I am interested in the Caribbean and can't decide which island(s) to go to. I enjoy bird watching and especially like luxury hotels located in dense foilage/rainforest areas so you can wake up to the sounds of the birds and if you don't feel like exerting too much energy, you can watch birds from your room's balcony. Are there any places like this in the Caribbean?

Anse Chastanet looks like it might fit the bill, although the 100+ steps seem a bit much to deal with several times a day. Maybe Caneel Bay on St. John? Others? Any hotel on a large acreage would likely be what I'm looking for. And I prefer smaller hotels that are quieter as opposed to 500 room monstrosities.

Places I've stayed that I've really enjoyed include Xandari in Costa Rica, Chaa Creek in Belize, and Gamboa Rainforest Resort in Panama.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Joni

It's probably worth looking into Blue Waters Inn on Tobago which advertises birding on the property. There's also a birding article on the My Tobago site:

http://www.mytobago.info/birdwatching01.php

I have not been to Tobago so can not recommend anything.

Hi Roberto:

Good suggestion; I actually have been to Blue Waters Inn on Tobago already. Birdwatching wasn't too great at the hotel itself but there were some great spots on the island and also on Little Tobago. And of course, on Trinidad.

This time around I'm willing to go somewhere a little more pedestrian as long as I can get some birding in on the side. (If such a place exists!)

Thanks,
Joni

Birdwatching in either Trinidad or Tobago is tremendous, but the premier destination in Trinidad (Asa Wright Nature Centre is a decidedly unluxurious place ... more for serious birders). I think you'd probably find some places on Tobago luxurious enough, so I'd definitely suggest you look there.

Tobago is the place ! Or of course Trini !!

Tiverton posted about a villa in Jamaica that looked great for birding - I can't find the post or remember the name of the place but it looked wonderful. Tiv, if you're out there, refresh my memory.

Have you considered birding on Great Abaco Island in the Bahmas? I just got back from a tour with the Bahama Parrot. Only 58 nesting pairs of these beautiful parrots are left in the vast southern coppice forests of Abaco. Let me know if you'd like more info. Robert

Catera,

This won't help the OP because she wants a resort.

But I can relate to remembering a post and not being able to find it ;-) !

I think you may be referring to Rebecca Wiersma's property in the Blue Mountains. Tiverton posted the website at farawayjamaica.com. I visited the site at the time of Tiv's posting and remember it because it looked so lovely.

Would you let me know if that's the one you were thinking about ?

Marion

That's it Marion - I thought I had bookmarked the place but couldn't find it. It looks wonderful. It is on my ever growing list of places to visit in Jamaica. I considered it this summer, but decided to wait until I had hip replacement surgery so I could enjoy the area trips more. Now that I've had the surgery, looking at the website is a great motivator. Thanks for finding it. I guess I missed the OP's desire for a resort.

Cartera,

I'm glad that's the one !

I wish you a speedy recovery from surgery.

I believe Faraway has a working fireplace. A beautiful home near the clouds, beautiful flowers, birds and a fireplace...sounds like great motivation for the difficult physical therapy sessions you are probably enduring !

Take care...

Marions

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I've been to Trinidad too and stayed at Asa Wright, although not fitting into the luxury category by any means, was still fantastic for the birds. It was truly one of the most magical experience of my life to be able to sit with a cup of coffee on that balcony and watch the technicolor birds joining you for their morning breakfast.

Unfortunately my husband has a deathly feat of Jamaica as I agree that would be a good choice.

Robert, I am quite intrigued about Abaco Island in the Bahamas. Tell me more. Do they have any nice hotels there? Did you book with a group or go on your own?

Joni

ttt for EJ

Joni; Abaco is a nice out island but is not the touristry-type of place. We stayed at the Lofty Fig in Marsh Harbor, the capital of Abaco, for several days, then spent a week on Lubber's Quarters Cay, a small island on the eastern shore of Abaco. We explored the cays lining Abaco's eastern shore, which Abaco is famous for. Not a whole lot of really nice hotels, save Abaco Beach Hotel and the hotel on Treasure Cay, both very nice. I went to help save the dwindling population of Abaco Parrot, which has roughly 58 breeding pairs left. My wife and I rented a car in Marsh Harbor, and were planning on hooking up with a researcher from un. of N. Carolina, who is performing a census of the parrot population this summer. Unfortunately, my wife grew ill, and we could only venture into the vast southern coppice forest of southern Abaco one time. The parrot population is being devastated by feral cats, which are out of control. Plus, the influx of hurricanes are harmful, since the Abaco Parrot only nests in underground crevices of coral and limestone rock, and the babies are drowned in the torrential downpours. I beieve the feral cats kill the baby parrots before they could fledge. A good guide would be with abaco outback, which is in Marsh Harbor. A man named Rob Pagliaro knows the parrot colony well and will take you into the vast coppice forest outback. By the way, if any one is interested in donating to save the Abaco Parrot, let me know, and I will post the e-mail address of the researcher from North Carolina State University. I helped the population out in the 1980's, and the numbers soared to over a thousand birds. Now, about 77 Abaco Parrot nests remain...in the world, but feral cats killed over 55 baby parrots before the could fledge and leave the underground nests. Other birds I see are Belted Kingfisher, Laughing Gull, Northern Jacana, Balck-Necked Stilts, Grigate Birds (common), Anhingas, Double-Crested Cormorants, Mockingbirds, Squirrel Cuckoos, Smooth-Billed Ani, Tropical Kingbirds, Social Flycatchers, Orange Orioles, Purple Gallinules, and long-Billed Curfews. The Caribbean version of Red-Bellied Woodpeckers frequent the coconut palms. Robert

Robert:

Thanks for the info about Abaco. Very nobel of you to spend some time trying to help this endangered species. I myself work for an animal rehab organization and we see 10,000 injured animals a year, most of which are birds, and many of which are due to interactions with cats.

I am also a cat owner, which can be a conflict of interest at times, but cats have their place (indoors) and birds have theirs (outdoors). Its when these two worlds collide that problems occur. Unfortunately, too many cat owners who keep their cats outdoors just don't want to believe how devestating this can be on the wild bird population. Well, I will get off my soap box and hope I am not offending any cat owners as this is way off topic.

Thanks again for the info on Abaco. I will check it out!

Joni