Suprising St Kitts
Our flight was via Antigua but with an hour on the ground to stretch your legs and a short hop on to St Kitts we were wide awake on arrival. I stayed at the Timothy Beach which is the only beachside property on the Caribbean Sea coast at Frigate Bay. It’s a 3* and performs well within grade. The rooms were spacious, there were several categories to choose from and it has a beach bar and pool. I thought we would hear noise from ‘the strip’ which runs along the back of the beach but we didn’t hear a thing. Maybe on a Thursday night it might be different when the Shiggidy Shack has it’s fire eaters and Caribbean Beach barbecue though! But - this is a popular venue, the food’s great and it’s also right on the beach so if you can hear the fun you might as well go and join in!
St Kitts champions her island history and we visited the beautiful botanical gardens and the Caribelle Batik workshop at Romney Manor. Here you can see how the popular island designs are made and find out why they don’t fade. There are plenty of things to buy from stunning wall hangings to small souvenirs.
If you’re fairly fit you should visit Brimstone Hill, a Unesco world heritage site . The drive meanders up the mountainside and from the car park there are steps to climb to the fort. It’s in great shape, has cannons on the ramparts and has amazing views to other nearby islands. There’s a small shop but this visit is enhanced by a guide or guidebook as it has a colourful history which doesn’t tell itself!
Plantation style properties are excellent here. You can dine in an original plantation estate greathouse at Rawlins, Mount Pleasant and stay in a converted sugar mill in the grounds. At Ottleys most of the rooms are larger than a traditional hotel room and are located in the house itself with sweeping views across the local village down to the sea. This style of accommodation is ‘home from home’ and you will soon feel like one of the family. Ottleys is unique in that it also has a spring fed swimming pool, offers spa treatments,a tennis court, croquet, and their own rainforest trails.
Whilst in St Kitts we also visited her sister island of Nevis. We had breakfast in a coffee shop near the ferry terminal and I was pleasantly surprised to find the variety and quality as good as at home. It’s a quick crossing and Nevis has an even more laid back lifestyle. If you can find it, have a long lunch at ‘Sunshines’. This is a quirky beach restaurant, known for it’s Killer Bee cocktails and visited by celebrities staying at the nearby Four Seasons.
When we got back to St Kitts we were greeted by some vervet monkeys. This is another unique thing about St Kitts and it’s rumoured that there are more monkeys on St Kitts than residents! You are encouraged not to feed them or leave your drinks unattended on the balconies as they're as partial to a rum punch as the rest of us!
Basseterre is a pretty capital with Georgian architecture, a central clock and Independence Square (fashioned after our own Picadilly Circus). It’s not very big but if you have spare time before or after your ferry it’s an interesting place for a wander around, some shopping or a bite to eat.
Sadly we didn’t get the chance to ride the steam train. This is a scenic trip that takes you through the sugar plantations. At the moment the island doesn’t have enough visitors for it to be a daily service and my trip wasn’t long enough to stay and wait – so that’s on the list for next time!