Asa Wright Nature Center, Trinidad - Part 1
Over the long Ester Weekend Jamila, the Kids and Myself visited the Asa Wright Nature Centre located on the Spring Hill Estate in the middle of the northern range hills, located in Arima.
We had an awesome time.. except when this large golden tegu lizard (call locally 'matte') scared the life out my 2 year old son. He literally ran and grabbed me and never let go until the end of the tour, all the while looking like if he'd seen a ghost (lol).  |
| A Large Golden Tegu Lizard |
The 1500-acre Asa Wright Nature Centre is internationally famous and attracts naturalists and birdwatchers from all over the world. It is a must-see destination in Trinidad. Visitor numbers are limited in order to protect the natural environment, so you must book in advance. There are two ninety-minute tours each day, one at 10.30am and one at 1.30pm, and, unless you are resident at the centre, in which case you can wander the grounds at will, this is the only way to see anything. It’s definitely worth combining a tour with lunch or afternoon tea, both of which are delicious and are served in the colonial-style dining room with stunning views over the gardens.
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| The Main House |
Day visitors are encouraged to arrive early in order to spend some quality time watching the birds from the elegant verandha. We got to the centre at about 9.30am, an hour early for our morning tour, having survived a perilous drive along an increasingly pot-holed road. This is generally the state of all the roads in Trinidad 😔 and you quickly learn to drive with your eyes glued on the tarmac in front of you (if there is any!), rather than the lovely views out of the windows – more about this in another post!
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| Arima- Blanchisseuse Road |
The centre was originally a coffee, citrus and cocoa plantation. In 1947, it was bought by keen birdwatchers Newcome Wright and his Icelandic wife, Asa. They began accommodating researchers from the Simla Tropical Research Station next door and, at the same time, Asa started feeding the birds she saw in her garden, thus attracting many more.
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| The Reception Area |
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| The Verandha (awesome to have tea here) |
After her husband died, Asa sold the land, and the lovely house they’d built on it, on the condition that it remained a conservation area. Her wishes were carried out and a non-profit-making trust was set up in 1967 to establish a nature centre, the first in the Caribbean. Simla donated its land and research station to the centre in 1970 and, although research is still undertaken here, today Asa Wright is mainly visited by amateur birdwatchers. It’s certainly a lovely spot! At 360 metres above sea level, the house, with its polished mahogany floors, stately heirlooms and antique furniture, affords spectacular views of the Arima Valley rainforest.
More Pics From Our Visit Below!
Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trinidad - Part 1
Reviewed by Frugal Farming in T&T
on
April 10, 2018
Rating:
Reviewed by Frugal Farming in T&T
on
April 10, 2018
Rating:
Time to visit this place.
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