If you are looking for an island with very good "off-beach" snorkeling you'll probably be a little disappointed in St. Kitts, the best snorkeling area (which is only "average") is at Shitten Bay and is accessible only by boat. The island does, however, meet most of your other requirements. For beachfront hotels and resorts look at Golden Lemon Inn, Bird Rock Beach Hotel, Frigate Bay Resort, Timothy Beach Resort and the Marriott (if you don't mind a large hotel).

Melissa, you will love St. Kitts!

My family is from St. Kitts and I have been going since I was a child.

Secluded beaches, breathtaking views, friendly and helpful locals, fun beach bars and so much more.

For eco-tourism/nature exploration I highly recommend Greg's Safaris rainforest or volcano tour. Recommended by the St. Kitts Tourism Authority.
www.gregssafaris.com

Delicious food at Mr. X's Shiggidy Shack, Sprat Net, Turtle Beach Bar & Grill www.turtlebeach1.com, Ballahoo's, Stonewalls, Circus Grill, and PJ's.

Not a lot of night life, but be sure to visit Mr. X's Shiggidy Shack for karaoke and bonfire and Turtle Beach on Sunday for live steel band.

Mr. X's on South Frigate Bay is the official forum link up spot on the island. Lime with the locals and tourists.

I recommend Timothy Beach Resort located on South Frigate Bay. Clean and comfortable rooms with friendly and helpful staff. Reasonably priced too.

You can snorkel near Timothy Beach Resort, Cockleshell, Whitehouse Bay, and Turtle Beach.

If you take the Blue Water Safaris catamaran excursion, they take you snorkeling. www.bluewatersafaris.com

Some websites you might find helpful is www.discover-stkitts-nevis-beaches.com
www.myislands.myeyez.net
www.stkitts-tourism.com

When you are on the island, see if you can locate Oliver Spencer. He is well known and does terrific private tours of the island. He can also take you to some wonderful eco-friendly areas and give you a lot of great info.

BTW - If you see him, tell him that his friends from "Statia" sent you.

Hi Melissa,

You might consider a day trip to Nevis. There's a nice botanical garden on the island that you and your husband might enjoy. My wife and I stayed at the Nisbet Plantation in 2002 and really had a great time.

lizperiera, what a great source of info you are! Thanks very much for all the suggestions. I am printing them out. Have you been to other islands as well? How do you feel the snorkeling on St. Kitts compares to other islands?

I should mention I am only a beginning snorkeler, and only stay out about an hour a day! But hubby gets disappointed if the reefs are so disturbed that there isn't much left to see. We have snorkeled in Hawaii and he wasn't too impressed. He enjoyed snorkeling in the Caribbean more, though that was more than 20 years ago so we aren't even sure where we snorkeled! (It was probably St. Thomas, St. John, or St. Lucia.)

I'm going to look at Timothy Beach Resort...I remember seeing it on tripadvisor.com and maybe in the Fodors guidebook.

A Traveller, I am so frustrated in trying to get this Caribbean trip booked! It's so hard to agree on which island best combines the features we are looking for. You mentioned that snorkeling off St. Kitts is only "average". Which islands would you say have very good off-beach snorkeling (incredible but suitable for a timid beginner who is easily scared out of the water, and her bolder biologist hubby?!)

The problem is, great snorkeling isn't our only criteria, and may perhaps not even be the most important one. We basically need an island that satisfies us both overall.

Probably to my hubby being able to explore some interesting native flora and fauna is more important to him than snorkeling, although good snorkeling is a definite bonus! For me, I want romance, tropical breezes, nice beaches, good local food (not tourist food), a little music/dancing, meeting nice, interesting people...

The huge Marriott on St. Kitts sounds like the kind of place we try to avoid. (Full of complaining "Marriott" people, taking up more room than it's worth, and contributing to the island's danger of becoming overbuilt. That's just our view of things, someone else might disagree.

I can see it coming...is anyone going to ask: What are "Marriot" people? They are the people who don't actually know one island from another, who may never leave the resort. Sometimes they even ask for a day-trip to see the "real" island, if they are feeling very adventurous!!!

To answer your snorkeling question, the best islands for snorkeling, i.e. ones that have an abundance of reefs that are accessible directly "off the beach" as well as other places accessible by boat are: Bonaire (some say this island has the best overall snorkeling in the Caribbean), the British Virgin Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Tobago Cays (in the Grenadines). You'll also find good to very good, but limited quantity) snorkeling off of Anguilla, the Turks & Caicos and off of many of the Bahamas Out Islands.

St. Martin, St. Barths, St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Grenada and the other "volcanic islands" will generally not have great snorkeling when compared to the islands mentioned above. Generally speaking the islands with lush interiors will not have the best snorkeling. Likewise, the islands with great snorkeling won't have the rain forests and high mountains eco-tourists crave.

To help you in finding "your island" make a list of the attributes you want in order of importance. That will help you narrow your choices. In all probability you will have to compromise a bit. It is really difficult to find an island that "has everything".

If I was selecting an island that has a good combination of snorkeling and flora and fauna I'd suggest you look at St. John or Virgin Gorda.

JimC: Thanks for the suggestion of a day-trip to Nevis, I think we would enjoy that.

A Traveller, I see what you are saying, lush volcanic islands vs. great snorkeling islands like Bonaire. I guess, rather than always looking for a "compromise" island, it might be fun to visit a different type of island on each trip.

Melissa:

I have travelled to quite a few islands in the Caribbean for work. (Jamaica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico (I know it's not the Caribbean), Turks & Caicos, Bahamas, Grand Cayman, and Barbados.

I've heard the snorkeling is good in Cozumel and Turks & Caicos.

I'm surprised your husband didn't like snorkeling in Hawaii. I've been to Oahu & Maui and thought it was amazing.

I've also snorkeled off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Now that was amazing!! Nothing can compete with that....

St. Kitts is not known for amazing snorkeling.

Feel free to e-mail me directly if you have any questions.

Hi Melissa,
Definitely avoid the Marriot. It's a big fat behemoth and you can go to San Juan or Miami if that's what you want! I know every island has (maybe needs) hotels like this, but it's not what you go to St. Kitts for.
Well, if you don't mind being off the beach, Rawlins plantation inn is unbeatable, though i;m not sure about your budget. IT;s
one of the most gorgeous places you could imagine. Even if you're not staying there, definitely stop by for their legendary lunch spread. Maybe they'll let you hit some balls on their grass tennis court. Wow!
Ottleys is also great, (although maybe a touch less genteel than Rawlin's) and maybe more convenient to beaches and town. I love the way they built the pool amidst the ruins of an old sugar warehouse. Great imagination.
Maybe you could stay in one of the plantations for a few days and somewhere less expensive on a beach for the other time, to lower the cost.
I know others find Golden Lemon a bit funny, but I think it's also great. Set quirkily in a ramshackle village and right on a beach with snorkeling right there and a nice view of Saba. Owners Arthur and Martin are great hosts.
Hey, don't miss Stonewalls in Basseterre to eat or the Sprat net up toward Sandy POint.
THe Mt. Liamuiga hike is well worth it and Oliver SPencer is a great guide (and an outspoken rebel!). Try to ride horses up into the rainforest too. I did that with my wife and 10-year-old son and it was unforgettable.
There was another boy who went with us so he wouldn't be frightened.
Make sure to take some time to meet some of the regular people and buy em a Carib (or two) by the roadside. The people are St. Kitts' greatest asset!!

Ottley's Plantation is definitely another option. Beautiful grounds and accommodations, delicious meals, and excellent service. They have a complimentary shuttle to the beach.

Another resort I love is Ocean Terrace Inn. Located in Fortlands, five minutes from Basseterre (the capital), it is a small resort where you will receive personalized service. They have a complimentary shuttle to Turtle Beach www.turtlebeach1.com where you can charge drinks and meals to your room.

A lovely B&B is Rock Haven. www.rock-haven.com The owners, Dr. & Mrs. Blake will make you feel like a member of their family and help you book a car rental, rainforest tour, etc.

LIZ

Melissa, we thought the Marriott stood out like a sore thumb on St. Kitts. It seemed so out of place with the feeling of the rest of the island, and we covered the whole island. We stayed at the Timothy Beach Resort and while it's not fancy, it's clean and comfortable and right on the beach. Our visit over a year ago had us concerned when we heard another cruise ship dock was being built, but are hopeful we can make another trip or two that way before the hordes show up. We loved St. Kitts.

Snorkeling in front of the resort was so-so and we have snorkeled in Hawaii, the Caribbean and just recently the Whitsunday Islands in Australia. By far, in our experience, the water in Australia blows everything else away, and the coral was gorgeous (where we were) but not as many fish as our experiences in Hawaii. The water in the Caribbean and Australia seemed much warmer than Hawaii though so we stayed in much, much longer.

St.Kitts is a friendly island and a cold Carib on the beach can't be beat.

Liz and tripster: Thank you so much for chatting with me about the Caribbean. I am so frustrated right now! I think it's because there are so many islands, research is more confusing than ever...

I am island-hopping in my research, help!

Liz, how did you feel TURKS & CAICOS compared to ST. KITTS? In terms of development (over-development being "bad" in my view); natural beauty; friendliness of locals; having their own "culture" (instead of just seeming "American", which can happen sometimes when islands are over-touristed by USA tourists!) Prices? Good local food? Nature?

I have tried to zero in on places to stay, thinking maybe I could choose the island by my attraction to the accomodations! Ahhh! Backwards! Finding it hard to balance such conflicting things like beautiful sandy beach; good snorkeling beach with great under-water life close to shore; good local food; very comfortable accomodations which are not too "American" but also with comforts like good beds, good showers, either a breeze with fans or air conditioning that works...We tend to like memorable places to stay which have a local feel and yet provide comforts and friendly service. Good locations, like on a good beach or near a rainforest, always help.

Anyway I came up with some ideas. Maybe I could stay on St. Kitts and divide our time between TIMOTHY BEACH RESORT and either RAWLINS Plantaton Inn or OTTLEY'S Plantation Inn...which one? We will have a car if that matters...

Maybe this is a total coincidence and means nothing, but there sure are a lot of complainers on tripadvisor complaining about picky things at Ottleys, makes me wonder what sort of guests we'd have to put up with! Several people complained about things which I think can't be helped, hey, this is the Caribbean, like electricity going out (not like that was planned purposely!!) and nobody being friendly (hello! the reviewer doesn't sound like anybody I would want to be friendly to either)! Anyway if you have visited Ottleys maybe you could tell me the feeling you had about it? (sometimes Tripadvisor is very accurate, but other times it can lead you astray, I know that for sure.)

OR we could spend time on both St. Kitts and Nevis...but where to stay on Nevis? A plantation inn? Not sure why it seems so difficult to find a nice place on a beach which is around $350 a night or less in February..And which doesn't look so crowded, like the Four Seasons photo on Nevis shows many lounge chairs on the beach all lined up next to each other...yikes, not enough privacy.

I cannot quite figure out St. Kitts. I have been to Kaui and Maui in the last few years, and in the distant past (over 20 years ago) we visited Dominica, St. Thomas, St. John's day-trip, St. Lucia. Is St. Kitts like any of those islands? We liked Kaui better than Maui, although Maui is well-suited for a splurgy wedding anniversary trip, which is what we were celebrating.

I thought St. John's was beautiful 20 years ago, but hubby the biologist complains that all the native vegetation was cut down years ago and replanted with something else...He is always hunting for native flora and fauna wherever he goes.

Liz, now I will have to check out Rock Haven and Ocean Terrace Inn, thank you so much for putting up with me! You seem to know St. Kitts very well (and I think we can consider you a local.) Where would you recommend that we stay, to get the best balance between these 3 desires: Authentic St. Kitts atmosphere; Friendlines of hosts/owners/staff; and Comfort. (What I mean by comfort is...comfty beds, decent showers, clean and not moldy rooms (allergies); and we love being able to sleep with the windows open (screened windows if there are bugs), and let the natural breezes in. This would be February...of course if its unbearably hot, and only then, would we turn on the air conditioner. Or would you suggest we divide our time between 2 places?

Hubby is still trying to talk me into returning to Dominica, although he is also very open to St. Kitts. Wish I could make up "our" mind!

Coral Sands hotel on Turks & Caicos looks nice, although it seems to be on an island that might be over-developed, it's hard to tell...I think it's on Providenciales?

On Dominica the Beau Rive looks like a terrific place to stay although remote. I was thinking we could divide our time between the BEAU Rive and one of the diving hotels near Rosseau (because they would take us snorkeling.)

But St. Kitts looks good too!

Thanks everybody.

tripster: hey, I'd love to meet some of the "regular people" and buy them a Carib...as soon as you tell me what's a carib. Sounds like fun. Must be a local drink...a beer?

inthechips2: Thanks for your view on St. Kitts, Timothy's, and how it compares with Hawaii, which gives me a frame of reference.

Yes, I too am concerned about that second cruise ship dock for St. Kitts! We plan to go to Australia someday too, where did you find the best snorkeling?

It is disappointing to me that the snorkeling in front of Timothy's (St. Kitts) was so-so (for you, compared to other islands.) One thing that's making it difficult to plan this vacation is hubby's main concern, besides spending romantic time with me, is that the island have some intact native flora and fauna for him. (biologist) But for me, that's NOT the main concern, I want romance, a memorable place to stay that feels authentic, and good snorkeling would be nice but it's not what I live for or anything...on Maui I only stayed in the water snorkeling about an hour or two max in the morning and I would grow tired of swimming!

I do enjoy a nice beach walk, and adore dining on the beach or dining with an ocean view. We love finding tasty local food.

Okay, time to get some other things done here! Thanks for your input.

Melissa5, you mention a limit of $350 a night but it will cost you much more than that at Ottley's or Rawlins in February. Turks and Caicos have beautiful beaches but it doesn't have much in the way of flora, fauna, or hiking trails. I think that the suggestions of Rock Haven, Bird Rock, Ocean Terrace Inn or Timothy Beach Resort will better meet your budget, while satisfying most of your other requirements.

Laby, if some nights cost more than $350 a night, I could balance that if other nights cost less than $350 a night. Also might consider getting a package deal from AAA, and sometimes you get a better deal that way.

A split vacation between Ottley's or Rawlins and one of the less expensive beachside inns sounds delightful. It would give you the best of St. Kitts, the quiet beauty (and first class cuisine) of the inland plantation resort and the beach life where you'll experience more of the local scene (with all the great restaurants) and have a chance to snorkel. St. Kitts is a great destination for hiking and exploring nature. I'm sure you'll have a great time!

Melissa ..... Seriously look into Tobago . It HAS the amazingly diverse flora and fauna . It HAS incredible snorkelling and diving . It HAS beautiful beaches AND beachside hotels . It is NOT overdevelloped . It has retained a distinct culture ..... Beachside hotels , hiking , snorkelling , amazing flora and fauna ( with a unique history in that aspect ) . Small inns , weekly hop-ups , take a look !!!

The reason we picked St. Kitts was precisely for the fact it is more of a volcanic island and has lush, tropical, greenery. It looked like Turks and Caicos for instance is quite dry, which didn't appeal to us. A little too desert-like for us.

We really liked the beach bars in close proximity to TBR (especially the Monkey Bar at sunset!) and the long expanse of quiet beach. The Caribbean side where we stayed was much calmer during our early December visit than the Atlantic side (where the Marriott sits).

If St. Kitts compares to any of the Hawaiian islands, my thought would be Kauai. Kauai is greener and lusher than some parts of Maui and the Big Island and a lot less crowded than Maui (unless you end up in Kapa'a at the wrong time of day !) Kauai is more of a "locals" island, so in that respect is more like St. Kitts which seems to want tourism but really isn't overwhelmed by it (thankfully for us).

We just returned from 3 weeks in Australia and spent four nights at Brampton Island in the Whitsundays, off of Mackay. The water was indescribable there - over 82F and gorgeous, almost unreal turquoise blue, much bluer than anywhere we've seen in Hawaii and seemed to be bluer than anywhere we've seen in the Caribbean too (although we have a lot more islands to cover there!). Have only snorkeled there, as our last visit was eons ago and we had little money and not enough to even snorkel with (we were just kids then!). Lots of great coral and fish, but didn't seem to be the variety of fish we've seen in Hawaii.

If you go, get yourself a bucket of Caribs on the beach - 6 for $5 or something like that. It's the local beer and it sure goes down fast on a hot day at the beach. Good luck on the decision making. I find that planning a trip is almost always half the fun of going!

Good luck

Laby (and fodorites): If I split our vacation between Timothy's Beach resort on St. Kitts and one of the plantation inns, it could be either a plantation inn on St. Kitts or Nevis. Which one should I choose? They all look good!!! Anybody have a suggestion? Laby, thanks for your ideas.

Faithie: Thanks for trying to help. How do you draw a cross-eyed face? ;! I'm cross-eyed from considering all these islands...Help!

inthechips2: Can I have that bucket of carribs right now, please?! Thanks for comparing St. Kitts to Kauai, that helps a bit. I talked to hubby the biologist and we are thinking it might be good to split our time between Timothy Beach resort and one of the plantation inns, but which one? (It looks like the plantation inns are the same price on Nevis and St. Kitts anyway, so does anybody have a vote for any particular one on either island?) They all look good to me!

Brampton Island, Australia with 82 degree water sounds fantastic! Have to put that in my Australia file...

Can anybody compare Nevis to St. Kitts by the way? Thanks everyone!

You will choose the right place in the end Melissa !! They all sound interesting , and we all learn from the great advice !!!

Melissa5, thank you for your kind comments. I really love how you take the time to thank everyone who offers suggestion.

If you're going to split your time between Timothy Beach Resort and a plantation inn on either St. Kitts or Nevis, I would choose Ottley's on St. Kitts. I'm not sure how long your vacation is but it would be a lot of work (and probably a lost day) if you were to travel with all of your suitcases to Nevis and then back again for your return flight. If you split your time between TBR and a St. Kitts plantation inn, you'll only need to take a cab ride (or use your rental car) to your new hotel. If you're intent on seeing Nevis during your vacation, you can always take the ferry or an inter-island cruise for a day trip and you won't need to carry all your luggage with you.

I looked into staying at Ottley's and Rawlins for our next trip and found that Ottley's is a bit more modern and luxurious and a few hundred dollars cheaper (for a week's stay). If I were to stay at a St. Kitts plantation inn, I'd pick Ottley's. You can always then visit Rawlins for one of their famous luncheon buffets.

I posted a reply to your other question regarding the difference between the Plantation Inns on Nevis and St. Kitts. Briefly, the Inns on both islands are comparable in size and levels of service. You can check that post for the details.

I have a slightly different take on you dilemma than Laby - since you are planning to spend some time at Timothy Beach consider spending the second part of your stay on Nevis. That way you'll have adequate time to experience 2 different islands rather than spend only a day on one of them. Regardless of which Inn you select you'll find it an enjoyable stay - the each have their own unique appeal. Pick the one that best fits your budget - after all you'll be spending most of your time either exploring the island or sleeping. Based on what you've been writting in your various posts it appears that in the overall scheme of things, the attractions of the island (flora, fauna, hiking trails, etc.) rather than the actual room you are staying in are what is important to you and your husband.

Try not to get so stressed out, after all you are planning a vacation trip.

Decisions, decisions.....

I was only in Turks & Caicos for one night on business. Visited Beaches and Allegro Resort. Beaches were beautiful, but I've heard from clients that it is expensive to eat (most people go all inclusive) and it is a very quiet island and no shopping.

If you go to St. Kitts and want to stay in a Plantation I recommend Ottley's. Sent honeymooners last year and they loved it! In Nevis I'd recommend Nisbett Plantation.

For authentic St. Kitts, friendly staff, comfortable and clean rooms I'd recommend Ocean Terrace Inn.

My father is a Kittian, and I have been going to St. Kitts since I was a child so I feel like a local.

BTW, a Carib is the local beer. They have an excellent local rum called Brimley Gold.

St. Kitts-Nevis is the Caribbean's best kept secret. See it before it becomes too commercialized.

Many people find Nevis is quieter than St. Kitts. Both are beautiful islands.

www.nevisisland.com

Melissa:

You should become a member of www.myislands.myeyez.net

Lots of St. Kitts-Nevis fans who would be happy to answer your questions.

faithie, thanks for your vote of confidence in me.

Laby: Thanks for your thought on St. Kitts and Nevis plantation inns. Ottleys does seem to come with a lot of recommendations It is also one of the "fodors choice" places. I can see what you are saying...we will only have about a week in the Caribbean in February, so I will need to give some thought to whether it's worth the trouble of flying into St. Kitts, staying somewhere like Timothy's, moving to Nevis, staying there, then having to get back to St. Kitts again to fly home...probably even with an overnight being necessary in St. Kitts. Perhaps it is easier to just do a day-trip over to Nevis, I'll have to give this some thought. (Some very fast thought! I am anxious to book soon.)

Sunnyboy: I am getting quite stressed out planning my Caribbean vacation, you are right. Maybe because I am planning 2 vacations at once...also finishing making arrangements for our family trip June 2006 to Ireland, plus Christmas holidays are coming...Ahhh! More holidays! More stress!

I do think ideally it would be fun to have one hotel on each island. Since the plantation inns are about the same price I thought it made sense. But it's hard to say whether it would seem like a hassle or not, given that this is only a 1-week trip. I think the decision would be easier if we could just fly back home to the USA from Nevis, but we have to get back to St. Kitts anyway for the flight to Miami...

Anyway thanks for the sympathetic vibrations, sunnyboy. I would say for hubby the attractions of the island are way more important than the room...for me, they are probably about equally important.

Liz: Okay, that's it, I'm narrowing the platation inn list down to Ottley's or Nisbetts...whew! That makes it look a lot shorter! Thanks for the suggestion. That's 3 votes for Ottleys, if you count "fodors choice" as a vote.

Wait, you are also recommending Ocean Terrace on St. Kitts over Timothy's Beach resort, as more suitable to our needs? I haven't looked at Ocean Terrace yet. Authentic St. Kitts, friendly staff, comfortable and clean rooms, you say. That's what we like. (The plantation inn will provide the touch of luxury which I also enjoy but hubby doesn't need, but he'll put up with it, the poor long-suffering man... One of my favorite things to do on vacation is to stay in one place that pampers me, and then to stay in another one which is memorable for it's authentic local atmosphere and the friendly "real" folks you meet.

Thanks for all the info, Liz. I am going to see King Kong tonight so I will check out your links tomorrow!

EEEk, what a face! I have no idea where that portrait of the long-suffering man came from in my post to Liz above!

Have you thought about staying the first leg of your vacation in Nevis, then heading back to St Kitts for the last part? Seems like it would be less hassle on your departing day.

Ocean Terrace Inn (OTI) is not located on the beach. It is a small resort and rooms are clean and comfortable.

Timothy Beach Resort (TBR) on the other hand is located on the beach (only hotel on the Caribbean side) and has rooms with kitchen facilities.

Both have friendly staff and comfortable accommodations.

I prefer TBR because it is located near the beach bars where you can dance under the stars, enjoy a cold Carib beer or "Ting", see the vervet monkeys, do some watersports, and just relax.

The Marriott is down the street if you want to gamble or play golf.

brenandg, maybe you're right, it might be better to do Nevis first and St. Kitts last because of the flight situation. (Unless we choose to spend the whole time on St. Kitts.) The only problem is, then we would be doing the more luxurious accomodations first, and the more moderate accomodations last. Might be better to do it the other way around... Thanks for your suggestions.

skgfan, I appreciate the details on advantages of Timothy's beach resort. It sounds like the right choice for us...dancing under the stars and having a Carrib at a beach bar that we can walk to...what could be better? Do these beach bars attract a variety of age groups? Hubby and I are getting close to our fun fifties. Would we fit in or is it a younger crowd?

I also have heard from a few people who have enjoyed snorkeling right out from the beach at Timothy's beach resort. I enjoyed this in Maui, at the Maui Prince resort, walking right out to our beach and snorkeling. Hubby saw a turtle, I missed him.

So I've got it narrowed down to Timothy's and Ottley's on St. Kitts; OR Timothy's on St. Kitts and Nisbett's on Nevis. (Is that a tongue-twister or did I spell something wrong?)

But Dominica is still a possibility though.

does anybody know what this means: Supposedly you can get a non-stop flight from Miami to St. Kitts...does this mean literally the plane takes off in Miami and doesn't land til it gets to St. Kitts, or does it stop in San Juan for refueling or something?

Alternatively, to get to Dominica, you definitely have to chance planes on one of the islands, there is no "non-stop" flight.

Thanks!

We're making our first trip to St. Kitts/Nevis in a few weeks. First four nights at Timothy Beach Resort and last three Oaullie on Nevis. We're also flying into St. Kitts and home from Nevis.

If the flight you are on from Miamia is a "Non-Stop" than you will take off from MIA and land in SKB with no stops in between. FYI in airline parlance - if the planes had an intermediate stop, in say San Juan, and you continued on to you final destination on the same plane) then that would be called a "Direct Flight". If you had to change planes at the intermediate stop that 's called a "Connecting Flight"

The flight from Miami to St. Kitts is non-stop. (usually on Wednesday's and Saturday's)

You'll find all ages at Mr. X's Shiggidy Shack (mostly over 30)

Jean H:

You'll love St. Kitts & Nevis. (Two of my favourite islands)

I'm sure you'll enjoy both accommodations. Be sure to visit the fun beach bars located down from TBR.

Post a Trip Report when you return.

A_Traveller, thanks for the airline lingo info! You're great, it helps a lot with our decision to know that the Miami flight to St. Kitts really is non-stop as in plane doesn't land anywhere else. I don't like flying and this is a big help to me in the decision. The fewer stops the better.

Skbfan, thanks for confirming about the non-stop flight from Miami to St. Kitts, I'll be sure to plan the trip accordingly to get that scheduled. Mr. X's Shiggidy Shack has a great name...what is "Shiggidy" ? It sounds like a cool dance to me! I appreciate you giving me a report that the guests are generally over 30...we're getting a little old to be hanging out with a crowd the age of our daughters, who are still in college! (I love young adults, their energy and enthusiasm is wonderful, but we feel more comfortable in a group of mixed ages.)

JeanH, have a great trip, and post a trip report please! How did you choose your islands?

Here is a hard question for non-biologists to answer. But if anybody has a clue I'd appreciate your viewpoint. Hubby is a biologist and is always hoping to find areas which are basically un-touched by man, undisturbed, have never been chopped down and replanted by man...These areas are getting fewer in the world...They are his favorite areas... Does St. Kitts and Nevis have some of these areas?

They would be areas where native flora and fauna are still flourishing. Did you know that the monkeys you see on St. Kitts were introduced by man? I didn't know that. Hubby told me that.

Dominica is a biologist's dream, having large areas never disturbed by man...But we like to exlore new islands we have never tried before. The decision is between a return to Dominica or explore a new island, St. Kitts...We're leaning towards St. Kitts. Have to book soon or there won't be any rooms left for February.

The biology thing, searching for paradise, is hubby's thing...I try to share his dream. but really I like some civilization with dancing, music, fun local restaurants, etc. so we try to combine our interests on vacation!

I have been following your post for several days. I have not been to Dominica, but we were in St. Kitts and Nevis this past summer. While in St. Kitts, we took a rainforest tour with O'Neill and were very pleased with the hike. We had done one in Guadeloupe and this trail (in St. Kitts) is much more natural and unspoiled by humans. We did stay at the Marriott, which was lovely, but it didn't "go" with the rest of the island. In Nevis we stayed at Oualie Beach Hotel and had a great time. Two totally different islands, experiences and hotels. Oualie was clean and the rooms were fine...just bare bones (IMHO)!! The service there was excellent and the food at their hotel is superb....Thanks, Chef Jason!! We visited the 4S in Nevis and it was a beautiful place. Lots of activity. We took cabs everywhere and they were not that $. Next time...hopefully in June when school is out for me...we would rent a car. Driving is not difficult. EVERYONE was kind on each island. Have fun!! Don't stress too much about your decision. Liz, MIM04 and Sunnyboy offer excellent advice.

iw, thanks for sharing your experience on the rainforest trail in St. Kitts. It sounds like you had a fun trip with some variety!

I have posted a question about the new, longer cruise pier which was slated for completion at end of 2005, according to fodors 2005 guidebook. It is a dismaying thought that if this second pier is finished, it will bring even more day-tripping people to St. Kitts...We were hoping for a nice time on a relatively unspoiled island. Does anybody know if this pier was finished, and if it has brought more crowds to the area around Timothy's beach resort? Thanks!

About the monkeys , I did know that ,. Supposedly the Green Monkeys in
Barbados are native , as are the Red Howlers in Trinidad .....

And I know I keep repeating it but Tobago has flora and fauna untouched by man , actually has the same flora and fauna ( more closely related )as South America as opposed to the rest of the Caribbean , I think Thats pretty cool , and makes the vegetation pretty darn old !!! ( attatched to south America etc.)Oldest protected rainforest in Western Hemisphere .

Thanks for the help everybody! I have made a decision and decided we will go to St. Kitts with a day-trip to Nevis...that is, if there is room availability for our dates! I found both Timothy's beach resort and Ottley's plantation inn in one of the travel packages my favorite AAA travel agent gave me. I decided to have her try to book it for us, since I'm really busy right now...gotta get out and finish shopping for Christmas with my daughters who are home from college! Keeping my fingers crossed about the room availability...

Have a wonderful time on your trip! Please let us know how it goes.

Melissa, We sort of chose St. Kitts/Nevis by process of elimination. We try and visit one new destination per year. Last year it was Panama. Anyway, we want lush and green, not flat and arid. I'd rather stay at small locally owned properties, resorts generally aren't our first choice.

We went to Grenada a couple years ago, enjoyed it, St. Kitts and Nevis sound somewhat similar, if less populated.

I really think our hearts and minds have been captured by Central America though. Next new destination is Nicaragua.....

Melissa, I've been following your various postings with both amusement and sympathy, as I went through a similar situation trying to plan a trip for my husband and our granddaughter, and each of us had different priorities. With every new piece of information I started going in a new direction...it's hard when you're the planner and thus responsible for other folks' happiness on the trip.

I'm glad you've chosen a place--for your own peace of mind. SKB and NEV are both wonderful and I feel that you and your husband will enjoy them.

For future trips with the same requirements, I would like to recommend Guana Island, which is part of the British Virgin Islands. It's a small, private island resort but it's also a nature preserve where biologists from around the world go to study various forms of flora and fauna.

It's too pricey for your wants in the winter, but their summer prices are much better, and they include all meals and most of your beverages, so that evens the pricing out a bit. It's got hiking trails all over the island in various degrees of difficulty, snorkeling is great off shore, there are a handful of beaches on the island (some of which you can only get to by hiking or by boat). They grow much of their own food organically, bake their own breads daily, and serve freshly-caught seafood.

It's not a place where you can mingle with locals, as nobody lives on the island, but you could split time between there and Tortola for a perfect blend of romantic solitude and being social with locals and like-minded travelers. Check it out at www.guana.com or look for travel packages on Luxury Link. It's an amazing place!

Laby, thanks for the good wishes, I'll definitely let you know how the trip to St. Kitts goes.

JeanH, I agree, you usually get nice atmosphere when staying in locally owned properties. Loved Costa Rica by the way, but Nicaragua is too scary for me. Isn't travelling great? Wishing you happy aventures wherever you head this year.

ejcrowe, okay, I'll keep Guana island and Tortola in mind for a future trip. British virgin islands were on our list, but you're right they are sure expensive in February. I think it's great you got to travel with you granddaughter, and I totally understand about different people with different priorities, and trying to put it all together. Happy future travels.

Okay I actually booked a package with 3 nights at Timothy's beach resort and 3 nights at Ottley's plantation inn, both on St. Kitts...and it's almost February! Any advice anyone wants to add about what to pack, what to wear to dinner, or more advice about food/activities is welcome! Thanks everybody for the help.

I think the more complicated research is that hubby (biologist) needs to figure out where he wants to hike and how to get there...(We will rent a car.)

Oh yeah...any advice about best rental car places?

Melissa, try not to plan you vacation down to the last detail - leave some room for spontaneous things and you'll enjoy your trip that much more.

As far as clothing is concerned, at Otley's (and any other upscale dining place) for dinner you'll need either a sundress, skirt & blouse or pants and blouse. You husband will need a pair of Kakahis or Dockers, a collard shirt (golf shirts are OK) and closed toe shoes (boat shoes will be just fine). For casual dining shorts and t-shirts are acceptable. Since you are going in February you might want to bring a light cover-up in case it gets cool in the evenings.

For fine dining try Marshall's. For casual lunch or dinner try Spratnet, Ballyhoo or the Circus Grill. Golden Lemon has good food and Rawlins Plantation severs a very good West Indian Buffet at lunch (call ahead for reservations).

You'll fine conact information for rental cars in my response to your post on that subject.

Have a great trip.

Sunnyboy, thanks for all the advice. Okay I will tell hubby he needs closed-toed shoes for dinner at Ottley's, but what are boat shoes?

Also what about women, can women wear sandals to dinner? (Not beach flips, I mean sandals that you would wear with a sundress.)

Yes women can wear sandals (not flip-flops or Tevas).

Boat shoes are oiled leather "loafers" with a crepe sole that are "non-slip" on wet oat decks. They are a casual shoe that is equally at home on the beach, on the boat, while walking in town or dining in Caribbean restaurants. Almost everybody down here has a pair. They are available in every shoe store or over the internet. Look for manufacturers such as Sperry, Top Siders, Timberland, Docksiders, and a host of others. etc.

Hi, Sunnyboy--I wanted to share with you a chuckle I had when reading your post just now. You know you're a Southern girl if when you read the phrase "collard shirt", you first think, "There's a special shirt for eating collard greens?" rather than "oh, a collared shirt." I'm so glad you made that typo so that I can have a private chuckle to myself all day long. And as always, good advice for Melissa. Thanks!

To ejcrowe - your quip gave me a good laugh. I'm not sure what's worse, my typing or my spelling. Either way it sometimes makes for interesting reading.

Sunnyboy and ejcrowe: I of course knew that Sunnyboy meant hubby would need shirts the color of collard greens. Assuming that collard greens are green, I have been shopping for green shirts for hubby to wear at Ottley's. Green is actually hubby's favorite color, but I am wondering how I will tell him apart from the other Ottley's male guests who will also be wearing Collard Green.

Thanks everybody for the great tips and also for the fun!

(Sunnyboy don't feel bad, I have written some quite funny things totally innocently...in the Ireland section on tripadvisor, I posted a question about wanting to sleep someplace with some Irish character...OOps! Didn't quite come out right, as someone pointed out...)

You know, though I'm a a bit of a grammar hound, I find myself making all kinds of mistakes when I type versus writing something out longhand. I know I've used "their" and "there" incorrectly in my typing, though I wouldn't do so in writing. Isn't it funny how our fingers are sometimes more in tune with our ears and the way words sound than with actually getting the words write? Er, right?

Melissa, I'm sure your husband will be quite handsome in his Collard Green shirt. Have a great time in St. Kitts!

ejcrowe, thanks, I'm sure we'll enjoy St. Kitts.

Help! Leaving for St. Kitts soon. You all have been great. Can you remind me where we can go on a Saturday night and a Sunday night in February for music, dancing, and a friendly crowd where all ages fit in? (We are over 40...)

We are spending our first 3 nights at Timothy's Beach Resort on St. Kitts. Arriving on a Saturday afternoon but we won't have a car til the next morning. Will either have to walk or get a taxi for Saturday night fun.

The next day, Sunday, we will have a car. Will still be staying at Timothy's. Heard they have a steel band on Turtle Beach on Sunday night...is that the best place to go on Sunday night? How far is Turtle beach from Timothy's? A short drive?

I read somewhere that on either Saturday or Sunday night there's a place with fun music and dancing, where they have freshly-caught fish on a table and you pick out your dinner. I heard it's casual but really good and locals enjoy it too. But I can't remember where I saw this...anybody heard of it? Anybody have details on this?

Our last 3 nights are at Ottley's on St. Kitts. Our package doesn't include any food. Suggestions for dinner or evening fun? (We will have a car. Will have at least one dinner at Ottley's.)

Many thanks! I'll post a trip report when I return.

Hi Melissa,

Mr. X's Shiggidy Shack (crawling distance from Timothy Beach resort) has a fun Saturday night with kaorake (sp?). I highly recommend it - lots of locals including vet students. I plan on being there myself this Saturday night. What date do you arrive? The other place you might be referring to is Sprat-Net - very casual with fresh lobster. You would have to check their hours, I'm not sure about Saturday night and it is a $40 cab ride (return) from Timothy's. For your first night there, I'd stick close by and just walk over to the Shiggidy Shack. Have fun!

Nancy

Mr. X's Shiggidy now has a website. www.mrxshiggidyshack.com

I just returned from a week in St. Kitts doing hotel and restaurant inspections.

Timothy Beach was great. Had room 32, one bedroom unit with full kitchen and livingroom. View of the pool and on the ground floor.

Staff are friendly and helpful. Enjoyed breakfast at Sunset Cafe.

Saw Ottley's Plantation as well. It is THE best resort on the island. The real caribbean! Karen, the owner, is great and will ensure you enjoy your stay. The grounds are beautiful and the rooms are amazing. Perfect spot for stressed out professionals.

You can read my reviews at www.myislands.myeyez.net

Have a great time in St. Kitts!

Melissa, I wish I could write at greater length (and reply to the various postings to your original query). And I hope you get this! No, snorkeling isn't terribly good on St. Kitts. You might try calling the lovely Barbara Whitman, a marine biologist who runs Under the Sea on Nevis at Oualie Beach, wwww.underthesea.com 869/469-1291). She'll know the best spots on both islands.

And I must contradict those who claim volcanic islands don't offer good snorkeling. Dominica does (though granted, many reefs are further out). Statia does. Montserrat does. And that's a jewel -- don't be afraid of the still-active volcano. Ironically, the rich soil has enabled various flora and fauna to flourish, including several rare indigenous species that might intrigue your hubby.

Wish I could go on, but have to write about St. Kitts & Nevis, Puerto Rico, Washington wine for various publications... HAVE FUN!!!!