Moving To St. Kitts Or Grenada

By Author: Ms Denise Jackson
Total Articles: 6
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Many people go on holiday to the Caribbean and having done so long to go back when they get back to Britain, especially when it's winter here. Some people make the decision that they are going to go and live there permanently, and why ever not? Of those people who decide to make the leap, many will choose Jamaica as it somehow seems English in some respects, but there are several other islands to which one could relocate which have many advantages too.

One of the smaller islands is St. Kitts. It is only about 68 miles square yet has its own airport with direct flights from the UK. It also has a championship golf course and in the southeast of the island there are wonderful beaches with some warm and lovely swimming. You can go walking in the rainforest, and there are many bars dotted along with lots of restaurants. Being an island, the restaurants obviously serve a lot of fish cooked in imaginative ways.

The capital of St. Kitts is Basseterre, a reminder that the French settled there in the 1620's alongside the English. In those days, tobacco and indigo were grown there, the indigo being a member of the pea family ...
... and grown for its' deep blue dye. Later, sugar cane was grown, and the sugar industry went on until 2005. A reminder of this is the St Kitts Scenic Railway where you can ride for 18 miles along the line that used to transport the sugar cane. However, since then the island has developed rapidly, and tourism is the chief source of income. In fact, the island now has a 394 room Marriott's resort and casino, and some large property developments are going on. Recent developments include a superyacht marina and a private jet terminal.

Another island that might be worthy of consideration is Grenada. It is about the size of the Isle of Wight and also has its' own airport. There are some wonderful soft sandy beaches, from which diving and snorkelling are popular, and the interior is mountainous and scenic with rainforests in which you can go hiking and view some spectacular waterfalls. You can also visit and sample the delights of chocolate, rum, and nutmeg factories.

Tourism is concentrated in the southwest corner of the island and there are no high-rise buildings. There are plenty of restaurants serving seafood, and bars and nightclubs, the latter frequented by students from St. George's University, St George's being the capital. There is also a floating bar in one of the bays called Oasis, and if you don't have your own boat they will send one over to pick you up, but it only opens on Friday and Sunday.

If you are just visiting, there are hotels in the southwest on Grand Anse Beach, Grand Beach, and the aptly named Pink Gin Beach. From here there are frequent minibuses running up to St George's which is about 10 – 20 minutes away. If you get off at The Carenage you can wander past the fishing boats and climb up the hill to Fort George which gives you a spectacular view of the town and the port. Back down in the Carenage you could have lunch at BB's Crabback which serves local dish of crab backs which is the baked meat of land crabs, curried goat, fried plantains, and pumpkin fritters.

Weatherwise, the best months of the year are January to April when it is dry and the least humid. The worst months are September and October which is the hurricane season and the wettest time of year. Grenada is actually one of the safest of the Caribbean islands, but you should still take care when out, and don't go to the beach after dark.

If you are moving to Grenada or St. Kitts, you will need the services of a company that specialises in shipping to St. Kitts and shipping to Grenada. There are companies that do specialise in shipping there and will be able to advise you on what you can and can't import into either of the islands. They will also be able to pack all your belongings for you in a safe manner so that they survive the journey and arrive intact.

W. I. Freight is an international shipping company that specialises in shipping to St. Kitts and Grenada, amongst other Caribbean islands, and can give you appropriate advice about moving there.