By Rachel Popow - Sir Trevor McDonald has become such a British institution it's easy to forget he actually hails from Trinidad - or at least it was until The Secret Caribbean came along.

The three-part documentary series sees the veteran newsreader travelling 2,000 miles across the Caribbean to uncover the truth behind the holiday brochures.

In episode one, Sir Trevor visits his homeland just in time for a carnival.

Trevor says: "Watching the festival brought back warm memories. For two days Trinidadians put their problems behind them and lose themselves with abandon in a riot of noise and colour.

"They know there will be a more sober tomorrow but that simply means 364 days till the next carnival."

However, before any cynics start wondering if the series is an excuse for a free holiday - it simply is not.

Instead, Sir Trevor is keen to explore the different sides of the Caribbean, visiting the no-go areas as well as the exclusive holiday resorts.

He explains: "The islands have so many contrasts to offer, so much wealth and luxury sitting so close to poverty and crime and powerful natural disasters."

Trevor has already been given the chance to sample the high life in the British Virgin Islands.

He explores the idyllic islands where the likes of Richard Branson enjoy the natural beauty, and also experiences communism Caribbean-style in Cuba.

The destinations were very different, but Sir Trevor feels events in other parts of the world could lead to a narrowing of the gap.

He says: "I wonder whether the era of a new American president will bring meaningful change to Cuba?"

"People I met are anxious to embrace change but it seemed to me only on their own terms," he added.

This week he visits Jamaica, which boasts a rich musical heritage, and a less enviable reputation as the Caribbean's drug capital.

He says: "Jamaica is the most vibrant but also the most violent island in the whole region. It has a dark side. I was full of trepidation and anticipation."

In Jamaica he finds young people hoping music will break the cycle of gang violence and a coffee plantation where the owners do battle with the elements.

It's a far cry from his other two stops - magician David Copperfield's Bahamas holiday resort, and Barbados, where he meets a wealthy property developer.

The Secret Caribbean with Trevor McDonald continues on ITV1 on Sunday, July 5.