Caroni Swamp Bird Sanctuary (Trinidad)

Located about 30 minutes outside Port-of-Spain, Caroni Swamp Bird Sanctuary offers many of the same thrills of the Asa Wright Nature Centre without requiring the far pilgrimage to the island's northern rainforest. But the real reason to visit the Caroni Sanctuary is to observe the scarlet ibis, the national bird of Trinidad and Tobago that resembles a brilliant blood orange flamingo. The best time to see the ibis is late afternoon; arrive a little early and you can enjoy a glass bottom boat tour of the swampland while you're waiting for the ibis to appear.

Take the swamp part of its name literally: There will be plenty of mosquitoes a-biting and plenty of reptiles a-crawling. If you're at odds with nature, you might want to skip this bird sanctuary altogether. Even if you like the great outdoors, be sure to slather on the insect repellant wear long sleeves and pants. Caroni Swamp Bird Sanctuary charges a moderate admission fee, and is open daily from dawn to dusk.