St. Kitts and Nevis

Breadfruit tress line the roads as a warm breeze lazily sweeps the pavement. Converted plantations are everywhere - no longer housing sugarcane but visitors to St. Kitts island. And though St. Kitts and Nevis are forever interlocked as sister countries, both remnants of British colonies, each island has different ways of getting by. Though one thing they both have in common is: how well your day went is generally directly related to how many hours you spent in a hammock. And while relaxation is the norm along the beaches of the Caribbean, it is taken to new levels in St Kitts and Nevis.

Nevis sells itself as the untamed half. There are no traffic lights on the entire island. You are equally likely to find a wandering goat on the road as you are a vehicle. But only the former will try to eat out of your hand. While the greater percentage of visitors arrive by ferry, making Nevis a day-trip afterthought on many a Caribbean vacation (preferring the more refined St Kitts beaches, restaurants and nightlife), the untapped wildlife and high-quality resorts make Nevis a great place to stay. While a lot of the St. Kitts hotels are converted sugar plantations, there is hardly another form of lodging on Nevis. They are uniformly prestigious and well-maintained, operated by locals living on-site. The only drawback is that they are often not on the beach – but given the small area that Nevis occupies, “not far” from the beach is certainly a relative term.

St. Kitts island is the more popular of the two islands. Larger, with more beaches and a wider range of places to stay, this island also offers far more in terms of activities and opportunities. Rain forest hikes and horseback riding are common pursuits for travelers, and the fantastic golf courses are another important aspect of St. Kitts tourism. Both of the golf resorts are attached to a St. Kitts hotel and offer discounted prices for their guests.

St. Kitts island also is home to Mt. Liamuiga. This dormant volcano, nicknamed Mt. Misery, is a sloping hike through the rain forests where, if you look closely, you may be able to see some of the Vervet monkeys that call the forest home. Don"t worry about the nickname, though. The hike is far from miserable.

Friar's Bay, just a short cab ride away from the main city of Basseterre, is by far the most popular St. Kitts beach. Many of the plantations converted to St. Kitts hotels are in the general vicinity and this bay is also where you"ll find the small vestiges of bars that pass for nightlife – which is actually a good thing, as it's never hard to find where both locals and tourists are, especially in the small hours of the night.

Sometimes overlooked in favor of St. Martin and Anguilla as far as destinations for fine cuisine, these islands more than hold their own in comparison. Both St. Kitts and Nevis also have an assortment of fine restaurants – meals here are generally considered highlights of any Caribbean vacation. Although they have little more than the usual Caribbean fare found on most islands, quality is definitely put before quantity on these islands. Nowhere will you find better Arawak chicken or fresher lobsters.