Trinidad & Tobado Eco-Tours Vacations and Trinadad Honeymoon Packages

Bird Watching
Avid bird watchers from all over the globe are choosing Trinidad and Tobago as their destination of choice when it comes to finding their feathered friends. That's because we have some of the most diverse bird species to be found in one location - 430 to be exact! This variety in species can perhaps be attributed to the fact that our islands lie so close to South America so migration is easier, resulting in unusually diverse fauna. Trinidad and Tobago can boast of approximately 108 types of mammals, 55 reptiles, 25 amphibians and 617 different types of butterflies! Isn't that incredible? You can start your journey of discovery at the Caroni Bird Sanctuary, located at the Caroni Swamp, the protected roosting site of our national bird, the Scarlet Ibis. You will be spellbound as you witness the flock's arrival back home at dusk - the sky turns bright scarlet from the fluttering of hundreds of wings.

Another wonderful bird watching site is the Pax Guest House at Mount St. Benedict. The guesthouse sits majestically on the grounds of the monastery, which only contributes to its sense of peace and calm - no wonder so many birds are attracted to its gardens! Raptors frequent the area, and you can see them dancing about in the foliage as you look out from Pax's grand open porches - on a clear day, the view extends all the way down to the Caroni Plains. You can also go walking along several trails that lead into the surrounding hills, or if you don't fancy exerting yourself, why not have a spot of tea and have the birds come to you - they will always invite themselves over to your table for a cube of sugar! The owners of the guesthouse are avid bird watchers as well and you can take a stroll through the halls and admire their beautiful artwork full of - you guessed it - birds and butterflies!

Perhaps the two main bird-watching sites in Trinidad are Asa Wright Nature Centre, located along the Arima-Blanchisseuse Main Road, and the Ponte-a-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust, which can be found in the Southland. Asa Wright is a 270-acre conservatory, reputed for its respect for nature and wildlife, the accessibility of its trails, and the vast scope of the bird species found there.

Asa Wright has guest cabanas so that bird watchers and nature lovers can spend as long as they want in this lush, eco-friendly environment. Their food is as tasty as it comes, so it is not unusual to find many locals making the trek out there on weekends to bask in the simplicity and serenity of nature - and enjoy some good home cooking! The guides are knowledgeable and friendly, and you will certainly see a part of Trinidad that you will find nowhere else.

The Wild Fowl Trust, brought about by the loving work of environmentalist Molly Gaskin, is a nature conservatory dedicated to the breeding and reintroduction of various bird and waterfowl species to the wild. It is a charming place to visit - you will find birds of every type - from ducks to the protected Scarlet Ibis - co-existing and getting stronger every day until they can be released again into their natural environment. The staff here has had tremendous success with this project and the wonder of it all is that you will find the Wild Fowl Trust in the middle of Petrotrin's compound. Petrotrin is one of the main oil and energy companies in Trinidad and Tobago and it is still heartwarming to come upon this oasis of natural splendor in the midst of an estate that houses petroleum storage tanks and pipelines.

If you are in Tobago and would like to bird watch, Tobago's beautiful but elusive Mot Mot can be sometimes spotted at the Grafton Caledonia Sanctuary, which was once part of the original Grafton estate, and has now been given to the people of Tobago as a nature conservatory. Tobago's protected rain forest area in Main Ridge and the Little Tobago Island reserve are also home to many rare and beautiful bird species.

Wildlife Photography
Because Trinidad and Tobago are such jewels of nature, our region attracts many wildlife photographers, both local and foreign. One of our island's premier nature shutterbugs is Roger Neckles, whose work can be seen extensively throughout T&T in newspapers, billboards, advertisements and the like. He has also garnered some international recognition with his photos being published in magazines such as National Geographic, Audubon, and Caribbean Beat. Wildlife jaunts in our islands, particularly in terms of birds, are relatively easy going in terms of accessibility, so bird enthusiasts flock to our islands, cameras in hand, for photographic tours. Popular locations for such treks in Trinidad include:

• The El Tucuche Reserve - As Trinidad's second highest mountain peak, this area is rich in exotic flora and fauna
• The Valencia Wildlife Sanctuary - This location offers photo ops for about 50 bird species as well as deer, wild pigs, iguanas and other local wildlife, including agouti and tattoo
• The Asa Wright Nature Centre - Asa Wright is a great photography location with the most easily accessible colony of rare oil birds- you can also find an array of tropical foliage and other wildlife - everything from snakes to hummingbirds
• The Caroni Bird Sanctuary - This is a lovely tour for photography - in addition to abundant fish and flora in the mangrove swamp, this is the best opportunity to capture on film the flocks of stunning Scarlet Ibis, our protected National Bird
• The Bush Bush Wildlife Reserve - Located in the Nariva Swamp, this area offers the rare opportunity to photograph the red Howler Monkeys - one of over 57 species of mammals found here
• The Wild Fowl Trust - This is a charming place to visit and take lots of pictures - here you will find everything from Wild Muscovy Ducks to Macaws and Parrots

In Tobago, you can visit:

• Little Tobago - About 58 species of birds thrive on this island
• Plymouth and Black Rock - A sight to behold, the nesting of the leatherback turtle on these beaches along Tobago's northwest coast - this nesting ritual can also be witnessed in Trinidad along several North and East Coast beaches - nesting season is from April to July

Don't forget to bring film - or if you've gone digital, your battery charger!

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