Nevis & Kamalame

8/7/2019 Nevis & Kamalame

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,':/':-l:i ,':" i,i arlon Brando is driving along the calm,'i.l ",' ,l Caribbean coast past a cloud-shrouded vol-i,t ,,.,,,i:1 ."t.o lestooned n'ith pink coralita vines. ottthe tinv island of Nevis. Not the Island oiN{arlon Brando. 'fhat guv is, o{ course. no

This Nlarlon Brando is a native of Gulanaor,vns a rental-car sen'ice ancl a usecl-tire store here.

goats. roosters, dogs, and green nonkevs alor-rgZ0-n-rile road that circles the isle, he tells the ston,of

chose \evis as his home. On a r isit to the island1'ears ago, he bumped into a frie nd lrom Gur ana n'hoconpleteh clistraught, On his uav to the bank, he

dropped his nallet, containing manl months'n'ages.his friend to the police station and

rvas, not one eastern Caribbean dollar missing.u'zrs so shocked," sars Branclo. "l thought, I uant to live

no one touches vour pursel" Todal', he savs, nothas changed. "'l-here is a bit more developrnent.

people, ther.are the same."\\4ri1e manl Caribbean islands have succunbed to

ships and casinos or certer to a crolr,d that crales asocial scene, this jeu'el rn the Caribbean\Islands erudes rnel1ot, oid*chool class. Despite

dirnirutive dimensions - it s ail of 36 square miles -u,as a porr erhouse back in Europe's colonr'-buildingFor more than I 50 I ears, it u as a bitterll' contestecl

among France, Spain, and Englancl, rvhicht'on steu'ardship. 81, the late 1700s, the emeraldQueen of the Caribees, nas a bustling con-r-

and social nexus rvith sugar plantations churninggolcl, and a1l the fashionable West Indies h?es

to the planters' mansjons ancl bathing in the hotat the Bath Hotel, the Caribbear-r's first spa. These

Nevis attracts a manageable number of tourists, soso that strar-rgers on the street will greet each other

"Good afternoon," as people woulcl in a small tot'n.It\ easr lor travelers to soak up an authentic Nevisiar-rbr opting out ofthe bigger resorts and insteadCattle nearthe Montpelier Plantation lnn;dancers on St. Kitts, a short ferry ride away fromNisbet Plantation Beach Club's Sea Breeze restaurant.Fishermen returning to 0ualie Beach, Nevis

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selecting one of the plantations, nori' erquisiteas inns. With cannons, ',vindmills, flon'ering gstone ancl tin-rber great houses, the inns radiatecharrn and character. Choosing among thenmost clif6cult part of the trip. If u'aking up to wing t,hite sand is vour priorib', choose tl.re frienPlantation Beach Club; the rest of the inns ain the forestecl hills. Built in 1778, the grcat hoclub is the ancestral horne of Fannv Nisbet, thsocieh' rviclon, iamouslr, t'ooecl (ancl later abanthe clasl.ring Lorcl Horatio Nelson-there are pover the island, and even a ilruseum in to'nvn,Lord Nelson. Tn'enr.u*-hvo cheen'r'ellori' cottaggentlv sloping lann, rvhich grandlv unfurls itsepicture-perfect beach. Though it's technicalh'lantic Ocean side, tl-re iridescent rvater is nearas the Caribbean. After dinner. slide into the btr-rb, and rvatch the stars crat'l across the skr,.

On the islandt northern flank, drive up astreu'n road to the N{ontpelier Plantation InnNisbet and Nelson exchanged vorvs in 1787 umammoth ficr-rs benjamina tree that still standat the great house. As befits such noble nuptiamention Princess Diana's much-toutecl star,s-a Relais & Chiteaux proper\'', is the most refinCLOCKWISE, FR0M T0P LEFT: Tropical breezes alonsand beach at Nisbet Plantation Beach Club; the terrestaurant at the Montpelier Plantation lnn; the baradjacent to the pool at the Montpelier; a view from tNevis Harbor

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CL0CKWISE, FR0M T0P: The poot and lSth-century sugar mi[[ atMontpelier Plantation Inn; tropicaI flowers abound at MontpelierPlantation; courtyard at the Gotden Rock, where breakfast andlunch are served; the Sugar Mitl suite at Golden Rock with acolonial-era bed; the exterior of Golden Rock's Sugar Mi[[ suite(r'et unpretentious) inn on the islancl. Hiclden

hrsh gardens brtrsting rvith pear and ackee trees,bougainvillea, are 17 cottagcs, each u'ith its

verancla, u ickcr ancl ri'oocl furr-rishings, and crisplinens. -\t the inn's restaurant, a lornrer sug:rr rnill

\1i11, r.ou clinc bv cancllelight. It's thenost erclusir e , so save it lor vour last night.

Across the road, thc cornparativeir cluaint Hermitagehas enchanting tinbe r-framed ginge rbread

sprinkled near the great house, likelr the oldestchvelling in the Caribbean. -fhe Lupinacci farnilr'

Philadelphia ltas beeir running the place sincc 19-1.chances are Richard Jr. u i11 grect r ou at reception orbehind the bar, nhere photos of the tamih racehorsesthe nalls. The Lupinaccis keep a large stable

that guests can ride to erplore the surroLrnclingorr national holidals. ther organize

at the track in thc rniclclle of the unpopulated, u rldlnvigorating trcks to the suinrnit of mish \er is

originate at the Hcnnitage; call or email amrablebiologist Jim lohnson-erpert in all things fauna.

r'oodoo. ancl busfr medicine-and arrange a time.C)n the caste rn or ri inchi :rrcl side of the rsland. high Lrp

the forcsted hills. is Golclen Rock Plantation Inn. re-purch:rsed br \cn \brk painter Brice \l.rrclen and

n'ife, I felen. Thc colrilge roon]s :rre moclest cornp:rredother inns, btit the 10O-r'ear-old ntill, corl erte d

:r charnring hvo-ston sn jte. is trulv speci:rl, ancl asolten booked. Ner crtheless. spe nd ihc :rfternoonhaving a lunch oflobster salad and grilled pranrs

the red unrbrellas and the manr nonkevs. Thcfron this serene oasis orlt to sea. ri here Antigua andvisible along the horizon rs breathtaking.

No mattcr ufie re r ou st:r1', at some point clirect r,'our-to Sunshine's Bar and Grill on preth'Pinner,t Beach,south of the Fbur Seasons Resort Ner,is (recent r,r'inner

a, Shennan's'lrrn'e 1 Snrart Lurury'Ari arcl, it is set ton once renovations in the n ake of Hurricane Ornar

complcte). Sunshine's ouler Llerveln "Sunshine"is \evis's unofficial goodu ill ambassaclor, and both

charm ancl his infaritons creation, the Killer Bec :rmrn concoction topped u,ith freshlr,

Grenacla nutmeg-lures locals, er-pats, guests, alclti.orl the pbotos on tlie t,alls of the cozr', Rasta-sl-racl


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erhaps because the northern tip oftheBahamas'700-island archipelago is just 50miles fiom Florida, the close-but-far chain hasRat Pack, James Bond (six movies have been

here), and, sadiy, many package tours. But theparts of the island chain, where

resort casinos have swallowed up the land, are onlythe story. Venture to the Out Islands and you'Il

the remote charm and deserted beaches that definemake the hek to Kamalame Cay, a private islandthe northeast coast ofAndros Island - itself afor snorkeling, bonefishing, and diving-and

find all that plus the service and accoutrements ofdestination.

The goal, say owners )enr-rifer and Brian Hew, is tothe impression that they are visiting friendsa private island and staying in their guest cottage. And

horv it feels, except you can't pay for yourby retr-rrning the favor, and Kamalan-re is not cheap.

$ I ,2 50 a night for a suite, it's the most erpensive pick ofselections, but that price includes everything, and that

feel rnakes it a smart splurge.A sliver of sugary u'hite sand awash in coconut palms,

and bougainvillea, Kamalane CavKey) began as an accidental labor of loveHews. In the early 1990s, rvhen they first sau' the

a fishing trip, they set their hearts on buiidingthere. After years of haggling, the government

agreed, but only if they promised to build a hotel96-acre property. So the,v winged it, and in 1998

opened with a few villas-therenow 24-a11of which Jennifer designed and BrianAt first, anglers {iom all over the world came for

flats, literally steps ar,vay fron-rshore. \Mren the Hews noticed the fishermen corn-back with their rvives, they realized theii hotel was

a romantic getaway. And so ihe resort hasever so organicalh.

In an effort to make arrangements as simple asFR0M T0P LEFT: Collecting coconuts along

Cay's only road; Kamalame is known as the "f ragrantits manyftowers; the great house has sea views onwade fishing in the warm Caribbean waters-athe Mahogany room at Kamalame Cay resort.The luxuryspa at Kamalame Cay, located atthe end ofwooden pier

"Making ItHappeni'p.67, lor rates and contactinformation,

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the resort sends a driver to collect you atAndros airport-that is, unless you have asked

charter a seaplane. The Z0-minute driveyou to a waiting boat. On the very brief ferryyou may notice that the houses on Kamalame

secludecl and sit back from the shoreline;noticeable man-made construction is the

Seas-style overwater spa with an(While getting a mas-

don't be surprised if watching the impossiblyocean ro11 back ancl forth

slightly separaied floorboards sends youa state of hlpnosis.) Once you arrive, you're

golf cart down a palm-shaded drivewayyour villa, where another golfcart, yours lor

awaits. Each villa and cottage haspersonality; all are charmingly rustic,with homemade character and devoid

television and the Internet. (If you must checkthere's a conputer at the great house.)

Androsian stone walls support cathedral ceil-thatched, others with interlaced timbers.

airy design welcon-res in nature: Doubledoors open to wide verandas and a grassy

unfolds to the water. Anyone can idlelarge amounts of time simply sitting on

couch watcl-rir-rg the n-ruslin drapes rise

CL0CKWISE, FRoM LEFT: The f reshwater swimming poolat Kamalame Cay; some of the 4,100 palm trees on the3-mile-longislandplanted bytheownersof theCay;alizard enjoys the sun on a pootside chaise [ounge.

and fall rvith the wind. Furnishings made of wickeror antique mahogany and overflowing bookshelvescreate a cozy, lived-in atmosphere, and in a strokeofgenius, fennifer designed the cottages as octa-gons, so even the bathrooms have showstoppingwater views.

Kitchenettes are stocked with lvine, beer,bottled water, and coffee. Breakfast fixings such as{iuit, homemade breads, and coffee silently arriveat the door in a picnic basket, and every afternoonthere is a delivery offreshly baked cookies. Guestsmay be as social or sequestered as they want, partak-ing in the nigl-rtly ritual of cocktails before dinnerat the elegant, plantation-style great house oropting for an intimate dinner on their own veranda.Tiki torches flicker and silvery moonbeams shootthrough the palm fionds while guests dance to thehiccuping rhlthms of the iocal rake'n'scrape band.For the ne plus ultra in private dining, take a boatto an uninhabited island, where a personal chef canwhip up a luxurious modern-day Robinson Crusoefeast; consider creamy conch bisque, local grouper

with wild rice pilaf, and a sweet, unforgettablsop souffle.

Guides usually take just hvo guests at a tisnorkeling or diving expeditions around Andrdiving utopia that contains the world's thirdJabarrier reef, including the Andros Wall, a staging vertical drop where the continental shelfplunmets 6,000 feet into the Tongue of theOcean, an oceanic trench. The island itself isdiving mecca, with a complex maze of aboutunderwater caves knorvn as blue holes. On yoown, you can kayak though the shallow mangaround Kamalame, where white ibis wade aloside schools of pufferfish.

Kamalame Cay is almost like the Bahamanswer to the African safari lodge, trading tigeand elephants lor curly-tailed lizards and tinyhermit crabs. This serene wilderness, along wthe top-notch resort perks, keeps guests in a scozy cocoon of luxury. Unplugging is easy tohere. Snooze in a hammock just outside youor read a book by the pretty pool; either wav,gentle pitter-patter of the palms rustling in thunbroken breeze will lull you into a state of pant amnesia. It's all very discreet. Don't evenprodding the stafffor the names of tl-reir fanoguests; they've been sworn to secrecy. I

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FeblMar2009ShermansTravel,com/Smartluxury

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Nevis & Kamalame