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(Non-Diving Activities)

A Caribbean island without a beach?  Sound like a "tough sell" for you or your non-diving companions?  Saba offers an experience like no other Caribbean island.  Return customers are not to worry, we haven't built a casino or a shopping mall, but a few enhancements to our island make Saba more enjoyable for locals and visitors alike...even National Geographic Adventurer recognized us!  

Snorkeling     Hiking    Art   Shopping  
French Cooking Classes   
Relaxing/Spoiling Yourself   Pilates/Yoga  
Birding     Saba Orchid Research Center  Taxi Tours
 
Rock Climbing & Bouldering

Annual Events Carnival, Sea & Learn, Hell's Gate Challenge

Snorkeling...Join the fun with a snorkel trip!  As there is limited shore access on Saba, the best way to explore our healthy reefs is while snorkeling from a comfortable Sea Saba boat with our competent dive crew.   Daily afternoon trips can be arranged at our Windwardside office.  We'll arrange a taxi pickup for you and any equipment needed.  Let us introduce you to the underwater world.  Sea Saba's boats are large and comfortable with shade as well as a sundeck.  We always have a qualified dive instructor who stays on board so that first time snorkelers can be comforted.  In addition, we have a full range of equipment including snorkel vests, a drift line and wetsuits to add to your comfort and safety.  Once you are intrigued, why not consider scuba diving?  Sea Saba offers one-day Discover Scuba Diving courses and international full certification classes (1, 2 and 4 day courses available).  

Hiking...Imagine the life of a Saban before the famous road was built as you travel from one village to the next or make your way to the rocky shoreline where English settlers fought Carib Indians over water rights.  Saba offers a variety of hiking and nature trails over diverse terrains from tide pools up to Saba's cloudforest:  Mt. Scenery.  Twelve trails are continuously maintained by the Saba Conservation Foundation.  All trails can be done on your own but are greatly enhanced with Saba's naturalist, James "Crocodile" Johnson.  James is knowledgeable in Saba's flora and fauna and has loads of Saban lore to share as well.  Visit the Saba Trail Shop in Windwardside (adjacent to the Sea Saba shop) for more information on hiking choices including a quick and easy trail, maps or to find out when you can schedule James' (you call that a knife?).   

July 2008--News!--GeoCaching now possible on Saba.  Just another reason to get out and explore nature.  Join the fun--thus far there are two to find:  Avocado is rumored to be much easier to find than Jams & Ken!

Art and Craftwork...The Peanut Gallery at Lambee's Place houses Saba's premier art collections.  Jim and Judy Stewart formerly of Atlanta, Georgia, are the new proprietors.  The Stewart's bring new enthusiasm to Saba along with their experience gained owning a folk art gallery in the U.S.  The gallery holds works by local and regional artists ranging from oils and pastels to driftwood carvings and framed Saba Lace.  The owners picked the name hoping to instill the idea that art should be fun and something to be enjoyed by everyone--not just a high brow crowd but even those who formerly were designated to "sit in the peanut gallery".   Judy is a potter and can be regularly scene at her wheel in the courtyard at Lambee's Place.  There are still a number of individual galleries on Saba--ask our office staff to be pointed in the right direction or to find out if the artist is home.  Find yourself inspired?   The gallery sells sketch pads and other supplies to get you started or produce your own Saban masterpiece.  You can also 'paint a placemat'--banana leafs and hibiscus flower wood bases and paints supplied.  Saba's most popular artist and former president of Saba Foundation for the Arts, Heleen Cornet sometimes offers art lessons.  She also heads a weekly Saturday meeting of artists.  Check with Lynn or The Ecolodge for possible scheduling.  Heleen took two-years to complete the project we have dubbed, "Saba's Sistine Chapel".  The alter of the Catholic Church in The Bottom has been transformed to a biblical Saban rainforest scene.  Helene's timeless art can be viewed any day of the week.  Be sure to ask your taxi driver to stop in for a peek or catch it on the way down after hiking the Sandy Cruz trail.  For more information and close-up photos, check out our News archives (March 2000) issue.  And finally, join The Saba Lace Ladies on Thursday afternoons at The Eugenius Center in Windwardside.  Watch these skilled women and their intricate work or start your own piece by chatting with them and learning the techniques.  Not to be missed is the unique art of hot glass.  Jo Bean (see below in shopping section) does demonstrations and offers classes.  You will be amazed at what you can learn from this famed artisan in just one or two classes.  And it's really fun!

Shopping...Looking for a unique souvenir?  Take a wander down "Main Street" in Windwardside and meet a friendly shop owner, visit an artist or have an espresso at the Trail Shop.  You won't find a Wal-Mart or a Colombian Emeralds on Saba but you will find as one shopkeeper's sign reads:  "gifts, oddments and pretties".  Sea Saba is no longer just great diving t-shirts but has expanded to quality resort wear to satisfy your gift list from infant to XXL.  Jo Bean's Glass Studio is a must stop on Booby Hill--jewelry and specialty items can be purchased or plan an extra day and sign up for a class to create your own!  Saba Lace classes are held on Thursdays at the Eugenius Center in Windwardside or ask your taxi driver to take you to see the ladies in Hell's Gate.  

French Cooking Classes...Perhaps it's one of those things on your "to do list" in life that you just can't seem to find the time for or it's something you never considered--but you're on vacation, so, why not?!  Chef Michel Job of the famed Gate House Cafe offers cooking classes for 1-6 persons in the professional kitchen of The Gate House.  You can pick what area you want to excel in.  As an example, in February '05, Lynn and 5 others participated in a class specifically for sauces.  Chef Michel provided the recipes and ingredients for 6 different sauces which we then made in small groups.  What fun!  AND, we got to eat the results.  Classes are $120 so for a group of 6 (Lynn can always be counted as 1!), it costs as little as $20 per person for a fun, interesting learning experiece.  Pre-booking is essential but just a day or two notice is normally adequate. 

Relaxing and Spoiling Yourself...Let it go!  Can't forget about that project back home?  Got a nagging ache or just want to treat yourself?  If the great views, peaceful village lifestyle and fresh air just aren't enough, it gets even better...The Saba Day Spa has variety of spa services available.  Rejuvenate your body and mind with a massage, facial, body wrap, hot lava rocks treatment and more.  Sally Lynn, formerly of the U.S. Virgin Islands, opened the Saba Day Spa in 2000.  Let the Sea Saba office know what you're interested in and we'll be pleased to make the reservation for you.      

Improve Your Body:  Discover stretching techniques and breathing exercises you can use for a lifetime.  Yoga instructor Suzanne offers classes 2x per week at the recreation room of Juliana's Hotel.  Vitality Studio is presently closed but previously offered group and private classes.  Suzanne's Yoga classes are held on Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons at the recreation room of Juliana's Hotel.  Suzanne is a long-time Sea Saba diver and now the local roving reporter for the St. Maarten Daily Herald (see our Local News Page for the latest Saba news) and part-time Yogie.  For a minimal fee, you can  walk in to her classes--beginners are welcome.  

Birding...Stop by the Saba Trail Shop and ask for Evette or come in to Sea Saba's 'nature library' and grab a birding book or identification card to take on your hike.  Former resident Martha "Mandy" McGhee is a known environmentalist in the Caribbean.  Her foundation: Island Conservation Efforts (ICE) was instrumental in the installation of moorings in St. Croix and St. Lucia.  From 1995 to 2003, with the assistance of Evette Peterson, she conducted a study of the Tropicbird.  Saba is home to both the white-tailed Tropicbird, P. lepturus, and the red-billed Tropicbird, P. aethereus.  With its fondness for inaccessible cliff-side dwellings coupled with the destruction of habitat in other areas, there has been little scientific research on these birds.  However, on Saba, nesting sites are found on a sloping hillside just east of the Fort Bay Harbor.  Mandy's one hectare research site has more than 75 registered nests.  The project is no longer active but you can read about the results on our Birding page as well as more details, more photos and a complete list of Saba's other avian species.

Saba Orchid Research Center is the newest addition to Saba's eco-tourism product.  Saba's climate is ideal for raising orchids so many locals have their own collections in their gardens.  Stewart Chipka is the former president of Encyclia Enthusiasts, Inc., an affiliate of the American Orchid Society.  His work has been published in lay and scholarly journals.  He now lives permanently on Saba where he is preparing a book on the Encyclia species of the Caribbean Basin while creating a scientific map of the location of wild orchids on Saba.  He has already identified 24 species representing nine genera and hopes to track down many more during his ongoing orchid population survey.  In 2005, Chipka launched www.sabaorchidresearch.org, a website dedicated to his program now in place on Saba.  Chipka is a familiar face known as "The Orchid Guy"; he's easy to find if you are interested in learning more about these beautiful flowers by visiting his research center or perhaps organizing a hike with him. Stewart Chipka is a regular Sea & Learn contributor...the S&L website has more information about him and some of his research. 

Taxi Tours are offered in most tourist destinations.  Saba's Taxi Drivers, however, are a proud breed with roots dating back several generations, most to founding families.  Their tours are full of information, lore and good fun.  You can choose your driver and the duration of the tour letting them know if your interest lies in photographing Saba's scenic views, learning more about the unique history, a tour of architectural styles, stopping at shops, specific gardens or all of the above.  An average tour lasts 2-3 hours and costs $40 for up to 4 persons.  With a day's notice, The Sea Saba office can arrange the driver of your choice and the time that works for you. 

Rock Climbing and Bouldering are a natural next step for Saba's nature and eco-tourism product. Over the years, Sea Saba's diving instructors mapped out routes and climbs.  It's a bit premature to pack your chalk bag and rock shoes but stay tuned for some eventual 'official routes'.  In the next years, Saba will offer a number of challenging routes for beginner to experienced climbers.  The Saba Conservation Foundation will be monitoring where the routes are set up to assure that this activity is in harmony with Saba's ecological policies.  Watch our Rock Climbing and Bouldering page for more information, dramatic photos and updates as they develop.   

Annual Events...The island of Saba has three events each year worth planning a trip for or around. 

Saba Summer Carnvial  Normally the last week of July and the first week of August (check the Saba Tourist Office website for exact dates each year) is the timing of Saba Summer Carnival--or as it's pronounced by Sabans: "Car-nee-vahl".  This 10-day event has a number of jump ups, beauty contests, Calypso contests, bands, food and the finale is a parade around the village of The Bottom after of course the traditional Juvet Morning when you are to come out and dance in your pajamas at day break.  With the exception of the start of Juvet Morning (starts in Windwardside and lasts about one hour before you can no longer hear the revelers), all events take place in the village of The Bottom so not to worry that hotels and cottages in the Windwardside area can still enjoy the normal peacefulness.

October is the month to Sea & Learn on Saba.  This international award winning program marks 2008 as it's 6th annual event.  Every day and every night in the month of October, there are nature experts on island conducting presentations, working with Saba school children and doing hands on surveys and research.  The program's slogan:  It's Fun! It's Free! It's for Everyone! is fitting.  The non-profit foundation brings in nature experts from around the globe...dive alongside a seahorse biologist to determine the sex of this shy telltale species; collect flora with a botanist from Conservation International to be part of the ongoing Saba Herbarium project or do a night hike with a herpatologist to survey whether Saba's tree frog is larger at a lower or higher elevation.  Or, just come to the venue, order a cold drink and enjoy a fabulous big screen photographic presentation in layman's terms.  The presenters cover a wide range of plants, critters and global issues so there's sure to be something to intrigue all those interested in nature.  You can participate in as many or as few events as you like.  Some field project require advance sign up or may be limited to a certain number of partcipants.  Presentations take place in a 'happy hour environment' to promote a relaxed, uninhibited learning environment.  Monitor the Sea & Learn website for more information, schedules and news update. 

The Hell's Gate Challenge is a triathlon race that takes place each year on the Sunday of Saba Day Weekend, normally the first weekend in December.  The 3-part course may not be as large as worldwide events but it is equally as challenging.  Saba's triathlon is gaining momentum over the years.  2007 marks the 4th annual event which attracts athletes from other Caribbean islands and the U.S. and Europe.  You can participate as a team, each member taking one of the 3 parts, or as an individual.  The race starts with a brisk entry in to Well's Bay to swim a course not quite as far as Diamond Rock.  Your bike better be ready as the next leg is the bike course up the Well's Bay Road through the villages of The Bottom and Windwardside, up the Mountain Road to The Ecolodge where you dump your cycle for the final run on the Sandy Cruz Trail ending at the Catholic Church in Hell's Gate.  Amen.  The event was brainstormed by the owners of The Ecolodge but now has corporate sponsorship and is managed by a non-profit foundation.  Be sure to book in advance as hotel rooms and other accommodations can sell out for this weekend. 

This page last updated on 07/30/2008 from our Windwardside office.

Lo

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Netherlands Antilles
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