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Nevis compared to St John
Nevis compared to St John
Hi,
We have been to St John 3 times and love it of course. This past June we went to the Abacos. I liked it there but not like St John. I love to snorkle and it really was not what I expected. My hubbie has been reading my island magazines and came across Nevis. He loves history and thought that we should try Nevis. Has anyone been to both St John and Nevis.A few things I would like to know. Is the water clear like St John, Is it safe. Any snorkeling off the beaches. I love to try new places but St John is all I could ever want in a vacation spot and I hate to be thinking I COULD BE ON ST JOHN!!!
Nancy
We have been to St John 3 times and love it of course. This past June we went to the Abacos. I liked it there but not like St John. I love to snorkle and it really was not what I expected. My hubbie has been reading my island magazines and came across Nevis. He loves history and thought that we should try Nevis. Has anyone been to both St John and Nevis.A few things I would like to know. Is the water clear like St John, Is it safe. Any snorkeling off the beaches. I love to try new places but St John is all I could ever want in a vacation spot and I hate to be thinking I COULD BE ON ST JOHN!!!
Nancy
Nevis
I have stayed at the Four Seasons on Nevis. It is usually rated as one of the top resorts in the world, and it probably deserves that rating.
The service is excellent, the resort and beach immaculate, and the food incredible. It has a geourgeous golf course complete with wild monkeys.
To be honest I didn't venture off the resort so I am very limited in reporting on the rest of the island. I was not particularly impressed with the snorkeling.
My one complaint was that the mountain blocked the trade winds so the beach was very hot in the afternoon, but I have the same complaint about the Westin in St. John.
Needless to say it is very expensive.
The service is excellent, the resort and beach immaculate, and the food incredible. It has a geourgeous golf course complete with wild monkeys.
To be honest I didn't venture off the resort so I am very limited in reporting on the rest of the island. I was not particularly impressed with the snorkeling.
My one complaint was that the mountain blocked the trade winds so the beach was very hot in the afternoon, but I have the same complaint about the Westin in St. John.
Needless to say it is very expensive.
I'll be interested to hear some more info on Nevis, as this is one island I've also been interested in. If you haven't checked into Bequia, DO IT. It is an incredible island that almost nobody knows about. Shhh.....
Click here for photos of Bequia:
http://rcplanefan.zenfolio.com/p23449110/
Ken
Click here for photos of Bequia:
http://rcplanefan.zenfolio.com/p23449110/
Ken
My St. John Photos: http://rcplanefan.zenfolio.com/
Tina - it is in the Grenadines. Great place. How about Nevis?
Ken
Ken
My St. John Photos: http://rcplanefan.zenfolio.com/
Those are some amazing pictures of The Grenadines. We went on a day trip there from St Lucia and had an amazing time. We landed on Union Island then went on a catamaran to Mayreau, Tobago Cays and Palm Island. Tobago Cays are known for great snorkeling. I haven't been to Nevis, but read enough forums to know that snorkeling is mediocore at best.
Going "home" again October 26th!
http://www.svgtourism.com/ Here's a link to a great website for The Grenadines. I wasn't sure if I would be able to find it.
Going "home" again October 26th!
Hi Nancy,
I, too, was always very curious about Nevis (and a few other islands), but found myself drawn back to STJ over and over again.
The winter before last, we had the opportunity to sail on a gorgeous boat, which we used to visit all the islands we were curious about.
Granted, we did not sleep on the islands, but I felt that I got a good feel for them. Nevis was one.
We anchored right off the Four Seasons for two nights. It was a very nice Four Seasons--our sailing friends liked it so much they went back with their extended family a few months later (they favor All-American sorts of places), but I have to say, I was REALLY glad I hadn't booked two weeks there instead of a STJ villa. I think I would have been bored with it after a day or two.
A month before, I'd been at the Four Seasons in Miami and had a great experience. I thought the buildings, pool, grounds, and bar all looked very well-kept but a bit dated. Boring. The service at the Beach Bar wasn't up to 4 Seasons standard, at least the many times we bellied up to it the two days we were there. My husband played golf--he's a big golfer--and said the course was nothing special.
Granted, we did not sleep in the rooms. I'm sure they were fine. But the whole place, on the outside, looked kind of 1980's Disney to me. It wasn't lush tropical the way *I* would want a resort to be.
My two friends and I took a taxi up to a hillside inn called Golden Rock or something like that. It was an old-fashioned, relaxed, casual kind of place. It had a pretty view. But it wasn't breathtaking in all directions like in the VI's...We met a man who lived on the island and said it was the best place in the world, and that he had been to every island. For what that is worth.
We had a decent lunch, then went for a hike. The hike was beautiful--kind of jungle-like. We saw a green monkey and wild pigs.
The town itself (I forget the name), seemed reminiscent of what a small town in Ireland might have been like in the 1960's. Turns out that my husband, who was a child in Ireland in the 1960's, thought the same thing as he drove through after his golf. Very peaceful. Friendly people. Very friendly...
The beach off the Four Seasons merges into a public beach which is fairly flat and pretty. The water was clean and lovely. Nice for swimming. Not sure about snorkeling... There were a couple of fun beach bar shacks along the water..
All in all, though, I was really glad I hadn't booked a two week vacation there.
Here is a picture of our hike. The URL is right; not sure if it will display though..
I, too, was always very curious about Nevis (and a few other islands), but found myself drawn back to STJ over and over again.
The winter before last, we had the opportunity to sail on a gorgeous boat, which we used to visit all the islands we were curious about.
Granted, we did not sleep on the islands, but I felt that I got a good feel for them. Nevis was one.
We anchored right off the Four Seasons for two nights. It was a very nice Four Seasons--our sailing friends liked it so much they went back with their extended family a few months later (they favor All-American sorts of places), but I have to say, I was REALLY glad I hadn't booked two weeks there instead of a STJ villa. I think I would have been bored with it after a day or two.
A month before, I'd been at the Four Seasons in Miami and had a great experience. I thought the buildings, pool, grounds, and bar all looked very well-kept but a bit dated. Boring. The service at the Beach Bar wasn't up to 4 Seasons standard, at least the many times we bellied up to it the two days we were there. My husband played golf--he's a big golfer--and said the course was nothing special.
Granted, we did not sleep in the rooms. I'm sure they were fine. But the whole place, on the outside, looked kind of 1980's Disney to me. It wasn't lush tropical the way *I* would want a resort to be.
My two friends and I took a taxi up to a hillside inn called Golden Rock or something like that. It was an old-fashioned, relaxed, casual kind of place. It had a pretty view. But it wasn't breathtaking in all directions like in the VI's...We met a man who lived on the island and said it was the best place in the world, and that he had been to every island. For what that is worth.
We had a decent lunch, then went for a hike. The hike was beautiful--kind of jungle-like. We saw a green monkey and wild pigs.
The town itself (I forget the name), seemed reminiscent of what a small town in Ireland might have been like in the 1960's. Turns out that my husband, who was a child in Ireland in the 1960's, thought the same thing as he drove through after his golf. Very peaceful. Friendly people. Very friendly...
The beach off the Four Seasons merges into a public beach which is fairly flat and pretty. The water was clean and lovely. Nice for swimming. Not sure about snorkeling... There were a couple of fun beach bar shacks along the water..
All in all, though, I was really glad I hadn't booked a two week vacation there.
Here is a picture of our hike. The URL is right; not sure if it will display though..
Four Seasons
Maryanne
Just so you know the Four Seasons Resort was completely destroyed by a hurricane in the mid 90's as I recall. It was a storm that did not hit the VI. The resort was closed for a few years and was completely rebuilt. So It is less than ten years old. I have stayed at Four Seasons and Ritz's around the world and I thought it was comparable.
it also showed me that it is possible to run a top quality resort in the Caribbean. All to often we who love the VI excuse poor service and poor management by saying it is "island time". It doesn't have to be that way.
All that being said, I'm glad I went there, buy I prefer my place in STT to the glamour of the Four Seasons in Nevis.
Just so you know the Four Seasons Resort was completely destroyed by a hurricane in the mid 90's as I recall. It was a storm that did not hit the VI. The resort was closed for a few years and was completely rebuilt. So It is less than ten years old. I have stayed at Four Seasons and Ritz's around the world and I thought it was comparable.
it also showed me that it is possible to run a top quality resort in the Caribbean. All to often we who love the VI excuse poor service and poor management by saying it is "island time". It doesn't have to be that way.
All that being said, I'm glad I went there, buy I prefer my place in STT to the glamour of the Four Seasons in Nevis.
I am just getting back to reading the forum again. Like others, I have been so busy with life, work, etc that it interfered with my forum participation. I am way behind on reading trip reports and I miss them!
We have been to Nevis 3 times and St John twice (as well as 13 other islands - we are Caribbean addicts). Here are my opinions for what they are worth (since we all enjoy different things):
- We love both islands for different reasons and plan to go back to both.
- Nevis is very laid back, even more so than St John and the people are very friendly. It seems more "small townish" to me and has a wonderful "feel" to it that we just love. The West Indian culture is much more prevalent than we found on St John. It is very scenic with the Mt Nevis in view from everywhere. It has wonderful "jungle hiking". We have gone hiking with a guide several times during each trip and really enjoyed it. The water was clear when we were there, but the sand is not the white color that STJ has, so the water color is not turquoise, but more blue. There are a few really nice beaches where the water is very calm and nice for taking a swim. We found the food to be excellent, whether it was a little local place on the beach or in town or one of the upscale, expensive plantation inns.
- Snorkeling on Nevis does not compare to STJ at all - its just ok. There is a little snorkeling off some of the beaches that kept us entertained, but not to the extent of STJ. We have taken several snorkeling trips across the channel on a boat to St Kitts (the country is made up of both St Kitts and Nevis). There is some good snorkeling there, but again, does not compare to STJ in size and quantity of fish. We did see some nice coral too.
- My husband is also interested in history. There are some interesting historical things to see in Nevis (one especially interesting spot was ruins from the 1600s on one of our jungle hikes). Our favorite site was on St Kitts where there is a huge, well preserved fort up on a hill with spectacular views. There are several ferries every day to/from St Kitts, so a day trip there is easy.
- Re: safety - I believe the island is very safe and has less crime than STJ, although there have been a few incidents over the years. We have felt very safe there.
- I don't think there is much nightlife there compared to STJ, but there are a couple beach bars and some of the resorts have entertainment some evenings.
In summary, we thought Nevis was a wonderful place to visit and we love it and will go back. There are some spots on the island where you get wonderful views across the water to other islands. But the beaches are not as pretty with the white sand and turquoise water you get in STJ and the snorkeling is just ok. (We love to snorkel, so this is the only downside of Nevis for us.) STJ beaches and snorkeling are really outstanding compared to most of the other islands we have visited. If you end up going to Nevis, pm me and I can tell you some of the places we went, especially if you want to hike or if you want to know about places to stay/eat.
We have been to Nevis 3 times and St John twice (as well as 13 other islands - we are Caribbean addicts). Here are my opinions for what they are worth (since we all enjoy different things):
- We love both islands for different reasons and plan to go back to both.
- Nevis is very laid back, even more so than St John and the people are very friendly. It seems more "small townish" to me and has a wonderful "feel" to it that we just love. The West Indian culture is much more prevalent than we found on St John. It is very scenic with the Mt Nevis in view from everywhere. It has wonderful "jungle hiking". We have gone hiking with a guide several times during each trip and really enjoyed it. The water was clear when we were there, but the sand is not the white color that STJ has, so the water color is not turquoise, but more blue. There are a few really nice beaches where the water is very calm and nice for taking a swim. We found the food to be excellent, whether it was a little local place on the beach or in town or one of the upscale, expensive plantation inns.
- Snorkeling on Nevis does not compare to STJ at all - its just ok. There is a little snorkeling off some of the beaches that kept us entertained, but not to the extent of STJ. We have taken several snorkeling trips across the channel on a boat to St Kitts (the country is made up of both St Kitts and Nevis). There is some good snorkeling there, but again, does not compare to STJ in size and quantity of fish. We did see some nice coral too.
- My husband is also interested in history. There are some interesting historical things to see in Nevis (one especially interesting spot was ruins from the 1600s on one of our jungle hikes). Our favorite site was on St Kitts where there is a huge, well preserved fort up on a hill with spectacular views. There are several ferries every day to/from St Kitts, so a day trip there is easy.
- Re: safety - I believe the island is very safe and has less crime than STJ, although there have been a few incidents over the years. We have felt very safe there.
- I don't think there is much nightlife there compared to STJ, but there are a couple beach bars and some of the resorts have entertainment some evenings.
In summary, we thought Nevis was a wonderful place to visit and we love it and will go back. There are some spots on the island where you get wonderful views across the water to other islands. But the beaches are not as pretty with the white sand and turquoise water you get in STJ and the snorkeling is just ok. (We love to snorkel, so this is the only downside of Nevis for us.) STJ beaches and snorkeling are really outstanding compared to most of the other islands we have visited. If you end up going to Nevis, pm me and I can tell you some of the places we went, especially if you want to hike or if you want to know about places to stay/eat.
I have a similiar question. We are thinking of going to St. Maarten staying on the Dutch side next April. We have been to St John several times including this past April. My sister & husband who join us, have a toddler and felt St. John was alot of work. We rent villas so the drive to the beach, along w/ the parking in Cruz Bay, the ferry over from St. Thomas etc. are causing them to second guess returning next year. Our kids are older so it isn't an issue for us.
We are looking at staying at Beach Side Villas on St. Maarten. They have 2 - 3 bedroom villas located right on the beach and within walking distance to restaurants.
I love this forum. I can't tell you how much valuable information I have gotten from all of you. I have been viewing the St. Maarten forum and have been totally turned off by both the posters as well as the amount of crime on the island which is talked about OFTEN. Also the nudity. While it doesn't bother me it seems to be a big topic of conversation on the forum. My boys are 6 & 8. Traveling w/ them and the toddler we would probably stay away from Orient Beach.
St. Maarten would probably save us $750 for the week once you add up the higher cost of accomodations on St. John, the ferry cost,etc.
Anyone have any feedback on St. Maarten vs. St. John. How can I get my sister & her family to agree St. John is the way to go?????
We are looking at staying at Beach Side Villas on St. Maarten. They have 2 - 3 bedroom villas located right on the beach and within walking distance to restaurants.
I love this forum. I can't tell you how much valuable information I have gotten from all of you. I have been viewing the St. Maarten forum and have been totally turned off by both the posters as well as the amount of crime on the island which is talked about OFTEN. Also the nudity. While it doesn't bother me it seems to be a big topic of conversation on the forum. My boys are 6 & 8. Traveling w/ them and the toddler we would probably stay away from Orient Beach.
St. Maarten would probably save us $750 for the week once you add up the higher cost of accomodations on St. John, the ferry cost,etc.
Anyone have any feedback on St. Maarten vs. St. John. How can I get my sister & her family to agree St. John is the way to go?????
B&J have captured the Nevis experience most accurately. I'd only add that the "Beach Bar" referred to by another poster was probably "Sunshine's", the home of the "Killer Bee" - a drink, not a pet. It is directly adjacent to the Four Seasons resort - "A hundred yards, and a world away!".
Not mentioned were the ruins of some colonial era sugar plantations and the warmth of the Nevisian people.
Not mentioned were the ruins of some colonial era sugar plantations and the warmth of the Nevisian people.
