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As you depart your cruise ship, you will pass through a large archway, which houses the National Museum. Continue through Basseterre (also spelled Basse-Terre ) to the Circus, an area with shops and restaurants frequented by visitors to St. Kitts. Then go east to Independence Square where you will find the courthouse, Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Guadeloupe de Basse-Terre, and other historic buildings. Leave time to browse at the Amina Craft market on your way back to your ship.
The island of St. Kitts is full of possibilities for day trips. Take a rainforest walk, including a well-maintained trail above Romney Manor that travels along and across Wingfield's river. This is probably the best-marked trail, complete with ropes and steps.
If you scuba dive, there are numerous shipwrecks to explore. St. Kitts offers a variety of beaches to explore, including Cockleshell, combining white powdery sand beach and restaurants and bars, and Turtle beach, which is a little more remote but teeming with fish in the water.
You can catch the ferry from St. Kitts to Nevis (pronounced NEE-vis) for a very enjoyable day. Majors Bay features a nice beach, and it is near to where the ferry from St. Kitts lands.
Charlestown, the capital of Nevis, is a small, pretty town, with a Main Street lined with Georgian stone buildings. Take a tour of the Hermitage Plantation in St. John, built of lignum vitae wood in 1640, is the oldest surviving wooden house still in use in the Caribbean today.
St. Kitts' scenic railway was originally built between 1912 and 1926 to transport sugar cane to the central sugar factory in Basseterre. It offers gorgeous views over farms, small villages and historic windmills. In order to make the 30-mile loop around the island, a distance of 12 miles (19 km) is organized by bus. A round trip takes about 3 hours.
While the two islands are small, there is no shortage of good food and drink. Right in the center of Basseterre, you'll find Ballahoo, which features French food and views of the lovely downtown.
If you're looking for something more romantic, Marshall's Restaurant in Nevis won't disappoint. Its dining room is poolside and provides ocean views, and local flavor can be found with dishes including conch ceviche and lobster thermidor.
Another great option is Yachtsman Grill, located on the beach facing St. Kitts with Mt. Nevis in the background. Enveloped by lush gardens, seafood is the main cuisine here, or you can choose to relax on a beach lounge chair and enjoy cocktails (lounge chairs can be rented from $10 to $40).
St. Kitts is perhaps best known for its annual music festival, with performers ranging from Michael Bolton to Nas. It's generally held in June.
The climate for these islands is tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes. There is little seasonal temperature variation; however, the rainy season is from May to November.
Port Zante is the cruise ship pier in Basseterre. From the pier, it is a 15-minute walk into downtown Basseterre.
Taxis and buses both use micro buses. Official taxis can be identified by the yellow license plate starting with the letter "T" or "TA." Make sure you agree upon the price with the driver before entering the taxi. During nighttime, between 10 pm and 6 am, a 50% surcharge is added to the standard price.
St. Kitts and Nevis are connected by ferry service, which takes about 45 minutes and offers lovely views of the two islands.
Documents: A passport is required.
Language: The language of St. Kitts & Nevis is English. However, if you have never visited the Caribbean before you may have difficulty understanding the Creole language, spoken by the locals, which is based on the English language but to the untrained ear sounds nothing like it.
Currency: The official currency is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$).
Shop hours: Stores are typically open between 10 am and 5 pm Monday through Saturday. While is Port Zante, you will find excellent duty-free shopping on an array of luxury goods.
Tipping: In restaurants, a 10% to 15% tip is recommended and taxi drivers will happily receive a tip of 10% though it’s not required.
Dress: Make sure to wear shoes and a shirt in the city and in public places. Wearing beach attire in the city is taboo.
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