parisandelle

Nevis is on my radar for a family holiday next August. Has anyone gone there with children (ages 4, 14, 14). I was looking at the Four Seasons. Has anyone stayed there and done the meal plan? How does it work? We do not have to stay at the Four Seasons, but somewhere with loads of amenities. Is there enough to do to keep them from getting bored for 7 - 10 days? Also, any divers out there? My husband would love to dive. Thanks!

StanKase

It is ideal for a family vacation. We took the meal plan on out 2 visits and went off it the last 2 nights to eat at local restaurants. Unless they changed the Exec. Chef and Head Chef from late 2005 the food was very good, but not gourmet. But, we found the food to be among the best trsort food in the Caribbean of the mid-size resorts maybe with the exception of Anguilla. Itr is true that Biras Creek and Peter Island and maybe Jumby Bay may be better but I would not really call those resorts to be family resorts.

Rumrita1

There is diving in Nevis - it's just not nearly as good as other Caribbean islands though. Only did 3 days of diving during our week vacation. We stayed at the Oualie hotel, and our boat would pick up divers from the Four Seasons.

http://www.scubanevis.com/diving.php

There are some good casual restaurants down the beach from the Four Seasons - be sure to check them out. Sunshine's (must have his signature drink the "killer bee&quot and the Golden Rock -excellent lobster sandwich and fries.

A_Traveller

Four Seasons, Nevis is a terrific resort for families. They have an excellent children's program (your children are at the right ages). There are lots of "on-resort" activities to keep your children occupied and there are plenty of "off-resort" places that would interest them, such as rain forest hikes, old sugar mill ruins to explore, the Admiral Nelson Museum, the Museum of Nevis and beachcombing, to name a few activities. Also, have them spend some time at Under the Sea - it's run by a marine biologist and your children wll be fasinated by what they learn about the ocean environment.

As for diving, there are some sites in and around Nevis but it is far from being a diver's paradise.

Regarding the meal plan - food at Four Seasons is pricey so being on the plan may be to your advantage if you are going to spend a great deal of time at the resort. As StanKase says the food at the 4S is very good but there are several other restaurants on the island where the food is just as good or better. There are also plenty of places with local cusine where you can get tasty more moderately priced meals - a don't forget all the beach bars for a change of pace. I personally never take a meal plan unless the resort I'm staying at
is so far off the beaten path (not the case with the 4S) that it would create a hardship to find "off-resort dining". One thing you should consider before making your decision about the meal plan is the timing of your trip. August is "off-season" and a number of the local restaurants may be closed or operating only certain days of the week.

StanKase

It turns out that St. Kitts has better snorkeling, not great though, and better diving. A few guests had gotten together and chartered a 30 ft. power boat for 4 hours and snorkeled for 2 hours around St. Kitts. It was worth ot but it is not St. John, B.V.I.'s, Grenadines or even Grand Cayman.Hope this clarifies it a little more for you. If you stay for 10 days they will let the 4 yr. old be gratis on meals and you only need the MAP not the FAP, it is too much food and ~$25 less/person. The breakfast buffet is great and if you eat at 9 you can survive easily on 2 granola bars until a 6:30 dinner. Some folks grab an apple and/or banana at breakfast to have in the afternoon. It is not frowned upon. The folks that load up on muffins,etc. are few in my experience at 8 or 9 FS resorts.

Alwaysvacationing

Went to Nevis with our two daughters ages 13 and 16 in January of 2005. No other kids there at the time so they were bored to death. If you are going in summer you may have better luck. The resort was great (probably best in Carribean as Conde Nast and Travel and Leisure polls also suggest). Beach is Atlantic coast Florida quality and not nearly as nice as Jamaican or Virgin Island Beaches. Safe fun island though. The four seasons is a 60 second walk from Sunshines Bar which is a fun place for adults but probably not for teenagers. Great place to rent a jeep and explore. Miss Junes restuarant (really her house) was the most incredible meal I have ever had.