Welcome to the island: Trinidad

                                                         

I was born in the bustling capital city of Port of Spain, Trinidad.  It is an amazing vacation spot for any and everyone, regardless of your interests and likes. There is something for everyone. It can be a great honeymoon destination or a chill vacation spot. I am very happy to have lived here majority of my life and I would love to share with you guys the cool things this small island has to offer. Although many know Trinidad as a party central which is most famous for its Carnival (not to be confused with Brazil's carnival), there are many more interesting attractions as well. 

Interested in nature?

Like loud parties?

Have a taste for good food?

Animal lover?

Photography enthusiast?

Andrenaline junkie?

Lover of exotic things?

Here is a list of activites one can do here:

Nature lovers will love the various fauna and flora here. Aside from the typical beaches, forests, mountains, rivers, waterfalls and the usual caribbean attractions; there is a river that glows. I did not even know about it until recently >.<  I was so shocked that I had to visit it. It is truly amazing. This is called the Ortoire River. Can you imagine jumping into a glowing river
It felt soo magical and refreshing. The water sparkling all over your body with each stroke was truly unique.
PS: Many people have been taking samples of this glowing water with the as souvenirs, please do not do this. This removes the bioluminescent plankton from the water and will decrease the river's luminescence (also the plankton don't like being trapped in a jar)
Swimmng in the Ortoire River

                                                         

Animal lovers can enjoy the spectacle of numerous leatherback turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs. Leatherback turtles are really picky about where they choose to nest and they only come during specific seasons. Be careful around the turtles, try not to scare them with your flashlghts (they only come out at night). When I went to see the turtles, I was shocked to see how huge they were in real life. I saw one about 2m in length!

The bird sanctuary is also a popular place to visit. I am not a huge bird fan (birds can be really loud) but many photographers love taking pictures of flocks of exotic birds. So if that appeals to you, definitely check the Bird sanctuary in Caroni. Flocks of our national bird (Scarlet Ibis) can be seen setting the sky ablaze with their vermillion feathers. The Scarlet Ibis gets its color from eating crabs in their natural habitat.

                                                         

                                                         

                                                         

Andrenaline junkies can zipline and witness the beautiful landscape at a spectacular height. You can hike up Bamboo Cathedral (a longggg trail with bamboo on either side of it overarching to form a cathedral like dome) to get to the zipliners. Bring alot of water if you are doing this hike, trust me. The trail is paved so its concrete. Concrete+hot sun = death if u dont have water.

                                                         

                                                         

And finally, for all hardcore partiers and loud music lovers; you need to experience Carnival.
Carnival in a nutshell: An explosion of colour, music, revelry, and creativity, Trinidad's Carnival has spawned similar celebrations around the world; but nothing on earth can rival the abandon, euphoria and stunning spectacle of our festival.

With its massive masquerade bands, spectacular costumes, pulsating music and unparalleled stamina for partying, Trinidad's Carnival is often described as the greatest show on earth. It is a time for release and everyone is invited to join the party.

The basic gist of it: The entire country halts for 2 days where everyone.... I mean everyone. Members of Parliament, teachers, working people, young people and even the sensescent all gather to "party really hard" nonstop for 2 days. This comes in the form of dressing up in a fancy costume like this:

                                                         

Or... just wearing whatever pleases you (shorts, tshirt, a costume, feathers, anything really) and still having a good time.

The high energy of this festival is extremely intoxicating (almost as inebriating as Hennessy) and it definitely is something to try for any diehard partier.

As a partier myself, I will be documenting my personal Carnival experience when Carnival season starts (February).

Hope you enjoyed this post and be sure to look out for my next post about my trip to Costa Rica.
~LOve KaZumi