As I craned my neck to peer through the canopy, I could just about glimpse my 12-year-old daughter, Georgie, hurtling along a zipline some 250 feet up in the air.
“It was so fun,” Georgie told me afterwards. “It was like you were skimming the treetops and you were the same height as the birds.”
We were high up in the mountains on the Caribbean island of St Kitts. The ride looked spectacular and, had it not been for my chronic vertigo, I would have tried it myself. (That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.)
We had been drawn to the island partly for its classic Caribbean charms, including its sandy, palm-lined beaches and glorious weather. But there was something else, too – it’s much more affordable than many of its better-known neighbours. A week’s holiday in St Kitts can be around £400 less per person than a week in the Dominican Republic, and at least £100 less than Barbados.
And, secretly, there was another aim. Like most parents with tweens, teens or children, it’s a constant battle to keep Georgie off her devices, whether it’s her phone (even though my partner and I have resisted buying her a smartphone) or her tablet.
The idea was that our time on the island would be a digital detox for Georgie. We agreed that she could bring her tablet with her, but that she would use it solely to take photos. I was only semi-confident as to how this would turn out, but the ziplining (Sky Safari: two hours from £75 for adults; £55 for children) had been a good start.
The drive from one end of the island to the other only takes half an hour: the relatively small, tadpole-shaped island is roughly the size of Sheffield. We passed pastel-coloured clapboard bungalows with washing drying outside and young boys selling exotic fruits by the roadside.
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Just five minutes downhill from Sky Safari, in the foothills of St Kitts’ central mountain range, we had noticed the striking remains of the 1,000-acre Wingfield Estate – once one of the largest sugar plantations in the Caribbean, dating back to 1681.
Kevis Armstrong, our guide, explained that around four hundred slaves would have originally worked on the estate. He told us about the island’s history, explaining how St Kitts was colonised from the 17th century by the French, British and Spanish. The British eventually gained full control of the island until its independence in 1983. St Kitts’s darker past felt sharply at odds with the tranquillity and beauty of the setting.
Before we left, I took time out to sample the award-winning Old Road Rum, which is hand-bottled on site. Tours of the estate start at $50 (£37) per person.
It was tempting to spend time savouring our drinks and our surroundings in the slow, Kittitian way (or “liming” as the locals call it – hanging out, relaxing and chatting with friends), but we had booked a rainforest walking tour.
Soon, Georgie and I were clambering over rocks, serpentine tree roots and slippery streams within the island’s Central Forest Reserve National Park.
Using a rough-hewn, wooden staff to point out some of the rainforest’s 450 medicinal plants, our bald and bearded guide, O’Neill Mulainy, had the air of a biblical seer.
Georgie was particularly impressed as he showed us what happens when you touch the fern-like leaf of a mimosa plant. Dramatically, the leaf clamped shut like a snapping jaw at her touch. “Leave it for 15 minutes and it’ll open again,” he explained.
Georgie didn’t seem to be missing her devices at all. Over the next few days, in between swimming and playing pool volleyball at the hotel, we managed to squeeze in a trip to the fascinating Unesco-listed Brimstone Fortress – a vast 17th-century citadel with spectacular views over the island.
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We also took a catamaran to St Kitts’ sister island of Nevis. We left the boat briefly to snorkel, then spent the afternoon on peaceful Pinney’s beach.
On our final day, we headed to Reggae Beach, and after one of the best lunches of our trip – wonderfully fresh tuna for me and a cheeseburger for Georgie – it was time for water sports.
“Faster! Faster!” she exclaimed as I nervously attempted to steer our jet ski through the waves. Unsurprisingly, she was much happier taking things at her own (faster) speed on a paddleboard, although she’d never tried it before.
Georgie’s highlights were definitely the more high-octane activities, especially the ziplining and the water sports. Incredibly, she had barely used her tablet at all.
As we left Reggae Beach, we looked into a boutique by the restaurant shack. Alongside baseball caps and swimwear, T-shirts hung on display with the slogan “rush slowly”. I couldn’t think of a better way to sum up our time in St Kitts.
Eddi Fiegel and her daughter travelled as guests of Visit St Kitts.
How to do it
British Airways operates twice-weekly return flights from London Gatwick to St Kitts, starting from £428 per person. The flight time is just under 10 hours and 30 minutes.
Tours with O’Neill Mulainy can be booked via email (oneilmulraine@hotmail.com; £48 per person).
Where to stay
The St Kitts Marriott Resort offers sea views among a vast complex of differently sized pools. It offers water activities, several restaurants and a shopping mall. Double rooms from £185.
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