Welcome to St Kitts & Nevis, my 140th Visit UN Country out of a UN total of 193. I will run this UN Country when I return on the second leg of our cruise. After my blog photos below are the key statistics, brief history and interesting facts about this destination.
First for six and going strong. Getting off the ship first is now a sport for me. We were met by a cloud covered capital with a big rainbow over the top like a coloured bow-tie. No reception so we found a lovely local lady called Lynne to call Hertz. In the 15min they took to pick us up, Bundy did I fine job interviewing Lynne. She runs tours for tourists on the island and we are likely to use her services to visit southern Kitts and the nearby island of Nevis. There was a slightly drizzle as we waited for Hertz to pick us up and Lynne called it “wet sunshine” since the sun was shining through. A great saying indeed.
The capital continues the Caribbean theme of very narrow street and colourful buildings. It seems no island capital was designed for cars but people on foot. This capital was in better condition than those already visited. Our first attraction was anything but attractive – Fort St James near the capital was broken down and derelict and inside a hotel complex that was being rebuilt. The views of the capital however are great from here. The Wingfield Estate in St Kitts is a historic former tobacco, sugar, and rum plantation located in the foothills of Mount Liamuiga, known as the site of the first British land grant in the Caribbean in 1625. It is now a key tourist destination featuring preserved ruins and the adjacent Romney Manor, home to the Caribelle Batik factory and a botanical garden. There are supposed to petroglyphs here marked by the indigenous Caribs but we could not find them. The UNESCO Protected Brimstone Hill Fortress was the highlight. Often referred to as the "Gibraltar of the West Indies," it is considered one of the best-preserved. Designed by British military engineers and built using enslaved African labour between the 1690s and 1790s. It was constructed from local basalt blocks and limestone. You do not need a drone here as you can see for ever in all directions. The sea is deep blue and the lush mountain range facing the sea has no villages on it. As we drove around the northern tip of the island the highest peak Liamuiga was visible and a vast sea of sugar cane sits between its base on the ocean. The central mountains of St Kitts are covered in green but not rainforest. It is a scenic island with a great circumferential road. The noticeable characteristic of St Kitts that was our favourite feature are the many small village style communities that dot the coast of the island with their own signs, colourful houses, churches and offerings, such as arts and crafts and various local foods. In the middle of the west coast is the community of Belle View that features a whole series of black rocks formed by super-cooled magma many millions of years ago. There was soccer field next the rocks encircled by stalls selling souvenirs for the older members of the cruise lines. We then swung by the St Kitts Scenic Railway (Needsmust Station), which is an old steam locomotive pulling colourful rooved but open carriages that take tourists for joy rides. This is what is left over from the sugar-cane days of St Kitts. You can see small railway lines everywhere as you circle the island – the only quick way to get cane to the mills and ports in those days. Today the sun just poured its rays down like a waterfall, only hot and humid. Top Hill Lookout is the quintessential view of St Kitts – the views from here can be found on every brochure – it is the symbol of St Kitts. In fact, the main view south looks like Wineglass Bay in Freycinet Tasmania in Australia. From Top Hill you can see the Atlantic Ocean on the left and the Caribbean Sea on the right since St Kitts is known as the convergence marker of these two giant bodies of water. Back down we drove to North Frigate Bay Beach on the Atlantic which was way too rough and full of what looked like brown algae. Instead, we headed to the Caribbean side (Frigate Bay Beach) which was calm and clear – the clearest of all beaches we have swum in so far. It is also elevated by beachfront bars and loud Caribbean music emanating from them and from tourist boats anchored nearby. It was a terrific way to end a great day in my milestone driven 140th UN Country in the world !!! Our last car hire stops are supermarket and petrol before returning the car. On this occasion more yoghurt (wine) and a lift to the boat by Herz. Our yoghurt passed the ship’s scanners like a baby. Bundy and I laughed seeing others declaring bottles of wine only to cop a $USD20 corkage each on top of what they paid on the island. Bundy and I figured that up to now we have drunk 12 bottles of wine costing us $12USD per bottle giving a total of $USD144. If we had declared these it would cost $USD384 and if we had bought them on the ship then face a total of $USD600 and weep !!! Bundy and I are MAKING MONEY !!! And all thanks to two 1.6L plastic drinking yogurt bottles which cost $USD4 each !!! Has the cruise world no imagination ???
The day ended with a lovely tuna dinner to compliment the Rose in our room prior. After dinner we posted blogs and social-media and continued to check finances, especially car hire deposits. I have been averaging $USD500 security deposit holds before they are released after hire. This means pouring money into the UP MASTERCARD to enable them and making sure they get cancelled !!!
Tonight, Julia Dreyfuss Lewis did not tuck us into bed – it was Larry David !!! Why you aks ? Excellent question ! It is because our Captain is Dutch and has a very strong accent when he speaks English over the ship’s PAS. He pronounces “S” as “SH”. Every time we set sail he welcomes us back “home” and explains our overnight route and distances. Last night he announced “so get ready for a night of shmooth shailing (smooth sailing). Bundy and I instantly thought of the Larry David episode of 3 Eastern European characters (Igor, Gregor, Timor) that said “shplendid” instead of splendid. So, we decided to watch it and laugh ourselves to sleep !!!
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ST KITTS & NEVIS IN A NUTSHELL:
St Kitts & Nevis is a small, high-income island nation with a growing population and a strong reliance on tourism.
• Capital City: Basseterre
• Official Language: English
• Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar (XCD), pegged at 2.7 per US$
• Area: 269 sq km (104 sq miles)
• Government: Federal parliamentary democracy (a constitutional monarchy)
• Population (2025): 46,922
• Population Growth (2024-2025): 0.16%
• Median Age (2025): 36.2 years
• Life Expectancy (2024): 72.3 years
• Urban Population (2025): 39.4%
• GDP (2024): US$1.13 billion
• GDP Per Capita (2024): $USD22,771
• Real GDP Growth (2024): 1.5%
• Inflation (2024): 1%
• Main Industries: Tourism, light manufacturing, and construction
• Literacy Rate: The adult literacy rate is high, at 97%.
• Internet Penetration (2025): 76.4% of the population uses the internet.
• Health Expenditure (2021): 6.2% of GDP
BRIEF HISTORY OF ST KITTS & NEVIS:
The history of St Kitts & Nevis is marked by its importance as the first British colony in the Caribbean, centuries of colonial conflict, and the development of a sugar-based economy built on slavery.
• First inhabited by Native American tribes, including the Ciboney, Arawak, and the Kalinago (Island Caribs), starting around 3000 BCE.
• Christopher Columbus sighted the islands in 1493, naming St Kitts "Saint Christopher" (later shortened) and Nevis "Nuestra Señora de las Nieves" (Our Lady of the Snows).
• First British Colony In 1623. The French also established a colony in 1625, leading to decades of Anglo-French rivalry for control of the islands.
• In 1626, the Anglo-French settlers collaborated to massacre an estimated 2,000 indigenous Caribs at Bloody Point to prevent an uprising.
• The English settled the island of Nevis in 1628, which quickly became a prosperous hub in the Antilles.
• The colonial powers developed a highly profitable sugar industry, importing thousands of enslaved Africans to work on the plantations. St Kitts became one of the richest British colonies per capita by the 18th century.
• Following numerous battles, the French finally relinquished their claims, ceding the islands to Britain entirely in the Treaty of Versailles in 1783.
• The British Parliament abolished slavery throughout the empire in 1834.
• St Kitts and Nevis achieved full independence from the United Kingdom on 19 September 1983.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ST KITTS & NEVIS:
1. Smallest Sovereign State in the Western Hemisphere.
2. 1755 Birthplace of an American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.
3. St. Kitts was the first English colony in the Caribbean, established in 1623.
4. The islands sit at the convergence of two different bodies of water: the warmer Caribbean Sea on the western side and the cooler Atlantic Ocean on the eastern side.
5. Thousands of Green Vervet Monkeys, originally brought over by French settlers in the 17th century as pets, now roam freely across the islands, with some estimates suggesting they outnumber the human population.
6. The Brimstone Hill Fortress on St. Kitts is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
7. Nevis is home to the Cottle Church, established in 1824, which was the first church in the Caribbean where both enslaved people and their masters could worship together.
8. A narrow, 3.2 km channel called "The Narrows" separates the two islands. An annual open-water swimming event allows participants to swim across this channel from St. Kitts to Nevis.
9. For centuries, sugarcane cultivation was the backbone of the economy. The industry was finally shut down in 2005, with the economy now focused heavily on tourism, real estate, and financial services.
10. The St Kitts Scenic Railway, once used to transport sugarcane from the plantations to the capital, now offers a unique, double-decker train tour around the entire island, providing picturesque views of the coastline, villages, and old estates.
Why is John the only one running Bundy?
ReplyDeleteOh, because you are looking for a “nifi”