4. General Company Description
4.3. Tour Description
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to disappear as the younger generation are receiving and adapting to outside cultural influence, and leaving their traditions behind.
At the Tea House, our guest will experience a piece of our local culture and tradition, through our herbal tea education, demonstration and entertainment experience and the display of our local artefacts at our museum.
4.3. Tour Description
The tour will be a three-hour tour, and will be in three parts, tour of the western side of the island on the way to the Tea House, Tea House experience and tour of the eastern side of the island on the way back to pick up location. (Cruise Ship Port or Hotel). Due to cost constraints associated with starting a new business, the company is unable to purchase a tour bus for transporting the guest to the Tea House in the first few years of operation. Therefore certified taxi operators will be contracted to transport guests until the company can afford to purchase a vehicle.
The first part of the tour will include a scenic drive along the island’s main road on the Western side of the island on the way to the Tea House. This will include:
v The guest will be met and greeted at the Cruise Ship Arrival Hall by a staff of the Tea House, who will be holding a sign displaying the Tea House logo, who will then lead them to an air-conditioned, comfortable tour bus. While on the bus the guest will receive a very detailed and beautifully designed brochure which will provide in depth information about the Tea House experience. The accompanying staff member will use this opportunity to browse
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through the brochure with the guest and get them excited and eager about what they are about to experience at the Tea House.
v They will depart the Port for a scenic, guided tour of the western side of the island on their way to the property.
v This tour will include information and brief stops at main attractions such as the Bloody Point River, where over two thousand local Amerindians were attacked and slaughtered by the Europeans who fought them for the land. After the viscous act, it was said that the River ran blood for a few days.
v Next brief stop will be in Historic Old Road, where the guest will view and take photos of old churches and historical buildings in the village
v The guest will then be dropped off at the entrance of the Tea House
Second part of the Tour will include the Tea House experience
v Upon arrival, the guest will be greeted at the reception hut by the receptionist, who will welcome them and offer each guest a complimentary locally made straw hat to protect him or her from the sun and a bottle of water and keep him or her hydrated during the outdoor Tea Farm tour. Due to the beautiful tropical climate in St. Kitts and Nevis, we enjoy sunshine all year round, hence the reason for the hat and water.
v The guest will then be escorted to the Tea Farm at the Back yard of the Tea House where they will be educated by our Herbal Tea Farmer. He will provide information on over thirty different herbal "tea bush" this includes both the local and scientific names, health benefits,
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demonstration on how to plant and care for these plants. The guest will receive an opportunity to plant tea bush as a part of the experience. Each plant will be labelled with the names of the plant and the list of health benefits.
v After the tea farm activities, the guest will be lead into the main building, all empty water bottles will be collected and recycled, and all hats will also be collected at the door, because according to African superstition; "it is bad luck to wear a hat in the house." Guests will each receive a cold towel to freshen up before entering the demonstration room and kitchen area. This area is where the guest will experience a demonstration and entertainment experience, which will include the tea making process, which will be demonstrated by our tea makers, dressed in traditional wear, who will tell a story through song and dance to old folk songs. The story will include information on a typical day in the life of our ancestors;
how they lived, how they ate, their many beliefs and practises.
An example of the stories told will include how our ancestors believed in the power of herbal teas. As a child my grandmother would always make a pot of herbal tea and leave it on the stove for us to consume. If she gets home from work and the tea is still there she will get upset and say no one call her when we faint or pass out in school, because for her drinking tea at mornings helps to prevent
Another story that will be told is; when mothers wanted to go out to parties at night and there was no one to watch the children they will boil soursop bush to make a tea and give it to the children to drink. This will put the children in a deep sleep causing them to sleep until morning.
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v After the demonstration, the guest will then receive the opportunity to sample the different herbal teas which will be paired with some of our local treats such as, Johnnie cakes, fried dumpling and cassava bread to name a few. These treats were main staples in the household, as people had very little money; they had to find affordable ways to provide food for their families. Most of these treats are made from flour and requires very minimal ingredients, they are also very filling easy to make and can be stored for a long time without refrigeration and preservatives.
v Our guest will then be led into the museum; the room will be decorated with paintings by local artist illustrating everyday activities on the island from the early 1900s. There will also be mannequins dressed in folklore outfits so that guest can feel and even try on if they so desire. Mostly the room will be filled with local artefacts which were used by our ancestors during their daily lives. They will be labelled with their names and function and displayed for our guest to view. Our staff member will give the tour and provide information on each of the artefacts displayed. Some the artefacts that will be feature are:
a. The metal goose iron-, which was used to iron or remove wrinkles from clothes. In order for the goose iron to work, charcoals were placed on the inside and lit with oil and a match to start a fire inside the goose, which will heat it up. This was method was used because most homes in the early 1900’s did not have electricity so the people of that time had to be creative.
b. The enamel basin-, which was used for urinating in at nights. Most homes did not have indoor bathrooms, therefore an enamel basin was kept for household members to urinate in during the night time and emptied and washed at mornings. Etc.
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c. Kerosene lamps- this was used to provide lightening in the homes at nights due to lack of electricity.
d. Coal pots- this was used as a stove to prepare meals. It was a round copper design, which was filled with wood, and charcoal, which was dipped in kerosene oil and lit to create a fire for cooking. Many people couldn’t afford stoves, so this was one of their alternatives
Some other artefacts will include, enamel cups, homemade knives, clay pots and utensils, just to name a few. These people had to be resourceful and creative to ensure they had the necessary equipment and tools required to make everyday living easier.
v The Guest will exit the museum and head straight into the gift shop. The gift shop will feature local craft, packaged herbal tea leaves from the Tea Farm, local products such as hot sauce, rum and local sweet treats to name a few. All items will be available for purchase by the guest. Guest will then exit the Tea House via the gift shop bring them to the end of the tour of the Tea House.
The Third part of the tour will include:
v The guest departing Tea House and return to their tour bus. They will enjoy a scenic and guided tour of the eastern side of the island on their way back to pick up location. This will include a brief stop at:
a. Brimstone Hill Historical Park. This Park is a must see and the most famous attraction on the island. It is UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was designed by
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the British and built by the African Slaves. It was used as a fortitude by the British to protect them from attacks by the French and Spanish in the 15th and 16th century.
b. Next Stop will be at Black Rocks. Black Rocks illustrates evidence of volcanic eruption on the island many years ago. After the volcano erupted, the lava flowed down into the ocean and as it cooled it formed sharp, tall rocks which sticks out of the ocean.
c. Lastly, the guest will receive a driven tour of Historical Basseterre, which is our capital and main city. It was named after the French who settled their in the 16oo’s.
Basseterre is home to many historical buildings and monuments such as the Independence Square, which was a slave market, and the Berkeley Memorial Clock at the Circus, which depicts a replica of Piccadilly Square in England.
The Guest will then be transported back to their pick up location and our tour will end.
Sample Tour itinerary:
8:30am/12:30pm Pick up from location
8:35am/12: 35 pm Scenic and guided tour on the way the Tea House 9:00am/1: 00 pm Arrival at the Tea House
9:10am/1:10 pm Tea Farm educational tour
9:45 am/1:45pm Demonstration and entertainment experience 10:30am/2:30pm Museum tour
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10:50 am/2:50 pm Gift shop tour upon exit of the main building
11:00am/3: 00 pm Depart Tea House for scenic and guided tour back to pick up location
Operation Hours of the Tea House
During the peak tourism season, November-May, the Tea House will be opened daily from 8 am -4 pm, guests will be welcomed from 9am-3pm. Tours at Tea House will begin at 9 am and 1 pm. The Tea House will be closed from 11:30am-12:30 pm for lunch break.
v Morning tour 8:30am-11:30am
v Afternoon tour 12:30pm-3:30pm
These times are very accommodative to cruise ship passengers as cruise ships make calls to our port every day of the week during the high season and majority of the cruise ship docks in St.
Kitts at 8 am and departs at 5 pm.
In addition, during the high season priority will be given to pre booked cruise passengers. The cruise line provides a list of all pre booked guest at least 24-36 hours in advance. Therefore, all other guest will have to make a reservation in order to experience the tour. Unfortunately this will be on none ship days or on days when non-affiliated cruise ships or in port.
Due to the seasonality of the industry, during the slow season June-October, the hours will be adjusted to accommodate visiting tourist and we will use this time to do maintenance work on the property and the garden.
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國立 政 治 大 學
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l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y