Belated honeymoon/getaway - St. Lucia vs. Nevis
 

Hi there - new to this forum.
My husband and I just got married last month and due to our schedules (he's a teacher/coach and I'm in grad school) we're not able to take a 'honeymoon' until mid-December 2010. After doing some light research on here and Trip Advisor, I keep being drawn back to both St. Lucia and Nevis, but wanted some help from those who've been as to which one might fit best with our personalities. First off, our number one goal is to relax. We're both avid readers and I can't imagine anything better than lounging beach/poolside with a pile of pleasure reading that I'm not able to enjoy during the school year while sipping a nice cold one. However, my husband's capacity for relaxation far exceeds mine and it would be nice to be within easy access to areas to explore - both natural and cultural. We're not adrenaline junkies by any means but hiking, snorkeling/scuba, fishing, etc are right up our alley. We wouldn't mind staying somewhere with the option to have some, but not all meals included worry-free, but we'll both try anything once and would love to check out some local spots. Shopping and night-life rank last in importance while avoiding cruise-liner congestion and enjoying each other's company is key. I'd say we're in the $$ to $$$ price range but would like to keep the per night rate close to $200-400 depending on what's included.

Whew.... sorry for the novel. Any/all advice is appreciate. Thanks!

You can find just about everything you are seeking on both islands. While neither island is noted for its snorkeling St. Lucia has slightly better snorkeling if you are planning to stay in the area around the Pitons.

The biggest difference is St. Lucia is a much larger island (you probably wouldn't be able to see "everything" during a normal week's stay). Nevis, on the other hand, is much smaller but has plenty of things to see and do - you can hike to the top of Nevis Peak or through several rainforests, explore old ruins of Sugar Plantations and old fortresses, visit the Admiral Nelson Museum, and a host of other places of interest. You are also in close proximity of St. Kitts (a short ferry ride) whee you can go for an easy day trip.

In your price range on Nevis check out Oualie Beach Resort (if you want to stay beachfront) or Hermitage Inn or Mount Nevis Hotel if you want to stay up on the mountainside.

Check out Nisbet Plantation Beach Club on Nevis. Perfect for a relaxing honeymoon and one of our favorites! Breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner included in the price so might be in your price range, especially if you go before the higher holiday/winter rates.

Having visited both, my preference by far would be Nevis, seconding the vote for Nisbet Plantation (which seems pricey but for the fact that all but lunch is included in the room rate). While St. Lucia has more dramatic scenery, driving around can be quite challenging; Nevis is plenty scenic with easier driving. The key difference, to me, is that the people on Nevis are a lot more open and friendly. That could be a result of not having to entertain cruise ship visitors very often. Neither island has especially beautiful beaches, but if you stay at Nisbet, you'll be staying on one of the best in Nevis.

Nisbet is a very nice property but their rates (for their lowest priced room) in December are above OP's upper limit of $400/night but as eileen pointed out it does include breakfast, dinner and afternoon tea. In early December the room rate is $415/night plus 20% for tax and service. The rate goes up around December 15 as that becomes High Season (last year's HS rate for the lowest priced room was $625/night plus the tax & service.

That's why I suggested Oualie Beach Resort where the least expensive room in early December is $215/night plus the same 20% tax & service charge. If you go after December 17 the rate goes up to $325/night. FYI - there most expensive room is only $270/night in Low season and $360/night in High season - well within OP's budget.

My wife and I greatly enjoyed Nisbet Plantation Beach Cub when we visited last July. It's a terrific venue for a romantic interlude and service is spectacular without being cloying or obtrusive. As to Saint Lucia, although I have never been, my daughter stayed at Ti Kaye last June and had a wonderful time. From my readings and her description, it's a tad more rustic than Nisbet and the cuisine and service may be a notch or two lower, but it would be less expensive than Nisbet. Another property to research, anyway.

If you're traveling before Dec. 15th, you'll save money on room rates, generally.

We've stayed at the Hermitage three time, and it's a lovely inn at the edge of the rain forest, a close drive to beaches and other restaurants. Some days we've just stayed and hung out by the pool, relaxing all day and reading. Renting a car is easy in Nevis, and I recommend it, no matter where you stay.

You may want to consider renting a villa. You wouldn't have hotel services, but you'd probably have a pool and a lovely house with plenty of quiet time. Nevis is small and no place is far. If you're interested in a house, www.nevis1.com has a great selection of villa rentals. Renting would also make your budget go further.

I only visited St. Lucia briefly many years ago. It is a beautiful island, but much larger than Nevis. Nevis can be mastered easily in a week, without feeling as though you've been rushed.

Congratulations on your marriage and good luck choosing your destination!

Hiking on Nevis in search of the Vervet monkeys is awesome.
The food is so good and they serve a lot of fresh locally grown vegetables.
We have been to both St Lucia and Nevis and Nevis is one of our favorite islands. It sounds as though you would enjoy it as well.

Thanks everyone - I'm totally hooked on Nevis. Now just trying to decide on when to go - most everywhere is booked during the Christmas break for US schools so thinking of switching our trip to Thanksgiving/3rd week of November. Should we be concerned since this is during the end of hurricane season?

Thrid week in November is the very tail end of the Atlantic/Caribbean Hurricane season. While no one can give you any gurantees (since you are dealing with Mother Nature)the odds of a major storm at that time of year are very, very small and the even if there were a storm the odds of it affecting any one particular island are even smaller. To put things in perspective since 1851 only three tropical storms and/or hurricanes have come anywhere close to Nevis during the month of November. FYI - you can research historical storm activity for just about any island location by using the "Climatology" link at: www.stormcarib.com