Trinidad and Tobago: 36 hour view of Trinidad

Carib Comment: We missed this story at the end of 2011 and had to make sure that we shared the NY Times feature with you all if you missed it.

TRINIDAD is not piña colada territory. That’s part of its allure: Unlike virtually every other Caribbean island, the oil-rich country seven miles off Venezuela is not driven by tourism — which means that in lieu of sunbathing hordes and “Yah, Mon” T-shirts, you’ll find miles of unspoiled beaches and waterfalls visited by locals; a Creole culture with roots in Africa, India, Europe and China; and a bustling capital city offering some of the Caribbean’s most electrifying night life. Partying, after all, is a national tradition in Trinidad, home to an annual Carnival that is the region’s biggest and, lately, most star-studded (last year, the actors Idris Elba and Malik Yoba showed up). That, along with recent restaurant and hotel openings and trendy Trini ambassadors — from the rappers Nicki Minaj and Theophilus London to the “Project Runway” winner Anya Ayoung Chee — might just turn Trinidad into the next “it” island. (read more)