Tips for a Great Caribbean Vacation in Trinidad and Tobago

Tips for a Great Caribbean Vacation in Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad is an amazing vacation destination, but there are definitely some things it’s best not to waste your time with, and others you should absolutly make the time to see and do.

In the 1940s and 50s the Trinidad and Tobago tourist attractions that were most actively marketed were: watching Trinidad Carnival, limbo, and calypso; going to Maracas Beach; and visiting the Pitch Lake and Buccoo Reef. Side trips included such things as visiting the Botanical Gardens and seeing the Magnificent Seven. Today, while these attractions are still icons, I think you will agree that active people of this decade probable have different ideas about what they considered ‘fun things to do’, than they might have had back in the 40s and 50s. But unfortunately, Trinidad is still marketed today, in much the same way as it was back then.

Vacation Tip 1

The only reason you should visit the Botanical Gardens, these days, is if you have nothing better to do. And there’s a lot to see and do in Port of Spain. The same advice goes for the Pitch Lake. Even with new facilities being built in La Brea, if all you plan to see and do in south and central Trinidad is visit the Pitch Lake then be prepared for a long drive, and a rather placid tour at your destination.

So, what is there to do in Trinidad that will stimulate you, and make your vacation memorable?

Here are a few favorites:

Vacation Tip 2

Don’t plan to sit by the beach every day. Sure, Trinidad and Tobago has many interesting beaches, and there are great water sports, particularly in Tobago. But Trinidad and Tobago’s best attractions – after being arguably one the top Carnival destination in the world, comparable to Rio and New Orleans – is its outstanding bio diversity and exciting eco tour adventures.

Vacation Tip 3

Pack good sneakers or hiking shoes because there are waterfalls tucked away in Trinidad and Tobago’s rain forest that are fun to explore, world-class bird watching opportunities at Asa Wright Nature Center and other interesting locations too numerous to mention, exciting trekking adventures to lost worlds on Trinidad’s highest peaks, and expeditions to the renowned Tamana Bat Caves… So come prepared.

Vacation Tip 4

Plan to visit the Nariva and Bush-Bush Wildlife Sanctuaries. You’ll enjoy this Caribbean kayaking safari and likely have encounters with West Indian Manatee, Macaws, Amazon Parrots and other amazing birds, Monkeys, Cayman, Boas, Anteaters, Sloths and the like. You see Trinidad is a lost enclave of the great South American jungle, which offers an easily accessible peek at that continent’s outstanding bird and wildlife.

Vacation Tip 5

Spend a day in India. That’s right 40% of Trinidad’s population is of East Indian decent, and Central Trinidad is packed with sights, sounds and tastes that transport you to India. When combined with a trip to the Pitch Lake in La Brea, and the Caroni Bird Sanctuary, where flocks of Scarlet Ibis and Snowy Egrets roost at sunset, you won’t believe that this was just another day in Trinidad.

Vacation Tip 6

Make sure your taste buds are in prime working condition. Why? Because Trinidad’s diverse ethnic heritage provides you with the most exciting food culture in the Caribbean. Trinidadians and Tobagonians were creating fusion dishes before renowned chefs invented the concept. So, make sure you don’t leave Trinidad without trying Trinidad doubles, a unique street food that you are sure to love, and a treat you will continue to crave long after you return home.

Escape to Trinidad and Tobago, where, if you follow these tips you will have an amazing Caribbean vacation.

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