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If you’re planning on attending Trinidad Carnival 2024 and don’t know where to start, here’s a complete guide sharing everything you need to know about planning your first Trinidad Carnival.
When is Trinidad Carnival 2024?
Carnival time in Trinidad and Tobago begins shortly after Christmas, with the start of historic events, celebrations, fetes and cultural competitions, and ends on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
*Travel Tip*
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- To get the best Flight, Hotels & Airbnb deals for Trinidad Carnival, it is best to book a early or as possible
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- Leave your camouflage printed items at home. It is illegal to wear camouflage is Trinidad and Tobago unless you’re part of the military. It will be taken from you in the airport.
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- Purchase your flights with travel insurance to cover emergencies like cancellation of flights, trip delays, medical evacuation, or other unexpected occurrences beyond reasonable control listed on the policy.
Flying to Trinidad
The airport code for Trinidad is POS. Airlines that fly directly to Trinidad from the North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe are Caribbean Airlines, British Airways, KLM, American Airlines, United Airlines, Liat, WestJet, JetBlue, Air Canada, and more that can be found here.
Alternatively, you can fly into Tobago (TAB) and take a flight or ferry to Trinidad. This option gives you the ability to experience both islands in one trip.
Tobago is also a popular “cool down” destination post Trinidad Carnival so travelers can enjoy the beaches, diving sites, and other warm weather activities before heading back home.
Where to Stay in Trinidad
Finding an affordable place to stay in Trinidad for Carnival can be frustrating. Due to the large amount of travelers visiting the country, the demand for room occupancy at hotels are high. Some masqueraders opt to staying in guest houses, Airbnb, or with friends and family.
The best area to stay in Trinidad for Carnival is close to the Queens Park Savannah where the main stage and other main events take place. Other areas are Woodbrook, Belmont, St. James, St. Ann’s, and Cascade. Here’s a list of recommended hotels and guest houses in Trinidad. Based on availability and your budget you can also search sites like Airbnb, Expedia, TripAdvisor, and Booking.com
Hotels in Trinidad
- Cascadia Hotel & Conference Centre
- Chaquacabana Resort and Beach Club
- Courtyard by Marriott Port of Spain
- Hyatt Regency Trinidad
- Hilton Trinidad & Conference Centre
- Kapok Hotel
- Radisson Hotel Trinidad
- The Brix
- The Hotel Normandie
- The Chancellor Hotel
MYEPIC Carnival
Board the Royal Caribbean ship in Barbados and sail to Trinidad & Tobago for 5 Days and 6 Nights of non-stop Carnival Action.
All Food and drinks are included on board, with the freedom to disembark the ship at any time to partake in all of the EPIC Carnival Activities!#TrinidadAndTobagoCarnival
#MyEpicCarnival2023
#TrinidadAndTobago
#RoyalCaribbean
#MyEpicCarnival
Choosing a Mas Band Trinidad and Tobago
How to choose a Mad Band for Trinidad and Tobago Carnival? Well, that’s a difficult decision because you have so many good options. Maybe you will select your band based on their costumes with some groups wearing very sexy costumes, and other are more conservative.
Some Mas Bands are all inclusive and you will not just get your costumes but also food and drinks, bathrooms, security, medical services, and whatever else you may need to make your carnival experience easier. A lot of the more popular bands sell out early, so reserve as soon as you can.
If i had to recommend a band it would be @paparazzicarnival.
Here are the 2024 Trinidad Carnival Mas Bands:
What are the most popular Mas Bands?
Many tourists will choose to play mas with some of the larger, all-inclusive bands. Tribe, Harts and Bliss are probably the three most popular mas bands. These three bands have the most uptown and tourist participants.
If you are looking for a more authentic band then join Legacy or Ronnie and Caro which have a great reputation, are safe and offer many of the same conveniences as the other two.
Here are some of the best and most popular mas bands at Trinidad and Tobago Carnival.
- Tribe: This is the largest and most established mas band at Trinidad and Tobago Carnival. They sell out every year and they are all-inclusive.
- Harts: Another all-inclusive mas band who were the first to put beads on a bikini. They are also very popular and will actually allow you to customize your costume.
- Bliss: One of the top 3 most popular bands. They always sell out.
- Paparazzi Carnival: This group is for the 30-50 age group and has a more chill vibe
- Ronnie and Caro: This mas band will usually take out the winning title for best costume presentation.
- The Lost Tribe:This mas band prides itself on going all out. In fact, they actually won second place for Best Band of the year, the very first time they paraded.
- Carnival Rogue: This is a new mas band and they are aiming to give an alternative and fresh perspective on the carnival.
It should be noted that Tribe tends to be an exclusive band. Most of the registration for the band occurs through committee members. Spots only go to the open market if a section is still available after that process.
Many other popular bands fill up quickly too. But you can use the website Fine ah Band to purchase a costume from someone who is no longer able to make it to carnival and is selling this. The website also sells sold out fete tickets too.
Things to Do in Trinidad and Tobago
Carnival is usually not a vacation, but as a first-timer, I highly suggest finding things to do in Trinidad and Tobago outside of the carnival celebration and in Port of Spain. Make sure to also include cultural events like Panorama, Canboulay, Soca Monarch, and Dimanche Gras.
Here is a list of things to do in Trinidad and Tobago that you can check out before or after the Carnival.
- Tobago Museum
- Scarborough Botanical Garden
- Pirate’s Bay
- Buccoo Reef
- Nylon Pool
- Tobago Cocoa Estate
- Little Tobago Island
- Flagstaff Hill
- Fort King George
- Argyle Waterfall
- Pigeon Point Beach
- Englishman’s Bay
- Store Bay
- Maracas Bay
- L’eau Michel Mud Volcano
- Las Cuevas Beach
- La Brea Pitch Lake
- Temple in the Sea
- Caroni Bird Sanctuary
- National Museum and Art Gallery
- Angostura Rum Distillery Tour
- The Trinidad & Tobago Carnival Museum
- Gasparee Caves
- Down ‘D Islands
Where to Fete for Trinidad Carnival
Fetes or parties are also part of the carnival experience. There are several types of fetes held in Trinidad during Carnival time such as breakfast fetes, all inclusive fetes, cooler fetes, j’ouvert fetes, boat rides, and beach fetes. Popular fetes hosted by Tribe, Scorch, and Caesar’s Army like AMBush, and Soaka Street Festival are committee based fetes so you would need approval before purchasing tickets. Soca Brainwash is another all inclusive fete that is highly anticipated.
These usually sell out quickly so make sure to follow them on social media to find out when tickets are released. Be prepared to spend between $50 to around $300+ for each fete depending on the type or Vip.
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