Weather
Temperatures range consistently from 72°F (27°C) at night, to 86°F (30°C) during the day. It can shower at any time through the year, with heaviest showers in the mountains; the rainy season is May to October. Hurricanes crash through between August and October.
What to Wear
Tropical light cottons and linens will help you keep your cool. Bring rainwear.
Visa, Immigration, Customs
Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your scheduled length of stay.
ID:Government issued identification cards such as a Birth Certificate or proof of citizenship accompanied by photo ID such as a Driver's License. Many visitors enter this country as part of a sea cruise. You must have a valid passport for such a trip. Some of the countries you may be visiting will not permit entry without a passport. Ship authorities may retain your passport during the cruise, in accordance with their own administrative regulations and to facilitate clearance with local Immigration Authorities. Passengers should obtain a receipt for their passport, and the passport should be returned at the end of the cruise. U.S. citizens entering Canada from a third country must have a valid passport.
Visa/Permit/Tourist Card:No visa required for stays of up to 30 days. Single parents or other adults vacationing alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country.
Single parents or other adults vacationing alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country.
Transportation
Several flights a day connect the two islands.
Airports in Saint Kitts (Christopher) and Nevis:There are 2 airports in Saint Kitts (Christopher) and Nevis.
Travel by Water:The government-run passenger ferry Caribe Queen makes its 45-minute run between St Kitts and Nevis five days a week.
Travel by Road:The roads are good: rent a car (you will need a visitor's license) or take a cab - the schedule of set rates you get at the government office is useful.
Bus service is unscheduled but reasonably convenient and comfortable.
What Side of the Road?:Driving is on the left side of the road.
Speed Limits:Most roads - 72 kph.
Culture & Food
Languages Spoken:English.
Religions:Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic.
People and Culture: Kittitians (Kit-TEE-shuns) and Nevisians (Nee-VEE-shuns) haven't seen enough tourists to have been changed by them; so their heritage -West Indian and African, with architecture and infrastructures by the British-is unaffected. music and dance are very much West Indian and African. Masquerades, St Kitts has a popular folk dance troupe with numbers as varied as the French quadrille and the African war dance. The Kittitians and Nevisians manage to maintain a fierce rivalry while getting along like a house of fire. This gives a real edge to the annual cricket match! Nevis is working towards full independence from its amicable brother.
A resident or national of Saint Kitts (Christopher) and Nevis is called "Kittitian or Nevisian". The Term used to describe things from here is "Kittitian or Nevisian". For example, "Kittitian or Nevisian food".
Tipping and Bargaining: Tipping is practiced.
Restaurants: |
10 - 15% |
*Porters: |
1-2 East Caribbean dollars per bag |
Taxi: |
10% |
* Try to use local currency. Foreign coins cannot be exchanged and will be useless to the person receiving them. Foreign paper money requires a trip to the bank for exchange. However paper US dollars are accepted almost universally.
Food:If the great brown pelicans of the region go fishing, why not the islanders, who treat their catch with much more respect! Spices are combined with pickled herbs and fruits such as coconut and passion fruit, then used to sauce not just the fish but beef, chicken and pork also. You'll see goatwater, stewed mutton or goat, and souse, a pork stew, on the menu.
Money ConversionSaint Kitts & Nevis's currency is called the East Caribbean Dollar (XCD).
Currency Converter :use the following currency converter tool to help you with your vacation. Currency Convertor Tool
Currency Cheat Sheet:use the following currency cheat sheet as a quick conversion reference on your vacation. Currency Cheat Sheet
Attractions
Destination Cities:Basseterre looks like a small British town on vacation. About half of St Kitt's population lives here. Take the Circle-Island Road west and stop at Old Road Town, where the British landed the year Shakespeare's First Folio was published (1623, for you non-literary types-the sailors who came here might have met Shakespeare personally). There are Carib petroglyphs to be seen here, and you'll enjoy watching the sugar cane trains which run parallel to the road as they bring their produce out to the mills.
Points of Interest:Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park just north of Basseterre was a British garrison. Abandoned and later destroyed by fire, it has been restored and once again stands majestically to attention, 800 feet above the sea.
Various festivals and events are worth noting. The islands' Carnival goes for ten days, starting Christmas Eve, with a pageant and Calypso King and Queen competitions. Festivals of music, regattas and the Caribbean Cup multi-island bike race, the Charlestown Culturama in July, and fishing tournaments are a few of many lively festivities. Crafts of island cottons, wood and shells, lovely batik and painting make lovely souvenirs.
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