St. Kitts Is An Excellent Caribbean Vacation Destination

I just returned from a wonderful visit to St. Kitts, and was pleasantly surprised at just how much this relatively small Caribbean island has to offer for vacationers.

Direct flights to St. Kitts are available from Miami and San Juan via several major U.S. airlines, including American Airlines, plus it's a popular port-of-call with the major cruise lines.

If you're planning to fly to and stay on St. Kitts for several days, and want to experience a top-notch, full-service resort that offers a wide range of activities, superior accommodations, multiple restaurants, several swimming pools, a nicely equipped day spa, an 18-hole golf course, a casino, plus an incredible view of the ocean, you'll want to book your reservations at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort (869-466-1200, www.stkittsmarriott.com).

This is the largest, most modern and most well-rounded resort on the island. It's perfect for families, honeymooners, couples and even single travelers looking for a tropical getaway.

Throughout St. Kitts, however, you'll also find a handful of boutique hotels and inns, but unlike the majority of other Caribbean islands, St. Kitts is not overbuilt with countless hotels and resorts, which really adds to the charm of this beautiful and tropical vacation destination.

Once you arrive at St. Kitts, you'll have no trouble finding plenty to do. The island has both white and black sandy beaches, plenty of duty-free shopping, many historical sites to explore, plus countless land and water based activities - from scuba diving and snorkeling, to boating, hiking, zip-lining, biking, casinos, day spas, tennis, and truly gorgeous oceanfront golf courses.

If you shop around, you can find great airfare deals, plus deeply discounted accommodation deals when planning your St. Kitts vacation. However, once you arrive, unless you purchase an all-inclusive package, you'll probably find the cost of meals, activities and most items to be a bit on the high side. (This was the only negative thing I discovered on the island.)

Families will enjoy staying at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort because of the on-property activities, including a supervised Kids Club and multiple swimming pools, plus a beach that young people will love. Meanwhile, adults will appreciate the gourmet cuisine served here, as well as the spa, golf course, tennis courts and casino, not to mention the multiple bars (several of which feature nightly live entertainment).

Outside of the resort, there are several public beaches on St. Kitts, including the popular Reggae Beach, which offers swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling, boating, a great outdoor cafe/bar, plus a resident monkey, goat and giant pig (named Wilbur) that kids can interact with and feed.

If you enjoy hiking (and you're in top physical shape), consider experiencing the 2.5 mile trek up Mount Liamuiga. You'll hike through a lush rain forest be be rewarded with a breathtaking view of the island and coastline when you reach the top. (Keep in mind, you also have to hike back down on sometimes rugged terrain.) It's a challenging hike, so make sure you wear comfortable shoes, you're dressed appropriately, and bring along plenty of bottled water.

Also, don't even think about hiking up Mt. Liamuiga without a tour guide! Some of the best tour guides on the island are employed by Greg's Safaris (869-465-4121, www.gregsafaris.com). Not only will they help you plan an exciting, full-day hike up one of the island's tallest mountains, but Greg's Safaris offers a wide range of other tours and guided activities on the island that are suitable for people of all ages.

On your own, if you enjoy seeing historical sites, Brimstone Hill is an ancient fort that is extremely interesting to explore, plus you'll be rewarded with incredible views of the coastline from several directions. The fort is located on the top of an 800-foot-tall mountain (which you can drive up to). This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which people of all ages will enjoy visiting and exploring on foot.

Another really fun activity offered on St. Kitts is zip-lining through the Kittitian rainforest. It's offered by Sky Safari Tours (869-466-4259, www.skysafaristkitts.com). People of all ages can enjoy zip-lining, which is very safe, and far less scary than riding a roller coaster. The views are amazing, yet the ride along the zip line is smooth.

While I'm personally not a fan of duty-free shopping in the Caribbean, mainly because you can often find better deals for jewelry and designer watches, for example, online, you will find plenty of duty-free shopping on St. Kitts. Good deals can be found on alcohol and tobacco products.

Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to St. Kitts. The food and water quality at the resorts and many of the restaurants was top-notch, plus the resort offered cable television (with virtually all U.S. programming), plus reliable high-speed Internet access. These are amenities you won't find at many Caribbean destinations.

In a nutshell, St. Kitts has become one of my all-time favorite destinations in the Caribbean, and it's certainly a destination you should consider when planning your next tropical getaway. This is also a great place to host a destination wedding or to visit for a honeymoon, anniversary or special occasion. Regardless of why you're visiting, you can't go wrong staying at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort.

All photos (c)2010 Jason R. Rich. All rights reserved.

St. Lucia - A Wonderful Vacation Destination in the Caribbean

While I've had the opportunity to travel to most of the Caribbean in recent years, only a few destinations have stuck out in my mind as being favorites, and one of those destinations in St. Lucia. The island was absolutely beautiful, the locals are incredibly friendly, plus there were so many exciting and memorable things to do.

Direct flights to St. Lucia are affordable, and available from several East Coast cities, including New York City and Miami. Plus, you can choose from a wide range of resort (and all-inclusive resort accommodations) at various price points. The thing to remember, however, is that you should always be on the lookout for money-saving packages or special promotions when visiting any Caribbean destination, such as St. Lucia. Simply by searching the web, you can easily find incredible deals at places like the all-inclusive Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa (866-978-6226, www.cbayresort.com).

With its 254 guest rooms and suites, Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa is truly an all-inclusive resort destination. Yes, everything - including activities, all dining, drinks, access to the private beach and pools, entertainment, etc.) is really included (with very few up-charges or additional fees). The resort offers an amazing kids program, multiple swimming pools, a gorgeous private beach, tennis, an entire building dedicated exclusively to adult accommodations (plus a separate building with family-friendly accommodations), a lovely spa, several on-property fine-dining restaurants, plus plenty of on-property and nearby activities. All of the resort's buildings are also wired with Wi-Fi, and the guest rooms have cable TV.

Another great thing about this resort is its proximity to the airport. While many of the resorts on St. Lucia are located up to a one hour drive from the airport, Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa is located about five minutes from the airport. So, you can literally get off the airplane, collect your luggage, and be on the beach or sunbathing at the pool in well under an hour.

Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa is a beautiful, three-star resort. It's not over-the-top luxurious, but it is extremely clean, comfortable and very nicely equipped, plus the service is top-notch. Up until about five years ago, the Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa was a Club Med property, however, it's now under new ownership. Over the past few years, the resort has undergone massive renovations, and new additions are constantly being added.

This is a great family-friendly destination, or a perfect destination wedding or honeymoon resort. Thanks to the function space, it can also be used for business meetings or retreats.

One of the really special things about Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa is that it's home to 2 Elements - a kite-surfing and windsurfing school that's one of the very best in the world. In fact, the exact location where this resort is located is considered one of the world's top kite surfing hot spots, because of the perfect combination of wind, water and beaches.

If you want to learn how to kite surf, expert private instruction is available. Plan on investing about 10 hours during a five day period into lessons (at an additional cost of $400.00), after which you will be able to kite surf! This is one of the few resorts in the world that has its own kite surfing school right on the premises. If you're not sure this sport is for you, you can sign up for a free kite surfing introductory lesson, or watch expert kite surfers do their thing right from the resort's private beach.

When you're ready to explore St. Lucia, Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa has teamed up with a handful of top-notch local tour operators, for sightseeing, scuba diving, fishing, snorkeling, kayaking, off-roading on an ATV, windsurfing, bicycling, boating, and zip lining - all of which are available on St. Lucia (within a 5 to 30 minute drive from the resort). And, if you sign up for a tour through the resort, all transportation is arranged on your behalf.

In terms of sightseeing, St. Lucia offers some incredible places to visit, from historic fishing villages, to a tropical rainforest. There are also mineral baths and sulphur springs, a volcano, incredible water falls, a wildlife preserve, the Piton mountains, and botanical gardens, all of which are well worth visiting.

As you plan a trip to St. Lucia, you'll definitely want to spend at least five to seven days here, so choosing an all-inclusive resort, like Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa, makes perfect financial sense when it comes to planning the budget for your trip, since you know the majority of your food, drinks and on-property activities will be included. If you're traveling with kids, they'll absolutely love the Kids Klub, which offers supervised camp-like activities, an on-property water park, plus a playground (all included in the resort's all-inclusive price.)

To find the best deals for the Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa, check their website, or visit one of the popular online travel services, like Hotwire.com or Travelocity.com. Discounts on accommodations, guest room upgrades, and free resort credits, are among the special deals you'll find online.

Compared to all of the other potential Caribbean destinations you can visit, St. Lucia is definitely one of the very best and most affordable. Yet, the accommodations, food, service, and selection of activities are all excellent. It really is the perfect, tropical destination for a family vacation, a romantic getaway, a honeymoon or even a destination wedding. So, if you're thinking about taking a trip to the Caribbean, seriously consider St. Lucia as your destination. You won't be disappointed!

Photos (c)2010 Jason R. Rich. All rights reserved.