Nevis with kids: paradise found at the Four Seasons

We seem to embody well the definition of a very demanding family when travelling but Nevis with kids does not dissapoint! We like tropical and secluded places but these days trying to limit the travelling time to 12 hours from London. Swimming wise – smooth & warm sea for little  people and good snorkelling for adults. Good kids club please. A couple of swimming pools as well, heated or just warm, including an adults only. Chilled vibes, no hordes of kids but just enough to make it fun for ours 😉 Proximity from room to restaurants, beach and other facilities also important, ideally all within a couple of minutes distance so it doesn’t feel like a trip  when you forgot an item. Mixed with good wifi – a good guarantee for parents relaxing in the evening with kids asleep and monitored on camera. Food wise: organic home made pures for baby & vegetables, fruit, good fish and steaks for our 3 years old  (not interested in pizza or burgers). Foodie parents as well spoilt with London choices. Good wine and cocktails also very important, afterall hydration is key. Lunching and dining by the pool and beach with the kids much appreciated, so parents could relax on sunchairs whilst little people could splash, run around and have a dip eventually between courses. And somehow Four Seasons Nevis with kids managed to meet all of these criteria, please and charm us all.

The setting is lush and stunning. As soon as we stepped out of the immigration controls in St Kitts we were greeted and assisted with the luggage and transferred on smooth lake like seas and refreshed with tropical punch and soft drinks.

The welcome on Nevis felt so personal and royal, Kerryc knew all our names and had the room prepared in the tiniest details.

The cots, kids toiletries, the pillows and mattresses as per our preferences, plus little plush turtles – gifts for the kids. We’e been upgraded to a seaview room with gorgeous views over the sea, manicured grounds and very close to the adult only pool. Paradise block was the name of our little area, called so we felt for good reasons.

The adult only pool so close came v handy – managed even a late evening dip under the stars.

The room is massive and did not feel cluttered even with 2 big cots. Elegant, spacious and contemporary; plantation shutters beautiful and handy with the kids and jetlag.

We had twice dinner in the Bar area – casual and relaxing, on the sofa or by the library. Nice casual food, steaks and wine. Twice dinner at Neve – the chef went the extra mile and off his traditional menu to please us.

Just once at Corral Grill – as it was closed from Sunday to Tuesday – we loved it most and the food was divine. Mango also closed for the season – so definitely planning to get back. Kids dinner would happen sunset time (5:30pm Nevisian time) at Cabana – almost on the beach and between the Garden and Ocean pools.

The snorkelling was superb and we understand Pinney’s Beach is the best from whole island. Lots of fish and surprise surprise! a big turtle and an eagle ray. Can not recall being so lucky anywhere in 20 years of snorkelling & shore diving – Hawaii is only place that sprang to mind with similar diversity. Worth also mentioning that Four Seasons Nevis partners up with Sea Turtle conservancy and the local Nevis Turtle Groyp to track the migration patterns of hawksbill turtles that nest on its beach. No wonder Nevis with kids made it into our top 10 destinations worldwide to see turtles.

Best places to see turtles: Four Seasons Nevis

Great snorkelling Nevis

Four Season’s personnel was super friendly and cute with the kids – the baby had occasionally a playpen by the pool when not sitting in shade or swimming with us.

The 3 years old loved:

– The big salty water, how he called the ocean. Very warm and little waves equalled with him being very adventurous and independent. The trampoline was quite a hit, hopping as well as just going up and down the ladder.

– Kayaking was also much appreciated – he is now well familiar after Turkey & Grenadines holidays.

– Snorkelling not that popular, he gave it a try two days but struggled (for now!) to use properly the mask or snorkel.

– Sand castle building has been quite important, a whole London has been recreated by Nevis beach, St Paul’s cathedral included.

– Exploring after sunset with the flashlight and/ or staring at beautiful clouds and colours.

– The playground & the kids club.

Four Seasons Nevis kids club

– The Halloween party organised by the kids club – amazing costumes & party food.

– ‘Playing’ golf

Kids fun Nevis golf lesson

Kids fun with the golf car Nevis

– Buggy driving

Not only the 3 years old but all of us we loved observing the wildlife:

– Crab spotting on the beach. Translucent, big and quite shy, playing most of the time hide and seek.

– Pelican diving especially just before sunset. Brown and big, they dive frantically and dramatically in hunt for dinner.

– Green vervet monkeys on the superb golf terrain . Hilarious that on his first golf tour, our son was convinced the monkey was a cat 😉 30,000 official number of monkeys in Nevis, far in excess of the number of inhabitants. It goes without saying , driving a buggy through Four Seasons immense and stunning property was exhilarating, views over the Caribbean, the volcano and the layout are just stunning.

Regrets: Wished we stayed longer than a week – Nevis with kids has tones of gems to be discovered and explored! It took the baby 2 days to get over the jetlag. And right after that, I caught a tonsillitis. Luckily Four Seasons is amazing and efficient, I had a doctor in couple of hours and antibiotics in other 2 hours. Superbly looked after with tea and fresh lemon and ginger, freshly squeezed juices an made to order soups – recovery has been rather quick – one could not ask for more when not well. For a list of 5 Caribbean islands offering best attractions, range of family accommodation and easy access from UK, head to the very knowledgeable Travel loving family Top Five Family-Friendly Caribbean Islands.

So we loved Nevis with kids and Four Seasons  – the tropical seclusion, luxurious privacy and zen vibes. It must be our favourite place in 3 years of extensive family travelling. Many years ago, on one of our favourite adult only holidays in Maldives, Taj Exotica treated us like royalties. Four Seasons Nevis felt along the same lines in our new extended numbers ! So good, that we are already planning to go back & looking forward.

Travelling during the pandemic.  Being fully vaccinated and travelling from to Caribbean is still relatively easy, just a couple of extra forms and tests. Coming back to London on various occassions between 2020-2022 is feasible, on the last occassion in January 2022 from Miami, we booked our private tests 2 days ahead of our travels and thereafter booked for London Day 2 private tests, PCR required at the time. The travelling guidance has been fluid though, always best to check  the latest UK Foreign travel advice. For more Caribbean inspiration, head to our 15 islands wrap up: which Caribbean island is right for you.  Miami and the Keys in 2022 have been wonderful and easier in terms of arrangements, as Florida left it to tourists to quarantine in case of a positive test (plus the quarantine was simply recommended rather than enforced).