The St. Kitts Scenic Railway
Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
May 15, 2012 (CUOPM)
St. Kitts’ Scenic Railway train has been listed among 30 stunning heritage trains of the world and the only one in the Caribbean.
Rediff business of Rediff.com, which presents a slide show of the 30 railways from the pages of history said Wikipedia recently came up with the list of Heritage Railways across the world.
It notes that a heritage railway tells a lot about a particular nation and its history and that adds to a country’s glamour quotient and draws tourists from across the world.
“The ‘Island Series’ railcars of the St. Kitts Scenic Railway are double-decked, with an upper open-air observation platform. Riding the rail cars, one can view the sugar cane and island vegetation for unobstructed 360 degree viewing, and a lower air-conditioned parlour. Each passenger has a seat on both the top observation deck and in the air conditioned lower level ‘parlour’ of each railcar. There is a service bar, a restroom, and paintings by local artists hang on the walls,” it said showing a photo of the train on one of its runs.
The report states that India boasts four heritage railways and the others are in Argentina, Belgium, Switzerland, Brazil, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Slovakia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Ireland, Romania, Serbia and South Africa.
In May 2012, St. Kitts and Nevis was ranked #3 on a list of the “10 Best Islands in the World” by US News & World Report.
In February, 2012, St. Kitts was named one of “5 Caribbean Islands to Discover Now” by MSNBC.
St. Kitts was also named one of the “Top 12 Spots that should be on your list for 2012″ by Caribbean Travel + Life magazine.
St. Kitts’ Brimstone Hill Fortress was also named one of “10 Great Places To Explore The World’s Best-Kept Secrets” by USA Today.
In summer 2011, the destination also ranked #1 on a list of the 16 Best Caribbean Vacations by US News & World Report.
Last year, St. Kitts was named a top destination for 2011 by both AOL Travel and British Airways. Located in the northern Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, it offers a diverse tourism product developed from the destination’s natural beauty, cultural heritage and rich history.
The island’s stunning variety of tourism attractions include hiking through the tropical rainforest, riding the scenic railway that connects the island’s former sugar plantations, visiting the Caribelle Batik factory, touring Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, the only man-made UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Eastern Caribbean, and more traditional vacation pastimes such as watersports, golf, shopping, tennis, gourmet dining, gaming at St. Kitts’ exclusive casino or simply relaxing on one of the island’s sandy beaches. Accommodations range from intimate plantation inns to larger hotels and resorts.