How to prepare for Trinidad Carnival
TriniDaddy Crew
Trinidad Carnival 2020 as a first timer was beyond epic. An elaborate celebration that requires some major stamina and preparation beforehand. Be advised if you want to experience Trinidad and all its Carnival glory, it can be costly. Read on for my tips and suggestions on how to survive the Caribbean’s biggest party.
Carnival is honored globally in over 50 countries and takes place during different times throughout the year. Different cultures and cities have their own way of celebrating. Dating back to the 18th century, Carnival was introduced to the island by the French settlers. Before the start of lent, the French would orchestrate street parades and masquerade balls with the elite upper class dressed in intricate costumes and masks. African slaves were not allowed to participate so they created their own private celebrations in their backyard, until the emancipation of slaves in the 1830’s. Today, Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is an annual 2 day festival held the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
People book their hotel accommodations as soon as the current Carnival wraps up. We locked in our hotel pretty much a year in advance. I felt like there were only a handful to choose from and a ton airbnbs, resorts and hotels were already taken and reserved. Before you look into anything else, BOOK YOUR STAY ASAP!
Expect flights to cost an arm and a leg. For big events/holidays, airlines obviously pump up the prices. This is no exception. I was on the search for shorter flight times and a red-eye flight out of SFO, PLUS I procrastinated and literally bought my ticket one month beforehand (which is very unlike me). That raised my roundtrip ticket to $1,600. You can definitely find cheaper roundtrip tickets if you start looking early enough. (UPDATE: I learned my lesson and booked my flight for Carnival 2023 one year in advance. I was able to get a roundtrip flight for $700. Still expensive, but a much better deal than last time). Another tip if you have the funds and the time is going to another nearby Caribbean island to rest and relax after the festivities. Many people head over to Tobago, which is an island within the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. A much needed vacation after a vacation after some hardcore partying.
Playing Mas with a band: After hotel and flights are set, next is…costumes! You can definitely go there on your own and watch the parade from the sidelines. Playing mas (mas is short for masquerade) allows you to actually be in the parade (with the band of your choice) dancing in elaborate crystal and feathered pieces of art. Costumes are revealed during July/August the year before.
Picking a band: The price of joining a band not only includes your costume but some offer all-inclusive packages. This includes meals, UNLIMITED alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks, fancy portable cups, goodie bags, security, onsite paramedics, music trucks with live Djs and mobile bathrooms. Some of the top bands we were looking at: TRIBE, Bliss, the Lost Tribe, Yuma, Rogue. We ultimately went with HARTS.
Each band picks a theme and designs their costumes within the theme. For example this year, the band TRIBE, had Asian inspired costumes, Bliss had a lot of soft floral looks. Most people are going to choose their band depending on what the costume looks like. The outfit can range from scandalous and almost nude to a bit more covered. You then choose between frontline or backline costumes. Frontline is the extravagant option with all the bells and whistles: ornate hair pieces, extra body wear and jewelry, huge feather backpack aka the “wings” you carry on your back to make you feel and look like a Victoria’s secret model. Frontline is the priciest option because of the details in the costume, this runs $1,100 and up depending on the band and costume design. Backline is more affordable (ranging from $450-$600 USD) and doesn’t have as much frills as the frontline, but you can customize it with their selected add on options. My frontline costume was designed by one of Trinidad’s top designers Solange Govia ($1,119 USD).
Once you’ve decided on the costume, next step is registering with your band and submitting a down payment. Registering, for most bands, requires either an email or getting in contact with a committee member to obtain a link or an access code. We came across our committee member through Instagram and randomly messaged her. She was beyond helpful with the whole process. To pay in full, you can make gradual payments online with a credit card or you can pay in cash, Trinidadian dollars, when you pick up the costume at the mas camp.
Carnival Dictionary:
Fête: The French word for PARTY
“On de road”: Parade route
Wine: Caribbean dance, rotating your waist in a fluid motion
Chippin: Shuffle/dance as you march “on de road”
Socadrome and Savannah Stage: When playing mas, not only will you walk the parade, but you’ll cross a main stage to dance and show off you costumes. Savannah stage is where each band competes for the Band of the Year title. The wait to get on stage can be a long one so some bands skip it and only cross Socadrome.
Carnival tabanca: Tabanca alone is defined as an “extreme sadness/depression following a separation from a significant other.” Carnival tabanca is post carnival blues.
Carnival tabanca
Various concerts and fêtes are being thrown for a whole month before the big festival: boat parties, cooler fêtes (bring you own alcohol and food), Punchy Punch, Soca Takeover, and Soca Brainwash to name just a few.
J’ouvert: French for dawn or daybreak, J’ouvert officially kicks off Carnival. Starting at 4am Monday morning, it’s a street party where paint, mud, colored powder or oil is thrown and sprayed on everyone while parading down the neighborhood. Price of tickets can vary depending on the band. We spent $100 USD with We Love Jouvert and this included their logo t-shirt to wear for the event, waterproof phone protector, unlimited open bar, a cup for drinks, breakfast in the morning and a water resistant backpack with snacks. Obviously plan to get dirty, so wear clothes you don’t mind throwing out. Getting the paint off after was such struggle. Even with 2 showers, scrubbing over and over with a loofah, I still had leftover paint residue. I recommend wearing a baseball hat or a shower cap to protect your hair and comfy sneakers. I’ve also read slathering as much baby oil helps so the paint doesn’t stick to your skin and washes off easier. Another tip, get as much sleep as you can on Sunday evening.
Carnival Monday: If you’re bold and energentic to do both J’ouvert and Carnival Monday it starts around 9am-10am. Another pre-party with more dancing and drinking, it’s considered a more casual affair. People still put a lot of thought into their Monday wear; embellished, revealing swimsuits or clothing is encouraged. We were planning to do both but, J’ouvert takes a lot out of you. Our private driver, Reggie mentioned most people do one or the other. If you happen to do both parties, just make sure you get enough rest for the big show on Tuesday.
Music: Soca music also known as Soul of Calypso, is on repeat and plays from sun up to sun down. Songs are released a few months beforehand so you have time to get acquainted with the top hits. Quintessential Soca artist include: Machel Montano, Kes the band, Patrice Roberts, Destra Garcia, Bunji Garlin, Fay Ann Lyons and Naliah Blackman.
HARTS committee member, Instagram @steph_c
Last minute advice:
Drink LOTS of water: With all the unlimited booze and all the sun you’ll be getting, hydration is key.
Wear sunscreen: SPF 30 and higher is always recommended, don’t forget to re-apply every couple of hours.
Comfortable shoes: Most women wore rubber-soled shoes or boots. You can wear heels for picture purposes, but bring an extra pair of comfy footwear to change into.
Food: You can’t go to Trinidad without having doubles (curried chickpeas in spicy flatbread) or bake ‘N shark (fried shark meat sandwich).
Carnival is a once in a lifetime experience. There’s a reason why the call it “the greatest show on earth.” Even with all the expenses adding up, I would 100% do it again and I hope to in the future. Special thanks to our band HARTS and our Harts committee member, Steph ( instagram: stephfit_c) for getting us through our first Carnival and making it unforgettable.