The tale of three islands and Rum! Part one
What a beautiful island. We were met by hot weather and a lovely steel band welcoming us to the island! I felt very privileged! After a short 25min transfer we arrived at the lovely new hotel Park Hyatt. Set on the beach with a great selection of room types, the views are of Nevis straight opposite and could not have been better. We managed to stay awake (they are 5 hours behind the UK) for a very tasty dinner in the adult only restaurant the Stone Barn which has an open kitchen, and everything is cooked in a stone oven. Then we all hit our beds ready for the next day.
After a very peaceful and comfortable sleep, we headed for breakfast in the Great House. The setting is glorious with sea and Nevis views. You can sit inside or out depending on your mood. It is a buffet breakfast which had everything you could want and more. We ate like we had never eaten before! After breakfast we were met by Sir Walter (yes that's his name) and taken on a tour in his jolly safari open vehicle which was great fun. We whizzed around the main town Basseterre before switching to our minibus to continue to Fairview Inn which is set up as a museum of times past. They host weddings and events there and you can do cookery classes and of course be forced to try their rum! At 10.30am (but of course 3.30pm in UK so why not!) Afterwards, I was glad I had had the rum as I was taken to zip line down a mountain, something I would never do as I have a great fear of heights. I’m surprised you didn't hear me screaming back here. We then had a brief stop at Romney Manor to see the ladies painting the Batik. We headed off for lunch afterwards to the beautiful Belle Mont Farm Boutique hotel. Complete with its own 18-hole golf course and 2-bedroom villas all with their own plunge pool and views of the sea as it is based up in the hills. What a view!
Afterwards we headed back to our hotel to quickly get changed and straight out to an evening of meeting local hoteliers and ground agents with some great entertainment of traditional dancers and stilt walkers. A late dinner at a local restaurant Maxwell’s finished the evening off.
Next morning, all packed ready to check out, we had breakfast and headed into Frigate bay to visit the Marriott, Royal St Kitts, Timothy Beach and Ocean Terrace Inn hotels. All are completely different to each other. Royal St Kitts is great for a self-catering option within walking distance of the "strip" where the beach bars are. Marriott is a large resort-style beach hotel. Timothy Beach is a budget and simple hotel on the beach and by the strip. Ocean Terrace Inn is a lovely little hotel with fab views of the bay.
Back to our hotel for a 7min boat ride over to Nevis, I had no idea it was that close and so easy to get to! Either consider a twin centre or at least take a day trip over to visit as it is so different from St Kitts. We headed in and visited Oualie Beach hotel which is the first hotel on the beach when you get off the boat so imagine the views! This is basic and simple budget accommodation. We had lunch at the Hermitage which takes you back in time for sure. The oldest wooden house dates back to 1670.The rooms are comfortable and styled in an old way. Forget TVs etc! There is WiFi though. Next, we headed to Montpelier Plantation a relaxing and peaceful resort where Lady Diana stayed with William and Harry and I can understand why. Next the Nisbet which was Fanny Nisbet's home before she married Nelson so imagine the history. This is the only plantation house on the beach. We were treated to homemade scones, macaroons and rum punches - it's a hard life visiting hotels!
We were running late now - it was the rum that did it – so we rushed to our host hotel Mount Nevis for a quick change and off to the Four Seasons for a look around and a dinner in a beautiful setting on the beach. They are currently going through renovations (you wouldn't know it) but their plans sound fabulous and I hope to visit when they are finished.
Next morning after a very comfortable sleep I got a chance to take in my surroundings as we had arrived in the dark. The hotel is situated up on the hill with great views down to the sea. My room was large with two balconies and a kitchen area for your needs if you want to self-cater. After a breakfast meeting with hoteliers and the Tourism Office we were bundled into three jeep type cars for a "Funky Monkey" tour taking in some sights off the beaten track. Did you know donkeys are wild in Nevis and pop up everywhere! I managed to squeeze in an extra hotel visit at a gem of a place hidden in the hills called the Golden Rock Inn. It has an old sugar mill converted into a two bed two-bathroom villa, with rooms also in the main building.
It was time to say goodbye to Nevis and we got the boat over to Reggae Beach for our transfer to the airport and our flight to Antigua. See part two as the journey continues.