BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, September 26th 2012 (CUOPM) – The British Daily Telegraph is labelling St. Kitts and Nevis as the Caribbean’s most unspoiled gems.
“With its fine beaches, rugged coastline and lush tropical vegetation, St. Kitts is among the most gorgeous islands in the Caribbean,” said the Telegraph.
There is an astonishing variety of flora and fauna within its 68 square miles. Bright flowers such as hibiscus and heliconia are everywhere and crimson poinciana blooms blanket the island in summer.
Another signature sight is the green vervet monkey – you’ll see troops of them playing in hotel gardens or lazing under palm fronds.
Greg Pereira, owner of tour outfit Greg’s Safaris, says: “We’re fortunate to have such a variety of natural assets in St. Kitts.
“We have the coral reefs just offshore, then ashore you’ll find the dry forest along the coast. Higher still is the real woodland, then that gives way up the slopes to the wet rainforest.”
There are several ways to explore the landscapes. Sign up for a Jeep tour, hire a mountain bike or an all-terrain vehicle or set out on horseback from one of the riding centres. Unique to
St. Kitts is the Sugar Train, the last working railway in the West Indies, from which you can admire the scenery with a rum punch to hand.
To get up close to nature, you’re best on your own two feet. The island has lots of gentle trails that will suit casual ramblers, while more energetic types can take a guided hike to the extinct volcanic crater of Mount Liamuiga.
Greg adds: “When walking through the forests, it’s always possible to see our hummingbirds. We have one of the smallest in the world – the Antillean crested. Then we have monkeys, mongoose... it’s a wonderful place to hike.”
Birdwatchers will find St. Kitts enchanting. More than 90 species include frigate birds, brown pelicans and cormorants.
Between April and June, leatherback turtles come ashore on the Atlantic coast to lay their eggs. To see these elusive creatures is a rare privilege and visitors can join a night-time observation walk with the scientists of the St. Kitts Turtle Monitoring Network.
The waters around the island are teeming with life. Scuba divers can explore more than 200 wrecks and there are three outfits offering beginners’ courses.
Captain Crabby of Dive St. Kitts says: “There are a lot of stingrays here, a lot of barracudas. There’s different stuff to see every day. I’ve done more than 5,000 dives in the area – and I’m still amazed.”
You can still see an amazing profusion of sealife by snorkelling or joining one of the new “Snuba” trips, in which you dive in the shallows while breathing through an air hose linked to a raft.
If you don’t even want to get your feet wet, an excursion in a glass-bottom boat will provide the perfect introduction to the marine creatures of St. Kitts.
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