Caroni Swamp

Caroni Swamp spreads over mangrove channels and lagoons on Trinidad's west coast, and its evening spectacle is one of the Caribbean's best: boats push out through narrow mangrove tunnels past caiman, tree boas and crab-eating raccoons, then wait on an open lagoon as the light fades. From around five, scarlet ibis begin arriving in flocks from their feeding grounds - Trinidad's national bird, a shade of red that looks artificial - settling into a stand of mangroves until the trees appear to be covered in scarlet blossom. Egrets and herons roost alongside, giving the whole island a striped effect.

What you actually see

• The ibis fly-in - thousands of scarlet birds arriving to roost at dusk.
• Mangrove channels - the boat route past caiman and tree boas.
• Roosting egrets and herons - the mixed colony sharing the islands.
• Sunset over the lagoon - the wait before the birds arrive.

When to go

Tours run year round, leaving mid-afternoon to reach the lagoon before dusk. Numbers are generally highest outside the breeding dispersal, and guides know current conditions. Rain rarely cancels but makes the open boat wet - bring a light waterproof.

Honest expectations

The birds are viewed at a distance across water, as they should be - binoculars transform the experience and cameras without a long lens will disappoint. Boats do not approach the roost. Mosquitoes on the lagoon at dusk are serious; repellent is essential. Tours are fixed-departure and take about two and a half hours, most of it waiting quietly.

Nearby

Port of Spain, the Asa Wright centre in the hills and Chaguaramas peninsula.