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

507 Pages·2008·20.96 MB·English

by  K. C. Nash

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 [phone]
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.