andy

Hi- we will be in St Kitts for the day ( off the cruise ship Celebrity Summit) and there will be 4 of us....

We want to hire a tour guide to drive us around the island, stop for a native lunch somewhere and give us a great overview--plus some shopping ( if there is anything to buy on that island)...

Can anyone help??

Thanks

Chicagotraveler

The absolute best place to go for lunch on St. Kitts is Rawlins Plantation -- beautiful property and an amazing meal and very traditional St. Kitts food. I believe it is about $25 US for lunch (fixed price). The Royal Palm at Ottleys is also great, but I prefer Rawlins for lunch. Rawlins is probably about a 20 minute ride or so from where the ship docks. You need a reservation. As for shopping, the most authentic St. Kitts souvenir is batik clothing from Caribelle Batik at Romney Manor -- an old manor built by Thomas Jefferson's brother. This is on the way to Rawlins.

Dblebee

If your coming in by ship for the day, there will be taxi's all around the dock area. Pick one you like for the 4 hour tour around the island. ($60.00US for 4 people) Agree on the price before you leave. He or she do this as a profession and will take you to all the "good" places.

JMM

When we were in St Kitt's a couple of years ago, we took a tour with Lionel who was excellent. I just found his card. His taxi number was T-2139 and his phone # is 465-3628 or 465-4317

andy

JMM-- what did your driver charge and how long was the tour? Where did you go?

TO ALL- does anyone know of any guides with an EMAIL address that I can write to...as calling will start getting rather expensive...

Thanks!

Chicagotraveler

You might want to check out www.stkitts-tourism.com. It's a pretty good site and there are many e-mail links. However, when you get off of the ship there will be taxi after taxi (although they're almost all vans) waiting to take people around the island. Finding one will not be an issue. On the web page I listed, there are some general taxi rates, but it's really a negotiation. They'll always be willing to make arrangements to pick you up someplace at a certain time. You'll also find that who you arrange for an island tour may not be so significant. Most of the taxi drivers are very friendly and thrilled to show you around the island -- I have found that people on St. Kitts tend to be very proud of St. Kitts and extremely hospitable.

andy

Hi- have seen that website, but am looking for a more personal atmosphere rather than being on a van with 10 strangers...really wanted the driver for just us six people...and wanted to plan my own attack to see the island for the one day that we have there...


ANYONE else have a GREAT tour guide that they can recommend>>>>?????

THANKS!!

Chicagotraveler

The van will be yours only -- be it one person or 6 persons. You just find a taxi. When you get off of the ship there will be drivers everywhere offering rides. Just pick one that seems pleasant (this will not be an issue). I say "van" because they just don't use typical taxi cabs in St. Kitts... almost all of the taxis are vans. The driver will go whereever you would like to go, and you simply negotiate the rate. Personally, I think it helps to have an idea of what you want to see. Since St. Kitts is as picturesque an island in the Caribbean as there is, a drive around the island itself is incredible, and lasts around 2 hours. But Brimston Hill is also fantastic, takes less than an hour, and also offers great views from high-up, including views of Saba, St. Eustatius and other islands if not overcast. Romney Manor/Caribelle Batik is a good place to go for a historical site (built by Thomas Jefferson's brother I believe) and for Batik wear. For a traditional island lunch, I would most recommend Rawlins, then Ottleys Royal Palm. But ultimately where you decide to go will be your choice and you will find your driver, whoever you choose, to be completely accomodating -- i.e., willing to drop you off for lunch and pick you up at a specific time. Every time I return to St. Kitts, I'm overwhelmed by how friendly the people are there. Although I have usually rented cars on St. Kitts, I have also hired taxi drivers (be it for shorter rides or tours) on at least a handful of occasions without recommendation and I've never been disappointed.

JMM

Lionel was very reasonably priced BUT any pricing I give you may be out-of-date because we did this about 4 years ago. He gave us a tour that was supposed to be 3 hours long but actually he was very laid back and stopped many times for photos and never rushed us - so it ended up being nearly 4 hours. He did not charge us any extra
so we gave him a decent tip. If my recollection is correct the tour was about $45 in total (for 4 people).
He took us to Basseterre (the main city ) where he dropped us off for a little shopping, then to Romney Manor (Caribelle Batik) - gorgeous garden setting for a Batik factory and their retail outlet, to Brimstone Hill (the highlight - a wonderful restored fortress with great views), then around the northern tip of the island (we stopped where the Atlantic and caribbean meet and at the Black Rocks (interesting volcanic rock formations in the ocean). It really was a good tour - a nice overview of the island and Brimstone Hill should not be missed. Good shopping ops in Basseterre and at Caribelle Batik.

andy

ttt