asa wright nature centre

I fell in love with birds in Trinidad and if you love birds, Asa Wright is a must see! It is a lovely old plantation building set in the rainforest with a stunning view of the valley. Have you ever seen a Corn Bird nest hanging from a tree? I could sit on the porch allllll day everyday and just watch the wildlife show. Hummingbirds, Tanagers, Honeycreepers, Manakins and Mot-Mots...the colours are spectacular not to mention agoutis, iguanas, snakes etc etc it's a nature-lovers paradise. I could live at Asa Wright on stew and rum punch for the rest of my days :))))

If you're any sort of Naturalist, you find this spot (1200 ft. up in the Arima Hills) to be very special. Day visitors are welcome for a small fee, and lunch is publicly available at around 1 p.m.Overnight/longer stays enjoy pre-breakfast nibbles and juice when they arise at 0520 hrs. to start observations. Breakfast is served at 8 a.m. I think it was...then Lunch, Tea, Dinner, and some sort of after-dinner education like a TV Nature show or a Night Walk along the entranceway (you'll see some weird stuff). We stayed there about 5 years ago, so this info could be slightly dated?They'll pack a seriously-decent picnic lunch for you, if you're off somewhere else for the day.The wooden bed-slats were eaky-squeaky whole night, and the overhead cooling fan was NOT sleep-quiet by any means, both annoyances gave me sleep problems. Other than that...GREAT place to stay and get absorbed into Tropical Nature!

Whenever we have visitors, Asa Wright Nature Centre is one of the places we have on the to see list. The guides on the walking tour are usually relatively knowledgeable, and the walking tour is not very strenuous, so children are not tired out by it.

i visited with friends on several and staff was always friendly and helpful. They also proved knowledgeable on the wild life kept on the reserve

This is a bird watching pilgrimage its a true adventure just to get here but my first bird here was a toucan. There are basic nature tours for day trippers sack this pay extra grab a local resident guide and feast on endemics. Oil birds are present but you must be resident three days for them to show you and I have to say there are easier ways to see them .Even as a none serious birder you will be blown away by the hummingbirds and beauty of the grounds and forest,Top 10 birding destination no doubt here in 2006 and 2008

There is probably no better place to go bird watching than this renovated plantation house in the mountains of Trinidad. When I was there, about half Brits & half Americans with a smattering of other countries represented. The food is local & well prepared. The guides are superb & really know their stuff, as well as quite friendly. Be prepared for rather obsessed bird watchers & photographers. Peaceful & restful. I would go again.

Enchanting, if dificult drive up a narrow mountain road to a throwback plantation house complete with good parking (follow the signs, steep entrance) polished wood floors, jalousies and Morris chairs and Carib on the cool veranda overlooking the Arima valley, Caroni plains in the distance, hummingbirds flitting around and downstairs birds of all sorts, feeding on fruit. Occasional iguana seen. Satisfying local cuisine for lunch served by friendly, smiling faces. Plan to spend some nights, it's extraordinarily restful.

We went to Asa Wright on a whim. Our plan to go to Tobago was cancelled and we were bummed, but we had one last day in Trinidad to make use of. Asa Wright was so freaking cool. Firstly, the drive there is ridiculous. Drive slowly and carefully. Once you pass Arima, you are immersed in mountains of the most vibrant green, the thickest of foresst, and the windiest of roads. It's a beautiful drive though; just as incredible as Asa Wright itself.If you're not staying at the Center, you are required to go with a tour and not allowed to roam by yourself. So call ahead and make sure you're on a tour! The guides are really good and really know their critters. The tour is maybe an hour long.After the tour, we spent another 1.5 hrs just hanging out on their awesome balcony, which overlooks beautiful secondary forest and is surrounded by fruit trays and nectar bowls to entice hundreds of hummingbird of many many different species. That was my favorite part. Just sitting there with a juice and binoculars, admiring the spirited, feisty little birds. Most people just left after the tour, but you can learn so much more by sitting and talking to the guides on the balcony. I suggest getting out of the mountains and back to Arima before it gets dark, though, as I imagine the dark feels way more intense when you're alone in those magestic mountains.

This nature site is about an hour and a half drive from Port of Spain but is well worth a visit. I would recommend going for more than a day trip as there is much to see! The accommodation was fairly basic but reasonably comfortable. You book on full board basis as it isn't really possible to go elsewhere for meals. The food is good but there are no options. They have a full bar on the verandah( the main building is an old plantation house). Viewing from the verandah during daylight hours is amazing. We lost count of the number of species of birds that we saw! There are excursion options and walking tours along the trails in the grounds but make sure you check before you go as some options are available only for a three night stay: for example seeing the oilbirds.

I read lots of reviews before I decided to go here and delighted I did make the journey. From where I live it took 1hr 30 minutes to get there and lots of people are right the road is terrible but I felt like I was on an adventure, also because your going so slow if you are a passenger like I was you will get lots of picture on your way.When I arrived the receptionist could not have been more helpful to us, in our short conversation I new everything I needed to know as we as feeling very welcome...kind of like when your in someone else's home.We arrived at 11 and the next tour wasn't on until 1 so we sat down on the amazing veranda with a cold beer and started to snap away at the beautiful birds, lizards, mammals and scenery. My husband bought me a new camera for x-mas so I was dying to try it out :)The tour itself was lovely and would advise you wear runners and bring some cold water with you. I didn't realise they had accommodation...if I did, I would have stayed the night which we are going to do in the future because my husband literally had to pull me home.

Firstly the important thingsMet at the airport by Sharron the driver - yes the road is in a poor repairs state, but it is under repair though that might take some time. The views up and down the road are stunning and any of the drivers will give you a ppotted history of the estateAsa Wright philosophy is more about conservation and education not about maintenance and renovation. All the staff fully support this philosophyThe old colonial house and it's famous balcony are birders paradise - birding or nature trips around Trinidad can be organised using Asa Wright guides or plan a trip down one of the trailsThe trails do need some maintenance but I could manage them on crutches - not easy but I did it even down to see the oil birds, which is a mustThe food was good caribbean food using fresh fruit and veg - we really enjoyed it - good vegetarian foodIt was magical to sit on the balcony and watch the humming birds like sparkling jewels darting between the feeders.We had a large room in the house which was fine. Beds comfortable and if you needed anything you only had to ask. Some of our window screens were ripped and they were replaced the same day we reported it.The acreage around the house is part rainforest and part overgrown plantation, which I think makes it more interesting.We used the natural pool a couple of times which was lovely and refreshingThe guides will help you sport different birds (we aren't birders) they are very knowledgable and very helpful.The night walks are a must you just never know what you will findI would recommend the trip to see the scarlet ibis coming to roostMakesh one of the guides took us on a trip bird watching, which was brilliant The packed lunches can be a bit hit and miss, it's better to tell them what you want.Anne the manger was extremely helpful and kind. She was there early every morning helping to identify the birds.The memories of our trip to Asa Wright will stay with us for some time

The road up to the nature center was very windy and narrow, and actually quite dangerous. The park was nice, but there really weren't many birds there. They all just "happened to be sleeping" or in hiding somewhere. I did get to see some very, very interesting ants and termites. Oh wait; ants and termites aren't interesting. I mean, there are some birds, but not nearly enough to make the long trip out there to the mountains. The birds that you could see, were very small as the tour guide had to point most of them out. Be sure to bring plenty of water and bug spray (you're going to a lot of it) and use the walking sticks that they offer.

With the help of their expert and helpful guides, we found more than 180 species of birds in six days around the lodge and on trips to other Trinidad hot spots. Highlights included hummingbirds (especially the rare coquette), toucans, potoos, and thousands of scarlet ibises coming in to roost. Night walks revealed interesting creepy-crawlies but no snakes -- though we were warned of poisonous ones regularly.The cabins are not new but they are clean, the beds are comfy, the showers are hot, and the hospitality is exceptional. Although the road to the place may be narrow, twisty and bumpy, the Trinidad drivers are careful and respectful; we had no driving problems. Food is hearty local fare with emphasis on veggies, fruits and juices.

The road to reach there is very winding but also quite picturesque. You can see the lush mountains and also get a first-hand view of the christophene fields. The centre itself offers a great view of hummingbirds and other types of birds and agouties roam around freely. The nature hike was also quite informative. To top off the day a dip in the clear water pool is recommended.

Asa Wright nature center is a wonderful birds sanctuary. The guides are knowledgable, accommodating with history, welcoming to the birds kingdom. Even if you're not a bird watcher, it's an amazing place to visit. Just be aware of the horrible, unkept and narrow road leading to the center, pot hole on the pot hole, like a moon holes! Be very careful while driving, on the first attempt, we got a flat tire, wasted the whole day with repair and car change.