and only a 15min US$50 flight away)
Thanks for these posts. I've been searching the internet for some good information on expats living there, but there does not seem to be that much out there. I will keep looking. Crime still has me concerned, but I guess it's like anywhere else, you got to keep your guard on all the time. Besides US and Europe (mostly UK, Germany, France, and Poland), the only other country that I spent significant amount of time is Brazil, especially Rio and Sao Paulo, so that's why I was asking for comparison of the crime there.
On the positive side, we love beaches and tropical weather, so sounds like that will be fine with us. Not big on too many outdoor activities, like hiking, but we like to kayak and always try to find a spot to do that wherever we go. I am really looking towards Carnival there . We also ride motorcycles, but I'm thinking we might have to give that up in Trinidad. Does not appear that there is too many good roads out there for cruising around.
Well, I'll keep searching around. For now this is still a remote possibility and will not happen for at least a year. But I am doing my homework now.
When I visited T & T, was forewarned about crime in Trinidad. Like any other place, keeping to good locations, not out late at night etc. best suggestion.
Tobago totally different, island quite small. The one main city is small but busy. The area is so beautiful.....great for kayaking, birding, scuba diving; hiking is good even if you only go to the waterfalls etc. The people are overall very friendly and the food is awesome. Worth your trip-
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oskar_Z28
There is a good opportunity for me to go and do a short expat stint there (< 2 years) in about a year or so. I have no clue on what to expect there. I read about crime statistics, but is it really that bad there? Just for perspective sake; I do not find Rio de Janeiro that dangerous, so how would Trinidad compare.
I really would like to take this opportunity because it may open doors within company I work for, but I need to consider everything.
My wife and I would be going there and at present time we have no kids (but who knows where will be in a year .
Thanks for any comments.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
.
