Five island highlights

From your base in the capital, Port of Spain, here are five ways to eat, dance and explore your way around the southernmost island in the Caribbean. Words: SJ Armstrong

1

ATTEND CARNIVAL

Low rolling drumming will shake the streets in Port of Spain. Vibrant colours will whirl past as dancers march, twist and spin. Street by street, thousands gather across the capital. Carnival, the biggest party in the Caribbean, is underway in Trinidad. A final bout of unfettered exuberance before the solemnity of Lent, the late February festivities simply mustn’t be missed.

2

TASTE THE DIVERSITY

Home to a blended culture born of its diverse communities, there’s no better way to understand Trinidad than through its cuisine. Stop for sweet, smoky, spicy stews, reminiscent of West Africa. For fragrant, Indian style chickpea snacks. Or for sizzling Chinese hot pots, Arab kebabs or Creole seafoods bursting with flavour.

3

EXPERIENCE NATURAL WONDERS Being a unique confluence of Caribbean and South American ecosystems, the wildlife here is abundant, and rare. Flocks of scarlet ibis flame across the blue sky, crimson over the Caroni Swamp. Travellers wait, watching for the forest’s flurries of life as ocelots prowl and Guyanan red howler monkeys shriek.

4

RELAX ON CARIBBEAN BEACHES Soft winds sweep Caribbean sands around the forest-fringed beaches that surround the island. Travel just an hour from the capital, over the exhilarating heights of the Andean Range, to stretch out under floating palms on the idyllic beach at Maracas Bay. There, try a local favourite — deep-fried shark.

5

CATCH A CRICKET MATCH

The cricket scores sputter from every taxi radio, from every cafe television — it’s a national passion in Trinidad. Following in the footsteps of the island’s most famous cricketer, Brian Lara, players flock to train in Trinidad’s state-of-the-art facilities. Take to the stands at the Queen’s Park Oval, to experience the excitement of a live game.