Your report is awesome. We are headed for a return trip to St. Kitts and Nevis in June. We didn't try Sprat Net the first trip, but we will this time. Also, Serendipity was great. I have to recommend Marshall's for future visitors, if it's possible....it was also wonderful and the atmosphere is beautiful. I agree that it was pricey.
Thanks for taking the time to give such a detailed and accurate report.

Our trip to St Kitts was in March of 2005. What a wonderful island! We have two children, then 10 and 8. We felt safe all over the island, night and day. Do not miss Turtle Beach, it was one of our favorites. Great snorkeling there, saw an octopus along with interesting fish and underwater life. Renting a car is a good idea if you like to explore and would like to visit the several beaches on the island. Taxi fare can add up quickly. Driving around the island is easy. Taking a day to tour the island is fun. Good places to eat along the drive, nice scenery, Brimstone was worth the stop. We did not find any crowds anywhere we went. The busiest we saw it was downtown Basseterre when a cruise ship was in port, even then we were able to dine in the downtown restaurants and not have it be busy. For this year's trip we are really torn between going back to St Kitts and giving Curacao a try.

iw: You're in for a treat when you try Spratt Net! Try it early in your trip because, like us, you might find you want to return for a second night. When it opens at 6:00 pm it's not crowded at all. There were maybe 10 people waiting for Spratt Net to open, and we all chatted and sat with beers watching the sunset and waiting for our food. If you arrive later, at 7:30 pm, it's possible the whole place will be full of people, it was for us, with a big group from the Marriott in addition to locals and other visitors. The place was buzzing. Even though we had to wait over an hour for our food, we enjoyed the spirit of comeraderie. (spelling?!)

catphoned: I'm glad you enjoyed St. Kitts with your kids. I think your family would also enjoy a trip to Costa Rica. We enjoyed Manuel Antonio, Arenal, and Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica, all good places to take kids. Like St. Kitts, the people of Costa Rica are friendly and helpful.

Okay, time to add something to my trip report...

BRIMSTONE HILL FORTRESS NATIONAL PARK:

Brimstone really stole my heart. I didn't know what to expect, but I can tell you a drive up to Brimstone is worth it, on a clear day, for the views alone!

Plus, we found the history of Brimstone, told in displays, to be intriguing.

Also, if it is still there, don't miss the art exhibit at Brimstone which displays drawings of school children who visited Brimstone. Very interesting. Within the walls of the Brimstone fort are a number of rooms with displays, and one of them holds the billboards displaying student art.

I was struck by one drawing by a young artist in the 16 years and up category. It is a drawing of 2 black slaves kneeling one one knee in front of Brimstone Hill fort; strong, powerful males, with heads bowed in submission. A very intriguing drawing by a talented young artist.

We stayed til Brimstone closed for the day. Driving back down the hill, we noticed a whole parade of locals walking UP the hill. We stopped and asked a man why everyone was walking up the hill. He said the villagers walk up this hill at the end of every day for exercise. We saw old men, young women with tots in strollers, and teens, all walking up the hill...

Don't miss Brimstone.

More report on activities to follow...

BASSETERRE

Basseterre is the biggest village on St. Kitts. We returned there twice for shopping, lunch, and browsing.

Ballahoo is a great place for lunch, with a view of the Circus area of Basseterre, and the clock tower.

We found an outdoor market area, with a canvas-type covering protecting shoppers from the sun. It is called the Amena Craft Market. There are vendors selling some good local arts and crafts, plus some vendors selling a variety of junk, a lot of it not made in St. Kitts. We compared the prices at the Amena Craft Market to some of the indoor shops in Basseterre, and found the best prices at the Amena Craft Market.

Also intriguing is the Glass Island Art Glass Gallery, with hand-made glass items of all sizes, including earrings. It's on Princes Street in Basseterre. www.glassisland.com We walked there after having lunch at Ballahoo.

We also wandered into a local shop selling cell phones, where the customers were all locals. Basseterre is an intriguing place to wander about, to shop, and also to view daily life in the biggest village on St. Kitts.

INDEPENDENCE SQUARE:

We passed many local school children in uniforms while strolling through Independence Square, Basseterre. Some of these laughing, innocent school children are descended from slaves. Man's inhumanity to man is dismaying to contemplate. Freedom is beautiful. Years ago slaves were auctioned off in Independence Square. Now it is a peaceful, happy place to enjoy.

We wandered into an old church on Independence Square. Inside was a poor box, where you can drop your change, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society had some photos of some of the folks they are helping. Remembering we were in a church, we were quiet and respectful, and also dressed appropriately. The people of St. Kitts usually dress conservatively.

There was a sign outside about a "Catholic Protestant" church, a sign which we found most intriguing. We never did find out what that is all about.

I think a trip to St. Kitts wouldn't be complete without at least one visit to Basseterre. You will find yourself wanting to spend several hours in town.

RAINFOREST TOUR, ST. KITTS:

We decided that hubby would go on a half-day rainforest tour and I would relax at Ottleys. By this point in the trip I needed some relaxing journal-writing time, but hubby the biologist can never sit still. So we enjoyed some time apart.

We booked the rainforest tour through the Ottley's front desk. The guide they usually use didn't have anybody else booked. Rather than pay for a private tour, which would have cost more, hubby had Peggy at the Ottleys front desk speak with Hugh Rogers, whose name we had seen on a poster in the lobby of Timothy Beach Resort.

Hugh Rogers had 2 guests from Timothy's booked for a rainforest tour, so my husband was able to arrange to join this small group for $40 USD for a 4-hour tour.

Hubby drove our rental car from Ottley's to Timothy beach resort and joined the tour group. Rogers is a seasoned guide. He is a friendly and knowledgeable local who is proud of his island and can tell you about growing up on St. Kitts. He knew all of the trees, has a good eye fore finding things, and is a keen observer. He provided fresh juice and a small snack at the end of the tour.

There aren't any toilets available up in the rainforest area. Also, it is against the law to attempt to go up into the rainforest without a guide, apparently, we are told, the police would turn you away if they found you.

Here are 2 phone numbers for Hugh Rogers. 465-6862 and 662-5760.

Rogers drove his group from the village of Old Road on the west coast, up past Romney Manor, up to the secondary rainforest. They walked on a trail which Rogers himself had made. It is a dense rainforest area with a closed canopy, therefore wildlife is hidden from view, my hubby the biologist reports.

They saw mostly plants and trees. It was a pleasant walk, not too strenuous, with the ruins of an old sugar mill to explore at the end. Part of the charm of the experience was talking with a local guide who was energetic and enthusiastic about his country.

Rogers recommends the volcano tour, although my husband didn't have time for it. Maybe next time...

On the rainforest walk they saw rare blackwood trees, tree ferns, mosses, a creek with a small waterfall, some birds (bullfinches and bananaquits). On the drive out Rogers drove slighly out of his way to show my husband (avid herpetologist) a lizard called an Amieba.

You all may wonder why I chose to miss the rainforest tour. I did enjoy seeing rainforests in Costa Rica this summer, and because this was a short and very budy vacation to St. Kitts, I ended up feeling like I needed some quiet reflective time for writing. I also knew that sometimes my husband, who has a greater interest in nature than I do, might sometimes enjoy a rainforest tour more without me!

I asked hubby to sum up the rainforest experience. He said it was "an enjoyable outdoor experience." He would like to try the volcano tour on the next trip. The volcano tour is an all-day affair, so I will definitely be missing that one, I prefer to limit my nature hikes to a maximum of 3 hours!

I hope this info is helpful if you're considering the rainforest tour. My husband is a biologist and therefore requires that a guide be knowledgeable, and he was pleased with Hugh Rogers.

ST. KITTS AIRPORT:

Our experiences at the airport, upon leaving St. Kitts, are the only unpleasant part of our visit to St. Kitts.

The employees in the St. Kitts airport seemed remarkably and uniformly extremely unhappy. I mean, they make the DMV employees in California look happy, which is an odd thought indeed!

First, if you are checking on luggage, all of everyone's luggage must be thoroughly searched, I mean they open every single zipper and feel every sock. Our search was done by a very unhappy woman, who seemed to be getting angry at the uncooperative zippers of our luggage. When my hubby reached out to help her, she snapped, "You can't touch that!" Maybe they have a rule about that, but she could have said thank you or something, he was only trying to help.

I had to watch while she tried repeatedly to jam my best pair of sandals back into a side pocket, upside down. (They fit better right-side-up.) She actually caused permanent creases in the soft leather.

Next, it was on to pay the airport departure tax. Mysteriously, the price of the tax seemed to change several times while we were standing there. Either we had trouble understanding her accent, or else the price fluctuates from one minute to the next!!! We ended up paying $22 USD each.

Finally, there is a door, with grim-looking airport employees guarding it, which you must pass through to get to the boarding gates. Once you pass through, you cannot come back out. We were standing there debating whether to eat first, or pass through the doors of no return, and hope for good food inside.

The woman guarding the door said there is a restaurant inside.

So we passed through. However there is NOT a restaurant inside. There is a hot dog stand with chips and sodas. There is a sign listing delicious alternatives like tuna or turkey sandwiches, but upon inquiring, we learned they aren't available. They have to be ordered from the "restaurant", which is outside the door of no return, which we had already passed through. It would take "a very long time" for the sandwiches to come, so she warned us NOT to order them. Trust me, "a very long time" in the Caribbean is a formiddable warning indeed!

So we shared a hot dog as it was the only food. (I prefer something less fatty when flying since I have a sensitive digestive system.)

Next, I must say that either the St. Kitts airport, or else the San Juan airport, clearly left our luggage sitting out in the rain for hours...so upon arriving at my cousin's house in Florida, I discovered our suitcases were wet inside, which has never happened before. All our clothes were damp, and all papers were ruined. (Luckily we had chosen to put artwork souveneirs and my journal in our carry-on, otherwise these too would have been ruined!)

I have travelled quite a bit and have never seen an airport where everyone seemed so grumpy and NOT helpful. I actually feel sorry for them, it must be an awful place to work for some reason...

Employees at the San Juan airport seemed quite cheerful in comparison.

Carry-ons didn't have to be searched, I think there was an x-ray machine which checks them, at the St. Kitts airport. Therefore I recommend if you're leaving St. Kitts, see if you can put everything important in your carry-ons.

I'm almost done with my trip report but I do have a bit more to add about our day-trip to the southeast peninsula of St. Kitts, and also our drive around the north side of the island from Ottleys. I hope this helps you all, as you have helped me plan all my trips!

Excellent Trip Report! :)

You're making me home sick....

You should post part of your review at www.islandimage.com

skbfan, thanks for the compliment. If you are homesick it's time for a visit to st. kitts! 8-)

I need to wrap up this trip report:

SOUTHEAST PENINSULA DRIVE:

Rent a car and take the southeast peninsula drive on a nice warm day. You will enjoy lovely views of green hillsides which are undeveloped, a rare site on beautiful islands nowadays! Either pack a picnic lunch or else plan to have lunch at the Turtle Beach Bar & Grill.

COCKLESHELL BEACH is a nice stop for a stroll along a beach covered with shells. Unfortunately there is also a bit of trash on this beach, please help to keep it clean. No tourists were there, just some nice local teens, who were very polite, and were looking for crabs. The water here didn't entice us to swim, it was a good spot for beach-combing, for us.

Wear sandals on Cockleshell beach. Some shell fragments are sharp.

Lots of goats and some cattle on this peninsula. Watch for cattle in the road, they just stand there. My hubby says they don't see that well, you just have to carefully drive around them!

DRIVING ON NORTH SIDE OF ISLAND:

It was a very interesting drive from Ottley's on the east coast, up to the north side of the island, and then down as far south as Spratt Net for dinner (with a stop at Brimstone Hill.) There is some nice coastal scenery, as well as the opportunity to drive through some interesting little villages. We found locals to be nice all over the island.

Be careful of pedestrians and children when driving through small villages. Slow down please.

VENDORS:
I would like to encourage you to have a look at the items which vendors have for sale on tables. These vendors are much more low-key, and just trying to make a living. They can be interesting to meet.

I met one local lady who's a proud grandma, selling jewelry for a good price in the parking lot near the Golden Lemon. She had a table and doesn't bother you unless you approach. She had the best prices on the island. She has a warm smile and was minding her 2 cute grandchildren.

I suggest you don't buy from the walking vendors who solicit people on beaches and in restaurants. These are the more aggressive vendors, and also they tend to be selling foreign-made items anyway.

I think my trip report is done. Any questions, please ask. We found St. Kitts to be friendly, and refreshingly unspoiled by development (so far!) 8-)

Timothy's is friendly, good budget prices, and on a nice calm Caribbean beach, great for swimming and has decent snorkeling.

Ottley's is luxurious, beautiful, expensive, and peaceful. Good place for wedding anniversary splurge.

As long as you can deal with a little bit of tricky driving (when driving through villages), renting a car is a good choice. Gives you more freedom to explore the island and more choices for dining.

Melissa,

Thanks so much for your detailed trip report. I'm going to print it out and bring it with me on our trip next week.

I do have one question though. Who took your husband on his rainforest tour and would he recommend this person?

Thanks again!

Ummmmm.....she said his name was Hugh Rogers and gave his phone numbers. And said he was friendly and very knowledgable.

sunshine7, have a great time on St. Kitts. Yes, my husband recommends Hugh Rogers. His phone numbers are posted somewhere above, and also there is a poster about him on the bulletin board in the hotel lobby of Timothy Beach Resort. Also, Peggy at the front desk of Ottley's Plantation Inn had heard of Hugh Rogers and knew how to find his phone number as well.

I mentioned him above but you may have missed it, there is a lot of info above. It's in the section on the rainforest tour. Rogers is a local, born on St. Kitts, and a seasoned tour guide. He really knows a lot about the trees. Hubby says part of the charm of the tour was the tour guide's enthusiasm for his island, the experience of getting to chat with a local who is proud of his island.

As I mentioned above, this is a dense rainforest with closed canopy, so the animals are hidden, you won't see much wildlife. It is a nature experience where you will see the plants and soak in the atmosphere.

Hubby paid $40 for 4 hours...there were 2 other people on the tour. Rogers highly recommended the all-day volcano tour, if we return to St. Kitts a second time, he will try that next time.

Melissa,

So sorry about missing that entire message. I don't know why I didn't see it. Can I blame it on desperately needing a vacation?

Thanks again and again!

sunshine7, I think you need some Caribbean sunshine and a relaxing Carib! Where are you staying? Don't be afraid of striking up a conversation with the locals. This really made our trip more interesting. It's not like they are going to run up to you and throw flowers around your neck (that's Hawaii...and only if you've paid for flowers!!!) But if you have an opportunity to strike up a conversation with someone, even a brief exchange, you will find the locals friendly, charming, polite, and a little shy in a refreshing way. Have a great vacation! Looking forward to reading your trip report when you return.

I'm bumping this up for somebody who is asking about shopping on St. Kitts. In my trip report above you'll find some shopping info under the heading of Basseterre, and some shopping info scattered through the trip report.

Have fun!