23 November 2016

After releasing baby turtles into the sea from Lovers Beach, Prince Harry stopped by Oualie Beach Resort to greet John Yearwood, Owner of the Resort and other well wishers, before leaving from Oualie Beach dock in direction of St Kitts.

Prince Harry released the turtles on Lovers Beach Credit: Tim Rooke /Rex / Shutterstock

After carefully handling and examining the first turtle, he gently placed him at the waters edge. 
He was excited when he was given some more and exclaimed: “A whole team!”

As they used their flippers to flap their way down the short, steep beach to the surf, he gestured with his hands, willing them on by saying “Go, go, go!” and “That way!” 

He said: “Look at the energy they have as well. He's waiting for the water to come to him – that's really clever.”

He held his sunglasses in his mouth as he handled the small animals.

Prince Harry met the founder and president of the Nevis Turtle Group, Lemuel Pemberton Credit: Chris Jackson /Getty

The Prince said he had never seen baby turtles before, only adults. He looked impressed when he was told the babies would eventually weigh up to 900lbs.

Afterwards he took off his gloves and, when told to keep them, joked: “It's not like they're a souvenir!”
When it was pointed out he could use them for digging in sand again, he said: “Yes, that's what I do in my spare time!”

Prince Harry was told he could keep the gloves used to handle the baby turtles Credit: Rex Features

He encouraged everyone to continue their hard work. 

Volunteer Thema Ward, 35, said: “Harry was excellent. He got right down there digging with us and we weren't expecting that.”

“He is so down to earth – like his mum was. She just blended right like a real person when she was here and Harry did the same.”

Minister of Tourism The Hon. Lindsay Grant leads a high powered delegation of tourism officials and partners to the UK.

BASSETERRE (10TH October, 2016): A delegation of tourism officials and partners from both St. Kitts and Nevis, led by the Minister of Tourism The Hon. Lindsay Grant, left the Federation on Saturday to participate in a major promotional drive in the UK.

This will be the fourth straight year for Destination St. Kitts & Nevis Roadshow in the UK, which showcases the unique attractions of the destination, to ultimately grow the UK market.
Minister Grant said he was pleased to lead such a delegation, which also includes hotel partners and destination management companies.

“Destination St. Kitts and Nevis is the ideal platform to build on our existing relationships with the UK trade, secure new partnerships and develop new business,” Minister Grant said. "We are going to get the word out that St. Kitts-Nevis is going through an exciting transformation in our product development, and we are confident that this UK market visit will drive more visitors to our islands.”

The week-long initiative, from Sunday 9th to Friday 14th October, 2016, will span London and the upmarket counties of Surrey and Chester; where tourism authority officials and their partners will network and conduct business with key members of the travel industry and the UK media.
Following the UK meetings, tour and travel agents will visit the Federation with the aim to familiarize themselves with the Federation's tourism product.

Nevis is ideal for those seeking little-known destinations less frequented by tourists, as well as those interested in authentic experiences, learning about new cultures, broadening their horizons, doing new things, exploring new places and having adventures. Many who visit Nevis decide to stay at Oualie Beach Resort for its authentic Caribbean experience and the close proximity to Lovers Beach.

Oualie Beach Resort rates for 2016 start at $179 per room based on double occupancy and packages are available to suit a variety of special interests ranging from family to scuba as well as weddings and honeymoons.  For more information or reservations, call 1-869-469-9735, e-mail reservations@oualiebeach.com, visit www.oualiebeach.com or follow the property on facebook, twitter and instagram.

“At first, I was a bit surprised at winning a luxury travel award”, said John Yearwood, Managing Director of Oualie Beach Resort, “However, I am beginning to realize that guests no longer want the sterility of the typical 5 star vacation and the trend now is to seek out properties that provide a genuine wealth of experience that includes meeting local people and experiencing local culture, food, music and care free ambience.”

The Oualie Beach Resort on Nevis has won similar distinctions previously, including the #2  spot out of 50  Caribbean Beach Resorts nominated by Islands magazine readers and being named one of the 20 most awesome Beachfront Hotels under $200 by Caribbean Travel & Life magazine.

For years, Oualie Beach Resort has been promoting itself as Nevis’ premiere affordable accommodation choice.  A full-service boutique property that is family-owned and operated, it offers many amenities typical of larger hotels while maintaining friendly, individualized service and a sense of community that’s within the means of most vacationers.

Situated on a sandy beach on the picturesque island of Nevis, Oualie Beach Resort is a uniquely charming, family-owned boutique hotel designed to appeal to travelers seeking a laid-back, personalized experience.  The property’s management is passionately eco-friendly and employs sustainable tourism practices including solar water heaters, low energy lighting, water saving techniques and community development initiatives.

“Our goal is to deliver our guests an authentic Caribbean beach vacation at an affordable price.” said Karen Peterson, a Director and owner of Oualie Beach Resort. “We are passionate about sustainable tourism and are still the only hotel in St Kitts and Nevis to be internationally certified for our green, environmentally friendly practices.” The Resort recently added an 18kw array of photovoltaic panels making electricity from the sun and has just been awarded the top Green Leaders Platinum Award by Trip Advisor.

Guests may dine in a casual open air ambience at the Oualie Restaurant. Executive Chef Gary Urbanski, an former lecturer at the world famous Culinary Institute of America, and his local team prepare tempting Caribbean fusion cuisine using  locally grown produce where ever possible. All fish and lobster are caught locally and kept fresh on ice, never frozen.

Oualie Beach Resort rates for 2016 start at $179 per room based on double occupancy and packages are available to suit a variety of special interests ranging from family to scuba to weddings & honeymoons. For more information or reservations, call 1-869-469-9735, e-mail reservations@oualiebeach.com, visit www.oualiebeach.com or follow the property on facebook, twitter and instagram.