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 definitely make the time to see and do.
In the 1940s and 50s, the Trinidad and Tobago tourist attractions that were most actively marketed included: watching Carnival, limbo, 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 there and remain quite interesting, I think you will agree that active people of this decade probable have different ideas about what they considered fun things to do while on vacation, than they might have had back in the 40s and 50s. But unfortunately, Trinidad is still marketed in much the same way today, which provides you with a great opportunity because it is relatively undiscovered.
Vacation Tip 1
The only reason you should visit the Botanical Gardens, these days, is if you have nothing better to do, and there is lots to see and do in Port of Spain. The same goes for the Pitch Lake, if that is all you plan to see and do in south and central Trinidad then be prepared for a long drive and a rather tame tour at your destination, even with new facilities being built in La Brea. But then perhaps you get excited about trees, grass and tar?
So, what is there to do in Port of Spain, and Trinidad, that will stimulate you and make your vacation a trip to remember?
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 the Caribbean’s No.1 Carnival destination, and arguably the top Carnival destination in the world, comparable to Rio and New Orleans – are their outstanding bio diversity and exciting eco tours.
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, outstanding, world-class bird watching opportunities at interesting locations, and exciting trekking adventures to lost worlds on Trinidad’s highest peaks.
Vacation Tip 4
Plan to visit the Nariva and Bush-Bush Wildlife Sanctuaries while in Trinidad. 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 punctuated with sights, sounds and tastes that transport you to India. When combined with a trip to the Pitch Lake at La Brea, and the Caroni Bird Sanctuary, where flocks of Scarlet Ibis and Snowy Egrets come home to roost at sunset, your friends back home won’t believe that this was just another day in Trinidad.
Vacation Tip 6
Make sure your taste buds are in working order. Why? Because Trinidad’s diverse ethnic heritage provides you with the most exciting food culture in the Caribbean. Trinidadians and Tobagonians were creating and eating fusion dishes before world renowned chefs invented the concept. Be sure not to leave Trinidad with out first trying Trinidad doubles, a unique street food that you are sure to love, and crave for ever after.
Come escape with us to Trinidad and Tobago, where, if you follow all our tips, we can guarantee that you will have an amazing Caribbean vacation.
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