Beaches
9 Reasons To Visit Nevis
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St. Kitts’ little-known sister island, Nevis, has been attracting a lot more attention with the massive popularity of Hamilton the Musical, since it happens to be that founding father’s birthplace. But being off the radar for the masses has been a good thing for this lush little isle, as it has managed to remain unspoiled. —Susan Campbell
Nature
You know there must be a truly wild side to an island that is home to more monkeys than people. The emerald rainforest-covered volcano provides excellent hiking opportunities, but a local guide is highly recommended. En route, you’ll encounter soul-soothing spots like hidden waterfalls and secret caves. Beyond the armies of green monkeys, you’re also bound to encounter random critters like wild donkeys, meandering goats, tropical birds, and maybe even wild boars.
Insider Tip: If you’d rather explore by ATV, Funky Monkey Tours will take you to the best nature spots not often covered on regular bus or taxi tours.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Nevis Guide
Cottle Church
Nevis’s history is fascinating, and there’s a small museum in Charlestown recounting the island’s colonial past. In the home where Alexander Hamilton was born right across the courtyard, there is now a small museum dedicated to his life. There is also a museum dedicated to Admiral Horatio Nelson. The Bath Hotel, built in 1778, was the first hotel in the Caribbean and now houses government offices. Also still standing (without the roof) is the Cottle Church. Plantation owner John Cottle built it in 1824 so his family and his slaves could worship together, even though it was illegal at the time.
Insider Tip: Bring your bathing suit to the Bath Hotel, as there are public hot springs out front.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Nevis Guide
Festivals
Although Nevis celebrates its annual national carnival, Sugar Mas, on sister island St. Kitts in December, they have their own interesting local events. There’s the new annual Mango Festival held every summer, celebrating the national fruit with lots of culinary offerings and street fairs. Culturama, a local celebration of art and culture, is held on the anniversary of Emancipation Day in July. And the Nevis Blues Festival is a musical blowout on beautiful Oulie Beach in April. It’s a fun and friendly get-together.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Nevis Guide
Montpelier Plantation
The plethora of sugar mill ruins on Nevis has provided hoteliers an opportunity to create unique resorts. Nisbet Plantation is the only planation built on the sea, and where Horatio Nelson met his wife, Fanny Nisbet. Up in the highlands, the stunning Montpelier plantation is now a Relais & Chateaux resort. (It’s also where Horatio actually married Fanny.) Then there’s Golden Rock Inn, owned by a New York artist, another restored sugar plantation surrounded by acres of gorgeous botanical gardens. The oldest wooden house in the Caribbean (circa 1660) has become The Hermitage, a charming and unique boutique hotel.
Insider Tip: Nisbet Plantation’s maître‘d gives a rollicking local pub tour.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Nevis Guide
Four Seasons
Nevis has some excellent dining. Best bets for creative Caribbean fusion fare might be Four Seasons’ Mango and The Great House at Nisbet Plantation, while Montpelier has the world’s only private dining in a 300-year-old sugar mill tower. Local cuisine focuses on grilled rock lobster, chicken, ribs, and the catch of the day. “Goatwater” (goat stew) is also a specialty. For drinks, the most famous cocktails are the “Killer Bees” (a secret potent rum punch recipe) served at Sunshines Beach Bar and cocktails are also very creative at Bananas jungle bar/bistro on Hamilton Estate.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Nevis Guide
Beaches
Less party-heavy than highbrow St. Barths and lusher than Anguilla, Nevis quietly attracts celebs seeking an escape where they can simply relax out of the limelight.The island has long been the darling of famous folk like Oprah, Beyoncé, Kelly Ripa, Meryl Streep, Britney Spears, Debra Messing, Eric Stonestreet, and Mary-Louise Parker, to name just a few. Princess Diana brought her sons to Nevis just after her divorce and partied barefoot on the beach at the local BBQ. VIPs feel safe there, and the locals are among the friendliest you’ll encounter in the entire Caribbean.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Nevis Guide
Horse Racing
Running is big on Nevis. There are two annual running events—a triathlon and a running festival. As an ex-British colony, cricket and football are also very popular pastimes. But you might be surprised to learn that Nevis also has one of the Caribbean’s best drag racing tracks. The St. James Raceway attracts competitors from all over the Caribbean. There is also horse racing at the seaside Indian Castle Racetrack, a very social event where visitors and locals alike love to bet on the outcome.
Insider Tip: There’s also an annual “Swim to St. Kitts” competition.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Nevis Guide
Watersports
There is some marine life to be seen right offshore, but most snorkeling trips involve a fun party sail to nearby St. Kitts. However, Nevis is a fabulous scuba diving spot with expert instruction and great excursions run by Scuba Safaris with five sunken wrecks to explore nearby. They also offer unique Dive and Dine experiences where certified divers catch their own rock lobster for dinner and the Four Seasons chef prepares it with a special Nevisian barbecue glaze.
Insider Tip: The Four Seasons works with the local Nevis Turtle Group, where guests can participate in sea turtle releases and preservation.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Nevis Guide
Lover’s Beach
When you head to the Caribbean, you want great beaches, and Nevis doesn’t disappoint. But what’s most interesting about the surfside escapes is how secluded they can be even though all beaches are open to the public. It takes little time to walk away from a resort and find yourself all alone with the sea. Each beach is different with stretches of sand ranging from alabaster white to black powder to golden brown, and all with warm, aqua seas.
Insider Tip: Best bet for complete seclusion? Aptly named Lover’s Beach, hidden away from the road on the north shore.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Nevis Guide
There’s something special about living near a city like Baltimore: When you want to escape, you can head to the port right off I-95, put your car in long-term parking, and board a ship in search of new experiences near and far. Though you may not be aware of it, Baltimore is growing its reputation as a homeport city; if you haven’t thought about booking a cruise out of the “Crab Cake Capital of the World,” now may be the time. According to Maryland’s Department of Transportation, 250,000 travelers sailed out of the Port of Baltimore in 2012 and, in 2013, Royal Caribbean’s newly renovated Grandeur of the Seas joined the ranks of the ships that call the port home.
CRUISE TO THE BAHAMAS
If you’re sick of cold, gray skies, a trip to the sunny Bahamas may be just what you need to get through the rest of this ugly winter. Carnival Pride, a Spirit-class ship, homeports out of Baltimore part of the year (and Tampa for the balance). While this is an older ship—she made her debut in 2002—it’s a favorite because of its size. In today’s world of mega cruise ships, Carnival Pride is a “mid-size” ship that welcomes 2,124 travelers per cruise. The ship still has everything you may need at sea—from nearly a dozens bars to an array of restaurants and in-room dining to Broadway-style shows and a terrific kids program. This itinerary to the Bahamas includes three days at sea so go ahead and treat yourself and book a few spa treatments and spend at least one full day by the pool. The ship stops at Port Canaveral near Orlando, where shore excursions include day trips to Walt Disney World, Universal, and Sea World as well as activities like canoeing and kayaking. This cruise also calls on Nassau and Freeport in the Bahamas. A lot of people spend the day in Nassau at Atlantis, but the line also offers options like a beach day at Balmoral Island or a catamaran sail and snorkel trip. More snorkeling adventures can be found in Freeport and there’s also a fun dolphin encounter.
Dates: Jan. 19, 26; Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23; March 2, 16, 23; Apr. 6; May 11, 25; June 8, 22; Jul. 6
Cruise Fares: As low as $429 per person for 7 nights.
CRUISE TO BERMUDA
Not everyone will be able to snag vacation time for a cruise this winter but there are also excellent options out of Baltimore form April through October. Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas offers six- and seven-night itineraries to Bermuda. Both options include three nights docked at Kings Wharf plus two or three sea days. Beaches of pink sand, dramatic cliffs, quaint villages evoking the country’s British roots, and green-as-can-be golf courses are just part of what makes Bermuda so intoxicating. Most shore excursions are active, like scuba, snorkeling, fishing, and kayaking, but you can also opt to be more of an observer with Royal Caribbean’s island exploration tours and glass-bottom boat excursions. While the 1,950-passenger Grandeur of the Seas is one of the line’s oldest ships, launched in 1996, she underwent a $48-million upgrade in 2012 and now has many of the same features as Oasis-class ships. The cabins were upgraded and new dining options were added, making this ship is an excellent choice for a weeklong getaway.
Dates: Apr. 26; May 9, 23; June 6, 20; July 4, 18; Aug. 1, 15, 29; Sept. 12, 26; Oct. 10
Cruise Fares: As low as $469 per person for the six-night itinerary and as low as $649 per person for seven nights.
CRUISE TO THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN
Grandeur of the Seas also offers a 10-night Western Caribbean itinerary out of Baltimore with two sea days followed by stops at Labadee, Haiti; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten before spending three more days at sea and returning to port in Maryland. The longer length of this cruise makes it popular with people—like retirees and those with young children who aren’t yet in school—who can take off more than a week at a time.
Dates: Jan. 21; Feb. 8, 18; Mar. 8, 18; Nov. 1, 11, 29; Dec. 9, 27
Cruise Fares: As low as $619 per passenger for 10 nights.
CRUISE CHESAPEAKE BAY
For people who think they’ve already sailed every itinerary there is, we suggest American Cruise Lines’ glorious seven-night Chesapeake Bay voyage that blends just the right amount of history, culture, and the great outdoors. The cruise takes guests to Yorktown and Williamsburg, Virginia, to view Civil War battlefields and colonial homes. The ship also calls on Tangier Island in Virginia along with Crisfield, Cambridge, Oxford, St. Michaels, and Annapolis in Maryland. From aquariums to National Historic Landmarks and the U.S. Naval Academy to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, you’re guaranteed to visit places you’ve never been before. Three ships—American Glory, Independence, and American Star—sail this unique itinerary in May, June, and November.
Dates: May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; June 7; Nov. 2, 8
Cruise Fares: As low as $3,245 per person for six nights. Seven-night cruises as low as $3,750.
Andrea M. Rotondo is a freelance writer based in New York City. She covers cruise news and luxury travel trends for Fodors.com and writes for a variety of outlets, including her website Luxury Travel Mavens. Follow her on Twitter: @luxtravelmavens.
If you haven’t been to Aruba lately you might not recognize Oranjestad. The small city has been refreshed and rejuvenated with both locals and visitors in mind, and there are more innovative improvements to come.—Susan Campbell
Linear Park
Aruba is creating the longest linear park in the Caribbean to provide a smooth paved trail ideal for walking, jogging, biking, and sightseeing. The trail begins at the airport and stretches along the sea to downtown Oranjestad with plenty of resting spots, refreshment stands, and dining options along the way. Catch a stellar sunset at Surfside Beach and try out the new public workout equipment or take a dip in the sea along the trail. The main park plaza has also become a popular outdoor venue for events like marathons, yoga, and cultural festivals.
PLAN YOUR TRIP with Fodor’s Oranjestad Guide
Market
Located beside the downtown bus terminal, the new local market has grown to become a visitor favorite. With 40 buzzing stalls—all with permanent coverings to shield them from the elements—it’s an ideal spot to find locally made items and affordable Aruban souvenirs. The owners entice local creators to showcase their wares there, so you’ll find unique items like sand art, wood carvings, oil paintings, seashell jewelry, and all manner of cool handmade keepsakes. You’ll also find excellent local fare on site, including BBQ and fresh fruit shakes, and there’s free parking as well.
PLAN YOUR TRIP with Fodor’s Oranjestad Guide
Bon Bini Festival
Beyond the Bon Bini Festival held every Tuesday showcasing local food, music, and dance at Fort Zoutman, Oranjestad is seeing all kinds of new events popping up throughout the year. There are many spinoffs, from the annual music festivals to arts and crafts fairs, and Queen Wilhelmina Park on the marina often has free entertainment like the new “Crazy Wednesdays,” where the Renaissance sponsors a new show every week. There are often live bands at the many dining spots and new events like “Eat Local Restaurant Week” and street food festivals are also bringing more life to downtown.
PLAN YOUR TRIP with Fodor’s Oranjestad Guide
Plaza Daniel Leo
The downtown grid is also punctuated with many new outdoor plazas. These were designed to be the lungs of the little city and ideal spots for resting, replete with fountains and benches. Enjoy people watching in busy Plaza Daniel Leo or enjoy Plaza Torismo’s wide-open spaces at Linear Park. There’s also a new Plaza at Parden Baai where the trolley begins, and at Plaza Nicky you can sample Aruba’s only locally roasted java at Coffee Break Aruba.
PLAN YOUR TRIP with Fodor’s Oranjestad Guide
Arts
Aruba has a vibrant art scene, and now at Cas di Cultura you’ll find the island’s first permanent display of Aruban art sponsored by UNOCA. The new downtown Cosecha building is another permanent home where Aruban artists and crafters can display and sell their work. There are also many cool new outdoor sculptures scattered about downtown, including the “Blue Horse” series, a tribute to the island’s past importance as a horse-trading port. And visit Korteweg’s Facebook page to see when their outdoor pop-up art exhibits will magically transform an entire street into a cultural happening.
PLAN YOUR TRIP with Fodor’s Oranjestad Guide
Trolley
Now there’s a fun new way to explore the newly refreshed streets and attractions of Oranjestad, and better yet—it’s free. Aruba’s eco-friendly battery-powered trolleys loop the downtown region and offer hop-on/hop-off access from nine stops beginning at the cruise terminal. Two cars are double-decker for great views, and both have shaded seating options. The trolleys move slowly on dedicated tracks and all cars are wheelchair accessible. Aruba is the only island in the Caribbean with this cool mode of transportation.
PLAN YOUR TRIP with Fodor’s Oranjestad Guide
Dining
Aruba has more than 200 fine-dining spots covering a vast range of cuisines, and many of them are located in Oranjestad. The Renaissance Marketplace houses a variety of restaurants; new dining options there include Sea Salt for fresh fish and Sidebar for gourmet burgers and craft bourbon cocktails. And the new Wilhelmina Restaurant close by has been drawing crowds eager to try their avant-garde international menu. On Surfside Beach just down the linear park path, you’ll also find West Deck for great local fusion fare and Barefoot for romantic sunset dinners on the sea.
PLAN YOUR TRIP with Fodor’s Oranjestad Guide
Shopping
Oranjestad has always been a hotbed for retail therapy seekers looking for upscale jewelry, gold, silver, diamonds, and Swiss watches or designer fashions at very good prices. But now the well-established family run businesses behind modern malls like the Renaissance are also benefitting from a new influx of foot and trolley traffic. Specialty stores are also moving into the new malls like Margarita Plaza, offering sportswear, baby items, footwear, and duty-free cosmetics and perfumes.
PLAN YOUR TRIP with Fodor’s Oranjestad Guide
Main Street
Oranjestad’s original “Main Street” was once Caya G. F Betico Croes, directly behind the Renaissance Marina hotel, but over time the neighborhood became badly neglected and business slowed down because visitors—especially cruise ship passengers—preferred to stick close to the marina’s L.G. Smith Blvd., where the souvenir market stalls are set up. But now, the old main street has rebounded thanks to the new trolley, and the newly completed palm tree-lined pedestrian-only portion of the street.
PLAN YOUR TRIP with Fodor’s Oranjestad Guide
Undersea hotels represent one of the newest frontiers in hospitality. From Zanzibar to Sweden, beautiful underwater properties with one-of-a-kind views have been popping up around the globe, featuring some of the most unique rooms that travelers can book. Meanwhile, closer to home, many celebrated US aquariums offer sleepovers that aren’t just for kids anymore. Check out our picks for places that allow you to sleep under the sea (or at least pretend that’s where you are).
By Rachel B. Doyle
The Manta Resort
Pemba Island, Tanzania
Pemba, a verdant Indian Ocean island in the Zanzibar archipelago, has long been enticing divers with its pristine coral reefs and clear waters. Now the chic Manta Resort has taken the aquatic worship one step further, last month opening Africa’s first underwater hotel room. Submerged 13 feet underwater, the room has eight large, lit windows through which guests can gawk at a Technicolor parade of fish and cephalopods. A ladder leads to a sundeck and lounge.
Insider tip: Guests can have meals sent out to them by boat, such as grilled snapper with rosemary bread, followed by chocolate mousse and spiced pineapple.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Tanzania Guide
Jules’ Undersea Lodge
Key Largo, FL
The granddaddy of underwater hotels, Jules’ Undersea Lodge–a former marine lab that opened as an inn in 1986—has an unusually high bar to entry. All guests desirous of spending the night need to know how to scuba dive. There’s no other way to enter this two-bedroom retro hideout, 30 feet below the surface in a mangrove-laden lagoon. The customary underwater dinner is pizza from Papa John’s, but guests can upgrade to local lobster or filet mignon.
Insider tip: Don’t want to commit to a whole night among the angelfish and barracudas? Jules’ also offers a three-hour lunchtime “mini-adventure” for $150 per person, pizza included.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Key Largo Guide
Hydropolis Underwater Hotel and Resort Dubai
Dubai, UAE
Where would they build the most ambitious luxury hotel under the waves? Dubai, of course. The Emirate that brought you a man-made island in the shape of a palm tree now hopes to unveil the Hydropolis Underwater Hotel, in a Hyde Park-sized complex 66 feet under the sea. Guests staying at one of the 220 suites will be greeted at the “land post” on Jumeriah beach and taken by submerged subway to the main part of the hotel. The developers say that they hope to welcome 3,500 guests a day, once they overcome “financial constrictions.”
Insider tip: This hotel also plans to offer a plastic surgery clinic, and recovering patients can stay out of sight under the sea.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Dubai Guide
Utter Inn
Västerås, Sweden
The most rustic underwater hotel of the bunch, the tiny and adorable Utter Inn gently bobs in Sweden’s Lake Mälaren. The visible part of the hotel is designed like a typical Swedish home, with an A-frame roof, red sides and white gables. Down a 10-foot ladder there’s a cozy room with twin beds and panoramic windows to watch pike and perch swim by. With no electricity, the tranquility here is absolute.
Insider tip: Use the on-board inflatable canoe to visit an uninhabited nearby island. Many of Lake Mälaren’s islands were once Viking settlements.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Sweden Guide
Poseidon Undersea Resort
Fiji
Some 150,000 people have allegedly signed up to be notified once Poseidon Undersea Resort opens for business. The five-star underwater resort in Fiji was scheduled to launch in 2008, but a combination of the global recession and the difficulty of sub-aqua building have led to it still being incomplete. Ambitious projections show an underwater library, golf course, and tennis court, while the website promises future guests the use of a personal submarine.
Insider tip: If you really want to jump the queue, contact Poseidon about booking a wedding in the undersea chapel. Just don’t set a date yet.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Fiji Guide
The National Aquarium
Baltimore, MD
Although the U.S. only has one underwater hotel, America leads the pack when it comes to aquarium sleepovers. At the National Aquarium in Baltimore, home to over 17,000 animals, overnight visitors can choose between shark or dolphin-themed sleepovers. An underwater viewing area morphs into dramatic sleeping quarters, and guests can take nocturnal tours, watch dolphin shows, or see sharks being fed. At $115 per person including breakfast and dinner, this may be the best deal in Baltimore’s popular Inner Harbor area.
Insider tip: Discounts are available for groups of over 15 people.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Baltimore Guide
The Georgia Aquarium
Atlanta, GA
Kudos to the Georgia Aquarium, the world’s second largest, for realizing adults might want to have aquarium sleepovers too. This aquarium, home to some 100,000 sea creatures, offers the 21+ crowd a package with live jazz, cocktails, and behind-the-scenes tours. Guests can then sleep in until 10 am on mattresses plopped in front of beluga whales or a giant Pacific octopus.
Insider tip: Wear comfortable shoes. This aquarium is enormous.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Atlanta Guide
The Oregon Coast Aquarium
Newport, OR
Overnight guests at the Oregon Coast Aquarium get to bed down in underwater walkways along with some 5,000 species. With its 360-degree views, this exhibit has an apt nickname: the shark tubes. The itinerary for kids includes a scavenger hunt through different marine habitats, and the package also comes with two meals for $60. The program for adults is less scripted (sadly, no scavenger hunt), but can include a tour of a nearby brewery.
Insider Tip: Bring warm clothes for sleeping–it can get chilly in the shark tubes.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Newport Guide
uShaka Marine World
Durban, South Africa
Slumber parties at this South African aquarium take place in a highly realistic replica of a wrecked 1940s steam ship outfitted with massive fish tanks. Overnight visitors to the cleverly designed uShaka Sea World can wander through four connected “shipwrecks,” where they’ll find 32 tanks boasting many species of rays, an array of incredibly poisonous reptiles, and one of the most diverse collections of sharks in the world.
Insider tip: Take your swimsuit. The uShaka complex has a nice stretch of sandy coastline.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Durban Guide
The Aquarium of the Pacific
Long Beach, CA
Leave it to Southern Californians to figure out that aquariums and meditation are a perfect match. The adults-only package at the Aquarium of the Pacific involves a yoga session, fish feeding, and an informal lecture on marine life for $80. A pizza dinner and light breakfast are included, and alcohol is available (once you’re done demonstrating chakravakasana poses to sea otters.)
Insider tip: Download the aquarium’s free “Explorer” app before going.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Long Beach Guide
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