TRINIDAD–“Land of the Hummingbird” and TOBAGO– “Robinson Crusoe Island”
BY CLAY LARROY
Traveling
can be a great way to meet new people and experience other cultures. New
friends are waiting to meet you in places you have only dreamed of traveling. It
can be a wonderful way to see all that the world has to offer. Travel can be a
hobby and an adventure that will lead you to unexpected places. The Caribbean
is a close locations to take vacations. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!
Things to see and do in Trinidad and Tobago
Aripo Caves
Trinidad's most extensive cave system sits, appropriately perhaps,
beneath its highest mountain, El Cerreo de Aripo. The stalactites and
stalagmites here are sublime. Speleologists will also be intrigued by the
Tamana Caves, boasting 11 species of bat, and, on the islet of Gaspar Grande,
the subterranean treasure trove of Gasparee Caves.
Beaches
Take a dip at one of Tobago's fine beaches. Each has its own flavor,
from the brown pelicans at Turtle Beach to fantastic snorkeling at Man O'War
Bay. Store Bay, Mount Irvine, Bacolet Bay and Pigeon Point are also well worth
a visit.
Buccoo Reef
There's something very special about Buccoo, in south-western
Tobago. Mainly this is due to the jaw-droppingly beautiful coral reef that
stretches around the coast from the island's highest point, Pigeon Point, to
the arcing Buccoo Bay. There are some 40 types of coral here, and you can take
a glass-bottomed boat tour out to see this underwater extravaganza. But Buccoo
is also home to some of the best cultural events in the country, including the
Sunday School Street Party (weekly street food, steelpan music and dance) and
even a goat race (see events).
Carnival in Port of Spain
Celebrate Carnival, Trinidad's most wildest and most magical
event. The world-renowned festivities climax at the beginning of Lent, although
the run-up to Carnival starts immediately after Christmas when the Calypso
tents open and the Calypsonians perform their latest compositions and
arrangements. All this means January through March are usually taken up with
the preparations and festivities: they don't call in carnival season for
nothing.
Chaguaramas
Comprising the entire peninsula which juts out to the west of Port
of Spain, this is one of the best places in the country to try your hand at
kayaking, with sheltered Williams Bay a great place to start. You can book a
tour of the isles peppered off the coast here: visiting a lighthouse, cave
systems and a (former) leper colony.
Cricket at Queen’s Park Oval
Catch a cricket match at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain,
where the best national and international matches can be seen. Here, on the
ground that gave the world cricket record-smasher Brian Lara, is the only time
you'll see football challenged as the national sport, and the enthusiasm of the
crowds are as entertaining as the games themselves.
Fort George
Fort George, built in 1804, is, on the western side of Port of
Spain, one of the nation's most important historical buildings. The most
interesting feature is a signal box designed by an African prince. It yields
superb vistas of the city and the mountains of northern Venezuela. High above
the city, it's a good chance for a spot of fresh air and, indeed,
bird-watching.
Frederick Street
See Port of Spain's highlights, including the shopping district centered
on Frederick Street; the Royal Botanic Gardens; the Red House (a stately
colonial building, now the seat of government); the National Museum and Art
Gallery; and the 19th-century gothic Holy Trinity Cathedral.
Go fishing
Fish for Spanish mackerel, wahoo, kingfish, bonito, dolphin fish,
yellow tuna, grouper, salmon and snapper in the islands' abundant waters. Both
deep-sea and freshwater fishing are rewarding and there is an increasing number
of boats available for hire.
Hike the Tobago
Forest Reserve
Get active with a long hike along the excellent trails of Tobago's
Main Ridge Forest Reserve. Some of the country's best hiking can be had here.
The Argyle Falls, a three-tiered cascade and one of the island's most iconic
landmarks, is here, as is Flagstaff Hill, a dramatic viewpoint on the northern
tip of the island. Mainly, though, it's the beauty of the lonely trails that
will draw you out here.
Mountain biking
in rural Tobago
Tobago's lush, hilly interior has some fabulous biking trails,
such as those in the Adventure Nature Reserve and around the Main Ridge Forest
Reserve. Get guided excursions to suit all ability levels with Mountain Biking
Tobago (www.mountainbikingtobago.com).
Pitch Lake
Head to Trinidad's mellow southwest for one of the weirdest
phenomena the nation can boast. Pitch Lake is the largest natural deposit of
asphalt anywhere in the world and is self-replenishing to boot. You can swim
here in sulphur pools if accompanied by a guide.
Port of Spain
A hefty dose of cosmopolitan life in all its colourful shapes and
forms is the reason to make the Trinidadian capital Port of Spain a must-see.
It's a far more diverse city than most visitors expect: bazaars throng beneath
modern skyscrapers and mosques rub shoulders with cathedrals. The architecture
of the city incorporates a mixture of styles from Victorian houses to
Stollmeyer's Castle, an imitation of a Bavarian Castle. Port of Spain is also,
of course, home to the carnival for which the country is most renowned.
Queen's Park Savannah
Don't neglect Port of Spain's outskirts. The magnificent Queen's
Park Savannah is a mixture of natural and manmade beauty, with attractive trees
and shrubs (including the African Tulip). A highlight here is the Royal
Botanical Gardens, where you can see many of the islands' 622 species of
butterfly and 700 plus species of orchid alongside indigenous trees, shrubs,
ferns and cacti. There's a zoo, some botanical gardens and a scattering of
grand mansions, including the historic President's House, as well as a
year-round program of sporting and cultural events.
Royal Botanic Gardens
See some of the islands' 622 species of butterfly and over 700
species of orchid. The latter are best seen in Port of Spain's Royal Botanic
Gardens (along with a wide selection of indigenous trees, shrubs, ferns and
cacti). The Emperor Valley Zoo has a good selection of local wildlife.
Speyside and Little Tobago
Speyside is the diving capital on an island famed for its diving.
Head to north-eastern Tobago to this colorful beach settlement. From here you
can take a trip out to Little Tobago, aka Bird of Paradise Island, a bird
sanctuary and an essential stop-off for twitchers. Those wishing to spot the
Scarlet Ibis, Trinidad & Tobago's national bird, should visit the Caroni
Arena Reserve on Trinidad.
Spot the scarlet ibis
Spot the national bird, the scarlet ibis, in Trinidad's Nariva
Swamp, the Aripo Savannah, the Asa Wright Nature Centre and the Caroni Bird
Sanctuary where it is conserved. Hummingbirds are ubiquitous on Tobago and
Little Tobago Island is highly recommended for twitchers.
Steel bands
Listen to the big steel bands bang their drums around Queen's Park
Savannah, a large park in Port of Spain. Panorama, the Grand Steel Drum (pan)
tournament is staged a week before Carnival. The preliminaries and local finals
in Tobago are also well worth a visit.
Tobago villages
Tobago is far more isolated than larger, more cosmopolitan Trinidad,
and as such dropping in on some Tobago villages is a cultural eye-opener. On
the Atlantic (windward) side of the island are many tiny villages including
Mesopotamia and Goldsborough, the town of Roxborough and several beautiful
bays. On the north coast are the beautiful villages of Castara and Parlatuvier.
Turtle-watching on Tobago
On the back of being voted top ecotourism destination by the World
Travel Awards in 2009, immersion in nature has never been so popular with
visitors, and the most magical activity of all has to be turtle watching. Three
types – the giant leatherback, hawksbill and green – frequent the coast. The
animals are legally protected, but you can take a guided tour to see the
Leatherbacks come ashore on Black Rock, or the Hawksbills in the northeast of
the island. March to August is the time of their infamous mating rituals.
Visit Arnos Vale
sugar plantation
This former sugar
plantation, the country’s oldest, is now a hotel (www.arnosvalehotel.com)
but the disused sugar mill complete with formidable crushing wheels, made in
1857, is still on the grounds. A well-presented museum rounds off what is all
in all a fascinating testimony to a major chapter of Trinidad & Tobago’s
history. The hotel itself sits perched above the sea in the back of the
450-acre protected Adventure Nature Reserve.
Watersports
Take advantage of the excellent watersports facilities at the
beaches along the north and east coasts of Trinidad, and all around Tobago.
Speyside and Buccoo Reef, just off the southwest coast of Tobago, which has
some of the Caribbean's finest reefs, offer exciting scuba-diving. Trips in glass-bottomed
boats are very popular.
REFERENCE SITES
“At the beach, life is different. Time doesn’t move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides and follow the sun.”
– Sandy Gingras
No comments:
Post a Comment