Retire Early Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

Charlestown, Nevis, West Indies

Then (1991) and Now (2025)

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

Currency Exchange

When we first washed up on Nevis, West Indies in 1986, we were sailing on a 256ft sailing vessel, named the Mandalay.

These were unpretentious cruises, and we did a total of four of them over the years until 1991. This is when we retired and lived on the island for 6 months.

Below you'll see photos of Nevis from nearly 40 years ago, along with current photos taken from our latest visit in 2025.

Some very good changes have happened over this time, yet Nevis still offers the "Old Caribbean style" charm that will make you fall in love with it.

Windjammer's ship, Mandalay

This is the ship we took through the Lesser Antilles all those years ago.

In 1991, after living 6 months on the island, we again met up with Captain Paul of the Mandalay. We convinced him that we'd be happy to sleep on the deck of the ship and not cause him any trouble. Could he sail us to Granada? We'd take a plane from there to Venezuela, and continue on with our journey.

Paul readily agreed to this arrangement, but after a night or two, he approached us and persuaded us to sleep in the Captain's Quarters. After all, he was on night shift and he'd be sleeping during the day. We could all take advantage of the room, the bed and the shower, and he didn't mind at all.

Fabulous.

GREAT idea!

Well, we couldn't just "take" his room and not give back.

Since we had been on his cruises several times already, we knew the routine: Toga parties, Pirate parties, dart board competitions, beer drinking contests...

So we became temporary active "members of the crew" to help with the parties and keep guests involved and happy for the time we were on Captain Paul's ship.

Couldn't have been a better deal for both sides, and when we reached the island of Granada, off we were. 

Thanks, Captain Paul!

Downtown Charlestown 1991

In 2025, after decades of retirement and traveling the world, we decided to make another trip to our favorite Caribbean Island and see how things have gone.

Above you'll see a photo that we took of downtown Charlestown in 1991.

Downtown Charlestown, Nevis 2025

Here is the same shot decades later.

There's been a little sprucing up, but the original building is still there.

Often Nevis has played second fiddle to her sister island, St. Kitts, not getting as much funding for projects, infrastructure, school improvements and so on. But these days, due to the attraction of offshore banks, trust companies and asset management firms, Nevis has seen solid financial growth. These financial services have provided jobs and revenue for the island.

Hence, the sprucing up.

Downtown Charlestown, Nevis, West Indies, 1991

Here's another shot from the "old days."

What you see here is just about the whole of downtown Charlestown.

One can walk through the center of town in minutes. Because of this, a "neighborhood" atmosphere is created, where one sees the same faces often and warm hellos are exchanged.

It's easy to make a friend in these circumstances.

Downtown Charlestown, Nevis, West Indies, 2025

Here is our updated photo, and as you can see, not too much has changed.

A little dressing up, and the road has been paved.

The black van with the colorful flag of Nevis, St. Kitts Federation is a public "combi." This is a taxi service that will take you to most places around the island for $4EC Dollars.

This is how we get to the grocery stores, to downtown Charlestown, or sometimes to various restaurants.

A broader view of Downtown Charlestown, Nevis, 1991

This is a fuller view of Downtown Charlestown. You can't see it very clearly, but the road is packed sand, not asphalt.

The center area is a place to rest with some shade and also where one would catch a "combi" to take you around the island.

A broader view of downtown Charlestown, Nevis, 2025

Today's view where the road has been paved, parking lines are marked and sidewalks have been put in.

All around this area are stores, restaurants, banks, cafes, and sundry shops. Various large supermarkets are walking distance just up the road.

In 1991 we couldn't find cheese for the life of us. We found a shop here in town that had a rectangular hunk of "orange-petroleum-product"... I mean it looked like cheddar, but it never, ever melted. Not for grilled cheese and not for on top of our homemade pizza.

What was that stuff?

We ate it... because in the early days, there were literally no grocery stores.

One shop had a freezer with cryovac bags filled with meat inside. On closer look, you could tell that the bags had sat on the docks until the frozen meat had thawed, and then it was refrozen in the shop.

I could describe it in more gory detail, but you get the idea.

Six weeks on Nevis's Gold Coast

So where is Nevis, West Indies and the Gold Coast?

Nevis is a small 36-sq. mile island in the Caribbean Sea. St Kitts and Nevis are an independent two island federation, and Nevis is the kind of island that you have to want to get to, to get there.

Today, there is a small airport for private planes or island hoppers, but this is a fairly recent concession to modernity.

In 1991 we lived here, helping the Four Seasons Resort open up the first resort on the island, similar to what we did in Saigon, Vietnam with Compass Living.

Below is a photo of the house we stayed in at that time, with other workers from the Four Season Project.

The view off our front porch

Gentle sea breezes would blow through here, rocking the hammock we'd lie in while reading a book. It was a spectacular place to live.

Fast forward to today and we are staying for six weeks at the luxurious Hamilton Villas and Spa on what's become known as Nevis's Gold Coast. 

Path to our Villa with Mt. Nevis in the background

It's classic island living with comfort amenities such as daily maid service, washer and dryer, two bathrooms, large fully-equipped kitchen and two verandas.

From our 1475 sq ft. villa, it is mere steps to the beach side restaurant, The Yachtsman Grill, and the wonderful clear waters of the lobster-abundant Caribbean. 

Nevis has no deep water port of its own, so most visitors come to this island for less than a day. Their cruise ship ferries them from the deep water port of St Kitts to Nevis. Their trip is a visit at the beach and for other tourists, they come for its culture-rich island vibe, "the Old Caribbean style."

Few people stay for six weeks as we are doing, unless they are living here full time.

From our veranda looking towards the pool

Activities around the island

Water sports such as diving, sailing and swimming are available. One can rent a horse and ride it on the beach if you would like.

We fill our days with a 20 minute morning workout in the gym, followed by breakfast in the Villa, then a quick swim in the ocean.

 Several times a week we catch the bus into town at $4 EC per person. Then, these days we can shop at one of three supermarkets buying high quality meats, fish, imported cheeses, fresh vegetables and fruits. What a change from previous years!

The island itself is abundant in fruits such as bananas, papayas, mangoes and avocados. On some days, we'll catch a quick snack of Johnny cakes with salt fish - a local tradition - before returning to The Hamilton.

Steak with lobster, sliced grilled potatoes, fresh vegetables

Chef Billy prepares the midday meal such as Caribbean Chicken with a melon cream sauce or braised pork end rib chop with a raisin sauce. This day we had steak with fresh lobster, sliced grilled potatoes and fresh vegetables.

The Days Drift by

Days that we are not shopping we use the afternoons to check out the Barefoot Beach Bar, a short stroll up the beach, or we take a bus to Oualie beach for lunch at On the Rocks.

The Spice Mill on Reggae Beach

Oualie beach is where the water taxis dock is for an easy trip over to St Kitts which is exactly what we did the other day to met up with a friend from 1991 at his restaurant , The Spice Mill on Reggae Beach.

As you can see, the view of Mt Nevis from there is spectacular.  

Our lunch of local conch fritters with spicy aioli and a plate of jerk chicken made our tongues dance and faces smile. Roger made sure that we didn't miss the water taxi to return to Nevis by calling them making sure they waited for us. Water taxi fee, $60EC round trip.

Dis is de islands Mon, where relationships are long-lasting and everybody knows everyone.

At the Villa

Back at The Hamilton we check our online correspondence while relaxing, maybe taking an afternoon nap.

Sunset on Pinney's beach

Around 4 in the afternoon we make our way back to the beach for our afternoon swim and sunset viewing.

The Hamilton Museum located in downtown Charlestown

Not to be missed, Nevis is the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton. The museum is a well coordinated display of his life including his influence building the United States Constitution. If you're a history buff you will absolutely enjoy it.

Nevis Peaks

Nevis Peaks is a fairly new restaurant, and the first Brew Pub on the island. The Imperial IPA with a 8% alcohol is rich in hops, flavors and can knock you back.

Serving food offering a creative menu including lamb burger with feta cheese and Tzatziki sauce as well as lamb in an east Indian curry sauce with flatbread and chutney. The chicken in a coconut curry sauce is also tempting.

Maurice, our morning visitor on our veranda

It is very common to see these green monkeys, otherwise known as velvet monkeys, all over the Caribbean islands. Maurice visited often.

In fact, there are more monkeys on the island of Nevis than there are people!

Monkeys can cause all sorts of mischief, and Maurice would sit there, watching us eat breakfast. He probably wanted some!

These monkeys came from West Africa to the West Indies in the in the late 17th century. European settlers, particularly the French, transported these monkeys as exotic pets or items of trade on slave ships.

All in all, Nevis is for special people. All you need is a good spirit about you and a joy in your heart and you'll fit right in.

Retire Early Lifestyle appeals to a different kind of person – the person who prizes their independence, values their time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly follow the crowd.

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