i have been to kariwak at least 5 times in the past three years both with freinds and my spouse. The service is great the rooms are cleaned. The food is exceptional and the entertainment on a friday and saturday night is really good.
We love the hammocks at this place!

How does one adequately describe the Kariwak Village Hotel. This was my first visit to Trinidad and Tobago, as part of a quasi-business trip. I checked out many of the lodging options on line and was particularly struck by the the disconnect between the “price per night” on the island of Tobago, and the uneven reviews of these expensive properties on TripAdvisor. Finally, a colleague said he knew of a ‘holistic hotel’ near the airport that had been recommended to him. Turns out this was absolutely the right choice!

Having visited some of the holistic retreat grounds of Northern California, I would have to say that Kariwak is pretty middle of the road in that category. (No nudity, regular yoga sessions, calm music and aura about the place.) The rooms are simple, but nicely appointed and spacious. We were in a garden cottage surrounded by green foliage. Loved the skylight over the bathroom which provided the best light in the entire unit. Otherwise, the room was very dark, with smallish shuttered windows, and the light fixtures were more decorative than functional.

We really enjoyed the restaurant area – especially the tables out under the thatched roof. Quite magical at night! And we thought the breakfast offerings were especially tasty. (Only had dinner there one night, which was good but not remarkable.) We were occasionally aware of the airport next door, but compared to the hustle and bustle else where on the island (including neighboring resorts and restaurants that seem to play loud music ALL the time), I found the Kariwak grounds to be especially peaceful. More distracting than the airplanes was a yappy dog across the fence from our room who seemed to be on a 24/7 schedule of annoying the neighbors – especially in the morning!

Used the (cool) Jacuzzi tub once. Nice ambiance! Never got in the pool, but apparently that water is amazingly pleasant. The pool areas itself is quite confined; there are better places around the grounds if you simply want to lie on a lounge chair or hammock and read a book. During our stay, the clientele averaged in the “depleting our 401k” demographic. Don’t know how different that might have looked at another hotel, but as 40-somethings, we felt like the young folk. And oh – had a great massage with Simone – who was very kind and very skillful. Would go back again, just for that. In fact, we found all the staff to be friendly and helpful, sometimes in a somewhat understated sort of way that ultimately contributed to the tranquility of the place.

In general, I found both Trinidad and Tobago to be bustling and noisy – even when it was happy sounds of speedboats, children, and percussive music. Having peeked into a couple other resorts in the neighborhood, I think Kariwak offers the best balance of simple luxury and peaceful respite from a noisy world. If you're into that, this is your best choice!

And oh, you really CAN walk from the airport in five minutes. Nice perk!

I visited Kariwak Hotel on an Offical weekend which lasted for three days (Fri- Sun). I was pleased and my family was also. We enjoyed the meals and the setting which was very Tropical along with the courtesy of the Staff which was exemplary. It is a Hotel that I would always want to visit and that certainly would be some time this year. The biggest mistake I made in 2011 was to go to Tropikist Hotel in Tobago which was a disaster and which I have already written on,. I still maintain that all that glitters is not Tropikist (Gold)

Stayed for one week, and it lived up to its expectations!
Great location in tropical garden, extraordinary good food and breakfast!
Beds great and big big extra plus for good reading lamps!!! This is often lacking in hotels and is then taking down the overall experience. Also good lights outside the terrace at nights - great!!! Loved to sit there and read.
Yoga classes - big advantage!!!
Free bus to Pigeon point - perfect!
And thank you for not having a tv in the room - very good!
Only drawback - the AC made terrible noises sometimes, but we got it fixed. Earplugs was a must for me - but I am a light sleeper so that's the case almost everywhere.
I'd love to go back!