King Sugar in St. Kitts
I went down to St. Kitts in mid-December, the week before Christmas. It was a good time to go if you want to avoid crowds – students at the island’s three universities were packing up to go and the craziness of Carnival (which takes place after Christmas on St. Kitts) hadn’t started yet.
My trip was paid for by Marriott as part of a “9 bloggers in paradise” promotion, but other resorts seemed to have low occupancy so some deals might be available this time of year as well.
I didn’t have high expectations for the island, to be honest. But I came away with a serious appreciation for the Kittitians, who have a history rooted in the sugar cane trade that is tragic, heart-breaking and ultimately, triumphant. While the country is still finding its sea legs as far as tourism goes, I found the people to be genuinely friendly and helpful, and very proud of how far their country has come.
(Want just the highlights? Read “Five reasons to visit St. Kitts right now” here).
Logistics: I flew from Dulles to Miami and then on to St. Kitts. I was on the island by 3 p.m.. This was one thing that I liked about St. Kitts – for such a small airline, it has surprisingly robust airlift. Flights go daily from Miami and regularly frrom JFK, Charlotte and Atlanta. It did take a while to get through customs, as the island didn’t seem to have a “green” line that you could go through if you had nothing to declare. People at the Marriott told me they are working with airport officials to fix this.
I didn’t rent a car, relying on the Marriott and taxis. But it seemed like an easy place to drive (you do have to go on the left). The roads were much less treacherous than other islands I’ve visited (Grenada & Dominica, I’m talking to you!) I would feel very comfortable driving on my own there.
Lodging: As I’ve noted in other posts, I associated St. Kitts with graceful plantation inns. But the Marriott paid my way, so I stayed there. I agreed with many of the criticisms that have appeared on TripAdvisor (Read what the Marriott is doing to counter them here). The resort does seem a bit out of scale to the island, the decor is on the bland side and overall, it feels corporate instead of Caribbean.
On the other hand, I really liked my room – a standard in the main building, overlooking the courtyard and pool, with ocean in the background). It was spacious and I wouldn’t feel cramped there, even if my super-tall husband was along. Everyone I met was incredibly friendly (even when I wasn’t with hotel management). And in the end, I did appreciate having so much at my disposal – I played the slo machines in the casino, and checked out most of the bars (a martini/piano bar just opened, and there’s a pretty cool cigar/rum bar). Even at 30% occupancy, the hotel didn’t feel empty, as locals and students go there too. I had a massage at the spa and enjoyed that as well – very nice locker rooms and a complete sauna/steam room/hot tub and cold pool to enjoy after a service.
Finally, after checking out some of the plantation inns I had read so much about, I’m not sure I would enjoy a long stay at them. Rawlins Plantation seemed a bit far away from the Strip for me, and the Golden Lemon was too deserted (read my detailed post about it here). I didn’t have time to check out Ottley’s. If I went to St. Kitts again, I might spend an overnight at one of these inns, but probably no more than that. I think I like my Internet too much!
Highlights
Basseterre and Independence Square. St. Kitts’ capitol is cute, historic and managable. I thought it was cleaner than some Caribbean cities I’ve been in. Port Zante, where the cruise ships dock, felt a bit sterile to me. Lots of duty-free jewelry shops. But pass through the National Museum building and you are right in downtown Basseterre. The Circus, with its clock tower, is meant to resemble London’s Piccadilly Circus. Hardly. But it is picturesque.
A block away from the Circus, Basseterre’s Independence Square has a somber history. At one time, St. Kitts was the center of the West Indian slave trade and this square, once known as Pall Mall, was where the auctions took place. As my guide, Lavern Stevens from the Marriott explained, owners would buy their slaves on Sunday, then leave them chained up outside in the hot sun while they visited the nearby Cathedral for Mass. She also said that some of the houses around the square, many of which belonged to plantation owners, contained cells and chains where slaves were once kept. Horrifying.
The Kittians have reclaimed the square, however, Lavern told me. It’s been renamed Independence Square to honor the country’s home rule (they separated from Britain in 1983). “It’s a point of pride,” she said. “So we can see how we’ve come.”
Brimstone Hill. A UNESCO world heritage site and one of the Caribbean’s best examples of 17th century military fortification. While it’s nowhere near as big as San Juan’s El Morro, it’s still a don’t-miss sight. Construction began by the British in 1690, using slave labor, to protect the island from the French, Spanish and Dutch – all of whom fought over these islands. The structure is immense – 40 acres and 800 feet high.
On clear days, you have fantastic views of Saba and Stacia, even St. Maarten if you look hard enough.
Romney Manor/Caribe Batik. This former plantation, once owned by Thomas Jefferson’s ancestor Samuel Jefferson, has been converted into a batik factory and shop. I’m not the type to pick up a lot of souvenirs, but I did think the colorful fabrics here were worth buying. I picked up a swimsuit coverup for $35 and a wall hanging for $40.
Kate Spencer gallery. The managers at the Marriott had told me about this local artist, who owns a gallery near Rawlins Plantation. Her work, mostly paintings of island life, are gorgeous – as is her airy studio. You could get a framed original for around $500 – if I wasn’t out of work, I definitely would have bought one.
Other. I stopped by the Black Rocks, lava formations that resemble Hawaii’s coastline and Bloody Point, where European settlers massacred Carib natives back in 1626.
Memorable Kittitians
Muriel Seaton-Paul. Muriel sells trinkets at a stand on the road leading from Basseterre to Brimstone Hill. But she’s known among Kittians for the herbs that she also grows there, many used in tea. She showed me lemongrass, French thyme, basil and marigold.
William Jefferson. My favorite driver, William also does tour excursions for cruise ship passengers. His # is 869-762-4059. He charged me $60 to drive from the Marriott up the northeast coast, making stops at Black Rocks, Rawlins Plantation, Kate Spencers and the Golden Lemon – about 3 hours of driving. He showed me the new Beaumont Park racetrack, still under construction, and pointed out with pride his family home in Sandy Point.
William also had interesting perspective on recent St. Kitts history. A former worker in the sugar cane field, he endured the heat, the rain, and bites from ants and centipedes during the seasonal harvest, earning about $14 EC per ton. “This work I’m doing is a baby compared to that,” he said. While the move away from cane has been difficult for those workers who aren’t able to make it in the tourism field, William said that even with the economic downturn, the availability of year-round work has made life easier for most Kittians.
Dining
Cathy’s. One of the beach bars on The Strip of South Frigate Bay, I loved the food here.
Local travel agent and tour operator Liz Pereira filled me in on the island’s idiosyncracies as we enjoyed monster portions of shrimp, barbecued ribs and beans and rice (washed down with rum punch).
Mr. X’s Shiggedy Shack. This seems to be THE meeting place on the Strip. On Thursday nights, they have a bonfire and a fire eater. I didn’t think the food here was as good as Cathy’s, but it was still ok (I had the lobster). And watch out for those Tings with a Sting! They go down smooth and pack a punch!
Reggae Beach. One of several beach bars on Cockleshell Beach. I had a lovely roti here, and also did a bit of snorkeling (not great – some fan coral and a few interesting fish).
Others I didn’t try: I heard good things about the Spice Mill nearby. And I know my husband would want to hang out all day at Lion’s, downing Carib and ribs. And I’d love to have lunch or dinner at one of the plantation inns.
Summary
I hadn’t expected much out of St. Kitts, so I was surprised with how much there was to do. Its beaches will never rival Turks & Caiccos, or even Grenada, but you can still take out a catamaran and enjoy the water. I’d like to go back so I can explore Nevis, try the West Indian buffet at Rawlins Plantation, take the St. Kitts Scenic Railway and maybe even climb Mt. Missery (I’d have to train first!) Carnival sounds like a blast too. Hmm…
Read my other Caribbean trip reports:
2 Comments
Just wanted to point out that you keep mispelling “Kittitian”, Look closely, it has an extra “i” and “t”.
I think the Circus puts you in mind of Piccadilly Square in London, England. It’s not the exact replica of it because it wasn’t meant to be. When i first saw Piccadilly it reminded me of the circus in St Kitts without me even knowing what it was.
I agree that the beaches are nothing compared to those islands you mentioned. this is one of the things that im dissapointed with about the island. We had really nice beaches once upon a time with lovely white sands. I don’t know what happened.
Overall, i think this was a good review.
Glad you got to Reggae Beach Bar…truly on of St. Kitts gems. Is Bayembi (sp) in Basseterre still open? Dieter was always a good host