Welcome to St. Kitts - General Information

Here are some basic facts about St. Kitts that most people want to know about a country they have never visited before:

Location (Geographical) - 17° 20' North, 62° 45' West
Location (Proximity) - 20 Minute flight Northwest of Antigua
Area - 68 sq. miles
Population - 32,000
Capital - Basseterre
Language - English but with a distinct accent and West Indian idioms.
Currency - Eastern Caribbean Dollar and US dollar ---> $1 US = $2.70 EC
Topography - Volcanic in origin
Highest Peak - Mt Liamigua, 3792 feet
Climate - Tropical, temperatures ranging from 22°C to 33°C with November to May being the driest months. Annual rainfall is 55 inches.
Time - As there is no Daylight Savings Time here, we are on Atlantic Standard Time in the winter and Eastern Standard Time in the summer.
Dress Code - Casual everywhere but not beach attire. Must wear a shirt/wrap in town. You will be more comfortable in some of the fine dining restaurants a little more elegantly dressed but formal attire is not required anywhere that I know of.
Taxes - Hotels, restaurants and other service industries charge a 9% Government tax. No sales taxes at stores and shops.
Tipping - Most hotels and restaurants automatically add in a 10% service charge. You may give additional tips if service warrants it.
ATMs - All four banks in St. Kitts have ATMs in Basseterre. The National Bank has a number of others at various places around the island, but I am unsure if your card will work in them. Your best bet is to go one of the three banks on the Circus in town or the Scotiabank in Birdrock. The Marriott Resort has cash back machines as well. Most North American and European Debit Cards will work, but funds are given in EC dollars, except at the Marriott, where funds are given in US dollars.
Credit Cards - Most hotels and restaurants take all major credit cards and some businesses do but most do not.
Entry Requirements - Visitors will require either a passport or an official picture ID and a birth certificate. It is also very important to have a return ticket to somewhere, most preferably your country of origin, regardless of the length of your stay. This does not apply to visitors on the cruise ships, of course.
Water - Local water is very drinkable and bottled water is readily available everywhere. As all of the water is sourced from the rainfall, please keep conservation in mind.
Electricity - Power is 220V but most all hotels have 110V plugs instead or as well. If you have a 220 to 110 adapter, it would not hurt to throw it in your bag, just in case.
Telephones - It's no problem calling anywhere in the world directly, however, the costs are somewhat staggering compared to North American charges. Most 800 numbers in North America won't work, and even if they do, there will still be a charge on this end. Cell phones probably won't work but the cell service is being upgraded constantly and a phone that works here will work fine on many Caribbean islands, again, with roaming charges being substantial. There are numerous payphones all over the island and phone cards are readily available at many locations.
Television - Most hotels have cable and you can have access to many of the premium channels like CNN, kids stations, movie stations, US network stations, etc.
Driving - Rental vehicles are readily available (cars, vans, 4x4s, scooters). Driving is on the left hand side. You will be required to purchase a temporary license for about $25US. The secret is to drive slowly and always be ready to stop short as many drivers will stop with no warning to chat with someone on the sidewalk or what have you. Also be aware of the ditches built across the road in the country as they can be devastating if you do not slow down first.
Gasoline - Gas prices just went up for the second time since I arrived here 4 years ago and are now about $3.89US a gallon but you will be hard pressed to burn a tank of gas even if you drive continuously all week as the island is so small. Stations are located in Birdrock, just out of town by the hospital and a little further out the same way towards Ross University there is a 24 hour station. There is also a station just past Brimstone Hill Fortress and one in Cayon.
Taxis & Buses - Taxis are omnipresent in the Circus and at most of the hotels. The Taxis all have a yellow license plate with a 'T' in the front of the number. The buses that run around the island all day are just passenger vans and they have an 'H' on the green license plate.
Bank Hours - Daily Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 2:00pm, except Friday when they are open till 4:00pm
Medical Facilities - The main hospital is in Basseterre, a couple of other smaller ones in the country and numerous health centers around the island. Recompression chambers are available by air ambulance in nearby Saba. There are at least three drug stores with full pharmaceutical services in town.
Emergency Numbers - They have 911 service here. Police - 465-2241, Hospital - 465-2551, Fire - 465-2515