This eighth segment got us to briefly experience island living for six nights in Trinidad and Tobago.

2026.02.22 – [TT] St Helena ==> Port-of-Spain

During breakfast, we messaged our remote Canadian host to raise several concerns about our so-called “luxury” accommodation. To our surprise, the host ultimately offered a full refund. After browsing alternatives on Booking.com, we decided to accept the offer and secured a modern apartment in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago.

We repacked our groceries into the car and recorded a comprehensive video of the property before departing shortly after 1:00 p.m. On the way, we stopped at the airport to withdraw cash for our new accommodation. We arrived and checked in just before 3:00 p.m., where we were warmly welcomed by our new host. We were absolutely delighted with the apartment.

After settling in, we enjoyed an early light dinner before heading to a nearby cinema for the 6:00 p.m. showing of Solo Mio. The area around the cinema was vibrant, lined with numerous restaurants. We thoroughly enjoyed the movie and later treated ourselves to ice cream at Dairy Queen. We noticed that many American restaurant chains and fast-food outlets have established a presence in Trinidad — we even spotted a McDonald’s on our drive to the cinema.

Although the day did not begin as we had hoped, our spontaneous decision to change accommodations ultimately transformed our stay for the better.

2026.02.23 – [TT] Port-of-Spain ==> Port-of-Spain

After breakfast, we reviewed our sightseeing/activities for the remainder of our stay. We opted for a hike in an area called the Bamboo Cathedral. We drove 20km to the area. The roads were in very good condition and not hilly. The trail brought us through dense easy and tall bamboo growths. Although the hike was quite easy, we were soaked with our sweat. We saw a few monkeys along the way and many more visitors to the area. Back at our accommodation, we took a well deserved shower before dinner.

2026.02.24 – [TT] Port-of-Spain ==> Port-of-Spain

Upon arriving at the airport last Saturday, we were informed by the immigration officer that we had missed the island’s biggest tourist attraction—the Carnaval—by just five days.

Today, we set out to explore the capital, Port of Spain. After breakfast, we left our accommodation on foot for a self-guided walking tour, focusing on sites around Queen’s Park Savannah, a vast urban green space at the heart of the Carnaval festivities.

We then extended our walk toward the gates of the city’s Chinatown. After a few blocks, we discovered that Jenny was probably the only Chinese person in the entire area. As she pointed out, there were no Chinese characters visible anywhere.

On our way back to our accommodation, we stopped at a small café for a welcome break, enjoying both cold and hot drinks before calling it a day.

2026.02.25 – [TT] Port-of-Spain ==> Port-of-Spain

Today, we tried to get an earlier start since we had a 1.5-hour drive to the trailhead for the Avocat Waterfalls. On the way, we stopped at a lookout overlooking Maracas Bay and its popular beach.

The last 10 kilometers to reach the paid car park for the waterfall were in poor condition, though we had certainly seen worse in Dominica. When we arrived at the private property that serves as the car park, the owner offered us free parking in exchange for a ride to Maracas after our visit, as he needed to do some grocery shopping. We agreed without hesitation.

We began the 1.3-kilometer hike to the waterfall with very little information, apart from a brief explanation from the owner. Shortly after setting off, two small brown dogs joined us. They seemed to appoint themselves as our guides. The trail involved several river crossings, at times requiring us to walk directly in the river and even pull ourselves up using ropes tied to trees.

Jenny quickly became comfortable with our guide dogs. Occasionally, one of them would whimper, seemingly afraid to cross the fast-flowing water, but he always managed to find a way across.

The waterfall was quite nice, though the litter around it was disappointing.

On our way back, we encountered our first other visitors—a guided group heading toward the falls. Our faithful guide dogs promptly abandoned us in favor of the newcomers. The return hike felt easier since we were now more familiar with the crisscrossing sections of the trail between both sides of the river.

As promised, Pop—the owner of the car park—joined us for the drive back to Maracas. Along the way, we learned that neither his house nor his neighbors’ homes had electricity. They relied on a propane stove, a small generator, and solar lights.

After dropping Pop off at Uncle Sam’s Shark and Bake, a popular roadside spot, we were disappointed to see the red flag flying on the beach once again. The waves were still fairly strong, so we only took a few pictures before moving on.

Later, we stopped at a supermarket to pick up a few basic supplies. We truly enjoyed the hike—it was the first time we had walked both across and along a river. To my surprise, Jenny enjoyed it the most.

2026.02.26 – [TT] Port-of-Spain ==> Port-of-Spain

After another relaxing morning at our accommodation, we drove downtown for another self-guided walk. After two hours of wandering, we headed back to the lively cinema complex we had visited the other evening and took a mid-afternoon break at Dairy Queen. Later, we watched another movie, The Shelter. On the way back to our accommodation, we filled up our rental car. After dinner, we reviewed and selected photos for our next blog post.

2026.02.27 – [BS] Port-of-Spain ==> Nassau

We had an exhausting day of travel. We woke up at 4 a.m., finished packing, and left our accommodation for the 30-minute drive to the airport. Upon arrival, we recorded a quick video of our rental car before dropping the keys in the after-hours box.

Although we had checked in online, we still had to line up at the airline counter because airport officials required a paper boarding pass, along with yet another paper exit form. The security screening at this airport was completely over the top. After passing through more than ten airports on this trip, this was the first time we had items confiscated: a small (under four inches) pair of rounded-tip scissors and a container of olive oil under 100 ml. The body scanner also seemed set to maximum sensitivity. I had to go through twice—first because it detected a credit card in my pocket, and the second time because it apparently detected sweat on my back!

After the ordeal of security, we grabbed a coffee and a light bite while waiting for our flight, watching the security line grow longer and longer. It felt like this was an airport where you really need to arrive at least three hours before departure—or risk missing your flight.

Our 7:55 a.m. flight to Jamaica, a transit stop en route to The Bahamas, was uneventful. However, the transit process in Jamaica proved challenging. Even though we were only connecting, we had to go through immigration. We thought everything was in order since we had completed the online immigration form the previous day—until we discovered that Jenny’s application had not been received. Thankfully, an airline agent helped us resubmit the form on the spot. Strangely, two immigration officers inspected each traveler’s documents. We then had to pass through security screening once again. We were surprised that we did not need to remove our shoes before going through the scanner—a first time for us in Caribbean airports.

Although the transit took longer than expected, we still had plenty of time to reach our gate for the flight to Nassau. On the plane, we filled out yet another immigration form. Upon arrival, the immigration process was slow but straightforward.

Outside the arrivals area, we called our car rental company for the complimentary shuttle to their nearby office. The rental process was straightforward. With nearly two hours to spare before our 4 p.m. check-in, we explored a nearby supermarket and picked up groceries for our three-night stay. After shopping, we checked into our seafront accommodation. Exhausted from the long and tedious travel day, we were ready for bed shortly after dinner and a shower.