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Showing posts with label St. Kitts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St. Kitts. Show all posts

Saturday, August 14, 2021

St. Kitts Rail & Scenic Drive

 St. Kitts known as Christopher  Island, together with its neighbor Nevis, makes up a single two-island nation.
St. Kitts was the first English colony in the Caribbean.

One way of seeing the entire island is from the comfort of double-deck railcars which have a seat on both levels. Choose the upper level which is more spacious, with an open-air observation deck which helps you see stunning panoramic views. 






The St. Kitts Scenic Railway was originally built to transport sugar cane in the older days. Nowadays, it became a productive way to explore the island by transporting tourists who come to visit and learn more about St. Kitts.

The train tracks cover the northeastern coastline that reflects spectacular vistas of cliffs, ocean, surf and lush vegetation.

Riding by rail is 18 miles, and 12 miles by bus, making a total of 30-mile circle around the island. The railroad winds through small villages and farmland, rolling over massive steel bridges that span steep "ghuts" or gorges.

Photo credit to the rightful owner



The volcanic cone of Mt. Liamuiga rises above the railway and some rippling sugar cane fields edge dark green rain forests.
Visitors can see the island in a short amount of time, but thanks to this special rail highway experience!

As the train passes old sugar cane plantations, with abandoned chimneys and windmills, your tour guide will point out all the sites.


You will also see the old road town, where Sir Thomas Warner, founder of the English colony on St. Kitts, is buried next to his friend Samuel Jackson, the great, great grandfather of US president Thomas Jefferson. Other included sites you'll pass by is the Brimstone Hill Fortress, the British "Gibraltar of the Caribbean", and St. Paul's Village, - the home of Sir Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw, the first national hero of St. Kitts.

The nearby island of Nevis is where Alexander Hamilton was born.

Tour duration is approximately 2 hours by rail and 45 minutes by bus.

Friday, February 5, 2016

The Essential St. Kitts Tour

This is an amazing 3-hour tour if you are visiting St Kitts. in the Caribbean. Itineraries include visits to the 10-acre Romney Garden, the Caribelle Batik Studios, and the Brimstone Hill Fortress (also known as "The Gibraltar of the West Indies") which is the highlight of the tour! 
St. Kitts locals are all descendants from African slaves who worked in sugar plantations during the Industrial Revolution.
Basseterre, St. Kitts has a vibrant culture and multicultural heritage. You will discover its signature landmarks which include both the French and English colonial architecture of Independent Square, the War Memorial and the Anglican Church.

The Romney Garden is an old estate manor located at the edge of the rain forest surrounded by tropical gardens. The garden offers picturesque views, ideal for photographers who love to take photos focused on nature. The most awesome view in the garden is an incredible 350 year-old Saman Tree with enormous branches that go down along the ground, and then going up again like another tree. Truly am majestic creation, only God can do!
Courtesy of Travelmag.co.uk
I have to borrow a photo since I wasn't able to take a photo of this tree while I was there :(. Probably because I was overwhelmed visiting the Batik Studios...;).
It is at this location where local artists get their products used for fabrics that they make at Caribelle Batik Studios, for which they became widely acclaimed. They offer demonstrations about batik products' dyeing technique for free for visitors and customers who come and visit. Their batik products are popular sale!

"Batik" is a term they call for a painted cloth made with colorful pattern of different designs. No wonder why visitors love to buy them.

The last and the highlight of the tour is a visit to the 300-year old Brimstone Hill Fortress located on a 40-acre hilltop at 750 ft. above sea level. Its astounding scenic and spectacular views offers high rolling green hills, with brightly-colored villages at the bottom, all surrounded with the sparkling blue ocean. Don't miss visiting the museum, gun ports and bastions of the historic mountainside fortification.






The next 100 years after its first cannons were built in 1690 showed the intermittent construction of an amazing work of architectural and engineering ideas, which is now well-preserved providing scenic views of the coastline, the countryside and the five neighboring islands.