Your tour guide takes you through Basseterre, the oldest town in the Eastern Caribbean where elements of French and British colonization have been carefully preserved. Highlights of the tour include, Brimstone Hill Fortress and National Park, known as the Gibraltar of the West Indies, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Caribelle Batik where local artists transform Sea Island cotton into stunning Batik fabrics. At Romney Manor experience a 12-acre botanical paradise and former home of Samuel Jefferson, an ancestor of U.S. President Thomas Jefferson. Your tour continues to Fairview Great House and Gardens where you can explore the 3 1/2 acres of old world charm and meticulously restored Great House along with the tropical garden oasis surrounding it at your leisure. Your final stop will be at the Timothy Hill lookout for breathtaking views of the Frigate Bay Area with its long stretches of golden sandy beaches.

OVERVIEW

Spend hours relaxing however you please at the Carambola Beach Club, an exclusive destination along the island’s southwestern shore. On the drive there, you will pause for photos atop Timothy Hill, whose overlook offers sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean on one side of St. Kitts and the Caribbean Sea on the other. Upon arriving at the beach club, you will be free to relax as you see fit. The tropical setting couldn’t be more inviting as the amenities are abundant. You might stretch out on a padded lounge chair and bask in the sun, stroll along the wide beach without a care in the world and take a refreshing swim in South Friar’s Bay. With no schedule to follow other than your own, you can truly unwind. If you wish to dine on your own or simply order drinks, the attendants will take your order right on the beach.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Relax as you please on a beautiful stretch of sand at the Carambola Beach Club.
• Bask in the sun, swim in the sea and dine on your own if you wish.
• See both the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean from Timothy Hill Overlook.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Tour the oldest rum distillery in the Caribbean for an insider’s look at how the spirits are produced in small batches to ensure their artisanal quality. Rum was first distilled at Wingfield Estate in 1681 under the direction of owner Christopher Jefferson, an ancestor of American president Thomas Jefferson. The process has remained much the same since Old Road Rum revitalized the once-buried distillery. No colors, sugars or flavors are added, which ensures the pure expression of the locally sourced ingredients. The newly distilled rum is then aged for 12 years in bourbon casks. As you will discover through a tasting, this top-shelf rum is extraordinarily smooth. Continuing on, you will visit Caribelle Batik at Romney Manor to browse the gift shop for handmade batik clothing and accessories. A stop atop Timothy Hill will offer sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean on one side of St. Kitts and the Caribbean Sea on the other.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Discover how rum is produced in the Caribbean’s oldest intact rum distillery.
• Savor a sampling of Old Road Rum, which is aged for 12 years in bourbon casks.
• Shop for fine batik clothing at a store on the grounds of Romney Estate.
• See both the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean from Timothy Hill Overlook.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Join the nonstop party on a panoramic drive around Basseterre that includes a lengthy stop at one of the most popular waterfront bars on the island. The brightly painted party bus will get you in just the right mood for the fun that follows as lively DJ music will be playing and the well-stocked bar will be open. Drinks are unlimited during the ride, which will take you past some of the capital city’s most well-known and historical landmarks. Enlightening commentary will describe the points of interest along the way and prepare you for the good times that await at Vibes Beach Bar. Located on a gorgeous stretch of sand on Frigate Bay, the bar couldn’t be more lively or inviting. You can hang out there the entire time – dining and drinking on your own – or just pop in on occasion while enjoying the beach and sparkling blue sea out front.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a panoramic sightseeing tour of Basseterre on a party bus with an open bar.
• Spend hours relaxing on the spectacularly scenic beach at Frigate Bay.
• Dine and drink on your own at Vibes Beach Bar, a nonstop party spot on Frigate Bay.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing with a swimsuit underneath.
• Bring a towel and sunscreen.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Start with a driving tour of the French built and established capital city of Basseterre. The city features many landmarks such as, the Treasury Building, erected in 1894, stands majestically as a landmark being refurbished into a National Museum. The Berkeley Memorial which was erected in honor of the Honorable Thomas Berkeley, a legislator and estate owner of the 18th century, Independence Square, The Court, St. George’s Anglican Church with its impressive massive bell tower and steeple. At Romney Manor, home of the world famous Caribelle Batik, you’ll visit the demonstration room, where the acclaimed artists illustrate the wax and dye process of Batik making.

The Romney Manor Estate encompasses eight acres of historic ruins, ancient Carib Indian Rock drawings and a beautiful botanical garden. The tour then continues along the coastal road through remnants of sugar cane plantations to Brimstone Hill Fortress. This magnificent fortress, sitting impressively atop 38 acres of limestone and sulphur composites, is the result of 100 years of slave labor and has endured many wars fought between English, French and Spanish troops, for its control. From the fortress your tour returns to the ship via Basseterre’s Caribbean Sea coastal road.

This scenic rail and sail tour runs in a complete circle around the island allowing visitors the opportunity to see the entire country by train and then by catamaran. The St. Kitts Scenic Railway is one of the most beautiful train rides in the world. This one-of-a-kind narrow gauge railroad was built almost a century ago to deliver sugar cane from the fields to the mill in the capital city of Basseterre. The railway now provides a fascinating way to see the island from the comfort of double-deck railcars built specifically for touring the island of St. Kitts. After arriving at La Valle Railway Station, you’ll be transferred the short distance to Pump Bay to board your state-of-the-art catamaran. Sailing along the southwestern coastline of St. Kitts is one of the most spectacular voyages in the Caribbean.

Enjoy excellent vistas of Brimstone Hill Fortress, the British 'Gibraltar of the West Indies' and the many sugar plantations that dot the coast. Small fishing villages nestle among the sugar cane fields at the foot of the lush green slopes of Mount Liamuiga. Pass Old Road, the first British settlement, founded by Sir Thomas Warner in 1624. Sail around Bloody Point, where in 1626 the French and British came together to destroy the power of the Carib Indians. During the cruise back to Basseterre, you can enjoy the open bar for light refreshments.

OVERVIEW

Explore the ruins of a 17th-century sugar plantation before hiking into the rainforest with a naturalist guide that will describe the fascinating flora and fauna. While meandering the grounds of Wingfield Estate, you will see the remains of its aqueduct, mill house, lime kiln and rum distillery, which is the oldest in the Caribbean. It was one of the few distilleries that was water-powered rather than wind-powered. Following this intriguing glimpse into the past, you will hike into the surrounding wilderness, a wonderland of tropical plants that includes palms, bamboo, ferns and poinciana, the island’s national tree. It was named for the first French governor of St. Kitt’s, Monsieur de Poincy, and typically blooms in mid-summer. You may also spot colorful birds such as the bananaquit, purple martin and Antillean crested hummingbird, all of which have been portrayed on postage stamps. The brown pelican is the island’s national bird.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Visit the ruins of 17th-century Wingfield Estate, home to the Caribbean’s oldest distillery.
• Enjoy a leisurely hike into the mountainous rainforest that surrounds the estate.
• Observe exotic flora and fauna in the rainforest, which the naturalist guide will describe.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Enjoy a 'one-of-a-kind' experience of nature’s bounty combining Kittitian heritage, Caribbean traditions, the Colonial days and present day plantation home life. Your tour begins with a narrated drive around historic Basseterre with its Victorian, Georgian, gingerbread style architecture on your way to Romney Manor. This property was once owned by ancestors of Thomas Jefferson. Nowadays its the place where very beautiful batik pieces are designed and made by local artists.

Continue to Fairview Great House and Gardens to explore the old world charm of this lovingly and meticulously restored Great House along with the tropical, botanical garden surrounding it. The botanical garden, views of the Caribbean Sea, Southeast Peninsula and St. Kitts’ sister island of Nevis offer great photo opportunities.