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Adventure Guide to the Leeward Islands, 3rd Edition (Hunter Travel Guides) PDF

507 Pages·2008·20.96 MB·English
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Preview Adventure Guide to the Leeward Islands, 3rd Edition (Hunter Travel Guides)

Island Paradise HUNTER TRAVEL GUIDES very island in this chain has its own history, culture and ecology. The author, who lives in Antigua, describes each one in detail. Try out the glamorous new super-luxury resorts on Anguilla or the casinos, Anguilla E night spots and restaurants of St Martin. The lovely small plantation inns on Antigua St Kitts will transport you back to British colonial times. Explore the rain- St Barts forests on Saba and Statia or dive in some of the deepest canyons of the Carib- bean. See St Barts, the haven of celebrities and the ultra-rich, a shopper’s St Martin dream come true. Get close to the active volcano on Montserrat, or catch a St Kitts, Nevis glimpse of the wild monkeys on Nevis. Saba, Statia, Montserrat This guide is the ultimate resource if you’re heading for some fun in the sun. It covers all the sites and attractions, the beaches, the watersports, the planta- tions and historic spots, but it also shows how to escape the tourist traps, lead- ing you into the heart of each island to discover hidden waterfalls, mountain streams and secret trails. For each island there is extensive information on where to stay and eat, from five-star resorts to family-run B&Bs, from haute cuisine to roadside stands selling the best BBQ chicken on the island. The author recommends local tour operators and adventure outfitters, with contact names and numbers, but also tells how to tour on your own. All the best shops, boutiques and galleries are described, as well as the recom- mended spas, golf courses, hiking and biking options, the festivals and the cel- ebrations. The only guide with color photos & maps throughout that also gives you all the detailed practical information you need. Life is a journey, an adventure – let Hunter be your guide! dventure Guide Art & Architecture Food & Drink Detailed Maps Festivals & Nightlife Walking & Biking Where to Stay Sightseeing Where to Eat Shopping Leeward Hunter Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-1-58843-642-9 80 Northfield Ave Edison NJ 08837 US $23.9 Islands 9781588 436429 5 2 3 9 9 4th Edition K.C. Nash www.hun te rpub l i s h i ng . com HUNTER dventure Guide Leeward Islands dventure Guide Leeward Islands Anguilla, Antigua St Barts, St Kitts & St Martin 3rd Edition K.C. Nash HUNTER HUNTER PUBLISHING, INC. 80 Northfield Ave, Edison, NJ 08837 % 732-225-1900 / 800-255-0343 / fax 732-417-1744 www.hunterpublishing.com E-mail Contents Introduction 1 What Type Are You? 1 Pick Your Island 3 Anguilla 3 Antigua & Barbuda 3 Montserrat 3 St. Kitts 4 Nevis 4 Saba and St. Eustatius 4 St. Barthelemy 4 St. Martin/Sint Maarten 5 Websites 5 Following the Symbols 8 A Word of Caution 9 Essential Packing List 10 Anguilla 15 The Allure of the Island 15 A Brief History 18 The Facts 20 Travel Information 23 Exploring 32 On Foot 32 On Horseback 33 On Wheels 33 On Water 33 Eco-Travel 39 Playing & Watching Sports 40 Family Fun 41 Seeing the Sights 42 Where to Stay 44 Luxe Resorts 44 Where to Eat 61 Shopping 68 Fine Art 69 Gifts, Clothing & More 70 Nighlife 71 The Beaches of Anguilla 72 Saint Martin/Sint Maarten 75 The Allure of the Island 75 A Brief History 78 The Facts 82 Travel Information 86 Exploring 101 On Foot 101 On Wheels 101 Scenic & Historic Tours 102 On Water 102 On Horseback 112 iv n Contents Eco-Travel 112 Playing & Watching Sports 113 Family Fun 114 Seeing the Sights 118 Where to Stay 122 Where to Eat 154 Shopping 165 Nighlife 169 The Beaches of St. Martin/Sint Maarten 174 On the French Side 175 On the Dutch Side 178 On the Offshore Islands 181 St. Barthelemy 183 The Allure of the Island 183 A Brief History 185 The Facts 186 Travel Information 187 Exploring 198 On Foot 198 On Wheels 199 On Water 200 On Horseback 206 Playing & Watching Sports 206 Tennis 207 Seeing the Sights 207 Where to Stay 209 Where to Eat 227 Shopping 235 Nighlife 236 The Beaches of St. Barts 237 Saba 243 The Allure of the Island 243 A Brief History 245 The Facts 246 Travel Information 249 Exploring 255 On Foot 255 On Water 256 Playing & Watching Sports 259 Sampling the Culture 260 Reliving History 260 Where to Stay 261 Where to Eat 267 Shopping 270 Nighlife 271 St. Eustatius 273 The Allure of the Island 273 A Brief History 275 The Facts 277 Travel Information 280 Exploring 285 Contents n v On Foot 285 On Water 286 Playing & Watching Sports 288 Seeing the Sights 288 Where to Stay 290 Where to Eat 293 Shopping 294 Nighlife 294 The Beaches of Statia 295 St. Kitts & Nevis 297 The Allure of the Islands 297 A Brief History 300 The Facts 303 St. Kitts 306 Travel Information 306 Exploring 314 Playing & Watching Sports 320 Seeing the Sights 321 Where to Stay 324 Dining Around St. Kitts 332 Shopping 337 Nighlife 338 The Beaches of St. Kitts 339 Nevis 342 Travel Information 342 Exploring 347 Playing & Watching Sports 352 Seeing the Sights 353 Where to Stay 357 Eating Out 365 Shopping 370 Nighlife 371 The Beaches of Nevis 371 Antigua & Barbuda 375 The Allure of the Islands 375 A Brief History 378 The Facts 380 Travel Information 384 Exploring 394 On Foot 394 Zip-Lining 394 On Wheels 395 On Water 397 On Horseback 403 By Air 403 Playing & Watching Sports 403 Seeing the Sights 404 Where to Stay 407 Eating Out 432 Shopping 442 Nighlife 445 Barbuda 447 vi n Contents History 447 Travel Information 449 Exploring 450 Where to Stay 452 Dining Out 454 The Beaches of Antigua & Barbuda 455 On Antigua 455 On Barbuda 458 Montserrat 461 The Allure of the Island 461 A Brief History 463 The Facts 465 Population 465 Language 466 Main City 466 Government & Economy 466 People & Culture 466 Geography 467 Climate 468 Flora & Fauna 468 Travel Information 469 Exploring 477 On Foot 477 Eco-Adventures 478 On Wheels 480 On Water 480 Seeing the Sights 482 Where to Stay 484 Where to Eat 489 Shopping 490 Nighlife 490 Index 491 Maps Caribbean facing page 1 Lesser Antilles 13 Anguilla 14 Anguilla Dive Sites 34 Anguilla Beaches 72 St. Martin 80 Philipsburg 117 Marigot 119 St. Barts 182 Saba 242 Statia 272 St. Kitts & Nevis 296 Antigua 374 Barbuda 382 Montserrat 460 About the Author K.C. Nash is a professional travel writer with years of experience in writ- ing feature stories for magazines and newspapers. She lives in Antigua, one of the Leewards, and frequently travels throughout the region to explore new developments and share them with her readers. Before moving to Antigua in 2005, K.C. lived in the East Bay area of San Francisco, and served as a special sections editor and feature writer for the Contra Costa Times newspaper chain. She also contributed articles to Diablo Magazine, an award-winning regional publication based in the East Bay. Most recently, she has been a contributor to the Caribbean Edge website, and now hosts her own site, www.leewardislands.net, where she will be updating the information contained in this book on a continuous basis. Acknowledgments I would like to thank my husband Willie Nash, Jr. for his patient support over the last year as I researched each island. I truly enjoyed his company as we visited hotels, restaurants and various attractions on each island. He always had insightful questions and cogent observations to add—especially when I completely missed the obvious or got too cranky and out of sorts to think of good questions. I would also like to thank the professional staff members of the tourism boards and authorities on each island who were so helpful in arranging tours and visits, and generally supporting the publication of this book. They include Director Amelia Vanterpool-Kubisch and Merlyn Rogers of the Anguilla Tourist Board; Director General Lorraine Headley and U.S. Director of Tourism Derede Samuel-Whitlock of the Antigua and Barbuda Ministry of Tourism; Director Ernestine Cassell, Ishwar Persad and Jadine Glitzenhirn of the Montserrat Tourist Board; Director Glenn Holm of the Saba Tourism Office; Director Christine Walwyn and her capable staff members Diannille Taylor and Wendell Pemberton of St. Kitts; Chief Executive Officer Helen Kidd and Angelique France of the Nevis Tourism Authority; and Director of Tourism Elise Magras of St. Barths for their kind assistance. I appreciate the time each of the hotel and restaurant managers and staff took to tell me about their properties and take me on tours. Without their patient guidance, this book would be a lot shorter and half as valuable. viii n Introduction What Type Are You? efore you decide where to go in the Leeward Islands, you In This Chapter should examine your needs and desires n About Barbados 4 –Band especially your traveling style. n Getting There 10 Take a look at the suggested styles n People & Culture 11 below, and see which description fits you n Accommodations 14 best. n Eating & Drinking 14 n Travel Information 17 The Perfect Cruise n Land of Adventure 29 n Traveling with Children 53 Passenger n Culture, Art & Music 65 Your idea of the perfect vacation is set- tling into one place and having the world come to you. Your idea of heaven includes multiple restaurants to choose from, loads of entertainment, fun activities and shopping… all within a short distance from your room. And you still want to explore different cultures, albeit in quick glimpses that can be had on an organized tour, so that you can return to your little haven on or by the sea. The Boots-On Adventurer To you, the world is one big hiking trail supplemented by huge pools for your kayaking, sailing, parasailing or diving activities. The more explora- tions you can cram into a day the better – and then at the end of the day you want to see what the local culture has to explore in the way of cuisines and entertainment. Beach-sitting, lazy swimming in a warm pool, or sit- ting on a balcony reading a good book are not among your preferred activi- ties. The Cultural Explorer The world is a fascinating place, and you want to know as much about it as you can. You love talking to hotel owners, restaurateurs, tour operators and just ordinary people to hear what they like best about their country. You are game to try native cuisines (although monkey brains may not be to your liking), dances, games and anything different from your own cul- ture. You’d prefer to stay in places that don’t remind you of home, but give you a new view of the world at large.

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