St. Kitts - The nicest country in East Caribbean

The landing at St. Kitts was a bit nerve-wracking since the runway was quite short and was located near residential areas. The flight from Antigua to St. Kitts was a 20-minute short flight. The plane was in a large Boeing 787 Dreamliner that came all the way with passengers on board from the UK.  

Taxis were quite expensive on the island, with minimum fares starting at 10 USD, regardless of the distance. My Airbnb was only a five-minute walk from the front end of the runway.

Exploring St Kitts with scenic railway vs renting a car?

During my visit to St. Kitts, I had to decide between using the half-day scenic railway ride or renting a car to explore the island. One advantage of the railway is that it passes through some of the island's lush green landscapes, but with a car, I could drive up to the hills and get closer to the mountains.

However, while the scenic railway offered a unique experience of touring around the island, it was only able to cover about two-thirds of the island's total area. Moreover, the ticket price for the three-hour ride was almost $100, which I found expensive for the 3 hours ride. The railway was also known for being quite bumpy, and I did not want to risk getting motion sickness.

So the main advantage of the railway is that it passes through some of the island's lush green landscapes which a car can not drive to.

But I opted for a rental car since I wanted the flexibility to stop wherever I pleased and had the entire day to explore. 

Renting a car the fast and easy way

As I arrived in the evening it was not easy to find a car rental agency but it worked with help via my Airbnb. The rental agent arrived within 30 minutes and rented me a private car for 50 USD per day.

Additionally, tourists were required to obtain a separate driving license for St. Kitts. As I was only planning to use the car for one day, I chose not to obtain the license and instead relied on my International Driver's License, hoping that it would be sufficient if I got pulled over.

Day 2 - Roadtrip with great views

I set out early in the morning to explore the southernmost part of the island. It was a bit of a mistake since I had the sun in my camera for some of the best viewpoints.

The drive to the southernmost part of St. Kitts took only about 45 minutes, even when driving slowly.

It was fascinating to see how narrow the island was; at one point, it was possible to see both the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea from the same spot.

The second best viewpoint was from Timothy Lookout, looking north. 

I also drove to Fairview Great House, an expensive colonial house with a garden. However, since I was not interested in interior design and botanical gardens, I skipped the tour. 

The highlight of my day was visiting Brimstone Hill, an 18th-century British fort built by African slaves.

The panoramic water views and the museum were worth the 15 USD admission fee.

If I had not rented a car, I would have had to hike up several hundred meters to reach the fort, which would have been a difficult climb.

Throughout the whole day of driving, I had a clear view of Mount Liamuiga, which dominated the island's landscape. 

The scenery changed constantly, depending on the sunlight and cloud formation, which made the trip even more exciting.

I drove around the island on narrow roads and saw many interesting houses, from old to very old, with the mountain always in the background.

Day 3 - Another crowded capital with cruise ships

On the third day, I explored downtown Basseterre, which was like most downtown areas in the Caribbean. It was compact and could be walked around in 30 minutes.

It was interesting to see how quiet the area was when no cruise ships were in port, and how overcrowded it could be when they were. 

Half Moon Bay, located on the island's northern side, was another highlight of my trip, offering great views, but difficult to access for swimming.

The downside in St. Kitts seems it doesn't have the nicest, calmest, most comfortable, and most accessible beaches for swimming, as the nicest beaches are locked up from resorts or are secluded without access by public transport.

Day 4 - Leaving one of my favorite Caribbean Countries

Time to leave St. Kitts and take a LIAT flight at 7:00am to St. Lucia. 

St. Kitts was a fantastic destination to visit and among my ratings of the nicest countries, it's definitely among the top. 

Now I'm excited to see the next countries down the stip of the east Caribbean countries in the next few weeks.