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Nevis
offers a wealth of relatively new and little dived sites. More than
400 ships sank here between 1493 and 1825, but only a dozen or so have
been identified to date.
The western (Caribbean) side of the island is well protected and visibility
off the shores is usually in the 60 - 100 ft. range. There are opportunities
for divers of all levels of experience, and most dive locations are
within an easy boat trip from the shore. There are many nice reef sites
with large coral formations and tunnels to explore.
Climate 75 - 90F 24 - 32C Water Temp 77 - 84F 25 - 29C Visibility 80
- 100 ft 24 -30 m
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Dive
Services & Accommodations
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Quick
Facts (Nevis & St. Kitts)
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| General
Information |
Area:
St Kitts: 168.4 sq km (65.1 sq miles). Nevis: 93.2 sq
km (36 sq miles). Total: 261.6 sq km (101.1 sq miles).
Population: 40,130 (1998).
Population Density: 153.4 per sq km.
Capital: Basseterre. Population: 12,220 (1994).
Geography: St Kitts (officially known as St Christopher)
lies in the northern part of the Leeward Islands in the
eastern Caribbean. The high central body of the island
is made up of three groups of rugged volcanic peaks split
by deep ravines. The vegetation on the central mountain
range is rainforest, thinning higher up to dense bushy
cover. From here the island's volcanic crater, Mount Liamuiga,
rises to almost 1200m (4000ft). The foothills, particularly
to the north, form a gently rolling landscape of sugar-cane
plantations and grassland, while uncultivated lowland
slopes are covered with thick tropical woodland and exotic
fruits such as papaya, mangoes, avocados, bananas and
breadfruit. To the southeast of the island, a low-lying
peninsula, on which there are many excellent beaches,
stretches towards Nevis. 3km (2 miles) to the south and
only minutes away by air or ferry across The Narrows channel
is the smaller island of Nevis, which is almost circular
in shape. The island is skirted by miles of silver-sand
beaches, golden coconut groves and a calm, turquoise sea
in which great brown pelicans dive for the rich harvest
of fish. The central peak of the island, Nevis Peak, is
985m (3232ft) high and its tip is usually capped with
white clouds. The mountain is flanked on the north and
south sides by two lesser mountains, Saddle Hill and Hurricane
Hill, which once served as look-out posts for Nelson's
fleet. Hurricane Hill on the north side commands a view
of St Kitts and Barbuda. On the island's west side, massed
rows of palm trees form a coconut forest. There are pleasant
coral beaches on the island's north and west coasts.
Government: Consitutional monarchy since 1983. Gained
independence from the UK in 1983. Head of State: Queen
Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor General
Sir Cuthbert Montroville Sebastian since 1996. Head of
Government: Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas since 1995.
Language: The official language is English.
Religion: Anglican and other Christian denominations.
Time: GMT - 4.
Electricity: 230 volts AC, 60Hz (110 volts available in
some hotels).
Communications:
Telephone: IDD is available. Country code: 1 869. Outgoing
international code: 1 (Caribbean, Canada and USA); 011
(elsewhere).
Mobile telephone: TDMA network not compatible with GSM
handsets. Handsets can be hired from the network provider,
C & W Caribbean Cellular (website: www.caribcell.com).
Unregistered roaming is available - visitors with TDMA
handsets can make calls without registering, provided
they can give a credit card number.
Fax: This service is available to the public at the offices
of Cable & Wireless (see below) and at some hotels.
Internet/E-mail: ISPs include Caribsurf (website: www.caribsurf.com)
and Cable & Wireless (website: www.candw.kn). Public
access is available at the Internet kiosk at the Cable
& Wireless offices in Basseterre, St Kitts.
Telegram: Facilities are available at main hotels and
at the offices of Cable & Wireless at Cayon Street,
Basseterre and Main Street, Charlestown. Opening hours:
Mon-Fri 0700-1900; Sat 0700-1400 and 1900-2000; 0800-1000
and 1900-2000 Sunday and public holidays.
Postal: Post offices are open Mon-Fri and Sat 0800-1500;
Thurs 0800-1100.
Press: There are three newspapers published in English:
the Democrat and the St Kitts and Nevis Ovserver (weekly);
and the twice-weekly Labour Spokesman. |
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| Travel |
AIR:
Most flights are via St Maarten, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe
or Antigua. LIAT (LI) runs six flights a week from Antigua
and offers day-trip charters to St Maarten (for duty-free
shopping) and Antigua & Barbuda. Other airlines serving
the islands include American Eagle, Winair and Caribbean
Star.
Approximate flight times: From New York to St Kitts is
5 hours. From London to St Kitts is 10 hours, including
stopover in Antigua.
International airport: St Kitts (SKB) (Robert Llewellyn
Bradshaw, formerly Golden Rock Airport) is 3.2km (2 miles)
from Basseterre on St Kitts. Airport facilities include
tourist information, restaurant and duty-free shop. Taxi
fares are regulated; fares from the airport to Basseterre
are approximately EC$13-16 (50 cents is charged on each
additional piece of luggage over one).
Newcastle Airfield (NEV) is 11km (5 miles) from Charlestown
on Nevis.
Departure tax: EC$41. Children under 12 years are exempt.
An environment levy fee of EC$4 is also payable on departure.
SEA: Basseterre is a deep-water port capable of berthing
ships up to 120m (400ft) and is regularly visited by cruise
liners operated by Carnival, Costa, Cunard, Holland America,
Norwegian Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Regal Cruises,
Royal Caribbean Cruises, Seabourn and Sun Cruises. Regular
ferry services operate from St Kitts to St Maarten. |
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| Entry |
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Passport |
Visa |
Return
Ticket Required |
| Australian |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| British |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Canadian |
1 |
No |
Yes |
| Japanese |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Other
EU |
Yes |
2 |
Yes |
| USA |
1 |
No |
Yes |
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PASSPORTS:
Valid passport required by all except:
1.: nationals of Canada and the USA with valid ID (for
stays of up to 6 months).
VISAS: Required by all except the following for a stay
of up to 30 days:
(a) 2. nationals of countries referred to in the chart
above, except nationals of Portugal who do require visas;
(b) nationals of Commonwealth countries except Cameroon,
Mozambique and Pakistan;
(c) nationals of Argentina, Bahrain, Bolivia, Brazil,
Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland, Israel, Jordan, Korea (Rep.
of), Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Monaco, Nicaragua,
Norway, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay
and Venezuela.
Types of visa and cost: Ordinary. Cost depends on nationality
of applicant.
Validity: Usually up to 3 months.
Additional Visa Information:
http://www.stkittsnevis.org |
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| Misc.
Info. |
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SAFETY/SECURITY:
There may be demonstrations by small but vociferous
groups during election periods. While there is no evidence
that these demonstrations are anti-American, it is a
good security practice to avoid all demonstrations.
Contact the Consular Section for additional information.
CRIME INFORMATION: U.S. citizens have occasionally
been victims of armed robbery, assault, burglary, and
other petty street crime. Valuables left unattended
on beaches are subject to theft.
MEDICAL FACILITIES: Medical care is limited.
Serious medical problems requiring hospitalization and/or
medical evacuation to the U.S. can cost thousands of
dollars or more. Doctors and hospitals often expect
immediate cash payment for health services.
MEDICAL
INSURANCE: U.S. medical insurance is not always
valid outside the U.S. U.S. Medicare and Medicaid programs
do not provide payment for medical services outside
the U.S. Uninsured travelers who require medical care
overseas may face extreme difficulties. Please check
with your own insurance company to confirm whether your
policy applies. Please ascertain whether payment will
be made to the overseas hospital or doctor, or whether
you will be reimbursed later for expenses that you incur.
Some insurance policies also include coverage for psychiatric
treatment and for disposition of remains in the event
of death.
TRAFFIC
SAFETY/ROAD CONDITIONS: While in a foreign country,
U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ
significantly from those in the U.S. The information
below concerning St. Kitts and Nevis is provided for
general reference only, and may not be totally accurate
in a particular location or circumstance.
Safety
of Public Transportation: Good
Urban Road Conditions/Maintenance: Good
Rural Road Conditions/Maintenance: Poor
Availability of Roadside Assistance: Poor
Traffic
in St. Kitts and Nevis moves on the left-hand side of
the road. Main roads and most secondary roads are in
reasonably good condition. More detailed information
on roads and traffic safety can be obtained from the
Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Environment, Bay
Road, Pelican Mall, P.O. Box 132, Basse Terre, St. Kitts,
telephone 1-869-647-8970.
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