Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine October 2017 | Page 416

Nevis is yours to discover

by Sheena Lam
This small island sitting resplendently in the
Caribbean Sea is, simply put, beautiful.
My visit to Nevis was unplanned - my original
intention was to visit St. Maarten/St. Martin then
head down to St. Lucia, my final destination
and the main reason I was in the Caribbean. My
friends and I have been planning a Caribbean trip
for quite some time and decided to get it over
and done with - or else it will be Vegas, again!
But before heading down to St. Lucia, I decided
to use the opportunity to go to St. Maarten/
St. Martin as my co-worker had just visited and
talked about nothing else for a month, no less.
My ultimate revenge, I thought would be to go
there myself (and else where) and definitely
reciprocate on my return - non-stop vacation
blabber (sorry Paige)!
So, after my 3 day vist to the Dutch/French
islands, which was really quite nice ( I shopped, I
ate, I drove, I ate, I wandered around, I shopped, I
slept, I ate, I ate, I ate), I hopped onto Winair and
into Nevis.
Were I not born with an excessively impulsive
nature, I would have never gone to Nevis, but,
believe it or not, I was in a store, somewhat
minding my own business, when I somewhat
overheard a couple talking to each other beside
me. Their conversation was about Nevis and they
were discussing the various options to ge t there.
Their eagerness to go there and the way they
described it, piqued my interest. So out popped
my iPhone, research was quickly done and then
and there I decided I would be on a beach in
Nevis the very next day. I had two days to spare
before my southward journey so off I went.
Again, I’ll say, Nevis is beautiful and I wished I had
more time to explore. There is that something
about it which makes you want to relax - it’s
all good there! No rush, no stress. Serene in its
warmth and unhurried in its manouverings, the
residents aid in that perception of calm. I was
especially enarmoured with the size of the island
and the fact that you can drive all around in 45
minutes. I rented a car and went exploring and
yes, I had to remind myself, repeatedly, to drive
on the left! I had many narrow misses - Phew!
The beaches, the ruins, the donkeys. Vegetation
so lush. The houses - some modest in size, others
lavish with elaborate verandahs built to allow
the resident unobstructed views of the ocean
and surrounding green vegetation. As I drove
along, with the mountain in sight and the smell
of the ocean making its way to my nostrils, I
would encounter a vehicle or two - never that
many. Traffic jams certainly don’t not exist here.
Admittedly, in the capital Charlestown, you will
observe more traffic, but in the outlying areas,
even driving is a relaxing exercise.
An entire chapter will have to be used to
describe the beaches I discovered during my
drive throughout the island. It was so easy to
get directions from anyone I met. They were
all so friendly and willing to share detailed
instructions as to how I can get to my next point
of discovery. A stop at Oualie Beach elicited sighs
of contentment. I didn’t want to leave. But alas, I
had to.
I now know my next vacation will be on that
blissful island. So, see you soon, Nevis. I will
be yours and you will be mine - for two whole
weeks! Until then . . .