Caribbean
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Kitts
Challengers
Places to visit in Challengers
Clay Villa Plantation House & Gardens
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Clay Villa Plantation House & Gardens

See all things to do
See all things to do
Clay Villa Plantation House & Gardens
5
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Attractions includes a Plantation Home, Natural Gardens, Museum, Gift Shop, Cellar Pub and Wildlife. Activities includes Family Tours, Groups and no age limit.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
5.0
560 reviews
Excellent
498
Very good
44
Average
13
Poor
3
Terrible
2
Randy W
Sanborn, NY369 contributions
Entertaining
Apr 2019 • Couples
Phillip greeted us and entertained us from the minute the tour started until sadly we had to leave after our hour tour. We have done gardens on other islands but loved how this had sturdy walking paths and handrails were needed. A warning to those with bad knees there are a number of up and down stairs but as a knee replacement recipient I was able to maneuver without a problem. The elderly struggled a bit but everyone enjoyed it.

Beautiful flowers, trees garden statues. This home has been in Phillip’s wife’s family for 7 generations. The home has survived many hurricanes. The floors are all original hardwood in excellent condition. A room filled with collectibles from around the world were also on view. They also rescue animals that were injured and have monkeys, turtles, love birds and parrots.

We were invited down to Phillip’s “man cave” for a rum punch, beer, soda or water and on the way out stopped in to meet his daughter in her cute little souvenir shop.

Written 11 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EmmEss
Charleston, SC139 contributions
Not what I was expecting
Nov 2018 • Friends
This tour was a bit of a let down. To me it was just a big old house that had a lot of mix matched knick knacks in it. There were lots of fish, turtles, & monkeys there. Also a lot of gardens with various flowers, plants, and trees. There is a small pub there where they give you one complimentary drink with your tour ticket. Also, on site is a small gift shop that you pass on the way in & out of the property. There is a great mural painted on the wall outside of the gift shop which is cool for a photo op. The views of the ocean across the street from the plantation are spectacular.
Written 28 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
schlagerman
Raleigh, NC8 contributions
Great excursion
Jun 2018 • Family
The house and gardens are beautiful and our tour guide Jermaine was great. The house is impressive and the floors are the original wood from the 1700’s. Jermaine also drove our transport van from Port Zante to the plantation and provided some great history of St. Kitts along the way. At the end of the house tour we went to the owner’s man cave for beer and rum punch!

Written 23 June 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
i_am_tippy
Lagos, Nigeria3 contributions
Excellent tour and guide
May 2018 • Solo
I wanted a bit of history and culture before I went to the beach and this was excellent. Clay Villa has been in Philip's wife's family for 7 generations and was one of the few plantations not to practice slavery. This meant that when St Kitts became independent they got to keep the property (Im paraphrasing here a bit and Philip will tell you the whole story).

It's a lovely walk through the gardens and grounds of the Villa and a few indoor bits. The flora is lovely (including a 300 year old mango tree) and there is also some interesting fauna- monkeys, turtles, parrots and other parrot-like birds etc. They rescue some of these animals and provide sanctuary for them before they get back to health and hopefully into the wild.

Just as good as the walk is the guide. Philip was hilarious and knowledgable, and will answer any questions you have; and his life story if you have a bit of time to listen to it after is an excellent bonus to the tour.

At the end, I had the best rum punch of my Caribbean travels (about 9 islands). All in all, the tour took about an hour or so.

I'd say this tour is worth it if you like history and nature. It's for all ages although Philip's humour might be a bit PG for some. If you have mobility issues however, i'd give this a miss, it's quite a bit of walking and while there aren't a lot of stairs, they are unavoidable.
Written 22 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Deb325
Pittsburgh, PA101 contributions
Pleasant surprise on a cruise tour
Mar 2018 • Couples
This was not our first (or even 2nd) choice for a tour, but it turned out quite lovely. The history of this plantation is fascinating, with 7 generations of native Carib owners and no slavery. We also learned about the abuse those baby monkeys are subjected to by natives who remove their incisors, bond with them and then release them to the wild where they won't survive when they're not cute enough for their $10 rip-off picture opportunities. Don't support this practice!
Written 25 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BoardingPass760327
15 contributions
Beautiful piece of Paradise
Mar 2018 • Couples
I truly enjoyed my visit and historical lesson while walking the grounds of this place. The host was wonderful and I thank him for allowing my family and I a chance to see his world.
Written 13 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda C
7 contributions
Love it. It was great being lead on tour by the owner. Learned lots of history.
Jan 2018
Thank you for the wonderful refreshments. Best tour of our whole cruise. Really enjoyed the birds and monkeys.
Written 4 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
conniejoy01
York, PA7 contributions
An Unusual Plantation
Feb 2018 • Couples
Clay Villa Plantation has been in one family for 7 generations. It is unusual in that they never used slave labor, and their workers were paid employees. Therefore when slavery was ended and the plantation lands were distributed to the former slaves, this family kept their land. Although our host Philip is originally a Londoner, his wife and daughter are proud to be Carib Indians. Clay Villa also serves the community as an animal shelter - monkeys, birds, turtles, etc. The vegetables and fruit they grow are used to feed the animals.
Written 3 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
zumanbabe
Malibu, CA36 contributions
Fabulous! Must See!
Feb 2018 • Couples
Clay Villa Plantation and tour by Philip, the owner, is absolutely fabulous!

This plantation, distinguished because the 10-acre farm NEVER used enslaved people, is a must-see in my opinion in St. Kitts. Sitting slightly elevated above the Caribbean, the natural beauty of the grounds surrounding the main house is a feast for the eyes. Lovingly and artistically decorated (including hand-painted murals) by Bridget Gumbs, whose family has owned this property for 7 generations, there are surprises around every corner. The tour of the exquisite gardens, house interior and showrooms of collectibles lasts approximately 75 minutes and ends with a glass of rum on the patio overlooking a view of the Caribbean. Don’t miss this stop!
Written 10 February 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen L
London, UK11 contributions
This is the jewel in the St Kitts crown
Jan 2018 • Family
This is by far the best place to visit on St Kitts. It is a GENUINE 18th century house. It's owners are of Carib descent. The gardens are lush with tropical flowers, and there are many animals including parrots and monkeys. The house contains beautiful artefacts from all over the world, collected by the Carib owner's predecessors down the centuries. Everything is spotlessly clean; we were told stories of St Kitts goings on down the years; this has a personal and non-commercial feel about it. The last two + half centuries were rolled back. To top it all, we visited the owners own exclusive little pub at the end, where we had a free beer and he generously talked about everything St Kitts to our hearts content.
Written 30 January 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Clay Villa Plantation House & Gardens (Challengers) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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