Body still aching from our hike up the volcano the day before, I was only too happy to be hopping aboard the St Kitts Scenic Railway – the only working train line in all of the Caribbean and one that involved a whole lot of rum and stunning island views.
The train carriages have two sections, an air-conditioned indoors bit downstairs and an open upstairs bit. The upstairs bit is in the shade so opted to stay here for the potential island views.
Before long, the other passengers for the train (a fair few who were from the cruise ships) arrived and off we went – rum punch in hand.
The train actually used to be part of the sugar production in the island from ages ago and once the sugar production stopped, it became an amazing option for getting a visual taste of St Kitts.
You whizz past little villages, old sugar mills, beaches and Kittitian coastline as your train makes its way across the island – showing places you’d otherwise never get to see during your time on the island.
It’s one gorgeous view after the other as you go along and even the tiny little school kids (who are on their break) stop by to say hello as you go past!
Alas, eventually, it all ends and you have to get off (at a different place to where you started so it’s worth remembering that if you’re organising your own transport back).
All in all, the train ride is such a fantastic, fun way to spend a morning and one that just fit our plans perfectly as I was definitely not up for anything even remote physically challenging. 😀
On our way back from our drop off point (which was near the botanic gardens and is actually the starting point for the next group on the tour), we decided to pop into Brimstone Hill – an old military fortress, and a UNESCO World Heritage site designed by the British and built by African slaves centuries ago.
As far as Military fortresses go, I’d be lying if I said I was overly interested in them (I’m probably most interested in their historical significance and what role they had to play in shaping the island) but one thing I’m definitely interested in is the amazing view from up here.
The view is unlike any other one on the island and you can even see the islands of St Barts and St Martin from up here.
We wandered around the fort for a fair bit, taking in the history as we did before eventually deciding to give into our hunger pangs and head into town for lunch.
Lunch was something of a different experience. For starters, lunch was a vegan affair… and instead of the regular ‘sit-down’ restaurant experience we’d had so far, lunch was more informal at Ital Creations.
Ital Creations was started by a local island Rastafarian man and his wife (she’s Latino but can’t quite remember where exactly from). They’re a fantastic hippie couple and their passion for good, healthy food is pretty clear almost as soon as you speak to them.
Everything is made with full consideration of what you’re putting into your body and food-aside, I’m just a fan of how these two-like minded people from different parts of the world ended up meeting, creating a family and a business together.
The food was also pretty good by the way and is actually quite popular with the locals – judging from the amount of people who stopped off during lunch hour.
Eventually, we made our way back to Ocean Terrace Inn to freshen up, relax by the pool and get ready for a night in town.
The night in town was more of a chilled on and was very much food-focused. On this evening, we would be heading over to Sprat Net – a local restaurant famed for their freshly caught lobsters, barbequed ribs, chicken and live music.
Sprat Net is a local favourite and is one of the best spots to hang out with both visitors and locals while swaying to the music of the local bands.
The food does take a while to arrive though! This may have just been on the evening we were there but from speaking to other islanders, Sprat Net has become an increasingly popular place to visit and as a result, you could find yourself waiting for hours here (after you’ve ordered) to get your food.
Thankfully, there’s a lot of distractions here in the form of music, great conversations and many-a-Carib beer so I’d recommend arriving early (long before you’re really hungry) and making an evening of it. 😀
Once the food finally arrived, it was so worth the wait! My goodness, the lobsters in St Kitts are super meaty and those ribs are cooked to perfection. Any frustration with the wait disappears with your first bite and by the time you’re done, all is forgiven and forgotten! 😉
Fed, beer’d and serenaded, we headed back to the hotel to rest our still weary muscles – this time planning a longer lie-in before the next day’s plans.
Funny, for such a relatively small island – St Kitts sure does pack some punch when it comes to things to do here. 😀
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