two weeks in st lucia

Old Mar 14th, 2006, 05:26 AM
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two weeks in st lucia

just returned from two wonderful weeks in st lucia and hope to give some help to those thinking of going. first, we are mature, early retirees, not into resorts/all inclusives. we usually get a condo/apt on the beach or at the beach. we also rent a car. we do a lot of reserch before leaving-fodors/frommers/ talk boards and tourist boards, web sites. we usually stay ten days-two weeks. we are not lpressed for time. we take our time and try to enjoy the local flavor. we also go to a different island every year, and this year it was st lucia. if you have been to the islands, then st lucia will not be a new experience. it was foughtover by the brits and french for years and is has a typical island environment. jobs are scarce and the economy is an ag/tourist based one.
if you fly in from the stes you will probably end up at hewanorra intl airport(uvf0 at vieux fort at one tip of the island. if you fly in from san juan you will end up at the smaller airport in castries. if you come from uvf the cost for a taxi/van will be appors 5 american collars to go up to castries/rodney bay. same price to return. if you go from castries to rodney bay via taxi it will aprrox 20 us dollars. taxis are pretty well regulated and shouldn't be much a problem getting one, and getting the fare. but check to make sure. the time for the trip from uvf to castries/rodney bay is approx 1 1/2 hours. roads are not too good. potholes, narrow, hilly. only one main road around island so hard to get lost, as we were told, follow the traffic.
we decided to stay in vieux fort firt night and found the kimitrai hotel onst lucia web site.----www.stlucia.org---fine place overlooking the bay, had a bar, restaurant, clean room and open reception area with a big screen tv with cnn on the tube. the piton beer was extremely cold and satisfying. we paid 5 us dollars for the room, which was cland and comfortable, the staff helpful, the restaurant satisfying and breakfast included. people took hotel over from previous owner and working to improve. had cable tv in room, but no pool here. hotel overlooks the bay and the fishing boats come in below. family run now and one of the gals has daughter/family in richmond, va. for one night it was a perfect place for us to start. clean, safe, restaurant/bar was all we needed. small hotel with approx 12 rooms.
our car was delivered to the kimitrai for us and the next day we drove to soufriers and the hummingbird for a night. this was the capital of st lucia during the french occupation. hummingbird right on the beach, and we found this little gem on the tour books, and everything said about the ghummingbird is true. great restaurant, we had lunch and dinner here with a lot of locals, and since it is right on the beach some people came off their boats to dine. lunch ran us about 10 us dollars, i had a gigantic hamburger/fries and wife had big salad combo. the evening meal was local fish for approx 15-29 us dollars. had piton beer on draft and it ran a couple of us dollars per glass. had wine and mixed drinks as well. the rooms are small, and we had to share a bath/shower with anothe room. but we were only staying there a night and we survived. fine staff. spartan continental breakfast included, and the cost was approx 100 us dollars, including taxes. had a pool here and you could walk right out to the beach. drive up from vieux fort was over the potholed roads, and over hilly, hairpin turns. quite an experience. we had a small car,with auto. and a/c.get an auto and a/c car. not much to the town of soufriere, and we toured it next day in about 10 minutes. very narrow streets and then we headed to rodney bay and our apt at reduit beach.
we stayed at tuxedo villas in a two bedroom apt with stove, refrig, microwave, coffee maker, toaster and setting for four. if you need more in way of china/ pans, etc just ask. luciann took care of all our needs, and web site is www.tuxedovillas.com a gem of a place. just across the street is reduit beach and one of the nicest beaches in the caribbean. sand, no rocks, and seaweek under your feet in the water. lots of boats anchored all over, and next to rodney bar marina. we were on the second floor and i liked getting up early and looking out to the ocean and seeing all the boats anchored. tuxedo villas has approx 10 units, one and two bedrooms, and the price is appox 135 us dollars for the one bedroom and apporx 165 for the two bedroom. includes all taxes as well. grounds were immaculate, and romms mighty clean. daily service to clean up small courtyard with pool. great place and great poeple. for the price you can't beat it. i get up early, make my coffee, muffin while wife sleeps and enjoy the local flavor.
if you come to st lucia, rodney bay is our suggestion to stay. it like a small st lawrence gap in barbados. you can wlkd everywhere, lots of restaurants, bars, supermarket, bank, drug store, and just follow the crowd. no spring beakers here either. we went to the beach first day and met belinda on the beach and for appox 5 ec dollars a day we rented two chairs for our stay. no beach is private in st lucia we were told and belinda had like the chair, umbrella oncession for part of the beach. had trees you could lounge under so you could sit out in the sun, or go back under the trees. since we were only a minute or two from our apt we would go back and forthe from the beach off and on all day.
piton is the local beer. you will pay apporx 2.25 ec dollar in the store and also carib and banks available for approx the same price. heineken also available. by the way, the exchange rate is approx 2:65-1 us dollar. also, their beer comes in apporx 9 1/2 oz. per bottle. easy to drink up a storm there with the hot weather, and smaller bottles. we finally bougt our beer by the case and it ran approx 45 ec dollars. exchange the bottles.
if you are a bank of american client scotia bank has reciprocal privledges and we used our atm card there with out charge. we had a problem at first and didn't realize you put your atm card in face down. but we got that squared away. nice not to have to take a lot of cash. our two daughters and son-in-law joined us for the second week and had no complaints about the place==sor for the younger crowd this is not a boring place. my son-in-law like to dive and used frogs right down the street from us and said it was a fine deal we also tried deep sea fishing one morn-used capt mikes and it coust us 400 us dollars for half a day and we were on a 31 foot boat, five us , plus a guy running the boat and a helper setting up the lines. unfortunely, we drew a blank, but we did see the island from the water. we were provided with a case of piton, soft drinks and water on the boat, we brought some snacks.
rodney bay has so many restaurants it is had to give you a rundown, but my daughters went to english breakfast two mornings at grill and chill and really liked sme. pizza-pizza seemed to be the place for pizza and i think we paid approx 7-8 us dollars for large and it was satisfying. have dominoes there also. also, burger king and kfc there. we usually ate thecatrch of the day out and you will probably pay 15-20 us dollars. it really depends on how much and what you drink that totals the final bill. all the spots have their menu out to peruse.
rodney bay marina is situated in area and we went up ther for lunch at cafe ole and mingled with the locals. quite a sight with all the boats and people. we went up to smugglers cove, wife went to pidgeon island with daughters and climbed up to the old forts, did really see the island.
we rented our car from24hours car rental. our small car cost was 40 us dollars a day; you have to pay 5 us dollars a day to the st luckain govt, and since i heard som much about the roads i even took the insurance for 12 us dollars a day. i really didn't need the insurance, but you live and learn. the car was delivered to us at vieus fort a day early at no charge and we left it off in castries at no additional charge. ggreat people to do business with and i can endorse emailying sandra at [email protected] for info.
or go tehir web site...www.24hourscarrental.com
by the way, you can buy piton beer on the beach at stands manned by the locals for approx 5 ec a bottle. and get food from them as well. you can walk down reduit blvd to the couseway from rodney bay marina out to the ocean and watch the boats come and and go as you patronize the 2-4-1 bar. you get two drinks for the price of one. lots of the locals hang out here. or shout across the causeway to see if the fishing boats have come in if you want to buy what has been cought that day and make it for your evening meal. we got a grill from tuxedo villas and son in law grilled us fish that eve in the courtyard for one of our finest meals on the island.
hope this helps.
jch9011 is offline  
Old Mar 14th, 2006, 04:26 PM
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I really enjoyed your trip report. Sounds like you had a nice authentic St Lucian experience. We have been twice and love St Lucia. We didn't make it to Rodney Bay other than in passing. Think I remember seeing that KFC I so dislike seeing fast food chains in the Caribbean. In spite of that, I would consider staying in the Rodney Bay area if we return. No KFC for us though!
brenandg is offline  
Old Mar 16th, 2006, 04:49 AM
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What a great review and reflecting on the real St Lucia!
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Old May 17th, 2006, 02:24 PM
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we are planning a trip this coming feb of 2007. I very much appreciate your candid report...much of the information was useful to me...tuxedovilla is exactly what I am looking for.

Thankyou.
desertbound is offline  
Old May 22nd, 2006, 04:06 PM
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jch9011,My friends and I too had a wonderful stay in St. Lucia. I was there with my girlfriends. We loved it. We stayed in Rodney Bay at the Coco Kreole not too far from the Tuxedo Villas. There were several fast food places, which we ate at, but we did go to Big Chef's steakhouse, the Red Snapper, and Ti Banne to name a few. We bought jerk chicken and pork on the side of the street across from the mall. We used the local buses for 2ECs to go to Castries. In Castries we shopped at the markets and at Pointe Serapine. We went on an island tour for four hours. We walked up to the top of Pigeon Island. The beach is rocky on one end near the road close to the Coco Kreole, but if you walk down several feet, there are no rocks. We loved the hotel we stayed in and the people on the island. When we return to St Lucia we will definately stay in Rodney Bay at the Coco Kreole.
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