Caribbean birdwatching holiday
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
01273 823 700 Calling from outside the UK? rosy@responsibletravel.comCheck dates, prices & availability
Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your holiday will help support conservation and local people.
A multi island birding trip, especially one that incorporates ferry travel between islands, is a much better way to visit several islands of the Caribbean than taking multiple long haul flights to visit and bird on any one individual island on multiple holidays. One international flight gets you to the region, you bird the islands, enjoy the sunshine and head home. The cumulative amount of jet fuel used on small inter-island flights is certainly far less than the cumulative effect of multiple international flights. On top of this we always do our absolute best to ensure that the flights we take between islands are direct with no stops in other islands. We also incorporate the use of ferry travel between islands wherever possible.Food on this trip is grown by local small farmers who supply our hotels and restaurants, or fish responsibly caught in local waters. The small fish we will consume are caught by local fishermen using spear guns, snorkel and masks and any large fish, such as marlin or tuna, are also caught responsibly by local fishermen on small locally constructed boats using hook and line.
Many of the species of bird we target on this ‘Birds of the Caribbean’ tour are critically endangered. We highlight the causes of this plight to our clients, so as to raise awareness amongst them and inform them of local and international issues contributing to the species’ endangered status. Habitat loss is one of the largest contributors to their plight and we ensure that we inform our clients of this.
We share the ideology and belief that only by developing a vested interest amongst the local population of each island in their environment and the economic advantages to be gained through sustainable ecotourism can we hope to ensure the preservation of the vulnerable species and habitats of the Lesser Antillean region.
We recognize the importance of hiring local transport operators to take us to birding sites, we support local culinary establishments and stay in locally owned accommodation. This helps nurture a sense of inclusion and involvement with conservation policies amongst the local community. This also gives the local communities a financial incentive to preserve the species and the habitats these species rely on, in order to ensure that birding visitors continue to come to their islands.
The Impacts of this Trip
We always choose to stay at locally owned and operated hotels and on our ‘Birds of the Caribbean’ tour, this is definitely the case at all locations. On every island on the tour we actively seek out and take our clients to eat at “small scale” locally owned and operated restaurants, which are not often frequented by visitors to the islands. Often these are close to the areas where we are birding for the day.
On this tour we will visit stalls where local artisans are selling locally produced souvenirs and foodstuffs. Guests are introduced to the artisans and should they wish to, you can then purchase their wares. Examples of local artisan works and stalls that we frequent which contribute to the preservation of local culture are:
1) Oistins Fishing Village in Barbados - numerous crafts people sell their goods here. Local fishermen earn a living by supplying local culinary establishments in the village, having caught the fish using locally constructed Bajan style fishing boats.
2) Carib Territories in Dominica - where you can purchase wares made by the Kalinango people who were the original inhabitants of the island. This therefore encourages and gives them a financial incentive to continue the production of such culturally significant artefacts.
Our local guide Ryan lives on Barbados and meets our clients upon their arrival on Barbados, where the tour commences. The fact that Ryan is local negates the need for a UK/ North America based guide to take an international long haul flight to the Caribbean to lead the tour.
A multi island birding trip, especially one that incorporates ferry travel between islands, is a much better way to visit several islands of the Caribbean than taking multiple long haul flights to visit and bird on any one individual island on multiple holidays. One international flight gets you to the region, you bird the islands, enjoy the sunshine and head home. The cumulative amount of jet fuel used on small inter-island flights is certainly far less than the cumulative effect of multiple international flights. On top of this we always do our absolute best to ensure that the flights we take between islands are direct with no stops in other islands. We also incorporate the use of ferry travel between islands wherever possible.Food on this trip is grown by local small farmers who supply our hotels and restaurants, or fish responsibly caught in local waters. The small fish we will consume are caught by local fishermen using spear guns, snorkel and masks and any large fish, such as marlin or tuna, are also caught responsibly by local fishermen on small locally constructed boats using hook and line.
Many of the species of bird we target on this ‘Birds of the Caribbean’ tour are critically endangered. We highlight the causes of this plight to our clients, so as to raise awareness amongst them and inform them of local and international issues contributing to the species’ endangered status. Habitat loss is one of the largest contributors to their plight and we ensure that we inform our clients of this.
We share the ideology and belief that only by developing a vested interest amongst the local population of each island in their environment and the economic advantages to be gained through sustainable ecotourism can we hope to ensure the preservation of the vulnerable species and habitats of the Lesser Antillean region.
We recognize the importance of hiring local transport operators to take us to birding sites, we support local culinary establishments and stay in locally owned accommodation. This helps nurture a sense of inclusion and involvement with conservation policies amongst the local community. This also gives the local communities a financial incentive to preserve the species and the habitats these species rely on, in order to ensure that birding visitors continue to come to their islands.
The Impacts of this Trip
We always choose to stay at locally owned and operated hotels and on our ‘Birds of the Caribbean’ tour, this is definitely the case at all locations. On every island on the tour we actively seek out and take our clients to eat at “small scale” locally owned and operated restaurants, which are not often frequented by visitors to the islands. Often these are close to the areas where we are birding for the day.
On this tour we will visit stalls where local artisans are selling locally produced souvenirs and foodstuffs. Guests are introduced to the artisans and should they wish to, you can then purchase their wares. Examples of local artisan works and stalls that we frequent which contribute to the preservation of local culture are:
1) Oistins Fishing Village in Barbados - numerous crafts people sell their goods here. Local fishermen earn a living by supplying local culinary establishments in the village, having caught the fish using locally constructed Bajan style fishing boats.
2) Carib Territories in Dominica - where you can purchase wares made by the Kalinango people who were the original inhabitants of the island. This therefore encourages and gives them a financial incentive to continue the production of such culturally significant artefacts.
Our local guide Ryan lives on Barbados and meets our clients upon their arrival on Barbados, where the tour commences. The fact that Ryan is local negates the need for a UK/ North America based guide to take an international long haul flight to the Caribbean to lead the tour.
Popular similar holidays
Falkland Islands wildlife tour
10 day Falklands birds and wildlife adventure
From £2894 10 days including domestic flights only
Trinidad & Tobago and St Lucia nature tour
Nature and bird watching holiday on three Caribbean islands
From £3395 - £3550 16 days including UK flights
Bird watching tours in Hungary
Visit Bukk N.P. with a birding specialist
From £1085 7 days including UK flights
Bird watching short break to Hungary
Visit Bukk National Park with a birding specialist
From £490 4 days excluding flights
protection
