ADVERTORIAL • February 2017
Four ways to enjoy St Kitts
The dreamy Caribbean island may offer sun, sea and sand, but thanks to an array of colourful festivals, a growing culinary scene and a calendar of sporting events in 2017, there are even more reasons to take that tempting island escape
Get sporty
You may well have come here to lie horizontal, rum cocktail in hand, moving as little as possible. Thankfully, not everyone on St Kitts is quite so blissfully lazy, and live sporting action is in plentiful supply. In a famously cricket-mad corner of the world, this island nation really delivers in 2017 with the West Indies Cricket Board President’s XI vs England (25 and 27 February) and, come August and September, the Caribbean Premier League T20 Cricket. Beyond the cricket whites, there are plenty of other sporting highlights, including the Admiral’s Cup Pro-Am Golf Tournament (4-9 February) and the Johnny Walker St. Kitts Golf Open (May). Meanwhile, on 26 March there’s even a Cross Channel Swim from Nevis to St. Kitts, an open water swimming challenge which finishes at the very dreamy Cockleshell Beach.
Club tip: If you’re in St Kitts but can’t get tickets to the tournaments, head to Vibes Beach Bar on Frigate Bay Beach, where local sports fans gather to catch the action on flatscreen TVs.
Get your groove on
Why endure another muddy campsite this summer when you could be at the St. Kitts Music Festival (22-25 June)? Big name artists from Ali B of UB40 to John Legend (pictured) and Damian Marley have played in the past, lending support to what is predominantly a line-up of Caribbean artists and local rising stars. Attendance has grown in recent years, with Warner Park – usually a sports stadium – packed out to full capacity in 2016. Another intriguing cultural event is the annual Latin Fiesta (18-24 October): several days of partying celebrating the links between the West Indies and Latin America, reaching a colourful crescendo with the Fiesta Sunday at Port Zante. And of course, in December and January it’s time for the world-famous National Carnival (also known as Sugar Mas) – enough said.
Club tip: The National Carnival is famous for its colourful characters, from clowns and Masquerades to ‘Moko-Jumbies’ (dancers on stilts), but the most entertaining event has to be the calypso contest, which sees singers from all over St. Kitts battle it out to be crowned Calypso Monarch.
Get some perspective
With its languid pace, historic sights and unique nature, St Kitts is a place to take time out from the grind. Brimstone Hill Fortress and National Park was built by slaves, but with its epic views, it’s now a supremely peaceful spot. You certainly won’t forget the sweeping views from the Sugar Train (pictured) either – a scenic railroad which once carried sugar cane, and whose original tracks still exist in part today across the whole island. During a visit to Romney Manor, a grand historic house set in a ten-acre estate, you’ll see the friendly ladies of Caribelle Batik creating the fabric designs that have been on sale here since the 1970s. Another souvenir sorted.
Club tip: If you hope to see some of the island’s famous green vervet monkeys, don’t just look for them, but listen out for the sound of mangoes falling from a tree – a monkey is rarely far away.
Get some grub
The warm, easygoing hospitality of people in this part of the world is well understood and a huge part of the Caribbean’s appeal. But what you might not have realised is how high the bar has been raised in recent years when it comes to St Kitts’ culinary offering. From 19-30 July, St Kitts and Nevis Restaurant Week shines a spotlight on every kind of local restaurant, from beach shacks working wonders with local ingredients to innovative fine-dining establishments. Meanwhile, three new high quality restaurants are set to arrive with the 2017 opening of the Park Hyatt St Kitts: a secluded, luxury hotel with an enviable position on the brilliantly named beauty spot of Banana Bay.
Club tip: Don’t miss trying the island's national dish (pictured) - lip-tingling stewed saltfish, spicy plantains, seasoned breadfruit and coconut dumplings.
British Airways flies twice weekly from London Gatwick to St Kitts. For more information and to book, visit ba.com/stkitts or stkittstourism.kn
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