HADCO Experiences at Asa Wright Nature Centre — Hotel in Trinidad

We stayed at Asa Wright for 5 nights in early April 2025. Overall we really enjoyed it and are likely to return again even though it rained every day - for two days we had such heavy and persistent rain it changed our plans. Most days it was just intermittent (albeit still heavy showers) - so come prepared (shower caps for expensive camera gear!). ||Hubby is a birder, I’m a keen amateur photographer with a taste for 5* luxury - so my comments reflect our interests, tastes and previous experiences of birding / photography holidays in central America and Africa. ||The Asa Wright & Hadco Experience ||I’d heard a lot about Asa Wright and frankly had been a tad confused by the variety sites and views on TA. I now realise this is because there is a very different Asa Wright for day visitors and guests staying overnight pre and post 2022/2023: buildings and facilities are very different. AW has been a very popular place to visit to see some exceptional birds (OilBirds, Bell Birds and Hummingbirds especially) since the mid 60s, however, it had become rundown and overrun with visitors until 2022/2023 when the Hadco Corporation took it over and revamped it. So my tip would be to look careful at the date of TA photos and write-ups. ||Hadco have tried to create a more exclusive and up market environment for birders - their aspirations are 5 star. They are not quite there yet but well on the way. So they have invested considerably in upgrading the guest rooms and main areas and made the environment more exclusive by increasing the prices including for the day visitors which means far fewer day visitors which is great for those who have paid for that exclusivity. Not great for locals who are priced out …but who had come to see it as a local amenity / park. It depends on who you talk to how this is received by locals and staff. Personally the reports I hear from older guides who talk of taking several 00s of people on tours to see something as precious as the oilbirds and “hundreds of people” on the trails at any one time and on the Hummingbird balcony fill me with horror and I wouldn’t have come. ||We had several days where the total number of guests staying were less than c30people and one night when we were there on our own. Day guests were very limited to the extent I could tell (a handful). So the many lovely walking trails around AW, the wonderful and famous balcony and the lovely setting we had either to ourselves or shared with just a handful of like minded birders and photographers. | |Staff and Service ||Firstly the service: with the exception of our arrival (see below) all the staff were great - so great they should all take a bow: ||- the guides on the balcony and out on the walks were all so enthusiastic and knowledgeable lead by guide Mukesh and including Randal, Caleb & Giselle who all added to our experience; |- the catering team lead by Jacqueline and supported by Wendy & Alison who were joyful and accommodating; |- the front of house teams lead by Jevon & Paula including the poetic Pamela and lovely Lorna; and |- last but not least at the bar team run by Finbar and his assistant Kaylon. ||All welcoming and focused on giving guests a great experience.||But! On arrival (later than planned - but that’s not an AW issue) at 6:30pm, in the dark, now tired, hungry and a tad in need of a drink …. Were were kept waiting at the estate entrance gate for nearly 25mins because the security team couldn’t find our booking! Shouldn’t have been hard to find: we were a couple booked for 5 days in a quiet period and they had our booking (through NatureTrek) for ages …. Also, you’d have thought that we would be allowed in and down to the main house to sort this out over a cup of tea / rum punch - but no! We waited whilst the security team drove up to check us out! Apparently this was all because of an inexperienced and over zealous security guard and the whole team were afterwards most apologetic. At least you can be assured on very tight security when you are staying there, but an unfortunate start for us. ||Rooms ||I had low expectations of the rooms! The pictures I’d seen made the rooms look more functional and utilitarian with few lux touches (like pictures!). So it was a pleasant surprise to find nice large rooms with some incredibly comfortable beds, pillows, and all round very good facilities in terms of the tea/coffee making, fridge, hairdryer etc etc. The bathroom also - modern, super shower, well lit - all very good. And all super clean and well maintained (in fact we had an issue with the sink plug which meant hubby couldn’t shave and they sorted it immediately). ||Restaurant & Food ||Again, I had low expectations of the buffet style arrangement. I’m not a fan of such arrangements but accept that it is the usual, and probably most efficient, arrangement for such places typically used to dealing with groups of 8-16 people Yet the food was good, the quantity and quality of the buffet well managed. However, see note about how quiet it was when we were there! I suspect I wouldn’t have liked it much when busy. I ate salads mostly (which became a tad monotonous after 5 days) but the Jacqueline and the catering team were always keeping an eye out to see if I wanted for anything else - so a few omelettes, steaks and things made to order were made available for me which was great. ||Having bumped into one of the Hadco owners on our last day I know that the management are working on upgrading the dining experience further and they were very open to feedback. | |Main House ||The main house I think had been very sensitively upgraded to keep the ambience and style of the beautiful old coffee plantation house and its famous history intact yet was very comfortable and well styled to suit the function of the house now (eg. seating areas for large groups to do their bird counts and watch the videos of oil birds etc). ||We spent hours on the beautiful balcony - including pre and post dinner drinks, lunch occasionally and general bird watching and lounging. There are great views and immediately below the balcony are the hummingbird feeders (10plus) so at certain times of day there were hundreds of birds around including, everyday sighting of the exquisite Ruby Topaz and Tufted Coquette Hummingbirds. ||Birding Experiences - some highlights:||- We had a very special guided trip down to the caves on the AW estate where there are the fascinating Oilbirds (AW being one of only a few accessible places to view them in Central and South America).|- On the AW trails / grounds there are two particularly easy places to see and hear the noisome Bell Birds; and the very active lec of the White Breaded Manakin;|- We saw 8 species of Hummingbirds from the balcony.|- Plus a few distant sightings of Tocans, Trojons and Motmots plus parrots and raptors. These birds were surprisingly shy and distant - maybe if the weather had been kinder they would have been more present and closer. ||There is a fairly formulaic set of experiences for birders & photographers on Trinidad and a bit of a ‘circuit’. We had a privately organised (by NatureTrek) guide for our experiences outside the AW complex which I’ll write separate reviews for: namely the Carina Swamp; Nariva Swamp, Yerette (a Hummingbird Sanctuary near Port of Spain) plus birding along the Blanchisseuse Road (traversing the northern mountains) provides lots of good birding opportunities. ||Trinindad Experience ||However, if you are new to Trinidad as I was I think you should know that the roads are in general absolutely appallingly maintained - I’ve been on better tracks in the middle of the Serengeti! The economy is such the poverty is visible and you drive through some quite quite slummy places and litter is an issue. More like rural India than the Caribbean paradise I anticipated. Asa Wright was such a beautiful, clean sanctuary in the hills that we changed our plans and stay in and around the AW complex than venture...

An Unforgettable Stay at Asa Wright Nature Centre with Hadco Experiences

Our stay at the Asa Wright Nature Centre, hosted by Hadco Experiences, was nothing short of extraordinary. From the moment we arrived, we were surrounded by beauty—lush greenery, the songs of countless bird species, and the warmth of some of the kindest, most welcoming staff I’ve ever encountered.

Pam and Natasha in the restaurant set the tone for excellence in service and hospitality. Every meal was over-abundant, perfectly prepared, and bursting with flavor. The goat dish was unforgettable, the fish consistently fantastic, and the homemade pepper sauce was exactly the spicy delight my husband craves. Special shoutout to the mocha cheesecake and Belgian chocolate ice cream—truly indulgent and not to be missed! Our birding experience was elevated by the outstanding guides: Rondel, Caleb, Guiselle, Annandra, and Mukesh. Their passion, knowledge, and patience made every outing memorable, and they were always available on the porch for questions or spontaneous sightings. Speaking of which, a heartfelt thank-you to Richard from security—he literally tracked us down to help us spot a Trogon. That level of care is something you don’t forget. And John—he’s the kind of person who feels like an old friend within minutes. Warm, friendly, endlessly helpful—saying goodbye to him was tough.

Finbar, the bartender, kept the atmosphere light and joyful with his easygoing nature and generous spirit. Honestly, he felt like part of the family. And Warren, the general manager, clearly leads by example. The staff culture is one of warmth, enthusiasm, and genuine care. Every single person went out of their way to make us feel at home.

The Barred Antshrike Room (#7) was perfectly situated near the main building with minimal steps (note: a little uneven, so just watch your footing). The room was clean and comfortable, with top-notch linens, including large, cozy bath sheets. A few small suggestions: labeling the light switches and adding a shelf in the shower would add convenience, but these are truly minor “first-world problems.” Also, be aware that the walls are VERY thin.

The property itself is beyond words—restored to its former glory, with beautiful West Indian architecture and furnishings. The ambiance is serene and immersive. I cannot stress enough how safe and well-maintained everything felt. The staff's diligence in cleaning and replenishing bird food daily was impressive and appreciated.

Hadco Experiences made our trip seamless from beginning to end. They handled all the planning, the dozens of safety questions, the changes, and made everything worry-free. Their professionalism and attention to detail meant I never once had to play “travel agent”—I could just relax and enjoy.

A note for future guests: • Avoid holidays like Mother’s Day if you’re focused on birding. On that day, a large crowd of non-birding guests and loud children unfortunately disrupted the peaceful atmosphere. The viewing deck even had people watching sports on their phones—something that truly detracted from the unique magic of this place.

Still, these were isolated moments in what was otherwise an exceptional experience. The birding, the food, the people, and the peaceful surroundings far exceeded our expectations. It was truly painful to leave, and we’re already dreaming of our return. My one lingering concern is the future of Asa Wright once Hadco’s lease ends. Their stewardship has been transformative, and I only hope whoever follows maintains the same level of care, vision, and respect for this incredible place. A recommendation would be to develop a downloadable trail map that isn’t governed by a third party app. This and a bird list would be great to have to quickly download directly from the Hadco website.

We didn’t just visit a nature centre—we found a home away from home. And we will...

11/10 experience!

The compound is very secure, on arrival we met a wooden gate which opens for you after you dial in to let them know you have arrived. Very scenic 2 minute drive further to get to the parking lot. There was someone before the parking lot who was waiting to greet us and direct us towards the said car park.

A number of staff pleasantly greeted us and guided us to the main house where we were given welcome drinks and got a small tour of the main house.

We then met our tour guide, Caleb, very knowledgeable about the surrounding flora and fauna and pleasant. There were cubbies for our bags as well as very easily and numerous wall plugs to charge our phone (unfortunately did not bring my charger). I absolutely loved how there was mosquito repellent of many forms and fashions available for us to use at any point in time. Tea, coffee and water were also available throughout the entire day.

The view from the porch of the great house includes lush greenery and hundreds of birds of all specified feeding on fruits etc.

We were then taken on a walk through one of the trails by our very knowledgeable tour guide, Caleb.

We returned to the main house to have lunch which was absolutely delicious: a 3 course meal. Afterwards, we were free to explore many other trails as well as visit and bathe in the natural stream and pond.

We returned for afternoon tea and enjoyed the view from the porch.

This place is absolutely breathtaking, the staff is so friendly and kind, Anisa, Mukesh and Caleb just to name a few. Definitely made us feel so at home and welcomed.

The roads were paved all the way through to Asa wright however it was a bit thin at times as...