ST.
KITTS & NEVIS TRAVEL TIPS
A collection
of important information that can make your trip more enjoyable.
The
sister islands of St. Kitts and Nevis are the lands that time forgot,
or so it seems at first glance. The words that come to mind for this pair
of volcanic Caribbean islands are quaint, quiet, verdant, and natural. If you plan to travel St. Kitts & Nevis, take a moment to brush up
on the travel tips that will help you be
more prepared for travel anywhere in St. Kitts & Nevis.
ST.
KITTS & NEVIS GENERAL INFORMATION
Area: St Kitts: 176.1 sq km (66.1 sq miles). Nevis: 93.3 sq km (36 sq
miles). Total: 269.4 sq km (104 sq smiles).
Population: 45,841 (estimate as of 2000).
Population
Density: 170.2 per sq km.
Capital: Basseterre (on St. Kitts). Population: 12,605 (2001).
Language: The official language is English.
Religion: Anglican and other Christian denominations. |
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Government: Constitutional monarchy since 1983. Gained independence from the UK in
1983. Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor
General Sir Cuthbert Montroville Sebastian since 1996. Head of Government:
Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas since 1995.
Electricity: 230 volts at 60 Hz. Hotel usually have 110 volts.
GEOGRAPHY: St Kitts (officially known as St Christopher)
lies in the northern part of the Leeward Islands in the eastern Caribbean.
The high central body of the island is made up of three groups of rugged
volcanic peaks split by deep ravines. The vegetation on the central mountain
range is rainforest, thinning higher up to dense bushy cover. From here
the island’s volcanic crater, Mount Liamuiga, rises to almost 1200m
(4000ft). The foothills, particularly to the north, form a gently rolling
landscape of sugar-cane plantations and grassland, while uncultivated
lowland slopes are covered with thick tropical woodland and exotic fruits
such as papaya, mangoes, avocados, bananas and breadfruit. To the southeast
of the island, a low-lying peninsula, on which there are many excellent
beaches, stretches towards Nevis.
Some 3km (2 miles) to the south and only minutes away by air or ferry
across The Narrows channel is the smaller island of Nevis, which is almost
circular in shape. The island is skirted by miles of silver-sand beaches,
golden coconut groves and a calm, turquoise sea in which great brown pelicans
dive for the rich harvest of fish. The central peak of the island, Nevis
Peak, is 985m (3232ft) high and its tip is usually capped with white clouds.
The mountain is flanked on the north and south sides by two lesser mountains,
Saddle Hill and Hurricane Hill, which once served as look-out posts for
Nelson’s fleet. Hurricane Hill on the north side commands a view
of St Kitts and Barbuda. On the island’s west side, massed rows
of palm trees form a coconut forest. There are pleasant coral beaches
on the island’s north and west coasts.
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ST.
KITTS & NEVIS ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Citizens of the United States and Canada need some form of identification,
such as a passport (recommended), or original birth certificate (with
raised seal) and a government-issued photo ID. Visitors from all other
countries, including those of the Caribbean, need a valid passport. Click
here for Visa Informations
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GETTING AROUND ST. KITTS & NEVIS
Renting a car is the best all-around transportation option on
both islands. There are numerous car rental agencies on St Kitts and a
few in Charlestown and Newcastle on Nevis. Foreign visitors must purchase
a visitor's driver's license for around 20.00, which is valid for one
year. The easiest place to get one is at the fire station in Basseterre;
in Nevis, go to a police station. Remember to drive on the left.
Buses
on St Kitts are a decent transportation alternative. Privately owned minivans
serve most of the island except Frigate Bay and the southeastern peninsula.
Service is cheap but sporadic and there's no schedule; buses are most
plentiful in the early morning and late afternoon. On Nevis, there's no
circle-island bus route and service is sketchy. If you're trying to see
Nevis on a day tour, taxis are a better option.
The
best way to get between the islands is via the government-run passenger
ferry Caribe Queen, which runs between St Kitts and Nevis five days a
week. The ferry docks are in central Basseterre and Charlestown, which
for most people makes the ferry more practical than flying between the
two islands. The ferry trip takes about 45 minutes and offers good views
of both islands.
The
other main way to get between the islands is to fly. LIAT has several
daily flights between St Kitts and Nevis; there's also a prop-plane shuttle
that operates about 10 times a day. St Kitts' Bradshaw Airport is on the
northern outskirts of Basseterre. On Nevis, the airport is just west of
Newcastle, at the northern end of the island. Taxis meet scheduled flights
at both airports.
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ST. KITTS & NEVIS CUSTOMS & DUTY FREE
ALLOWANCES AND RESTRICTIONS
- Tobacco...200
cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco
- Liquor....1.136
litres of wine or spirits
- Perfume....170ml
of perfume
- Import/export
info
- Import
- currency
- Local
currency / eastern caribbean dollar / or foreign currency : unlimited
amount provided a declaration is made upon arrival
- Export
- currency
- Local
currency /e.c.d./ or foreign currency :
- Unlimited
amount up to value imported
Note: there are no duty-free shops, selling a range of goods, including
perfumes, textiles, clothing, porcelain, crystal and jewellery.
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ST. KITTS & NEVIS COMMUNICATIONS
Telephone: IDD is available. Country code: 1 869. Outgoing
international code: 1 (Caribbean, Canada and the USA); 011 (elsewhere).
Mobile
telephone: TDMA network not compatible with GSM handsets. Handsets
can be hired from the network provider, C & W Caribbean Cellular (website:
www.caribcell.com). Unregistered roaming is available – visitors
with TDMA handsets can make calls without registering, provided they can
give a credit card number.
Fax: This service is available to the public at the offices of Cable
& Wireless (see below) and at some hotels.
Internet: ISPs include Cable & Wireless (website: www.candw.kn). Public access
is available at many hotels and the Internet kiosk at the Cable &
Wireless offices in Basseterre, St Kitts.
Telegram: Facilities are available at main hotels and at the offices of Cable &
Wireless at Cayon Street, Basseterre and Main Street, Charlestown. Opening
hours: Mon-Fri 0700-1900, Sat 0700-1400 and 1900-2000, Sun and public
holidays 0800-1000 and 1900-2000.
Post: Airmail to Western Europe takes five to seven days. Post office hours:
Mon-Wed, Fri and Sat 0800-1500, Thurs 0800-1100.
Press: There are three newspapers published in English: The Democrat and The
St Kitts and Nevis Observer (weekly); and The Labour Spokesman (twice
weekly).
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ST. KITTS & NEVIS BUSINESS PROFILE
Economy: St Kitts & Nevis has an agricultural economy,
the mainstay of which is the sugar industry. As the world sugar price
has been very low in the past few years and several sugar crops have been
badly damaged by hurricanes and other adverse climatic conditions, St
Kitts & Nevis has come to rely on regular injections of foreign aid
to prevent economic collapse. The Government has responded by trying to
broaden the base of the economy; bananas, yams and sweet potatoes are
now important crops and the cultivation of rice and coffee is developing.
Fishing is also growing in commercial importance. Manufacturing is dominated
by sugar products, and textiles and drinks are also produced. A thriving
electronics and data-processing sector is the principal success story
from the Government’s diversification policy, as is tourism which
is developing rapidly, particularly on Nevis, and now brings about US$70
million a year into the economy. More recently, and especially on Nevis,
an ‘offshore’ financial services industry has developed: there
are now over 10,000 foreign businesses registered on the island and the
government has been obliged to meet new international standards regarding
the investigation of money-laundering. The UK and the USA are the islands’
main trading partners, as well as other Caribbean states.
Business: Businesswear for men usually consists of a short- or long-sleeved shirt
and tie, or open-neck tunic shirt or, alternatively, safari-type suits.
Office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1200 and 1300-1600.
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ST. KITTS & NEVIS SOCIAL PROFILE
Food & Drink: The islands are filled with farms so
your farm produce will always be fresh. Turtle steaks and suckling pig
are favorites here. Seafood is also a good choice.
Nightlife: Very low key. A number of hotels and inns have string or steel
bands to dance to on Saturday nights in the peak season, and there is
a disco called J’s Place at the foot of the Brimstone Hill Fortress
in St Kitts. Reflections Night Club, also in St Kitts, is open until the
small hours. St Kitts has two casinos in Frigate Bay, complete with slot
machines, roulette wheels and blackjack tables. In Nevis, Club Trenim
is recommended. Otherwise, entertainment centres around the pleasant bars
of the inns and hotels.
Special
Events: Festivals in St Kitts & Nevis culminate in the annual
week-long carnival over Christmas, featuring floats, calypso competitions,
masked parades and house parties. Visitors are encouraged to take part.
The following is a selection of special events occurring in St Kitts and
Nevis in 2005:
Jan 1-2 Carnival, Basseterre. Mar Inner-City Festival, Molineaux. Apr
14-17 Easter Celebrations. May Green Valley Festival, Cayon. Jun Caribbean
Offshore Race. Jul St Kitts Football Festival. Aug 1 Culturama Day, Nevis.
Sep Newtown Fest; Festival de Capisterre, Newtown Ground. Sep 19 Independence
Day (parades, street festivities and dancing). Oct St Kitts Tourism Week
(Caribbean tourism pageant, ocean festival and steel band concerts); Oceanfest
(sunfish racing, fishing tournament, food, music and dancing). Nov Guy
Fest, Old Town Road. Dec National Carnival (including Calypso King and
Queen competitions, Miss St Kitts beauty pageant and various other youth
talent contests). Dec 26 Jouvert Morning (carnival at 0400).
Social
Conventions: Commercialisation has not yet taken over and the
easygoing, quiet way of life of the local people remains almost unspoiled.
All visitors to the islands are cordially welcomed; marriages are valid
after two days’ residence. Islanders maintain traditions of calypso
dancing and music and this can be seen particularly during the summer
months. Dress is informal at most hotels. Beach attire is not appropriate
for around town, in shops or in restaurants. For more formal occasions
and functions, a lightweight suit and tie is recommended.
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ST.
KITTS & NEVIS HEALTH & SAFETY
These Caribbean islands experience a relatively low crime rate since they
are not a large tourist destination. Most of the crime here takes the
form of stolen belongings that were left unattended on beaches, in cars,
and in unlocked hotel rooms. As always, keep a close eye on valuables,
never leave valuable items exposed in rental cars, and remember to lock
your hotel room and vehicle. Women should not go out alone along deserted
roads, as they are more likely to be robbed.
The
water on the islands is among the purest in the Caribbean, making it very
safe to drink. As a side note, be sure to try Cane Sugar Rothschild, a
pure sugar cane liqueur that is brewed exclusively with water from the
islands.
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ST. KITTS & NEVIS MEDICAL FACILITIES
St. Kitts & Nevis has doctors on call at hotels and a 24-hour Casualty
Department. Recompression chambers are available by air ambulance at nearby
Saba and in St. Thomas. Pharmaceutical services are widely available.
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ST. KITTS & NEVIS CURRENCY/MONEY
Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations
of EC$100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of EC$1, and 25,
10, 5, 2 and 1 cents. US Dollars are also legal tender on the islands.
Currency
exchange: Most major currencies can be exchanged at banks on
the islands.
Credit
& debit cards: All major cards are widely accepted. Check
with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability
and other services that may be available. ATMs are widely available.
Travellers
cheques: To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers
are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars.
Banking: Banks are open from 8 am until 3 pm daily. Friday
8 am until 5 pm and on Saturdays from 8:30 am until 11 am. Thursdays the
banks close at noon.
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ST. KITTS & NEVIS SHOPPING
Local crafts include carvings, batik, wall hangings, leather art and coconut
work. Local textiles and designs are also available. Stamp collectors
should note the excellent Philatelic Bureaux in Basseterre and Charlestown.
Duty free shopping is relatively new to St Kitts and, as yet, only a few
shops feature imported merchandise at substantial savings. Nevis’
hot pepper sauce, ranked among the Caribbean’s best, is a good take-home
item and can be bought at the Main Street grocery in Charlestown. Friday
and Saturday are the busy market days, and visitors should not miss the
chance to witness this abundance of exotic food stalls, accompanied by
lively local chatter. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0830-1200 and 1300-1600;
some shops close early on Thursday.
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ST. KITTS & NEVIS TIPPING
This is usually not required as the service charge is already in the bill.
Inquire about it and tip if the charge has not been included. Porters
should always be tipped. 50 cents to a dollar a bag.
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ST. KITTS & NEVIS PEOPLE
Agriculture, not tourism, still plays the major role in the economy of
this quiet country. Many seek out these islands specifically for their
relaxed nature and British manner; tourists to St. Kitts and Nevis are
typically regulars who spend weeks at a time lazing about the islands'
many beaches with the locals.
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ST. KITTS & NEVIS CLIMATE & CLOTHING
Climate: The islands experience about 51 inches of rainfall
annually. Temperatures don't vary much across seasons, with January averaging
a low of 71 and a high of 79, and July averaging a low of 77 and a high
of 85 (all in degrees Fahrenheit). The dry season runs from November through
April, with the rainy season from May through October.
Clothing: Casual wear, comfortable shoes and sunglasses
are the best outfit for daytime. Even in the evening, informal attire
is acceptable everywhere. Beachwear in town, however, is definitely frowned
upon. Beach attire is appropriate for the beach but not the town, shops
or restaurants. Refrain from short shorts, bikinis and bare chests in
these places. Informal, but conservative, clothing is the standard.
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ST. KITTS & NEVIS SPORTS & ACTIVITIES
Watersports: Swimming is excellent; most hotels have
freshwater pools and some have their own beaches. Scuba-diving and snorkelling
are catered for and beach hotels generally have equipment. Several Basseterre
skippers are equipped to take scuba parties. There are dozens of unexplored
wrecks around the islands. Sailing boats can be hired from beach hotels,
although Nevis has very limited facilities. Fast boats and water-skiing
equipment are available for hire. Fishing trips can be organised. Deep-sea
fishing is a speciality.
Other: An 18-hole international golf championship course is at Frigate
Bay and a 9-hole course at Golden Rock, both on St Kitts. There is also
an 18-hole championship golf course on Nevis. A number of tennis courts
are available on both islands, and clubs welcome visitors. Day passes
can be purchased. Many of the hotels have their own (mainly hard) tennis
courts. Some courts are floodlit for evening play. Horseriding in the
rainforest or on the beach can be arranged through hotels. There are several
hiking trails leading into the mountains or through the rainforest. Local
guides can be arranged through hotels. Other sports enjoyed and watched
include cricket and football.
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ST.
KITTS & NEVIS TIME ZONE
St. Kitts & Nevis are islands in the Caribbean Sea, about
one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago. St. Kitts
& Nevis Standard Time is GMT-4 St. Kitts & Nevis does not operate
Daylight-Saving Time.
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