Trinidad cannot really be called a tourist resort. The island is known more for its Caribbean culture and natural life. Bird-watching in the island is the finest in the entire Caribbean. However, the main thrill of Trinidad is its carnival (held a week before Ash Wednesday), but festivals abound throughout the year!

The island has a strong cultural aspect, with an extraordinary cultural mix, which you will see revealed in prayer flags, minarets and Christian churches. In the specialist tours of Port of Spain you will learn about the capital's architecture and cultural activities such as steel pan, calypso and carnival. And of course the Trinis are the liveliest of all the Caribbean islanders, so if you are invited to a party, GO! If you are there for the cricket, guides will include aspects of the cricket in their tours too.

It is also well worth mentioning the island of Tobago. The island is very close (it can be reached by plane in 20 minutes) and it has a completely different feel from Trinidad. In fact it is much more similar to the other Caribbean islands because it has the more traditional beach hotel.

Accommodations in Trinidad

As in so many things, Trinidad is not the typical Caribbean in its accommodations. It has only a few places to stay that are designed specifically for ‘tourism'. The island has relatively few beaches, and there are just a handful of hotels scattered along them. They tend to offer a very ‘natural' Caribbean experience. The two best towns are Blanchisseuse and Grand Riviere in the North-east.

Unless you come specifically for the birding, which is excellent of course, you are quite likely to spend at least some time in Port of Spain. It is a good stop on any itinerary for cultural reasons. You will find many business hotels in the city (it is a centre for the Caribbean), but also a good depth of small hotels and guest houses. Elsewhere on the island, the hotels tend to have a particular character or a specialty - the hotels around San Fernando largely serve the oil industry and the couple of lodges in the Northern Range are particularly suited to bird-watchers. There are just a few private houses for rent in Trinidad.