Visitors who travel to St. Kitts and Nevis for nightlife or shopping will be disappointed. However, the islands' quiet beauty, and scuba diving options, can't be beat. Scuba Safaris, on Nevis, has one- and two-tank dives ($65–$95), as well as a $130 resort discovery course for beginners (869-469-9518). Hikes through the St. Kitts rain forest and to the top of Nevis Peak can be arranged through your hotel. Oliver Spencer, of Periwinkle Tours, will identify every living thing in the rain forest—and sing show tunes and recite poetry, to boot (869-465-6314; three- to four-hour tours, $55). The St. Kitts Scenic Railway (a.k.a. the Sugar Train) is a pleasant way to see St. Kitts; the three-hour round-trip travels from the airport to the northern end of the island (869-465-7263; $90 per person). Be forewarned: The 40-minute ferry between the two ($8) is rife with panhandlers on the St. Kitts side.

The area code for St. Kitts and Nevis is 869. Prices quoted are for December 2008.

Lodging

Each island has a mega-resort—the Marriott on St. Kitts (466-1200; doubles, $149–$319) and the Four Seasons on Nevis (469-1111; doubles, $490–$1,300). Both front a beach, and the Four Seasons in particular is renowned for its service (and Robert Trent Jones II–designed golf course).

However, it's the historic plantations—built in the 18th century for sugar barons and now converted into luxurious lodgings—that make St. Kitts and Nevis unique. On St. Kitts, the grande dame is the Golden Lemon Inn and Villas, where guests stay in either the eccentrically gorgeous great house or one of the nine one- and two-bedroom villas (465-7260; doubles, $160–$325; villas, $245–$820). Ottley's Plantation Inn has similarly fetching rooms in the main house, a series of stone cottages, and the island's best restaurant. The property abuts the Mount Liamuiga rain forest; ask to see The Tree, a ficus whose giant roots swirl like lava down a small hill (465-7234; doubles, $254–$518).

At the verdant Montpelier Plantation Inn, on Nevis, there are hammocks, croquet fields, and two house dogs; a former windmill is the setting for intimate dinners (469-3462; doubles, $400–$560; three- and five-course prix fixes, $65 and $75). The Hermitage Plantation Inn is known for its relaxed atmosphere and welcoming attitude toward children (469-3477; doubles, $180–$450). The Nisbet Plantation Beach Club, alone among the plantations, is bang on a beach (469-9325; doubles, $395–$625). The Golden Rock Inn, a collection of historic structures decorated with a modern sensibility, sits on 96 acres threaded with nature trails (469-3346; doubles, $260–$325).

Among the developments that are destined to change the face of St. Kitts are resorts from Mandarin Oriental and Ritz-Carlton, both of which are slated to open in 2010.

Dining

On St. Kitts, both the Golden Lemon (prix fixe, $65) and Ottley's (entrées, $30–$49) are foolproof. Another extraordinary estate is Rawlins Plantation Inn, where the lunch buffet ($30) makes for a nice midday break (465-6221; four-course prix fixe, $65). Sprat Net, on the northwest coast, is run by fishermen whose wares make up the daily menu (869-466-7535; entrées, $8–$25).

On Nevis, you can't go wrong at the Montpelier (see "Lodging"), Hermitage (entrées, $30–$60), and Nisbet (prix fixe, $60) plantations. The Double Deuce is little more than a shack on the beach, but former Montpelier chef Mark Roberts has made the place popular among Rastas, ship captains, and five-star-hotel refugees (869-469-2222; entrées, $6–$21). Miss June's Cuisine feels like dinner at your eccentric grandmother's house. Reservations are essential (469-5330; five-course prix fixe, $95, including drinks).

Reading

The usual travel guides cover the basics of St. Kitts and Nevis—Fodor's has a particularly nice essay on the rain forest. But travelers wishing to dig deeper should check out Global Culture, Island Identity: Continuity and Change in the Afro-Caribbean Community of Nevis, by Karen Fog Olwig (Harwood Academic Publishers, $90). A historical account of the repercussions of slavery on the islands can be found in Edward L. Cox's Free Coloreds in the Slave Societies of St. Kitts and Grenada, 1763–1833 (University of Tennessee Press, $75). And a highly readable account of the effect of the environment on the islands' culture can be found in Bonham C. Richardson's Caribbean Migrants: Environment and Human Survival on St. Kitts and Nevis (University of Tennessee Press, $21).
–Jennifer Finney Boyla