Nevis Botanical Gardens

If you stay on St. Kitts, be sure to allow at least one day to visit Nevis, which is just a short ferry ride or a 10-minute flight away. The main port city there, Charlestown, is a study in historic preservation. Many of the 'skirt-and-blouse' structures - where the first level is stone and the second is wood siding - are still standing and are now being used for offices and stores. The stately old churches such as St. John's Anglican and the historic Cottle Church reinforce the sense of history. In addition, the Nevis Botanical Gardens offer a beautiful respite from the world, where you can learn about the unique plants of the Caribbean and enjoy the beauty of carefully designed displays of orchids, roses, bromeliads and fruit trees. While the wild vervet monkeys are endemic to both islands, they are more frequently sighted in Nevis, running across roads (and the golf course at the Four Seasons) or sitting in trees.