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The accommodation had recently been updated and it showed, huge comfortable bed, quiet but efficient aircon, private facilities. Food in the spacious and airy dining room was a great mix of western and local. We were here to see wildlife and particularly hummingbirds, which came right up to (and sometimes inside) the huge viewing terrace. We could have sat there for a week quite happily but there were trips out ranging from watching turtles laying eggs to a tour of a a chocolate factory! Our guide Lester and driver Paul made sure we all had good looks at all the wildlife and cultural spots. Lester's wife even cooked us two meals for our evening outings, the last being on a boat in a swamp watching flamingos and scarlet Ibis at sunset, a magical finale. I must also mention the staff at Asa Wright who were fantastic, they couldn’t do enough for us. My wife was poorly with a heavy cold and missed a couple of trips but I was happy to leave her in their care as they had been so attentive and kind. Naturetrek offer a wide range of wildlife based holidays, from a weekend in Norfolk to an expedition in Antarctica. We have been on a few of their trips and enjoy their new range of “Go Slow” tours, these are generally at a more leisurely pace and tend to restrict the number of whole day outings to one or two. Some tours are desperate to show you absolutely everything but are so exhausting that you either don’t enjoy them or need another holiday to get over them, but these are a lovely balance of interest and relaxation.
J.R. Suffolk, Apr 24
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Go Slow in Trinidad (at the Asa Wright Centre)
Tour Code: TTO03A 9-day birdwatching and natural history holiday to the beautiful Caribbean island of Trinidad, based at the world renowned Asa Wright Centre.
£5,795 (Inc flights)
£5,195
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
On this ‘Go Slow’ birdwatching and natural history holiday we take you to the beautiful Caribbean island of Trinidad for a relaxing 7-night stay at the world renowned Asa Wright Centre. Located only 15 kilometres from the coast of Venezuela, the small island of Trinidad boasts an incredible variety of wildlife. The island is dominated by the Northern Range and it is here, amongst 2,000 acres of protected rainforest that you will find the magical Asa Wright Nature Centre. During our stay we will enjoy a relaxed programme of leisurely walks from our comfortable base, and full day excursions to nearby sites of interest.
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A single-centre holiday based at the renowned Asa Wright Centre
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Trinidad boasts an impressive 400 species of bird
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Enjoy leisurely birding from the centre’s famous verandah!
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White-necked Jacobins & other hummingbirds hover within an arm’s length
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Tanagers, thrushes & other forest birds attracted to bird tables at the Centre
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Chance to see Leatherback Turtles coming to lay their eggs
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Trinidad Squirrels, Agoutis & giant Tegu Lizards also visit the Centre!
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Explore the Centre’s network of forest trails
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Led by expert naturalist guide
Grading
Easy walks onlyOn this new ‘Go Slow’ birdwatching and natural history holiday we take you to the beautiful Caribbean island of Trinidad, for a relaxing 7- night stay at the world renowned Asa Wright Centre. Located only 15 kilometres from the coast of Venezuela, the small island of Trinidad boasts an incredible variety of wildlife, with over 400 species of bird, 97 native mammals, 55 reptiles and 617 butterflies recorded to date. Only 50 miles long, by 37 miles wide, the island is dominated by the Northern Range and it is here, amongst 2,000 acres of protected rainforest that you will find the magical Asa Wright Centre. During our stay we will enjoy a relaxed programme of leisurely walks from our comfortable base, and full day excursions to nearby sites of interest, with plenty of time allocated to birding from the centre’s famous veranda. At this time of year Leatherback Turtles begin nesting on the island’s beaches and, with luck, we will have the chance to see these magnificent giants of the ocean emerging to lay their eggs.
Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation:
On Trinidad we stay at the Asa Wright Nature Centre, which consists of a main building and restaurant with a number of chalets or cabins distributed around the wooded grounds. Each cabin contains private facilities and most have a balcony.
- Food:
All food and accommodation are included in the price of this tour.
Reviews
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We travelled to Trinidad to stay at the Asa Wright Centre for a week. We were met at Gatwick by our Naturetrek guide, at the airport by buses and guides from the centre for a seamless transition to Asa Wright. From dawn till dinner each day we had wonderful birding experiences both at the centre and on trips out, always with expert help and guidance. From the hummingirds and tanagers on the feeders (we could have spent the week without moving from the balcony) to the trogons and other forest birds, especially the unique oilbirds, at the centre, to the seabirds, waders and incredible scarlet ibis on the coast, there was always something amazing to see. We ate well, the rooms were spacious and comfortable and the staff friendly and helpful. We could happily have stayed longer.
A. & J.E. Greater Manchester -
This was a Go Slow holiday, which means that it is all taken at a much leisurely pace. I liked the one centre accommodation in the rain forest. There were several walks that you could do your self. Alternatively you could sit gazing out over the forest and below from the open veranda. Many species of birds and animals came to the feeding stations.
X.C. Lancashire -
The holiday was a specific "Go Slow" birdwatching trip in northern Trinidad, enabling flexibility and time off from the specialist trips to chill and enjoy the Forest Trails by ourselves whilst having access to the expertise of resident and local guides. An unexpected delight was the quality of the food, all locally sourced, of local traditional style and all homemade. The trips were leisurely but highly successful for all the different skill levels in the group. Getting the balance right was achieved by the Naturetrek Leader spending time with the guests to gauge their needs and expectations. The birding experiences were exceptional and linger long in the memory.
D.P. West Sussex -
A huge number of birds and reptiles to see, many of them without much effort! Asa Wright Nature Centre is a very comfortable and well organised place to stay and it has retained its old charm and atmosphere. The food is very good and we would love to stay there again. Our Naturetrek guide was superb. He was knowledgeable, easy going and fun. He really helped our group of eleven to get along... The trip definitely met our expectations.
O.F. Herefordshire -
Staying in one centre was ideal, with trips out to different habitats on some days. The centre is a paradise for birdwatching with numerous local experienced guides on hand at all times. Made to feel very welcome. Enjoyed the Caroni Swamp boat trip, and also the turtle watching.
L.G. Kent -
Seeing such a wide range of birds, wildlife and flora in so many different habitats. The expert guiding was first-class both from UK and local guides. The quality of the food was very high.
P.C. Nottinghamshire -
The 'Go Slow' concept was just right and lovely to stay at only one centre. I chose to opt out of one long day trip and enjoyed relaxing at Asa Wright Centre instead. Peter and the local guides adapted the week's programme superbly so that we had the opportunity to see different habitats.
G.J. Oxfordshire -
The itinerary was flexible to accommodate changes to optimise sightings. Local guides excellent. Good organisation by group leader.
D.P. Kent -
Peter Dunn is the best ever trip leader. If I could, I would go on any trip he was leading. The local guides were also very good, and the boatman Hector.
B.G. Glamorgan -
The Asa Wright Centre was fantastic in every respect. The veranda always provided something to look at whether birds, agouti, lizards, bats or one morning, a snake basking on a nearby tree. The trips out were well organised and the swamp and turtle egg laying beach were highlights for us. The guides both local and Richard from NT were outstanding in their commitment to ensuring you got the most out of the trip, even to the extend of not missing out on rum punch just because you were on a boat in a swamp!
A.P. Kent
Dates & Prices
2025
Tour Leader: Lester Nanan
2026
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The majority of our wildlife tours focus primarily on birds, allowing us to offer a huge choice of bird holidays. On most of our birdwatching tours we aim to see a wide variety of species, while taking time to enjoy other wildlife as well as cultural highlights and architecture.
Naturetrek Birdwatching Tours
We have one of the largest selections of professionally organised, small group birdwatching holidays around the world and all of our birdwatching tours are accompanied by at least one professional ornithologist leader with detailed knowledge of the area.
The majority of our bird tours have a relaxed, flexible approach which allows more time for photography, detailed wildlife exploration, leisure time and the region’s people, culture, history and architecture, while allowing the group to see a wide range of bird species.
Here is a small selection of our many bird holidays:
- Southern Morocco – an exploration of the birdlife in Morocco’s southern deserts, oases and mountains
- The Camargue in Spring – a short break to enjoy the spring birds of the Rhône Delta and Camargue wetland
- Wallcreepers & Cranes in Northern Spain – a 2-centre holiday focusing on Lammergeier, Wallcreepers, raptors, Cranes, bustards, sandgrouse and more!
- Madeira & Desertas Islands – A Seabird Extravaganza! – a short break focusing on special breeding seabirds, including a night on the remote Destertas Islands
- Peru – Macaws & Machu Picchu – searches for boobies, macaws and Inca Terns
- Spain & Morocco: Birding on Two Continents! – watch the spectacular spring bird migration from both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar
Our Bargain Birdwatching Selection
Our Bargain Bird Tours are intensive birdwatching holidays suitable for the serious birder. They are led by expert English-speaking local guides (and not accompanied from the UK by a tour leader). You can expect a higher-paced tour and to spend long hours in the field.
Our specialist recommends...
Byron Palacios - Tour Leader
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Relaxed Wildlife Holidays
Our programme of Go Slow wildlife holidays allows guests to enjoy the natural world at a more leisurely pace than on one of our conventional wildlife holidays. There will be more time to relax, more time to potter, excursions will be optional and we hope you will return, not only having enjoyed a fascinating mix of birds, plants and other wildlife, but also feeling refreshed and relaxed!
Our Go Slow tours range from week-long holidays that offer warm spring sunshine and gentle natural history excursions in Portugal, the Camargue and Mallorca, to tours which take on a more cultural air each afternoon, such as Go Slow … in Istria in Autumn and Go Slow … in Southern Spain. Our Go Slow holidays in the Swiss Alps and Cyprus both combine the best of the region’s botany and birdlife, or, if you would like to travel a little further afield, why not join us for a leisurely-paced exploration of India’s Tiger Country, Kenya’s Masai Mara, or South Africa’s Western Cape?
What can I expect on a typical Naturetrek Go Slow holiday?
On each Go Slow holiday we aim to offer as many of the following as possible:
- A single-centre holiday
- Direct flights with sociable timings
- Comfortable hotel of high quality (with swimming pool if possible), serving meals of a high standard
- Leisurely paced walks on gentle terrain
- Expert leaders, as ever, with more time for interpretation & explanation
- A maximum of 6 hours in the field each day (9.30am-3.30pm with picnic lunch or two 3-hour excursions)
- Morning and afternoon toilet/comfort stops
- Minimal long drives
- Back in time for afternoon tea
- All excursions optional
- All-inclusive cost (except bar drinks & laundry)
- Time to relax, read, paint, potter, swim or enjoy anything else that you might wish to do!
Our specialist recommends...
Andy Tucker - Operations Manager
Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!
