Think Trinidad and the image that comes to mind is carnival. But far more exotic than the antics of Mardi Gras are the nocturnal activities now getting under way on the sandy beaches of the island's northeastern coast. Every year from March to August, hundreds of giant leatherback turtles — the world's largest reptiles — heave themselves out of the sea to lay and bury eggs on the beach before returning to their tireless traversal of the world's oceans. Two months later tiny hatchlings dig their way out of the sand and head for the sea to continue

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nginx/1.14.0 (Ubuntu) the leatherback life cycle, which has remained unchanged since before the age of the dinosaurs.

The nesting season used to signal turtle soup on local menus but now the leatherbacks are protected by law and volunteers monitor the beaches to deter poachers. The best place to witness the world's most unusual beach party is Mt. Plaisir Estate at Grande Riviere, where you can sit below the spreading almond trees that fringe the waterfront and wait for Dermochelys coriacea to do its thing. Italian-born owner-manager Piero Guerrini quit his job as a news photographer when he discovered this small corner of paradise, and he created a funky, all-suite hotel and spa — with its own herb garden, so the menu can boast fresh pesto Genovese despite the tropical setting. It attracts an eclectic bunch of guests who keep coming back — a bit like the turtles, which always return to the beach of their birth even after sea voyages that take them half way across the world. E-mail: info@mtplaisir.com ; tel: (868) 670 8381/2217

• CHRIS REDMAN
• Far more exotic than the antics of Trinidad's Mardi Gras are the nocturnal activities of its turtles