Did you know there are actually two West Indies? And while they often even share the same island, they're actually worlds apart.

If you're interested in the colourful and sometimes controversial history and culture of a destination, like to savour a true sense of place, and consider travel an experience that should broaden your mind, there are some places you should know about. They're all very special.

It was while listening to a Wisconsin radio travel talk show recently that the so-called "expert's" advice so stunned me, this article evolved. A woman had called in to ask about a vacation in St. Kitts and Nevis.

"What is there to see? Anything special? Could you recommend some exceptional place to stay?"

The host's answers were so misinformed and totally lacking, it was obvious they'd never been there . . . which they finally admitted after offering a few bland, generic suggestions about "nice beaches, scuba diving and a supersized glitzy new chain hotel".

The lesser-known small gems of the West Indies have such distinctive personalities, unique accommodations and rare mood that they really deserve more attention.

Saba, St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Lucia, Statia, St. Vincent, Dominica, Iles des Saintes, Tobago and St. John, for starters . . . and the list goes on.

Those searching for the unusual don't have to travel half way around the world to find it. Yes, getting to off-trail islands often means changing planes en route. But folksy, small airports seem refreshingly simple after struggling through vastness of LaGuardia, Denver and Los Angeles, among others.

Let's start with St. Kitts and some stellar sites not known by that travel show host. Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the West Indies' premier military instillations.

Once labelled "Gibraltar of the West Indies", it was begun by the British in 1690, finished a century later, most by slave labour. Covering nearly 40 acres and built 800 feet above the ocean, it offers eye-opening panoramic views of Saba, Statia, Nevis and Montserrat.

You'll want to spend a few hours exploring the fortress. Restoration of the historic property is ongoing and definitely worth a visit. Yes, there are a number of new mass-tourism properties. But to capture the very special mood of this island, consider places such as Rawlins Plantation. This one-time,18th-century sugar plantation utilises its wonderfully vintage buildings as a very low-key, but upscale property.

Set on hillside acreage surrounded by sugar cane fields, it has dramatic views from the terrace where breakfast is served. My cottage suite came complete with a bed enveloped in mosquito netting, access to hillside trails leading through adjacent cane fields and the feeling of total relaxation.

It's a place where one can lounge in a hammock, gaze out across those fields down to a seascape with islands visible in the distance.

It's only a short flight or ferry ride to close-by Nevis, only two miles across the Narrows strait. Famed as birthplace of Alexander Hamilton in 1755, his residence site is very interesting to visit.

England's famous Admiral Horatio Nelson, then a young officer already in charge of the Leeward Island fleet at age 26, was a frequent visitor. It was here he met Fanny Nisbet and married her.

Fanny lived with her uncle at Nisbet Plantation, which dates to the 18th century. Today, Bermudian David Dodwell is an owner of that historic property. It has very comfortable plantation-style cottages and lanai suites spread out across 30 acres.

A broad avenue of palms leads from the Great House down to the sea, where a waterfront pavilion has pool, spa, beach and luncheon facilities. The relaxed, tranquil and historic mood of such properties is worlds removed from the supersized chain hotels with no sense of history.

It's only a short flight to Saba, one you will likely never forget. Anyone cruising the Caribbean has probably passed this volcanic peak rising sheer from the sea.

That dramatic geography makes it possible for only STOL . . . short take-off and landing aircraft, to make flights whose landing approximates to one coming in on an aircraft carrier.

First visit there was on a day trip from St. Kitts and it was so fascinating, next trip we flew down from St. Maarten and settled in, actually climbing the fascinating trail to the volcano's summit.

Headquarters was Willards, a cliffside charmer at the time owned by a member of the family who built Washington's famed Willard Hotel. Sightseeing around that intriguing island revealed a number of interesting properties, from near the top, down to Bottom, name of one of its major settlements.

That's something we like to do on any visit . . . research other interesting properties in case the one you're at isn't available next time. And these lesser-known islands abound in wondrous finds.

Although we've not stayed on Iles des Saintes, docking there on Windstar's Wind Surf was one of that trip's high points. Not early risers, we found all taxis had long since departed when we went ashore.

Walking up the steep hillside to Fort Napoleon was an opportunity for some exercise and the moated fort was fascinating, outlining battles between England and France for control of the area.

It was a rare winter that didn't find us in the Caribbean, starting very early in our young life. Winter escapes started as cruises, but evolved into choosing stays at specific islands.

I'll never forget that first trip to Jamaica when my father decided it would be a good idea to combine both a cruise and island stay, something easier to arrange in those days.

We left the ship in Port Antonio, picked up our reserved car and took off, discovering some outstanding accommodations, rejoining the ship weeks later. They ranged from a gorgeous mountain-top villa above Ocho Rios to an historic plantation at Montego Bay, a great place at Irish Town and another in Kingston.

It was January 1963, year of the Cuban Missile Crisis and just months after Jamaican Independence. British troops had just withdrawn and there had been some bloody incidents discouraging tourism.

The country seemed almost empty of visitors, so roaming around without reservations presented absolutely no challenge, something that would not be true today.

Looking back, I certainly admire my parents' adventurous, independent spirit. No matter where we ventured, that was how they always preferred to travel . . . seeking out an exceptional place that held special appeal.

Then once you discover that special place, you'll always want a future reservation to guarantee space. Our trips to Puerto Rico always included a stay at San Juan's historic El Convento, a former convent built in the old quarter across from the Cathedral. Then it's off to some of the country's vintage paradores.

This barely scratches the surface. St. Lucia is a beauty spot we've often visited via ship. Car rentals on those port stops have taken us out to those incomparably dramatic Petit Pitons and all over the landscape from its so-called drive-in-volcano to mountainside banana plantations and fort ruins. En route one sees the kind of villas anyone would consider Utopian.

Same is true of St. Vincent. After being enchanted with it and Dominica on youthful cruises, there was finally a land visit settling into another fabled Utopia favoured by yachtsmen who sail in, then relax in one of its private villas and cottages that stretch up a hill from the sea.

It's St. Vincent's justly acclaimed Young Island, a small jewel reached from the "mainland" by private boat. It's a 35-acre Robinson Crusoe kind of experience with luxury amenities.

The same thing happened on Statia, Tobago, St. John, Virgin Gorda and others which offer a rare combination of scenery, history and unique accommodations.

So many travellers who check into one of the increasing number of massive new developments don't get out and about to see the otherwise unspoiled countryside, absorb its history, meet its friendly people. They're missing out on what makes each of these island's distinctive.

Many cruise ships have been redeployed from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean and elsewhere because travellers seeking out the new and unusual feel less interested in returning to the same big-name islands.

Certainly great for those first visits . . . yet all these small jewels with their unique personalities are awaiting discovery. Your travel agent can tell you about many others there's no space for here.

Next week: Flowers that bloom In the spring