St. Kitts & Nevis plantation inns: Please compare!

Poor Melissa - you are getting so stressed out. I've been following your other posts and see you are having great difficulty choosing your island. There's not a great overall difference between the Plantation Inns on Nevis & St. Kitts. They are all relatively small in terms of the number of rooms, they are all located in very lovely settings, they all serve better than aveage food and for the most part have very friendly and helpful staffs. The difference relate to the physical make-up and locations of the individual Inns - things like room size, type of furnishings, the views you get from the property, the decor of the rooms, the landscaping, etc. Regardless of which Inn you choose they will all give you that "old world Caribbean" feel.

If you are planning to split your stay between Timothy Beach Resort and a Plantation Inn you really should consider staying on Nevis for the second part of your trip. That way you will be able to experience two different islands. You husband will be able to explore the flora and fauna on both islands and you'll be able to enjoy a variety of beaches. The only thing on your list that is lacking on both Nevis and St. Kitts is great snorkeling. There are a few decent spots on each island where you can snorkel but honestly it's not anything to write home about. To get your snorkeling fix plan on taking one of the day sails to Shitten Bay (they leave from both Nevis and St. Kitts (as A_Traveller pointed out it's the best snorkeling in the area but be forewarned it does not come anywhere close to the snorkeling you'd find in the BVI's or off Binaire).

By the way, both islands have plenty of areas for nature walks, culture and local food.

Sunnyboy, thanks for answering both of my posted questions on St. Kitts/Nevis! I appreciate your info, suggestions, and supportive tone. You have me actually looking forward to my vacation, by golly! Why am I stressing? You and Liz helped me narrow the plantation inn list down to either Ottley's on St. Kitts or Nesbitt's on Nevis. (Nisbett?! Nesbitt?! Where's my book...)

Okay, I will add a snorkeling trip to Shitten bay to my list of activities. If I book a day-trip for snorkeling to that area...is it easy snorkeling for a timid snorkeller like me? I get scared if it looks like sharp rocks or sharp coral are too close to me and I might get scraped, especially if the water is getting rough and tries to knock me into the rocks, that can panic me right out of the water. I have never seen a very big "fish" while snorkeling so I'm not sure how much water I might gulp if that happens...Snorkeling in very calm water helps a lot, and I can't get far from shore. I assume when you go out in a boat the boat stays nearby?!!

I do things that scare me for hubby's sake (like snorkeling and venturing out into nature, even handling snakes...I mean, literally holding them...) And hubby does some very frightening things for me, such as he's going to the practically tree-less island of Ireland for me, which has been so cleared of its natural flora over the years it is practically bald, from the viewpoint of a biologist. From my viewpoint it will be wonderful though!!!

One advantage to Ottley's...I noticed in one of the travel brochures my AAA travel agent gave me, both Ottleys and Timothy's Beach resort appear togehter in one brochure, which means she could book the trip for me...NOrmally I prefer to book trips independently on my own, but since I'm already doing the Ireland trip independently, I might have the AAA travel agent help me out with the Caribbean one. But I still like to have researched all my choices, even if she books it for me.

Thanks!

I agree with SUnnyboy, put your cares aside and just have a great trip. You are stressing out too much. Once you get down there, you'll be wondering why you worried so much!!

I really think if you are going to split your stay -- you should split it between islands. You mentioned your husband is a biologist -- I would like to recommend that you consider staying or at least visit Golden Rock Plantation Inn on Nevis. It's a botanists dream. There are hikes right from the grounds. It's a bit more rustic than the other plantation inns but your husband might like that.

Please don't worry about your choice -- both St. Kitts and Nevis are great islands.

tripster and bosoco, thanks for the supportive comments. Tripster, you sounded a familiar note when you said once I get there I would be wondering why I worried so much. You are so right, that's what always happens!

On the other hand one of the reasons I can relax when I get there is because I do my worrying in advance and try to see if there is any way I can improve my plans! But sometimes I over-worry. Anyway your advice was good and I actually made a decision (gasp!) and e-mailed my favorite AAA travel agent, who I use when I'm too busy to book my own trips, like right now. Soon I will know if there is availability for my dates at Timothy's Beach resort and Ottley's plantation inn. If Ottley's is full, I asked for a plantation inn on Nevis. (The reason I decided to stay on St. Kitts is because we only have a week in the Caribbean. We will do Nevis as a day-trip.)

bosoco, both islands sound great, I agree. If Ottley's is full I'll keep in mind the Golden Rock Plantation Inn on Nevis. Thanks!

You will love Ottley's Plantation. Gorgeous rooms, delicious lunches, helpful staff (Owner Karen & Assistant Nancy)

TBR is less upscale, but very nice rooms and perfect location (sunsets, fun beach bars, variety of restuarants)
Virgil, the front desk manager, is also very friendly.

You will love St. Kitts!

Thanks, skbfan, I hope there is room availability for our nights at Ottleys and Timothy's. Do you know when there is dancing near Timothy's...on weekends maybe? Did I read there was a band nearby on Sundays? I am looking forward to having a nice break with hubby in February, and don't know why I didn't make a decision sooner!

Melissa,

We just got back from a two week stay on Nevis. One week at Montpelier and one week at Nisbet. Both were fantastic. I think Montpelier nosed out Nisbet - it's half the size (not that Nisbet is huge), the food was best we had on the island (and we ate a lot!) and the staff was wonderful.

We visited each of the plantation inns on Nevis. Golden Rock is great for hikes, but it's only a ten minute taxi ride from Montpelier. Golden Rock is nice, but I think it could use some refurbishment.

Nisbet is on the other side of the island and is the only plantation inn on the beach. The only downside is that the water is rougher due to the location.

Dave.

Dave,

Did you visit the Hermitage? If so, what was your impression. Thanks.

cw

When on Nevis, stay at Nisbet. It's easier to get to and from, is on the beach, and has more room. Staff is wonderful, and there's a lot of privacy. You can visit the other Plantation Inns easily for dinner or sightseeing, and from Nisbet it is much easier to get to some of the other great restaurants such as Coconut Grove, Rummors, Galipot, etc. The Inns on the mountain take a while to get anywhere, and the roads aren't all that great. The road from Nisbet To Charlestown is about as good as it gets on Nevis.