How Charming is Nevis?
 

We are torn between two vacation spots for this winter's vacation -Maui or Nevis. Very different choices I know.
I've been looking at some of the posts here and I've done a small amopunt of reading and still have a few questions.
I heard the food has improved much over the years on Nevis. If we stay at the Four Seasons and rent a car, are there enough good spots around for us to enjoy? It sounds as though the residents of the island are very warm? We enjoy interacting with them so this is important to us. Someone mentioned that the bugs are very bad. This was a major problem for us in St. Lucia. Does anyone know if it's similiar? How likely is it that the airlines will lose the luggage? We live in MN and flights to the caribbean are rather long. I seem to remember that you fly somewhere else and jump onto a smaller plane to go on to Nevis. Is there a time in either January or February that's best not to go - either because of weather or because of kids being on break? Because I've heard that the beaches in Nevis aren't the best, is the pool big enough at the FS to accomodate guests, along with shade? (We're very fair-skinned)or would the Marriott be a better choice (bigger doens't scare us in the least!). Thank you so much for any and all help!

Maui - without a doubt.

Nevis is a fabulous island. I think you would really love it. Mostly well-traveled individuals seem to go there who have been pretty much everywhere and fall in love with it immediately. I know a lot of people who buy property on their first visit. :)
The food is wonderful on Nevis. There are a lot of very good restaurants there now. Bananas Bistro is a favorite of FS guests. It is really easy to get to various places if you rent a car. The airlines pretty much never lose the FS guests luggage. That lugguage is of top priority. The locals are very friendly on Nevis. More so than a lot of places in the Caribbean. I never really have bug problems there. I do spray on my feet before going out to dinner. That is pretty much it. The bugs are not as bad as St Lucia in my experience.
You fly American to San Juan and fly direct from San Juan to Nevis on an American Eagle. There used to be a really small puddle jumper from St Kitts (nevis express) which is not in business anymore. AA handles the flights.
There are 2 pools at the FS one for kids, one for adults. There are umbrellas at the pool.
Jan. or Feb. is high season so it is busy. It is a great time to go.
The Marriott St Kitts I assume you are talking about? Well its a totally different experience. It is a very nice resort, but not on the level of FS.

Knowing - to answer your direct question, Nevis is very charming! :)

Can anyone share what downtown Nevis/St. Kitts look like?

Does it have little colorful shops like Aruba/Bonaire/Curacao

(I do know that they are not nearly as commercialized) ;) I am just looking for a comparison/what to expect

I am so excited... we will be there in 3 weeks :)

ps can we walk to Rams from the Marriott and/or the FS

thanks all!!!

Downtown Nevis and St Kitts both have very old buildings, both towns are built on the water front. St Kitts has some duty free shops, and some other local shops, where Nevis just has a few small local shops. There is a lot of duty free in the Marriott and the FS has 2 really good gift shops.
The few local shops in Nevis are OK, neither place is a big shopping destination. Downtown on both islands is pretty. Nevis being more charming and pretty that St Kitts. In Nevis Cafe de Arts is downtown and is an art gallery (local stuff) and cafe open for breakfast and lunch. Tons of ex-pats eat there, some everyday :) Its a good place to get to know people. The owner sells great art there. A lot of stuff from St Kitts (Kate Designs)
It does not really look like the ABC islands.
No you cannot walk to Rams from either hotel. You can take a taxi but it really is not far. There is a Rams in Frigate Bay, but its really small. Most people opt for the one in town. And there is Best Buy and Rams in Nevis.
I am sure you will have a great time!

I certainly can't answer your questions about food, or bugs...although I'd like to hear more about *creepie crawlies* and the bugs. But I can respond to the "charm" of the Nevisian people...even before my first visit.

My emails have been answered promptly, and several phone calls have been helpful in directing me to other properties. All with a gentle voice, that made me want to modulate my own voice ;-)

And Mim, you might have told me that it is NEEVIS ;-) But I was gently corrected...that it is NEEvis...you'll never want to LEAVE us :-)

I realize that this doesn't really answer your question Knowing...but it does seem like there is great charm on this island.

Marion

Marion - I don't know where creepie crawlies came in, lol. I have more of them in Texas than Nevis.
I was actually talking about that with my Mom recently. That you can live on an island with windows and doors open all the time with no bugs! If I did that at home I would have everything from roaches to flies to mosquitos (and more) Major creepie crawlies :)

And Marion is correct about the people they are kind and charming!

MIM

No, there was no reference to "creepie crawlies". I brought that up because somewhere ?, I read that going barefoot was not advised.

I will happily do battle with the creatures that fly, but I really don't want to see anything on the floor.

I am a barefoot kind of woman :-) And don't have the ability to yell at a DH, WAKE UP AND GET THAT THING ON THE FLOOR ;-) !!

Marion

Marion - OK, now I understand. No, I do not wear shoes unless I go to the store, town, restaurant (places one would normally wear shoes) But inside a villa or outside (if you know where you are walking.) And of course no shoes at the beach or pool. That is one of the things I love is not wearing shoes!

Ruby,

When you return from Nevis, would you please do a trip report? I am dying to hear your thoughts upon your return.

Knowing - If you want to ask me any questions I would be happy to email you. I have been helping MarionCK with her plans next year. Offer is here if you want. I have family who live in Nevis and am building a house. I spend a lot of time there... :)

HI Knowing!

I sure will, I will be back the first week of August :)

Hi, Knowing--

After reading your posts over the past few years and knowing that you were disappointed in St. Lucia, I have to agree with Diana and think that maybe Maui would be better for you over Nevis. I personally love Nevis and find it extremely charming indeed--in fact, my husband and I were talking last night about finding the time to go back again before the end of this year. But with the exception of the ease of getting around the island, much of what I loved about St. Lucia is paralleled in what I love about Nevis.

Can't predict about airline luggage or bugs at any given time, unfortunately, as insect appearance is directly proportional to amount of rain and lost bags depend on too many factors.

From MN, I imagine you'd fly a combination of NorthWest and American Airlines--either NWA to Chicago, then on the San Juan and NEvis on American, or NWA all the way to San Juan and then pick up American Eagle. And yes, it would be an all day flight--possibly an overnight travel scenario.

I've found that travel in January after Epiphany (Jan 6) nets fewer crowds and often one can find a discount off of the high-season prices, as it's the lull between the Christmas and Presidents' Week storms.

I don't know about food improvement, as I was only there once, but yes, there are AMPLE places for both fine dining and local joints on Nevis. Residents were extremely friendly. And I found the driving to be a piece of cake, with the single exception of the approach to Montpelier after a rain.

The 4S is a beautifully manicured property that looks truly lovely, but with all that it somehow felt out of place on the island.

Hope you find the perfect spot for vacation!

ejcrowe,

Thank you so much for doing an excellent job of putting into words what I wanted to say but knew I would not be able to...

I just returned from Nevis and fell in love with the island. The people were sooooo friendly and helpful. There is not as much to see and do as there is in Maui. Personally, I loved both places for different reasons. In Nevis, we saw the sights and the town. As mentioned earlier, not a lot of good shopping. The food was excellent at Bananas and at the Oualie Beach Hotel. Chef Jason Bishop is excellent and very friendly. The FS was beautiful. We didn't stay there, but probably will next time. I do recommend bug spray. You can't see them, but they are there! Nevis had the real island feel to it. We just hung out at the beaches. In Maui there is a lot to do. Watching the whales in Feb./Mar. was a neat experience. Golf courses are wonderful. Trip to Hana and Haleakala was very fun. Hiking, biking and seeing the waterfalls was fun. Food was great, but more expensive than in Nevis. Maybe you should visit both. Grin..... I don't know if this helps.

EJ...

Once again I will encourage you to write the book !

You always get to the point and provide valuable information.

I know many of us look forward to your posts, and we would certainly buy that book :-) !

Marion

Awww, thanks you two. Both of your posts put a big grin on my face, especially as I consider myself much less traveled than most of the folks here, but especially Marion and Diana.

EJ,

My travels are divided in two. The *old* days where any comments would certainly be outdated, and the current days, where I am learning from many wonderful folks here.

Have a wonderful time in Tortola. We will all look forward to your report.

"Kowtow"..I love it and haven't heard it in years ! I raised two REALLY picky eaters, and have no one but myself to blame. Maybe you can make a difference with this lovely young woman.

ENJOY every minute !!

Marion

ej,

hi, you have me a littel concerened with your comments to Knowing about St. Lucia and Nevis.

St. Lucia was a beautiful island, but not my favorite, as I felt a little uneasy leaving the resort.

I am hoping Nevis is a little more laid back than St. Lucia.
I have mentioned before that we love Aruba, and realize this is going to be a very different kind of experience for us, one I am looking foward to. My husband loves adventure and hiking, I love a good book and pool.

Thank you everyone for all of your thoughts... we leave in just over 2 weeks! :) :)

Ruby
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Carib_Ruby: Though I'm sorry to read that you felt somewhat uneasy on St. Lucia, I don't think you'll feel that way at all about Nevis. Among the two islands' similarities (in my opinion) are the strong natural beauty, the lush darker sand beaches, the real "island" feel, the friendly locals, and the lack of certain modern amenties that have come to plague US suburbia over the last 10 years. What I found different from St. Lucia was that Nevis didn't feel particularly resort-based.

I hope you enjoy Nevis, which you'll definitely have a good chance for since you're going in well-informed about its vast differences from Aruba.

Marion, we took one of the granddaughter's cousins to New Orleans for her 13th birthday, where she fell in love with the food: oysters, crawfish, squid-ink pasta, all of the rich Creole sauces & seasonings, even tried alligator. She was a good sport and a pleasure to introduce to travel. The 13 year old we're taking to Tortola doesn't get much encouragement at home to try new things, but to her credit, she always tries one bite of something new when she's out with us--she might not like it, but she's at least willing. I'm willing to bet that she'll like conch fritters and chowder once she tries them. I know we'll have a great time, and it will be a great chance to bond with her. I have no children of my own, but I was lucky enough to inherit 8 granchildren when I got married!

Well, darn! I went to bed last night and woke up so happy as I was convinced - as was my husband - that Nevis was IT! I may have to think about this a little more, but my instinct is still saying Nevis and I don't want to rule it out yet. I know we disliked St. Lucia, but when I think back on our experience, we had other things that went wrong that didn't help - big things. The things I am fearful about with Nevis seem to be answered in a positive light. If the luggage gets lost, no one is telling me I have to stay at the airport and it doesn't sound like they refuse to allow people to do paperwork. Someone said that FS luggage gets prioritzed, plus we will fly first class this trip, which also prioritizes luggage. Also, it rained -hard - every day in St Lucia. Is that typical in Nevis? MN's state bird is the mosquito so it takes quite a bit to really rattle me, but there was not one spot to be found on my body that had not been tapped into by bugs on St. Lucia. I haven't checked into flights yet, but I imagine that you are right that we would be up at 2am to fly out of Mpls at 6am and then fly into San Juan and then into St. Kitts where I hear FS sends a boat for their guests. Probably not an all night trip, but long. We go through this no matter where in the Carribbean we fly to. Many times the islanders have no idea where MN even is. We've only met one other person from Mn ever in all of our travels. Travel agents here will tell you that if you live in MN you go to Mexico, which we have no interest in doing. We really do prefer the more tropical islands as opposed to the more commercial ones, and I'm just really hung up on the idea of leaving this nice resort on Maui for dinner and seeing all these fast food places on every corner and the Wal-marts, etc. and I really don't want that. When I look back at my more favorite places they have been the more historical places, not the ones with the wild nightlife. I do appreciate the comments though from both of you, EJ and Diana. The two of you are the people whose advice I most highly value on this board as I've followed you for a number of years. I will share with my husband and see how he feels. Ruby, I'm still looking for that report. Don't panic. I expect Nevis will be WAY different than Aruba and I know how much you LOVE Aruba, but if you go into it with an open mind I suspect you will be just fine. Thank you everyone else for your advice as we are really stuck and would like to start watching for airline sales, which means we have to decide!

Knowing, it sounds like you and your spouse have very reasonable expectations about what to get out of a trip to Nevis. Perhaps it really would suit you.

If you're going to change planes in San Juan, you might as well book a flight directly to Nevis instead of to St. Kitts and then ferry over.

The grounds and public areas of 4S are lovely, and by most accounts the service is very good there, but it lacks island charm. I would strongly urge you to consider spending most of your time away from the resort--take a look at Montpelier in particular for a place that just oozes charm and graciousness while still providing nice ameneties.

My one trip to Nevis provided atypical weather. We went the end of November last year and had solid rain--maybe a total of about 5 hours of sunshine over the course of nine days--small sections of road were washed out all over the island and we had some nasty moquitos in the evenings when the rain stopped. But we still loved Nevis. I leave for Tortola on Friday, and with two tropical storms brewing down there the forecast is not just rain but thunder storms. I expect I'll still have a blast!

Thats all you can do in the event of bad weather is make the best of it. We are leaving for Negril on Sunday. Looks like the storms are starting a little early this year!

EJ -
We're not going into this lightly. We are giving it a great deal of thought. I hear what you are saying about the FS. The reason we have looked at this particular place is that my husband prefers larger hotels and he thought the FS looked like an exceptional property. I think what you are saying is that walking in there is like being at an anywhere USA hotel and not one in Nevis. That's where renting the car comes in for me. Except for pool time, I want to get out and explore and meet the locals. I would like to be able to get beyond the weather issue. I know that when we were in Kauai we were there for fourteen days and it rained for three solid days, but it didn't matter because we were in paradise! Sounds like Nevis may be that same kind of place.

Highly recommend Nevis and St. Kitts....

Another great place to eat in Nevis is Miss June's and definitely visit Sunshine's Beach Bar.

Locals are very friendly and helpful.

You can fly from Miami to St. Kitts and then take the ferry to Nevis, or fly into Nevis with American Airlines from San Juan.

Another web site you might find helpful is www.islandimage.com

Knowing, after reading your last post I'm inclined to agree that the 4S combined with the island itself might provide a good vacation for you and your spouse. It would give you the security of "the sure thing" while providing opportunities to try something new. I hope it works out for you both.

Carib_Ruby:

Downtown Basseterre you will find a clock tower in an area called The Circus (not unlike Picadilly Circus in London). Across from the tower is one of my favourite restaurants call Ballahoo's. It is a second floor open air restaurant that offers a complete view of the square's activities.

This is a great place to people watch, especially during Carnival.

You will find colourful shops such as Island Hopper where you can buy locally made batik. (Caribelle Batik from Romney Manor)

There is also Pelican Mall on Bay Road and has two floors of duty-free shopping & souvenir shops.

Splash Boutique is located in the TDC Mall on Fort Street. You can find swimwear, Jams World clothing, Teva sandals, kipling bags, hats, t-shirts, etc.

I enjoy shopping at Spencer Cameron Art Gallery located in Independance Square. Local artist Rosie Cameron-Smith displays her beautiful work here. She offers for sale oil, watercolours and the works of the fine caribbean-inspired artists she represents.

On Princes' Street, is the workshop-studio of Glass Island which designs and manufactures plates, picture frames and jewelry. www.glassisland.com

Also on Princes Street is The Sugar Mill Gallery where you will find the works of local artists (Barbara Kassab and Joan Mallalieu)

Visit Just in the Sun clothing store located in the Marriott for a great selection of clothing, sunglasses, etc.

Have a great time and look forward to reading your trip report.

I don't remember being this excited about a trip in a really long time. EJ we find ourselves taking your advice VERY seriously and continue to read everything we can get our hands on. We have decided on Nevis for sure! However, we started hearing about the FS having a lot of kids and my husband got nervous and all of a sudden I heard that Montpelier doesn't allow kids under the age of 8 in the winter, so we have started looking closer and are liking what we are seeing. My husband is even starting to see the advantages in staying at a small owner managed place. I did e-mail them and they suggested that if we wanted a king size bed and an a/c that we come in January. Does anyone know what kind of weather we could expect or is there a website that shows previous years records? One other thing is: because it is an older place, I know they have renovated it, but I do have asthma. Does it have those musty smells or have they managed to get rid of them? Liz, thanks for the info. We were thinking we might have to fly into San Juan. Is the plane that goes from Miami into St. Kitts a bigger style?

The American Airlines plane from Miami to St. Kitts is usually a B737. 3x3 configuration. Departing on Wednesdays. Other days goes via San Juan.

Hi, Knowing,

You might want to check AA for flights into SJU, where you would connect on American Eagle, directly to NEV, thus avoiding the ferry.

I'm enjoying reading your posts and hope you are enjoying the planning :-)

Marion

Knowing - I would just take AA from San Juan to Nevis. It is non-stop, 1 hr 16 minutes, (by schedule, not really that long flying time) it is a 72 seater. It is an easy trip!

Just returned last night from a stay at 4S. I was a little apprehensive, as I am not really a "resort" person, but we loved the 4S. One thing I especially appreciated - loads of shade at both pools and beach - ample amount of chairs and umbrellas. The beach was lovely, too. Yes, the sand is not flour white, but it's a warm shade and pretty. The water was clear and usually calm.

Yes, lots of families. But mostly the kids were down at the beach by the family pool, and we planted ourselves down at the other end. The rooms were comfortable, great beds, and very quiet. I would not stay here during high season, as I think it would be too crowded for me, but that's just me. The resort seems like it could easily accomodate a full house. The pools are both very nice.

We flew Continental from Newark to Antigua, and Liat to Nevis. Had delays with Liat, and wow - when did they start bringing 747s into Antigua, it was a madhouse there going both ways. We just made our connection home by the skin of our teeth.

Last year my in-laws routed through SJU with American Eagle, and the luggage was delayed by one day.

Really enjoyed Montpelier and Golden Rock Inn. If my husband and I return alone another year, we may look into a stay at one of these charming places.

My SIL got badly bitten during a rainforest hike, and she was wearing Deet, long pants and socks. I don't get bothered much and didn't get any significant bites, but the bugs are there.

Overall, absolutely loved Nevis. We didn't get off the resort as much as planned, but we loved what we saw. It joins a growing list of places to which I long to return!

hi Rabitt,

Thanks for checking in! :) we will be at the FS in 2 weeks (no kids). What type of room did stay in, do you any tips? We have never stayed at a FS property before, and are more used to a resort like the Hyatt Aruba

:)Thanks, Ruby

For best protection against mosquitos I urge you to go to a sporting/camping goods store and get 2 small containers of Ben's. It is 90+% DEET protection not the 30%+ as in "OFF". Disadvantage is it is an oily liquid vs. a spray but it dries in 5-6 minutes. You will be off-limits to 99% of the mosquitos and other insects.

Hi Ruby,

We were in an oceanfront room, directly behind the garden or "family" pool area. These rooms were most convenient to the pools and the outside restaurant. We usually went down the beach to the furthest row of chairs. There were seven of us, and since everyone else tended to use the pools, this was a great location for the group.

Any tips? Go and enjoy, it's a very relaxing place. We had the breakfast meal plan which worked out very well. We had dinners at Bananas, Hermitage, Montpelier, Nesbit, and Golden Rock Inn. Had lunch at Sunshine's one day, and enjoyed the famous Killer Bees on a few occasions. However, if you like a really laid back atmosphere, take a walk all the way down past Sunshine's and visit the Double Deuce beach bar. (At the end of this stretch of beach, all the way down by the pink/pastel hotel.) We loved this bar. The people were charming and the food was excellent. Double Deuce is cheaper than Sunshine's, although we enjoyed both bars very much.

We didn't rent a car, but used the same driver most nights. His name is Morrell, and he's very nice and most informative.

Please let me know if you'd like to see some photos of Nevis, and I'll be happy to send you a link as soon as we cull through the ten "rolls" (!) that we took with the digital cam.

Another last tip, don't miss the plantation inns for dinner, and if you choose just one, our overall favorite was Hermitage, although the most beautiful setting was Golden Rock. They were each fantastic in their own way.

Thanks Rabbit, we have a Mountain view room, and I am so excited. I would love to see pictures !!

My sister's friend just visited Sunshine's and said one killer bee just about did her in! ;)

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My husband and I had pulled out our big map and were trying to determine the flight time from San Juan. Based on Antigua being 25 minutes, we were afraid San Jaun might be three hours. But 1.15 hours is nothing. And, after all the flying, we probably aren't going to be much in the mood for an hour long ferry ride.

We went out for dinner last night and then went to Barnes and Noble to look for books on Nevis. Sad to say, we only found one and it wasn't even as informative as this forum.

Looking forward to the tropical splendor, the foliage, the beauty, charm and the experience we know is waiting for us!

Hi Knowing,

I recently purchased (from Amazon.com) "Nevis Queen of the Caribbean" by Deborah Lellouch.

Although it is more of a pictorial, there is some historical information. It was published in 2000, so hotel/restaurant info may not be current, but the photos are lovely.

It might provide some sweet dreaming in the next few months.

Marion