The Natural History Highlights of Trinidad and Tobago
Tour Introduction
This gentle paced natural history itinerary combines the top wildlife attractions of the two contrasting islands of Trinidad and Tobago which together make one nation. The tour provides a varied mix of extraordinary rainforest bird life, nesting leatherback turtles and colourful coral reefs teeming with marine life. This is one of our favourite natural history itineraries, perfect for those seeking a holiday in the southern Caribbean which involves significant wildlife elements as well as comfort and beach relaxation.
Full Itinerary
Fly to Port of Spain, Trinidad. Met on arrival and transfer to Asa Wright Nature Centre. The afternoon is at leisure to enjoy the plethora of bird species found in the vicinity of the lodge. Over 400 species of birds, 108 mammals, 55 reptiles, 25 amphibians and more than 600 butterflies have been recorded in the area near to the lodge. The famous verandah at Asa Wright overlooks many hummingbird and fruit feeders which are great for bird photography or just observation.
Staying at Asa Wright Nature Centre. Includes In-flight Meals.
Morning guided birdwatching excursions around the lodge to look for the diverse range of birds found in the nearby forest. In the afternoon enjoy a special guided visit to Dunston Cave to see the resident colony of fascinating, bat-like oilbirds (the world’s only nocturnal fruit eating birds) which roost in the cave during the day.
Staying at Asa Wright Nature Centre. Includes All Meals.
Morning at leisure to enjoy the birds and agoutis from the verandah or explore the trails independently. In the afternoon visit Caroni swamp, an excellent example of a mangrove ecosystem. Many wetland birds can be seen here but the main event is the sight of hundreds of bright red scarlet ibis returning to their communal roost in the evening. With luck, the tiny silky anteater and impressive Cook’s tree boa can be spotted on boat trips through the mangroves.
Staying at Asa Wright Nature Centre. Includes All Meals.
Early pick up from the centre and transfer to Grande Riviere, on Trinidad’s wild northern coastline. During the nesting months of March to September, dozens of leatherback turtles come ashore each night to lay their eggs on the wild sandy beach here. Rest of the day at leisure. Optional guided excursion to watch nesting turtles in the evening.
Staying at Acajou Hotel. Includes All Meals.
An (optional) early morning excursion to see late arriving nesting turtles. Grand Riviere is an internationally important area for nesting leatherback turtles sometimes recording over a hundred in one night. Full day at leisure with OPTIONAL activities available. There are many nature trails to explore and excellent birding with the endemic Trinidad piping guan the local speciality.
Staying at Acajou Hotel. Includes All Meals.
Another full day at leisure with OPTIONAL activities available.
Staying at Acajou Hotel. Includes All Meals.
Today transfer back to Port of Spain and fly to Tobago. Met on arrival and transfer to Blue Waters Inn. The hotel is nestled in the quiet north-eastern end of the island with a beautiful sandy beach to relax on and 46 acres of wildlife-filled tropical gardens to explore. Little Tobago, the island’s largest bird sanctuary, is only a few minutes away by boat and half an hour away is St Giles Island, the southern Caribbean’s largest seabird colony. Rest of the day at leisure.
Staying at Blue Waters Inn. Includes All Meals.
Full day at leisure with OPTIONAL activities available, including snorkelling or scuba diving on the nearby reef, birdwatching on Little Tobago or St Giles Island or at the Main Ridge Forest Reserve. Birds are plentiful around the hotel including the iconic Trinidad mot mot.
Staying at Blue Waters Inn. Includes All Meals.
Full day at leisure with OPTIONAL activities available.
Staying at Blue Waters Inn. Includes All Meals.
Another full day at leisure with OPTIONAL activities available.
Staying at Blue Waters Inn. Includes All Meals.
Morning at leisure with OPTIONAL activities available. After lunch transfer back to Crown Point airport and fly to Port of Spain. Connect with onward international flight back home.
Includes In-flight Meals.
Tour Accommodation
Asa Wright Nature Centre
Overview
The world famous Asa Wright Nature Centre was set up in 1967 by a group of passionate conservationists and birdwatchers to protect part of the biodiverse Arima Valley. Asa Wright is located in a remote part of Trinidad’s northern range which rises to a little over 3000 feet and is mostly covered by tropical rainforest.
Asa Wright Nature Centre has an exceptionally diverse fauna. Its species list includes 108 mammals, 400 birds, 55 reptiles, 25 amphibians and 617 butterflies. The main building is actually an old coffee plantation house with décor reminiscent of its colonial past. There is a large dining room and lounge where an extensive collection of natural history books can be browsed. The most famous feature of the centre is its verandah which looks down the Arima Valley and onto multiple bird feeders that attract a constant stream of colourful and exciting species. The close proximity of the feeders affords guests rare photographic opportunities for a great diversity of species ranging from purple honeycreepers to bay-headed tanagers and copper-rumped hummingbirds.
The world’s second smallest bird, the tufted coquette, can often be seen feeding from flowering bushes just below the feeders.
Accommodation is in 26 comfortable but fairly simple rooms with private bathrooms. There are 2 special rooms with king-size beds located in the main house designed specifically for handicapped guests, and the rest are in private cottages situated in the lovely gardens. All the rooms have twin beds and private verandahs and are kept cool by ceiling fans.
The main building has free Wi-Fi and a dining room that serves buffet meals – there is also a sandwich bar service. A natural swimming pool in the forest is available to guests and in the evenings there are often talks by the local naturalist guides concerning the work of the centre.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Dining room, lounge, natural history libary, veranda, laundry service, gift shop and free Wi-Fi in public areas.
Local Wildlife
Asa Wright Nature Centre is most known for its bird life and in particular its feeders that attract some of the most beautiful and localised birds on the island. Some of the avian highlights include Trinidad motmots, bearded bellbird, tufted coquette, collared and green-backed trogon and golden headed and white-bearded manakins. Red-rumped agoutis, red-tailed squirrel, golden tegu lizard and green iguanas are seen quite regularly too. The centre also has the world’s most accessible colony of oilbirds, the only nocturnal fruit eating (frugivorous) birds in the world. Night walks can often reveal many exciting creatures including the Trinidad chevron tarantula, whip scorpion spider, fer-de-lance, Cook’s tree boa and various species of owls.
Optional Activities
Guided walks through the reserve and local forest. Excursions further away are also available to other key wildlife sites and turtle nesting beaches. Evening lectures about the centre and its wildlife and night walks are often held.
Acajou Hotel
Overview
An attractive boutique hotel, Acajou has six delightful detached cottages, each with private bathroom and sundeck giving views towards the beach. There is a restaurant serving international cuisine and a bar.
With a wild sandy beach, small village, forest trails and placid rivers, this is a pleasant place to stay at any time; however, between the months of March and September, Grand Riviere becomes an internationally important area for nesting leatherback turtles. The largest turtle in the world, leatherbacks can exceed 3 metres in length and approach one tonne in weight. During the nesting months, dozens of turtles come ashore each night to lay their eggs with latecomers often still seen in the mornings. Optional guided excursions to watch turtles nesting are offered at relevant times.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Restaurant, terrace, laundry service and free Wi-Fi in public areas.
Local Wildlife
Acajou Hotel is best known for its nesting leatherback turtles which lay between March and September and the site is of international importance to the species. Behind the lodge is a small area of forest with many birds present, including Trinidad mot-mots, collared and green-backed trogon and the local speciality, the endemic Trinidad piping guan. Many species of reptile and amphibian species are regularly spotted too.
Optional Activities
Guided walks through the local forest and turtle watching on the beach in season.
Blue Waters Inn
Overview
Blue Waters Inn is a small, 38-room hotel nestled in a secluded horseshoe bay in the quiet north-eastern end of the island, with a beautiful sandy beach plus 46 acres of wildlife-filled tropical gardens. The hotel benefits from friendly service and pleasant, well-kept rooms, each with air-conditioning, ceiling fans and (for most) sea views and a patio to enjoy. Rooms with extra beds and presidential suites are also available.
Blue Waters Inn offers safe swimming and excellent doorstep snorkelling and diving on reefs featuring over 70 species of coral as well as turtles, eagle rays and manta rays. There are hummingbird feeders and nature trails through the forest at the back of the property where many birds can be seen including rufous-vented chachalaca, Trinidad motmot and orange-winged parrot.
The Captain’s Table restaurant serves a freshly updated menu including delicious locally caught fresh seafood as well as a selection of Caribbean and western cuisine. On certain days a BBQ with a steel drum band performance is offered.
The well-stocked bar serves a wide range of cocktails and beverages as well as snacks with wonderful sea view backdrop. Free Wi-Fi with good signal is available throughout the communal areas.
Other facilities include a games room, tennis court, infinity pool and Jacuzzi, TV and tea and coffee facilities in the lobby, dive centre, sun loungers, currency exchange and a safety deposit box.
Little Tobago, the island’s largest bird sanctuary, is only a few minutes away by boat and half an hour away is St Giles Island, the southern Caribbean’s largest seabird colony.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Restaurant, bar and lounge, infinity pool, Jacuzzi, sun loungers, dive shop, gift shop, tennis court, room service, currency exchange, safety deposit box, BBQ, games room, free Wi-Fi in the communal areas and air-conditioning.
Local Wildlife
The coral reef just offshore from the beach is teeming with a large diversity of reef fish including jacks, groupers, kingfish, angelfish, moray and spotted eels, octopus, cuttlefish and the endangered hawksbill turtle.
In deeper waters, eagle and manta rays, sharks, jacks and other large fish can be seen. Night dives can also be arranged which provide a completely different underwater experience and give a chance to encounter eels, lobsters and sharks. For those who prefer to stay dry, glass bottom boat tours are also available.
The forest around Blue Water Inn is a good spot to see the beautiful ruby topaz hummingbird, Trinidad motmot and range-restricted rufous-vented chachalaca. The nearby island of Little Tobago has a large colony of nesting seabirds with magnificent frigatebird, red-billed tropicbird, brown noddy, sooty tern and red and brown-footed boobies all easily seen depending on the season. There is also the possibility of seeing the rare Audubon’s shearwater and roosting white-tailed nightjar.
Optional Activities
Swimming, snorkelling and diving and excursions to Little Tobago and St Giles Island. Longer excursions to the main ridge forest reserve (Tobago’s largest area of rainforest), Charlottesville and turtle nesting beaches are also possible.
Route Map
Departure Dates
Travel Information
Are International Flights Included?
No. Please contact us for a quote if required.
Flight Info:
Caribbean Airlines flies 3 times a week from London Gatwick to Port of Spain.
Best Visited:
January to January
Are you ATOL Registered?
Yes. This means we are legally able to book your international flights in conjunction with your ground arrangements so you can book with us with complete confidence. Read more about our ATOL license here.
Wake early at Grande Riviere for a chance to see late nesting turtles returning to sea in daylight, much better for photography.
If you have any questions regarding this Tour, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
