Travel: Americas: Trinidad: Asa Wright Lodge


The Asa Wright Nature Center and Lodge, a 200-acre wildlife sanctuary in Trinidad's northern range is almost a shrine for serious bird watchers. The cottages are nestled among blooms and fruit-bearing plants that draw a wide variety of birds.		In addition to the many feeding tables and hummingbird feeders seen from the comfy back porch of the lodge, miles of trails lead from the center into natural habitat for such finds as a White-bearded Manakin lek and a Bearded Bellbird colony.

The view from the back porch of the lodge.	Many birds were also found along the entry road.	The meals, featuring the many local ethnic flavors of Trinidad, were as beautiful as they were tasty.

The vines that covered the mountainsides were chayote, a hard green squash common in local dishes.	Our searches took us to many parts of the island, including rural back roads ...	And to a ranch where cattle are bred for the demands of Trinidad heat.	And of course, there were beaches, although the water was a bit rough to make a swim appealing.

A special treat was a guided hike to the restricted nesting area of the nocturnal Oilbird in Dunstan Cave, a river grotto on Asa Wright grounds.		The most flamboyant sighting was the Scarlet Ibis, Trinidad's national bird. It meant a trip to Caroni Swamp, which included getting drenched in a heavy downpour.