Trinidad is a wonderful Caribbean island in the far-south of the sea - just 20mi off the coast of Venezuela.
Despite being the creator of the iconic steel drum, they're not your typical white-sand, laid-back, blissed-out beach destination.
Craigy shores, big waves, and a rugged, mountainous interior promise more excitement than most of the islands.
Here's a list of my favorite 5 eco tours to do in Trinidad.
1) Take a Boat to Paria Waterfall While staying at the awesome Le Grande Almandier virtually everyone at the inn (only 7 people at the time) all went on this tour together.
We all piled into a fast little boat and sped across the Northern shore to Paria Falls.
Once we got to the bay we had about an easy 30 minute hike to the falls.
Paria is especially well-liked by tourists and locals because of the beautiful colors of its pool.
A few of the braver travelers climbed up the slippery rocks and dove in.
After this we had a lunch on the beach complete with some rum punch, a little more rock-climbing and diving, then back to the hotel.
On the way back a huge storm blew up.
We were bounced so hard in the boat that I thought I broke my butt-bone, and then I pee'd my swimsuit; but that's a whole different story for a different day.
Don't let this deter you.
It was a great trip and one I'd do again without hesitation.
2) Watch Leatherback Sea Turtles lay their eggs This was a particular joy while I was in Trinidad.
Hell, I didn't even know that Trinidad and Tobago (TnT) was a major nesting area for sea turtles, but I was really excited about it when I found out.
I've always been an animal lover, and these graceful, mysterious giants enthrall me.
TnT has really been embracing eco-tourism lately, and Le Grande Almandier - on the coast of the sleepy fishing village of Grande Riviere, one of the biggest nesting beaches in Trinidad - is stationed right next to an eco-tourism outpost that can lead you on multiple tours.
The guides are amazing and genuinely care about the animals.
We were able to sneak (with the guides leading us - it's illegal and just a bad move to go by yourself at night during nesting season) onto the back-side of the beach and see multiple Leatherbacks on the sand.
After a little searching, our guide found a turtle in the middle of laying her eggs and we all got to watch.
I can't begin to tell you how seeing a 2,000lb turtle dig a hole in the beach and lay her eggs, rhymically, purposefully covering it with sand to hide the tracks from predators, and then - exhausted and gasping - slowly head back to the surf guided by the light of the moon, will make you feel.
Small and insignificant - in the best way possible - is the only way I can describe it.
3) Mountain Bike/Bushwack A New Trail on Mt.
Harris When I joined up with Courtenay Rooks and the Paria Springs Eco Community for a rainforest MTB ride, I thought it would be tough but ultimately doable.
Not even close.
Apparently the tight, technical river-trails around Wisconsin didn't adequately prepare me for slogging up a moutain-side in 95º heat and 90% humidity.
The hill was steep enough that once you lost your momentum, there was no way to get going again.
You could try, but your back tire would just spin and spin on damp vegetation.
So we ditched the bikes, broke out the machetes, and hatched a new plan.
I helped (read: just tried not to hurt myself) Courtenay recover an old trail he was going to revive for a new tour.
It was lots of fun and the slower pace helped us find exotic birds, listen to the howler monekys, and introduced me to the terrifying Golden Orb-Weaver spider.
4) Explore East-Indian Culture of Trinidad Trinidad and the rest of the Caribbean were once mistaken by Christopher Columbus as the outskirts of India.
This is how they became known as the West Indies, and even how Native Americans first got the name of "Indians".
Somewhat ironically, Trinidad now has a large population of people with East Indian descent living on the island, and their culture is now pervasive with the rest of the island.
Head to Chaguanas in West-Central Trinidad and you'll swear you're in the Ganges basin.
Bollywood movies in the theaters, Chutney music on the radio, and Hindu temples can all be found here.
A unique gastronomic experience blending traditional North Indian cuisine with Caribbean ingredients makes for crazy-delicious dishes not found elsewhere.
One of the most popular examples of this is the Trinidadian "Double": a breakfast sandwich served on the street for about $1 each.
It's deep-fried na'an, curried chickpeas with chutney (often made with mango, tamarind, or coconut) and a little Scotch Bonnet pepper sauce for heat.
You'll probably want two, and you can wash it down with coconut water from the merchants on the street.
5) Birding at the Asa Wright Nature Center The Asa Wright Nature Center is an old cocoa-coffee-citrus plantation in the North-Central region of the island and is thought to be the oldest nature center in the West Indies.
Located at 1,200ft above sea level, it is in the foothills of the North Range - the mountains that run across the top of the island, covered in tropical rainforest.
I wasn't able to make it to the center, but I would have loved to go on a guided tour to see the splendid array of flora and fauna on Trinidad.
Because of its continental origins, tropical forests, and is now an island, Trinidad has more biodiversity than you'd expect.
According to the Center, there are, "...
97 native mammals, 400 birds, 55 reptiles, 25 amphibians, and 617 butterflies, as well as over 2,200 species of flowering plants.
" which is extremely impressive for an island of only 1,841 square miles, or about half the size of Puerto Rico.
A day visit is currently $10 and you can hop onto the regularly scheduled guided tours.
Lunch is served at the center, but not included so bring a little extra cash.
Despite being the creator of the iconic steel drum, they're not your typical white-sand, laid-back, blissed-out beach destination.
Craigy shores, big waves, and a rugged, mountainous interior promise more excitement than most of the islands.
Here's a list of my favorite 5 eco tours to do in Trinidad.
1) Take a Boat to Paria Waterfall While staying at the awesome Le Grande Almandier virtually everyone at the inn (only 7 people at the time) all went on this tour together.
We all piled into a fast little boat and sped across the Northern shore to Paria Falls.
Once we got to the bay we had about an easy 30 minute hike to the falls.
Paria is especially well-liked by tourists and locals because of the beautiful colors of its pool.
A few of the braver travelers climbed up the slippery rocks and dove in.
After this we had a lunch on the beach complete with some rum punch, a little more rock-climbing and diving, then back to the hotel.
On the way back a huge storm blew up.
We were bounced so hard in the boat that I thought I broke my butt-bone, and then I pee'd my swimsuit; but that's a whole different story for a different day.
Don't let this deter you.
It was a great trip and one I'd do again without hesitation.
2) Watch Leatherback Sea Turtles lay their eggs This was a particular joy while I was in Trinidad.
Hell, I didn't even know that Trinidad and Tobago (TnT) was a major nesting area for sea turtles, but I was really excited about it when I found out.
I've always been an animal lover, and these graceful, mysterious giants enthrall me.
TnT has really been embracing eco-tourism lately, and Le Grande Almandier - on the coast of the sleepy fishing village of Grande Riviere, one of the biggest nesting beaches in Trinidad - is stationed right next to an eco-tourism outpost that can lead you on multiple tours.
The guides are amazing and genuinely care about the animals.
We were able to sneak (with the guides leading us - it's illegal and just a bad move to go by yourself at night during nesting season) onto the back-side of the beach and see multiple Leatherbacks on the sand.
After a little searching, our guide found a turtle in the middle of laying her eggs and we all got to watch.
I can't begin to tell you how seeing a 2,000lb turtle dig a hole in the beach and lay her eggs, rhymically, purposefully covering it with sand to hide the tracks from predators, and then - exhausted and gasping - slowly head back to the surf guided by the light of the moon, will make you feel.
Small and insignificant - in the best way possible - is the only way I can describe it.
3) Mountain Bike/Bushwack A New Trail on Mt.
Harris When I joined up with Courtenay Rooks and the Paria Springs Eco Community for a rainforest MTB ride, I thought it would be tough but ultimately doable.
Not even close.
Apparently the tight, technical river-trails around Wisconsin didn't adequately prepare me for slogging up a moutain-side in 95º heat and 90% humidity.
The hill was steep enough that once you lost your momentum, there was no way to get going again.
You could try, but your back tire would just spin and spin on damp vegetation.
So we ditched the bikes, broke out the machetes, and hatched a new plan.
I helped (read: just tried not to hurt myself) Courtenay recover an old trail he was going to revive for a new tour.
It was lots of fun and the slower pace helped us find exotic birds, listen to the howler monekys, and introduced me to the terrifying Golden Orb-Weaver spider.
4) Explore East-Indian Culture of Trinidad Trinidad and the rest of the Caribbean were once mistaken by Christopher Columbus as the outskirts of India.
This is how they became known as the West Indies, and even how Native Americans first got the name of "Indians".
Somewhat ironically, Trinidad now has a large population of people with East Indian descent living on the island, and their culture is now pervasive with the rest of the island.
Head to Chaguanas in West-Central Trinidad and you'll swear you're in the Ganges basin.
Bollywood movies in the theaters, Chutney music on the radio, and Hindu temples can all be found here.
A unique gastronomic experience blending traditional North Indian cuisine with Caribbean ingredients makes for crazy-delicious dishes not found elsewhere.
One of the most popular examples of this is the Trinidadian "Double": a breakfast sandwich served on the street for about $1 each.
It's deep-fried na'an, curried chickpeas with chutney (often made with mango, tamarind, or coconut) and a little Scotch Bonnet pepper sauce for heat.
You'll probably want two, and you can wash it down with coconut water from the merchants on the street.
5) Birding at the Asa Wright Nature Center The Asa Wright Nature Center is an old cocoa-coffee-citrus plantation in the North-Central region of the island and is thought to be the oldest nature center in the West Indies.
Located at 1,200ft above sea level, it is in the foothills of the North Range - the mountains that run across the top of the island, covered in tropical rainforest.
I wasn't able to make it to the center, but I would have loved to go on a guided tour to see the splendid array of flora and fauna on Trinidad.
Because of its continental origins, tropical forests, and is now an island, Trinidad has more biodiversity than you'd expect.
According to the Center, there are, "...
97 native mammals, 400 birds, 55 reptiles, 25 amphibians, and 617 butterflies, as well as over 2,200 species of flowering plants.
" which is extremely impressive for an island of only 1,841 square miles, or about half the size of Puerto Rico.
A day visit is currently $10 and you can hop onto the regularly scheduled guided tours.
Lunch is served at the center, but not included so bring a little extra cash.
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