38
Tr o p i c a l T i d b i t s by Sue C Travel
Island Hopping with the Star Flyer
As I mentioned on page 50, my recent Caribbean sail with the Star Flyer tall ship included stops at six different islands. Here are some highlights of our week’s onshore adventures… Nevis Our first stop was Nevis- sister island to St. Kitts- a lush and lovely sparsely inhabited laid-back escape famous for having more monkeys than people! Excursions offered were an island tour in an air-conditioned bus, or a rainforest hike. The Star Flyer set up was at Pinney’s Beach- ideal for swimming, and also where Sunshine’s Bar is located, famous for their potent rum concoctions called “Killer Bees”. Passengers could also stroll downtown Charlestown and visit the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton. I know Nevis well, so I
revisited my favorite haunts- Nisbet Plantation Beach Club- the only ex-sugar plantation resort on the sea. Their mill ruins are epic, and this is also where Horatio “Lord” Nelson met and fell in love with Fanny Nisbet, whom he later married. I swam in the turquoise ocean and then dug into an excellent Caribbean lunch while being serenaded by a local band. A perfect afternoon. The Nisbet plantation property is also a stop on the island tour.
adventure, and a nature walk through Syndicate National Park. I had already thoroughly explored Dominica, and yes, the nature IS epic- but the languid scene of empty beach where we had docked in Portsmouth was too alluring. I found the “The Purple Turtle” beach bar to be the perfect authentic local food spot and spent a lazy afternoon in the water. You can also climb the hill nearby to see the remnants of old Fort Shirley. Îles des Saintes
Dominica Next up was Dominica, dubbed “Nature Island”- a verdant hiker’s paradise with 12 waterfalls and 365 rivers flowing through a wild, mountainous rainforest terrain. Excursions offered were the Indian River rowboat (famous for being where Pirates of the Caribbean shot their voodoo scenes) which I highly recommend, a rollicking river tubing
I’d never heard of this little archipelago of eight tiny islands off Guadeloupe. But that’s the beauty of sailing in a small vessel like the Star Flyer- you get to visit spots where the big cruise ships can’t go. Our approach into the narrow bay was incredibly picturesque, flanked by ancient cave-carved cliffs topped in greenery and dotted with small pleasure craft and fishing boats bobbing on cobalt