Adventure Guide to Antigua, Barbuda, Nevis, St.Barts, St.Kitts and St.Martin
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Adventure Guide to Anguilla Antigua St. Barts St. Kitts St. Martin including Sint Maarten, Barbuda & Nevis Anguilla Antigua St. Barts St. Kitts St. Martin including Sint Maarten, Barbuda & Nevis 2nd Edition Paris Permenter & John Bigley HUNTER HUNTER PUBLISHING, INC, 130 Campus Drive, Edison, NJ 08818 732-225-1900; 800-255-0343; Fax 732-417-1744 [email protected] Ulysses Travel Publications 4176 Saint-Denis, Montréal, Québec Canada H2W 2M5 514-843-9882, ext. 2232; fax 514-843-9448 Windsor Books The Boundary, Wheatley Road, Garsington Oxford, OX44 9EJ England 01865-361122; Fax 01865-361133 ISBN 1-55650-909-X © 2001 Paris Permenter & John Bigley All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. This guide focuses on recreational activities. As all such activities contain elements of risk, the publisher, author, affiliated individuals and companies disclaim any responsibility for any injury, harm, or ill- ness that may occur to anyone through, or by use of, the information in this book. Every effort was made to insure the accuracy of informa- tion in this book, but the publisher and author do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any liability for any loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misleading information or potential travel problems caused by this guide, even if such errors or omissions result from neg- ligence, accident or any other cause. Cover photo: Rawlins Plantation, St. Kitts © Paris Permenter & John Bigley Interior images provided by the authors, unless otherwise noted Index by Nancy Wolff Cartoons by Joe Kohl Maps by Kim André, © 2001 Hunter Publishing, Inc. 1234 www.hunterpublishing.com Hunter’s full range of guides to all corners of the globe is featured on our exciting website. You’ll find guidebooks to suit every type of traveler, no matter what their budget, lifestyle, or idea of fun. Adventure Guides – There are now over 40 titles in this se- ries, covering destinations from Costa Rica and the Yucatán to Tampa Bay & Florida’s West Coast, New Hampshire and the Alaska Highway. Complete information on what to do, as well as where to stay and eat, Adventure Guides are tailor-made for the active traveler, with a focus on hiking, biking, canoeing, horseback riding, trekking, skiing, watersports, and all other kinds of fun. Alive Guides – This ever-popular line of books takes a unique look at the best each destination offers: fine dining, jazz clubs, first-class hotels and resorts. In-margin icons direct the reader at a glance. Top-sellers include: The Cayman Islands, St. Mar- tin & St. Barts, and Aruba, Bonaire & Curaçao. Our Rivages Hotels of Character & Charm books are top sellers, with titles covering France, Spain, Italy, Paris and Por- tugal. Originating in Paris, they set the standard for excel- lence with their fabulous color photos, superb maps and candid descriptions of the most remarkable hotels of Europe. Our Romantic Weekends guidebooks provide a series of es- capes for couples of all ages and lifestyles. Unlike most “ro- mantic” travel books, ours’ cover more than charming hotels and delightful restaurants, with a host of activities that you and your partner will remember forever. One-of-a-Kind travel books available from Hunter include Best Dives of the Western Hemisphere; The Jewish Travel Guide; Golf Resorts; Cruising Alaska and many more. Full descriptions are given for each book, along with reviewers’ comments and a cover image. Books may be purchased on-line via our secure transaction facility. vi n About the Authors About the Authors ohn Bigley and Paris Permenter are professional travel writers and Jphotographers specializing in the Caribbean. They contribute travel articles and photographs to many top magazines and newspa- pers. Paris and John are the authors of the Adventure Guide to the Cayman Islands, Adventure Guide to Jamaica, The Cayman Islands Alive!, Ja- maica: A Taste of the Island, Jamaica Alive!, Nassau & the Best of the Bahamas Alive! Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts & Nevis Alive! and Baha- mas: A Taste of the Islands, also by Hunter Publishing. Their most re- cent guide for Hunter is Romantic Escapes in the Caribbean. The couple have authored Gourmet Getaways: A Taste of North America’s Top Resorts and Texas Barbecue, named the Best Regional Book by the Mid-Atlantic Publishers Association. The husband-and-wife team are also frequent television and radio talk show guests and have appeared on several travel shows. Both Paris and John are members of the prestigious Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA). They reside in the Texas Hill Country, near Austin. Readers can follow the couple’s travels on their websites: Travels with Paris and John (www.parisandjohn.com) and Lovetripper Romantic Travel Magazine (www.lovetripper.com). n n n Acknowledgments n vii Acknowledgments e would like to thank those who helped on the home front during Wour many research trips. Our thanks go to Laurie and Tim Kibel, Cliff and Clara Trahan, Sam Bertron and Rebecca Lowe for all their help. As always, special thanks to Mom and Dad for their support as we hit the road. Thanks also go to our daughter, Lauren Bigley, who lent her assis- tance with fact-checking. Our research was also assisted by the many public relations agencies across the country; their hard work made our jobs much easier. We’d especially like to thank for Anguilla: Deborah Roker and Miss Ernie Hodge with the Anguilla Tourist Board. In St. Martin/Sint Maarten, thanks go to Mary Jane Kolassa with YPB. In St. Kitts and Nevis, we send a thank you to Tim Benford and Tim III of Benford & Associates. In Antigua and Barbuda, we thank Cheryl Andrews Marketing. Our special thanks also go to the many informative taxi drivers who shared their wealth of knowledge. n n n Contents About the Authors........................................vi Acknowledgments .......................................vii Introduction 1 Saba .............................................3 Sint Eustatius .....................................3 Montserrat ........................................3 WhenToGo.............................................5 High/Low Season ......................................5 Hurricanes ...........................................5 Special Concerns .........................................7 Currency.............................................7 Health...............................................7 Crime ...............................................7 Interesting Island Facts ................................8 Packing For Adventure ....................................9 How To Use This Book....................................10 Adventure Chapters ..................................11 Adventures On Foot .................................11 Adventures On Wheels ...............................12 Adventures On Water ................................12 Adventures In the Air ................................13 Adventures On Horseback ............................13 Eco-Travel .........................................13 Cultural Excursions .................................14 Sightseeing Sections ..................................14 Where to Stay........................................15 Hotels & Resorts ..................................15 Condos ..........................................15 Small Inns .......................................15 Camping .........................................15 Where to Eat ........................................16 Anguilla 17 What's Special About It? ..................................17 History ................................................18 Early Days ..........................................18 Colonization .........................................18 Modern Times .......................................21 Geography & Land .......................................21 Climate ................................................22 Flora & Fauna ..........................................23 Conservation & Protection .............................23 x n Contents Birds ...............................................24 Reptiles.............................................24 Marine Life..........................................25 Marine Conservation ................................25 Government & Economy ..................................26 Currency............................................26 The People .............................................26 Travel Information.......................................27 When to Go..........................................27 Customs ............................................27 Cost................................................27 Holidays ............................................28 Calendar Of Events..................................28 Transportation .......................................30 Flights ............................................30 Ferry Service .......................................31 Arrival ............................................31 By Private Boat ...................................31 Special Concerns .....................................32 Pets ..............................................32 Health ............................................32 Crime .............................................32 Drugs .............................................32 General Information ..................................32