st. barts or nevis?

[JoshA]

The ironic thing is Grenada was trashed by a hurricane a few years back. Our plan is to go there next year.

 

[MIke R]

The ironic thing is Grenada was trashed by a hurricane a few years back. Our plan is to go there next year.

I was there last year for a day...its in good shape....there are some buildings downtown which are destroyed,.but other than that its fine..what a great island....without a doubt the friendliest people in the Caribbean...and the island cloves and nutmeg I brought home have incredible flavor

 

[onebigdawg53]

Saba anybody ??

There's a cool video that will give you a good perspective on Saba here

http://www.sabatourism.com/sabafilm4.html

 

[debo]

definatly the friendliest people in the Carib Mike and they love Americans..Last time I was there which was about 4 yrs ago they were still talking about how we saved them and thier island.

 

[TomC]

Don't overestimate the effect of the adverse exchange rate. The two biggest components of vacation expenses in St. Barts are airfare and villa rental. Both airline fares and villa rentals are priced in dollars, and have not appreciated as much as euro-based hotel rates or restaurant charges. If you stay out of hotels and hotel restaurants, pack picnic lunches for the beach (the best beaches don't have restaurants anyway), and eat half your dinners at the villa using left-overs and take-out services (La Rotisserie, Kiki et Mo, etc.), the effect of the exchange rate will be quite minor as part of your overall cost. And you'll still have an elegant honeymoon at the most romantic island in the world.

 

[Myrllyn]

I just wired a 200 euro deposit to a little hotel where we'll be staying for a few days in Gaeta. When I got the receipt from the clerk it read $320. I tell myself that it's the value of the hotel I'm purchasing, not the value of the numbers I'm paying, but still it stings juuuust a little when you see a side by side comparison. Of course, if the exchange rate had been one to one, I probably wouldn't have even questioned a $320 deposit!

 

[marybeth]

Back to the original posters question...I think it bears noting that many of the islands do not offer the range of villas suitable for 2 people as you find on SBH. Most villas on SBH offer breakdown rates for using only one bedroom. I have checked other islands, BVIs, St John, Barbados, eg, and generally there is one rate. Most of villas are large (3+ bedrooms) and priced for use of the whole place. This is great if you are a large group but we discovered that the 1 bedroom villa rate in SBH is comparable to what you would end up paying on other islands. And since the villa cost is in dollars, the current Euro situation does not apply.

 

[Islander]

True.

Air fare from the USA to St Maarten: USD
Air fare from St Maarten to St Barths: USD
Villa rental: USD
Car rental: USD if booked in the US through a major operator such as Budget, Avis, Hertz...

What's left in Euros?

-restaurants
-groceries
-sport activities/boating/diving...
-shopping

usually not the major part of the holiday budget (oh yes I hear some already

One point for Nevis: there's an excellent 18 hole Golf course, located in a beautiful landscape within the 4 Seasons hotel. Many SBH visitors/residents like to go on a day trip to Nevis just for that reason.

 

[lloyd]

Islander
Partly accurate...but not that simple
If you are from Canada,and stay in a hotel
Airfare from PTP to SBH Euros
Hotel Euros
Car rental-Euros

 

[lloyd]

Re: st. barts or nevis? *DELETED*

Post deleted by tim

 

[KevinS]

Re: st. barts or nevis? *DELETED*

Post deleted by tim

 

[patcsmith]

dan,

My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Nevis in 1996, and returned there in 2004.
We stayed at the Oualie Beach Hotel the first visit, and the Four Seasons the second time.
In 2006, we celebrated our 10th anniversary in St Barths. This November will be our third trip to St Barths.

I loved our honeymoon on Nevis. It was a peaceful, laid back kind of vacation. We did some hiking, snorkeling, went horseback riding and took the ferry to St Kitts one day.
I have to say that exploring Nevis is not as easy as St Barths.
In 2004, I was in need of some serious r&r (I just sent my youngest off to college). We booked a stay at the Four Seasons in Nevis, and didn't leave the property once. It was the most relaxing vacation I've ever experienced. Their spa is gorgeous, the food is very good, and the service is outstanding.

After our first visit to St Barths in November 2006, we could not stop thinking about it.
My husband and I have been reading this forum, on a near daily basis since then. Just weeks after we returned home, we started planning our next visit. We are, like many others, completely hooked.
Honestly, if we spent our honeymoon in St Barths, we may have never gone to Nevis.
There is something very captivating about St Barths. There's always some reason to go back. The restaurant you didn't get to, the hike to Colombier or the tidal pools, or discovering the best place to watch the sunset.

My husband's answer to your question is, "it depends on what type of vacation you want".
On Nevis your options are limited, but the solitude is ideal for a honeymoon. St Barths offers more in terms of shopping, dining, and sightseeing, but still has it's own kind of tranquility.

One more thing. The beaches in Nevis don't come close to the beaches in St Barths.

Good luck and congratulations.

 

[tim]

duchess,

Thank you for your insight, and welcome to the Forum.

 

[Petri]

We booked a stay at the Four Seasons in Nevis, and didn't leave the property once. It was the most relaxing vacation I've ever experienced. Their spa is gorgeous, the food is very good, and the service is outstanding.

When we were in Nevis, we also ate once at Four Seasons. Well, the food was ok but it could have been any of the 74 other Four Seasons in the world. Four Seasons is a nice property but the only thing that says "Nevis" is the country where most of the staff comes from.

But we did have superb food at e.g. Montpelier Plantation Inn, Golden Rock and other places. I've heard of but Miss June's dinner party we didn't book that.

Anyway, St. Barth and Nevis are very different kind of islands. I just couldn't compare them as such.

 

[dshilkit]

all i can say is...wow! thanks very much to all for the insightful replies and the useful tips and recommendations. i thought i knew what i was looking for, as described in my original post, but that seems to over-simplify the choice a bit. i'm putting more thought to exactly what i think i want from an island, so as to hopefully pick the best one for me (and my wife!).

thanks again for the replies! this site is a great resource!

dan