These Caribbean islands are lined with gorgeous beaches, dancing with Indian influence, and ready to welcome visitors into their unique culture. Each island has its own feel though, and, despite their many similarities, its worth knowing a bit about what makes them different before you choose one.

Tobago is made for tourism. Resorts and guesthouses abound, as do beachside bars. But it has a more casual feel than many locations made for the resort crowd. Locals are still here, too, and hanging out in the beachside bars drinking rum elbow to elbow with visitors. While the tourism industry is established here, it’s still (for now) just slightly off the beaten track.

Trinidad sees tourists, but far fewer than Tobago. On Trinidad, the economy relies on the oil and gas industry. Ironically, the island of Trinidad is still a paradise for bird-watchers and hikers. Many trails lead into the forests where you can look for native flora and fauna, stare up at spectacular waterfalls while cool water sprays you, and have lingering picnics by little lagoons without being disturbed by too many others.

Street food is all the rage in Trinidad and Tobago. If you can eat it on the go, you might be able to find at a roadside stall. Doubles, sandwiches of curried chick peas between slices fried bread, can be found on streets throughout the country with a wide variety of condiments available for dressing them up before you chow down. Fried potato pies, roast corn, and fried balls of flour and chickpeas are also popular at street stalls.

Indian culture has had a strong influence on the cuisine of Trinidad and Tobago so you’ll find lots of spicy food and dishes that you may have first associated with India like roti (stuffed flatbread). Other foods are unique to Trinidad and Tobago like currant rolls, the local version of callaloo, and barbecue made with local spices that can be quite different from other locales.

Featuring clear blue waters and sand so powdery that it feels almost like warm snow, the beaches on Trinidad and Tobago should not be missed (and are the sole reason many travel to the islands). You can spend your whole trip lying out in the sun or take a more adventurous approach. Perhaps SCUBA diving to see the coral reefs sounds better? Or, if you’re interested in a little ecotourism, look into tours of Mathura Beach where leatherback sea turtles lay their eggs every year.

For birders, there are many excellent locales to spot Caribbean birds. On the island of Trinidad, check out Asa Wright Nature Center to see oilbirds and almost countless other species. The Caroni Swamp (part of which is a bird sanctuary) is also an incredible destination for bird watching. The national bird, the Scarlet Ibis, nests in the sanctuary.

All images are used via Creative Commons Attribution rights. View the original images on Flickr at: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4