1of2
As an in depth specialist tour operator to Trinidad & Tobago responsible tourism is at the very heart of what we do. To us, this means much more than a simple donation to a charity for each client. We try to build long and constructive involvements with local guides, guest houses, wildlife lodges, and hotels, in the course of which we, and our clients, can make lasting wide-ranging contributions to the wonderful places and people we engage with. In this itinerary we use several lodges that fit with this philosophy perfectly, employing local guides and bringing long-term benefits to the local community. We are the first tour operator in the UK to form a partnership with the Rainforest Alliance to work towards the implementation of best management practices in sustainable tourism. In real terms this means that we are working with hotels who are making a positive impact on their local community – socially, environmentally and economically.
The best person to introduce you to a country is someone who lives there. Undoubtedly the best way to experience the true magic of Trinidad is with a local guide. You can sit back and relax while the guide shows you around and takes care of the driving. They are a font of local knowledge–the islands are small and there is not much that misses their attention. We have known most (if not all) of our guides personally for many years. You will find that most of them are very well known around the islands, especially on Tobago. Locals call out as the car passes, exchange a few words and a drawled “Aaaaall-right!” – the universal greeting on Tobago. At the end of the itinerary you selfdrive around Tobago as it’s easy to explore by road. All the sights are reachable from anywhere on the island in the course of a day’s drive. Driving conditions are easy, but take it slow around the island’s narrow roads. For security and because local drivers can be wilder we do not recommend self-drive on Trinidad.
Mount Plaisir Estate in Grande Riviere is located on a wild beach in a remote corner of Trinidad's North-Eastern coast, which between May and September is the largest leatherback turtle nesting site in the Western Hemisphere. For birders, the Trinidad Piping Guan, a rare endemic can be found in forests behind the village. The hotel prides itself on its natural wilderness setting and is committed to operating in a sustainable manner as possible. Hotel furnishings are largely the work of local craftsmen and artisans. Great care is taken to ensure that fresh local ingredients are used in food preparation, many of which are grown on the hotel's organic land or sourced fresh from the sea. Cakes and breads are baked daily in the hotel's kitchen.
On this trip you will visit Caroni and Nariva swamps, RAMSAR wetlands of international importance, the Bush Bush Wildlife Sanctuary, Pointe a Pierre Wildfowl Trust, Little Tobago, a protected bird sanctuary and Asa Wright Nature Centre, established as a not-for-profit trust in 1967 by a group of naturalists and bird-watchers to protect and conserve the local environment, the first of its kind in the Caribbean. The entrance fees included in the tour price go toward the conservation of these protected areas.
You can trust responsibletravel.com reviews because, unlike many other schemes, reviews can ONLY be written by people who we have verified have been on the holidays. In addition, we don't run these holidays ourselves - our only interest is giving you the best independent advice.
