You have a good perception of St. Kitts & Nevis. Personally I prefer Nevis over St. Kitts, especially for someone looking for the things on your list.

For hotles, if you want to be on the beach consider Nisbet Plantation. Room rates (depending on room category) are going to be about $50 to $100/night higher than your hoped for budget but it's one of the best honeymoon spots on the island. If that's too much check out Oualie Beach Resort as rooms there should be well within your budget.

If you don't mind staying in one of the plantatrion inns up on the mountain check out Montpelier Inn. There basic room rate is within your budget and you will find everything about this inn is top notch. Other hotels to look at are The Hermitage, Mount Nevis Hotel, Golden Rock or the Old Mannor.

Lastly, for more information about Nevis than you'd probably ever need visit www.nevis1.com

Thanks for the helpful information and link, RoamsAround

I'd still love to hear what others think.

With the exception of the Four Seasons, I wasn't particularly impressed with Nevis.

Stay longer at Cap Juluca -- it (and Anguilla) are pure heaven.

I think Nevis is a better choice. It is an absolute treasure! If you are looking to discover a more intimate Caribbean experience, this is it. Every night we were there was a celebration, every day was an adventure in paradise. We stayed at the FS, but Montpelier was our second choice. You wind through the hills, but they were wonderful hosts the night we ate dinner there and when we talked to the guests who were staying there prior to dinner (you sit in a large living room and have appetizers and drinks before dinnr and you mingle with other people), they said it was heavenly.

For more information on St. Kitts visit www.discover-stkitts-nevis-beaches.com and www.myislands.myeyez.net

For Nevis visit www.nevisforum.com

Two islands, one paradise!

I think you've got an amazing itinerary planned--you've got Anguilla and Nevis at opposite ends of the spectrum, with a few nights on St. Martin just to mix things up!

I've visited st. Kitts and Nevis once each on two separate trips and vastly preferred Nevis, but I think they're both worth visiting.

Are you sure that Nisbet rooms are over $300/night in June? I would think they would be right under that. Montpelier right now is offering packages on LuxuryLink where the rates are under $300 AND include breakfast daily and one dinner per stay. Since you're staying on the beach at Cap Juluca, you might want to consider staying at a mountainside inn like Montpelier--it's a real class act.

Thanks so much for the advice! Nisbet's least expensive room for June is 350. The least expensive room for Montpelier is $280, and the Luxury Link seems like it would be the same price, but with a few extras tossed in. While we could go over 300/night, I think I would rather have some extra $$ to do some exploring, try nice restaurants, etc. I'm more budget-conscious than my future husband

I think something I'm having a hard time with is putting my finger on the differences between St. Kitt's and Nevis. With St. Martin and Anguilla, it seems a bit more obvious (from what I've heard): St. Martin is a more crowded "party" island, but has good restaurants like Anguilla, and Anguilla is peaceful and has amazing beaches. Knowing, you provided a helpful description of Nevis. RoamsAround and ejcrowe (or anyone else!), can you be a bit more specific about difference you've seen in the two islands?? Thank you SO much!

Oh, and I'm definitely open to a place up in the hills/mountains- not only will we have the first part of our honeymoon on the beach, but we're having a destination wedding in Puerto Vallarta and will be there for 6 nights. I might be "beached" out by the time we get to St. Kitts/Nevis. Are there any mountain/hill-side places to stay on St. Kitts?

Check out Ottley's Plantation Inn on St. Kitts. It might be just what you are seeking.

Rawlins Plantation Inn on St. Kitts is a good choice with a mountainside location. We stopped by for lunch and were impressed with the restaurant & grounds. Looks like they're in your budget that time of year.
http://www.rawlinsplantation.com/

The things we liked best on St. Kitts were hanging out at Mr. X's Shiggedy Shack & The Monkey Bar, both in Frigate Bay; Brimstone Hill (a restored British fort built atop a mountain); and the volcano hike with Greg's Safaris http://www.gregsafaris.com (very challenging, but rewarding)

Ottley's or Rawlins on St. Kitts might be good choices for you in terms of mountain inns. We also had a nice meal at the Golden Lemon, another plantation style inn, but the property itself was behind a wall that didn't give me a very welcoming feeling. It's right on the beach, unlike other inns, but the sea was a little wild. Nice service, good food, and at a good price for our lunch, though.

I preferred Nevis over St. Kitts for a variety of reasons--it feels more intimate (it's a much smaller island), we had better food experiences overall, and there were no cruise ship crowds. The cruise ship crowds were avoidable on St. Kitts, but it did take a little effort. It also just had a more authentic West Indian feel to the island to me. And the Marriott on St. Kitts just plain disturbed me in a way that the Four Seasons on Nevis did not.

There were lots of things I enjoyed about St. Kitts, like seeing the monkeys and visiting the fortress, but in the future I will probably enjoy them on a daytrip from Nevis. You'll find just as many people who prefer St. Kitts, though, so keep it in mind when choosing YOUR perfect destination.

My wife and I spent our honeymoon on Nevis at the Nisbett several years ago. Very quiet and charming with excellent service. Highly recommended for a place to sit back and let the stresses of wedding preparations, etc. seep out of you. Note that while Nevis is quiet and beautiful, if you are looking for activities other than pina coladas and chaise lounges(e.g., shopping, restaurants, etc.) there are very few alternatives. If you are only staying for a few days as a part of a longer trip, it Nevis should be a good call. We were there for a full week and I was looking for somthing to do by about day 4.

One other place you should consder on Nevis if you are not insistent on beaches is the Hermatige which is up in the hills. We did not stay there but stopped in there one afternoon as we toured the island. Was a very cool looking place with a tree house kind of vibe.