Edwin Johnson is an editor of Amazing-Trinidad-Vacations.com, an independent Trinidad and Tobago travel guide filled with exciting personal experiences and local insight. For more information about Trinidad's dramatic beach scenery visit http://www.amazing-trinidad-vacations.com/beach-scenery.html, or to see some of Trinidad and Tobago's more typically Caribbean beaches visit http://www.amazing-trinidad-vacations.com/tobago-beach-photos.html - Copyright: you may freely republish this article, provided the text, author credit, the active links, and this copyright notice remain intact.
There are 2 ways to visit the Caribbean, Cliche or Spicy.
Cliche Caribbean Vacations
The Cliche Caribbean Vacation is a theme park version of the Caribbean, an idealized, watered down version of the region, created to win your tourist dollars. These vacations come complete with North American or European styles hotels; hamburger, stake and potato, and Taco dinners; tanning chairs for your days at the beach; umbrella drink; beach scenery that all looks the same; Hawaiian shirts and straw hats; and as little mingling with the natives as possible.
In E. M. Foster's book, "Room with a View": one of his characters say, "We are in Italy to see Italy, not to meet Italians". What an unfortunate way to see the world, and how limiting the view if you approach life this way.
The truth is, I have never seen anyone in the Caribbean voluntarily wear a Hawaiian shirt. Its too cliché, to touristy.
But there is an alternative, a more informed way to visit any country...
Spicy Caribbean Vacations
The Spicy Caribbean Vacation presents a real, authentic, and much more exciting version of the Caribbean. This is a Caribbean with diverse and dramatic beach scenery; hotels that offer real island food in all its multi-ethnic variety; hiking, trekking and kayaking adventures into rainforest shrouded mountains, steamy swamps and wild marshlands; Caribbean safaris to visit an astounding array of wildlife; world-class birding tours; and opportunities to fully immerse yourself in another culture.
There are a couple islands that immediately come to mind, which offer this more all-inclusive experience. Dominica, the nature island, has great eco tours, hiking, trekking and the like, and a heavily forested interior to explore. Trinidad and Tobago offers a combination: authentic full-bodied Caribbean eco tours, plus the more traditional holiday experience, but with less crowds.
Lets focus on Trinidad's dramatic beach scenery as an example of the more real Caribbean experience. Unlike traditional coral island beaches, Trinidad's beaches are character packed. How many white sand beaches can you visit anyway, before they all begin to look the same? Even if, all you wish to do is visit the beach, Trinidad and Tobago offer you more diversity with white or rich chocolate sand beaches, tumbling surf or peaceful rippling seashores. But there's so much to experience that you are not going to want to sit at the beach, even if it is to enjoy some of the most dramatic beach scenery in the Caribbean.
And here is the kicker... We have yet to mention that Trinidad and Tobago is one of the most bio-diverse nations, per square mile, in the entire world, and the No.1 eco tour destination in the Caribbean; or that they are the primer carnival destination in the Caribbean, with festivities that rival Carnival in Rio and Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
If you are planning a Caribbean vacation, choose the spicy version. Not only will you enjoy more dramatic and diverse beach scenery, but your days will be packed with adventure, and you'll have a much more exciting time in the bargain.
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