Trinidad & Tobago bird
| country: | Trinidad & Tobago |
| departures: | 2008: 12 Apr |
| price: | From £2795 (14 days) including flights from the UK. This trip can also be booked without flights |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
A 14-day birdwatching and natural history holiday to Trinidad & Tobago, including an 8-day stay at the renowned Asa Wright Nature Centre.
The friendly Caribbean island of Trinidad is only 16 kilometres from the coast of Venezuela and offers an ideal introduction to the colourful avifauna of South America. Its close proximity to the mainland is reflected in a remarkably diverse bird list featuring representatives from most Neotropical families but lacking the proliferation of species that can seem overwhelming elsewhere on the continent.
We will stay for eight nights at the supremely comfortable Asa Wright Nature Centre where the excellence of the service and facilities is matched by the quality and ease of the birdwatching. This relaxed and easy paced holiday concludes with a visit to neighbouring Tobago which offers a contrasting mix of rainforest, seabirds and underwater life around a pristine coral reef. Visitors to the Asa Wright Centre, whether human or avian, are always well fed! Hungry birdwatchers are served delicious meals in the gracious old plantation building which is now the headquarters of the Centre and are soon introduced to the afternoon ritual of tea on the verandah followed by iced rum punch at sunset. Sugar solution feeders are replenished at dawn for the various hummingbirds, honeycreepers and Bananaquits and bird tables heaped with fruit to attract a steady stream of forest birds within range of binoculars and cameras.
The rather pleasant pastime of birdwatching from the verandah can produce 30 species in as many minutes; White-necked Jacobins and other hummingbirds hover within an arm’s length as Chestnut Woodpeckers, tanagers, thrushes and many other birds attack the fruit. This constantly changing scene ensures that the spectators on the verandah always have something to watch; but not all the visitors are birds... Trinidad Squirrels, Agoutis and giant Tegu Lizards also emerge to share the spoils!
Neither will the more energetic members of our party be disappointed, for a network of trails facilitates access to the forested grounds of the Centre where less confiding inhabitants await our discovery. As we explore these trails, trogons, Bearded Bellbirds, Channel-billed Toucans and manakins are among the resident birds that can be seen with relative ease, but we will need patience to glimpse the more skulking ant-thrushes and spinetails in the undergrowth. One of the highlights of our stay will be a visit to the world’s most accessible Oilbird colony and here we can observe these strange birds from the mouth of their cave, a privilege only granted to Asa Wright guests.
The friendly Caribbean island of Trinidad is only 16 kilometres from the coast of Venezuela and offers an ideal introduction to the colourful avifauna of South America. Its close proximity to the mainland is reflected in a remarkably diverse bird list featuring representatives from most Neotropical families but lacking the proliferation of species that can seem overwhelming elsewhere on the continent.
We will stay for eight nights at the supremely comfortable Asa Wright Nature Centre where the excellence of the service and facilities is matched by the quality and ease of the birdwatching. This relaxed and easy paced holiday concludes with a visit to neighbouring Tobago which offers a contrasting mix of rainforest, seabirds and underwater life around a pristine coral reef. Visitors to the Asa Wright Centre, whether human or avian, are always well fed! Hungry birdwatchers are served delicious meals in the gracious old plantation building which is now the headquarters of the Centre and are soon introduced to the afternoon ritual of tea on the verandah followed by iced rum punch at sunset. Sugar solution feeders are replenished at dawn for the various hummingbirds, honeycreepers and Bananaquits and bird tables heaped with fruit to attract a steady stream of forest birds within range of binoculars and cameras.
The rather pleasant pastime of birdwatching from the verandah can produce 30 species in as many minutes; White-necked Jacobins and other hummingbirds hover within an arm’s length as Chestnut Woodpeckers, tanagers, thrushes and many other birds attack the fruit. This constantly changing scene ensures that the spectators on the verandah always have something to watch; but not all the visitors are birds... Trinidad Squirrels, Agoutis and giant Tegu Lizards also emerge to share the spoils!
Neither will the more energetic members of our party be disappointed, for a network of trails facilitates access to the forested grounds of the Centre where less confiding inhabitants await our discovery. As we explore these trails, trogons, Bearded Bellbirds, Channel-billed Toucans and manakins are among the resident birds that can be seen with relative ease, but we will need patience to glimpse the more skulking ant-thrushes and spinetails in the undergrowth. One of the highlights of our stay will be a visit to the world’s most accessible Oilbird colony and here we can observe these strange birds from the mouth of their cave, a privilege only granted to Asa Wright guests.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly Trinidad and transfer to Asa Wright Centre. |
| Day 2-8: | Excursions from Asa Wright Centre. |
| Day 9: | Fly Tobago. |
| Day 10-12: | Tobago. |
| Day 13: | Depart Tobago. |
| Day 14: | Arrive London. |
this holiday is operated by a wildlife specialist
Typically trips are expertly guided by a leading specialist with a good knowledge of the area to be visited. Inevitably, birds, plants and mammals are the main focus of attention however, the aim will be to incorporate all other aspects of the natural world in an attempt to be as broad-minded as possible. A local guide may often accompany trips.how this holiday makes a difference
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The legendary Asa Wright Centre in Trinidad was an early pioneer of eco-tourism. Initially established as a Research Station, the Centre still finances many important environmental studies using revenue generated by simultaneously hosting many hundreds of visitors each year. On this 14-day birdwatching and natural history holiday, we spend eight days at the Centre, undertaking a number of day excursions to places of natural history interest around Trinidad; we also use our lengthy visit to fully explore the forested grounds of the Centre. A stay here is not only hugely enjoyable and extremely comfortable, but also an educational experience – with trained staff constantly available to answer any questions about the ecology of tropical rainforests. Most of the food provided at the Centre is produced locally and the Asa Wright operation is conducted in accordance with their declared and long-established eco-friendly principles.
 To complement our stay on Trinidad, we conclude our tour with four days on neighbouring Tobago. Although linked politically, Tobago is very different in character and boasts the oldest nature reserve in the Caribbean, the magnificent Rain Forest Preserve which cloaks the central spine of this small island. As yet, only the south of Tobago has been extensively developed for tourism. The north, where we are based, is free from such large scale developments and the local authorities are keen to ensure that the mistakes made in the south are not repeated in this region. Our hotel occupies a secluded cove near the village of Speyside and from here we visit both the Rain Forest Preserve and the offshore island of Little Tobago where many seabirds nest; a coral reef just a few hundred metres from the hotel beach also offers great snorkelling opportunities. On this specialist wildlife holiday, you will be part of a small group of between 6 and 16, escorted from the UK by an expert British naturalist, and supporting a valuable wildlife tourism initiative, learning from local wildlife guides and researchers. As a company we have achieved AITO’s top level, 3-star Responsible Tourism accreditation and we have always tried to operate our holidays in an environmentally responsible manner, striving to contribute to wildlife conservation and habitat preservation at all times. Our policy includes: We also encourage our clients to offset their carbon dioxide emissions. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |