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Maracas Beach lures many
to the calm waters of the bay |
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| Playing mass involves thousands
of energetic revelers. It is fun to participate.
Visitors order costumes even before arriving
in Trinidad. |
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Experiencing the rich culture of Trinidad and Tobago
takes the visitor on an interactive tour of this
twin-island country. Enjoying eco-tourism opportunities
adds a different dimension. Visitors coming on business,
pleasure, adventure or just to relax can enjoy the
wonders of both in this relatively small land space.
Neil Wilson tourism secretary of the Tobago House
of Assembly speaking about tourism opportunities
in Trinidad and Tobago stated, "People can
come here on a conference or convention in either
Trinidad or Tobago, and benefit from the state of
the art conference facilities, and the highly skilled
trained support staff, plus the warm hospitality
of our diverse population.
When they have completed their business they can
go to our excellent beach at Maracas Bay, go on
an adventure around the island, see all the historical
landmarks and picturesque nature spots, or come
to Tobago, where eco-tourism is at its best. Tobago
also has something for everyone from history to
leisure, from sports to jazz festivals."
Trinidad is not the traditional sea, surf and sand
destination, although it has excellent white sandy
beaches such as Maracas on the North Coast, it offers
s very much more. There is something for everyone,
from highly developed shopping centers, to mountains
for the mountain hikers, to water falls and nature
reserves. And for party lovers, they are in abundance
in every little village, town or the city of Port
of Spain. Indeed the big street party, Carnival,
is in Port of Spain just before Ash Wednesday at
the beginning of Lent.
The city of Port of Spain is rapidly assuming the
landscape of a metropolitan city. Its historical
buildings and artifacts have been recognized as
heritage sites. They date back to the occupations
of Spain, France and England. It is the heart of
Trinidad and is representative of the diversity
of the nation. The twin towers of the Financial
Complex are the tallest buildings in the English
speaking Caribbean and the new buildings being constructed
by UDeCOTT will be even taller. These buildings
are indicative of the flourishing Trinidadian economy.
Shopping malls, centers and stores line the streets
and boulevards. Local and international restaurants
and fast food centers are spotted on every street.
So too are the small shops and little restaurants
that cater to the numerous ethnicities.
Trinidad is also a favorite conference destination.
The Hilton Conference Center has been in operations
for more than 30 years and the hotel has seen an
increase in business that has been concurrent with
the increase in interest in Trinidad by foreign
investors and business men. The Hilton is ideally
located for the needs of the business traveler.
It sits on 25 acres of landscape gardens surrounded
by the Gulf of Paria, the Queen’s Park Savannah
and the lush Northern Mountain Range. It is just
a five minute drive from business and shopping centers
and a 30 minute drive from the airport. Then there
is the Hilton in Tobago.
The Magnificent Seven are
proudly preserved
Seven huge colonial type houses referred to as
the Magnificent Seven have been built around the
Savannah in Port of Spain.
European Merchants built them during the boom years
of the sugar and cocoa industry. White Hall is one
of the most beautiful and is now the Prime Minister’s
Office.
Enjoying Ecotourism in Trinidad:
birds, turtles, waterfalls, mountains, flora and
fauna.
Trinidad has plenty to offer to nature lovers.
The Asa Wright nature center is a 200-acre nature
reserve that draws thousands of bird watchers from
around the world every year. The center’s special
attraction is a colony of nocturnal Oilbirds that
roost in the estate’s Dunstan Caves. This is
the only accessible colony on the island.
Each year, between March and July, these massive
turtles haul themselves up onto the beach to lay
their eggs. This is a sight not to be missed. Turtles
are protected and permits are necessary to view
them. The best beaches to watch these gentle giants
are Matura Bay and Toco on Trinidad’s East
Coast, and Grande Riviere Bay in the North coast.
See the scarlet ibis at the Caroni Bird Sanctuary.
The sanctuary is located within the Caroni swamp
reserve. An area of 136 acres was set aside as a
haven for Trinidad’s national bird, the magnificent
flaming red scarlet ibis. Birds return every night
to the sanctuary to roost and offer visitors an
unforgettable experience.
Trinidad’s mountain range is home to some
of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world. The
three most popular ones are the Maracas Falls, the
Paria Falls and the falls at Blue Basin. Half of
the fun is getting there by hiking through the forest.
Trinidad and Tobago has a unique richness of fauna
and flora. It is believed that this country was
at some point part of the South American continent,
and this could account for a close similarity. There
are 2,300 species of flowering plants, 610 species
of butterflies and more than 100 species of mammals.
While visiting the rainforest of Trinidad, it is
possible to catch a glimpse of opossums, armadillos
and agoutis.
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