Jesse James is the taxi service, tour guide, and go to guy when you are in Chaguaramas. I can tell you from personal experience, he is a joy to be around and he will not steer you wrong when it comes to advice on where to go, what to do, how to get there, etc.
With encouragement from cruisers Jesse James started his company called ‘Members Only’ Maxi Taxi Service in 1997. The funny thing is he calls it ‘Members Only’, but you are a member just by sailing to Trinidad. 😊 He began meeting with cruisers and doing some regular weekly trips to the Open Market in Port of Spain and he went so far as to negotiate a deal with Tru-Valu Supermarket to have them pay the transport cost for bringing cruisers to shop at their establishment. He went on to provide a 24-hour airport shuttle service and started running guided tours around the island. Now he does a big variety of sight-seeing tours, including hiking, beach visits, cultural and sporting activities, shopping, visits to restaurants and any special events happening in Trinidad. He loves helping cruisers experience the diverse cultures of Trinidad and in the last several years started a tour called the Taste of Trini, which is just about the best tour I have ever been on and I will tell you more about it on Sunday.
As he became more involved with the cruising community, he began to see a real need in the community for someone to provide not just a transport service, but also to give advice and assistance in other areas. Jesse’s naturally friendly and compassionate nature has endeared him to many visiting cruisers. He has aided many of them over the years, not just by taking them shopping and sight-seeing but by being there to give of himself to the cruisers at their greatest time of need.
Trust me when I tell you the first thing you should do when you arrive in Trinidad is to contact Jesse James and let him give you the lay of the land. While there tell him what all you want to see and let him help you with an itinerary and definitely book a couple tours with him. He can be found towards the back of Power Boats Marina and you can contact him on VHF 68 or call him at (868) 683-5202.
