Heading to St. Lucia in 3 weeks...advice?
Jan 22nd, 2005 | 06:10 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Heading to St. Lucia in 3 weeks...advice?
Hi,
I found this board last week and have found some invaluable advice about the Caribbean and St. Lucia.
In November, hubby and I booked a vacation through our TA with Sandals Regency for mid February. The TA recommended the Jalouise Hilton (sp?) and St. James Club, but I had a set budget of $5K and both came back above that price range. Upon investigating I noticed the Sandals Regency (actually all of the St. Lucia Sandals) were offering 40% off...so I requested it. I am an accountant...and I do like a good deal.
I read several of the reviews concerning Sandals and I have decided I am either going to love it or hate it, but I will take the chance. Although, hubby and I are AI "sit on our butts by the beach/pool with a rum runner in our hand people" we do like to explore. Did anyone have any suggestions? Also, I would like to sneak out one day and have a really good lunch/dinner on the island...willing to travel. Also, what is the best way...taxi, bus, boat, helicopter, etc.
Also, if anyone has any advice on what to do/and what not to do I would truly appreciate it. I have been to the Caribbean before, just not to St. Lucia. Thank you in advance.
Anice
I found this board last week and have found some invaluable advice about the Caribbean and St. Lucia.
In November, hubby and I booked a vacation through our TA with Sandals Regency for mid February. The TA recommended the Jalouise Hilton (sp?) and St. James Club, but I had a set budget of $5K and both came back above that price range. Upon investigating I noticed the Sandals Regency (actually all of the St. Lucia Sandals) were offering 40% off...so I requested it. I am an accountant...and I do like a good deal.
I read several of the reviews concerning Sandals and I have decided I am either going to love it or hate it, but I will take the chance. Although, hubby and I are AI "sit on our butts by the beach/pool with a rum runner in our hand people" we do like to explore. Did anyone have any suggestions? Also, I would like to sneak out one day and have a really good lunch/dinner on the island...willing to travel. Also, what is the best way...taxi, bus, boat, helicopter, etc.
Also, if anyone has any advice on what to do/and what not to do I would truly appreciate it. I have been to the Caribbean before, just not to St. Lucia. Thank you in advance.
Anice
Jan 22nd, 2005 | 07:02 AM
#2
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
Hi Anice,
Rent a car. I really believe that you get to see so much more of the true caribbean and island flavor by getting off of the tourist paths and away from the resorts and exploring on your own. St. Lucia is large enough that you will never be able to fully explore it unless you get a car and venture out on your own.
The roads are really challenging although I've read a lot of postings that greatly exaggerate their condition in my opinion. They are narrow with a good number of potholes, but nothing that is really impossible. The roads wind up and down the mountains, but that is to be expected on a mountainous island like St. Lucia.
Take a day and go into Castries. Spend some time shopping. It does not have the diversity of stores like some other islands, but there were some interesting things. There are a couple of shops that specialize in Caribbean art that are nice. The street market is interesting like most are in the islands. Be sure to speak to the vendors and be willing to try the free samples they give you....some of the produce and spices are exceptional.
Take a day and drive down to the southern end of the island. Take your time with the driving and make sure to stop along the way and spend time with some of the vendors who had little roadside stands. Also take time to venture off into some of the very small fishing villages along the way. These villages are very interesting with brightly colored housing and the boats pulled right up along side.
Visit Soufiere and down into Choiseul which has a small artists community. It is an interesting time. On the way back, stop at a restaurant by the Pitons and have lunch....with the marvelous view of the twin peaks.
Also take a trip one day across the island to the Atlantic side. The rough water on that side is a real contrast to the Caribbean side. Again, the views are beautiful.
Take a day to go up to Pigeon Point. This area offers some great hiking and some historical sites as well as a nice beach that you can swim and snorkel at. Climb all over the old fortifications and from the highest peak you are able to gain a terrific view out over the water where there will be a number of sailboats. Go through the museum and over to a snack bar that is inside and provides cold beverages as well as cover from the sun.
Take a boat around the island over to Marigot Bay and by Anse Chastenet which supposedly has the best snorkeling on the island.....rated one of the ten best places to snorkel in the caribbean. Unfortunately I don't think it even comes close to most of the other islands I have been to. Even so, it is a really nice time.
Be sure to go to the Friday night street festival in Gros Islet. It is a really good time with lots and lots of locals and tourists. The music is great and so is the food. It's definitely an island type event.
Schultz
Rent a car. I really believe that you get to see so much more of the true caribbean and island flavor by getting off of the tourist paths and away from the resorts and exploring on your own. St. Lucia is large enough that you will never be able to fully explore it unless you get a car and venture out on your own.
The roads are really challenging although I've read a lot of postings that greatly exaggerate their condition in my opinion. They are narrow with a good number of potholes, but nothing that is really impossible. The roads wind up and down the mountains, but that is to be expected on a mountainous island like St. Lucia.
Take a day and go into Castries. Spend some time shopping. It does not have the diversity of stores like some other islands, but there were some interesting things. There are a couple of shops that specialize in Caribbean art that are nice. The street market is interesting like most are in the islands. Be sure to speak to the vendors and be willing to try the free samples they give you....some of the produce and spices are exceptional.
Take a day and drive down to the southern end of the island. Take your time with the driving and make sure to stop along the way and spend time with some of the vendors who had little roadside stands. Also take time to venture off into some of the very small fishing villages along the way. These villages are very interesting with brightly colored housing and the boats pulled right up along side.
Visit Soufiere and down into Choiseul which has a small artists community. It is an interesting time. On the way back, stop at a restaurant by the Pitons and have lunch....with the marvelous view of the twin peaks.
Also take a trip one day across the island to the Atlantic side. The rough water on that side is a real contrast to the Caribbean side. Again, the views are beautiful.
Take a day to go up to Pigeon Point. This area offers some great hiking and some historical sites as well as a nice beach that you can swim and snorkel at. Climb all over the old fortifications and from the highest peak you are able to gain a terrific view out over the water where there will be a number of sailboats. Go through the museum and over to a snack bar that is inside and provides cold beverages as well as cover from the sun.
Take a boat around the island over to Marigot Bay and by Anse Chastenet which supposedly has the best snorkeling on the island.....rated one of the ten best places to snorkel in the caribbean. Unfortunately I don't think it even comes close to most of the other islands I have been to. Even so, it is a really nice time.
Be sure to go to the Friday night street festival in Gros Islet. It is a really good time with lots and lots of locals and tourists. The music is great and so is the food. It's definitely an island type event.
Schultz
Jan 22nd, 2005 | 07:41 AM
#4
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,503
Likes: 0
If you are AI people like you said, you will be just fine at Sandal's. You can also easily shuttle to the other two, the shuttles run frequently.
As for what to do, it really depends on your likes. Check out stlucia.org and sunlinktours.com for some ideas. Recommend you check out Soufriere and the Pitons. You can do a day sail there or you can hire a taxi. We prefer not to do excursions through Sandals's because we like to be on our own schedule. We hired a "taxi" to drive us around the island and stopped at many good sites. Pitons, volcano, botanical gardens, The Mourne, banana plantation etc. It was a lot of driving, but we really got to see the island. Castries Market is great too. Our first trip we did the ATV adventure, great time if you like ATV's.
As for a place to eat off resort, The Coal Pot in Castries is excellent and is open air on a small, calm harbor. Wonderful ambience and great seafood. You can get a taxi for about $10 each way. About a 10 min drive. We liked it so much we went twice. Have also read good things about The Green Parrot overlooking Castries and Spinakers but we did not go to either of those.
Recommend you don't fall into the trap of booking everything through Sandal's. You can get your own taxi for the day which could include two or three of their excursions. We shared one with another couple that we met for the day. If we would have wanted it to ourselves, it would have only been $20 more. We did book a couple of things through Sandals which were fine (ATV'S and Grenadines). You are just better off doing some things on your own. There are an abundance of taxis in that area. Just ask around at the resort while sitting at the bar or get one through the front desk for short jaunts.
Wish I were going somewhere warm in 3 weeks. We just got dumped with what looks to be about a foot of snow...
Have a great vacation!
As for what to do, it really depends on your likes. Check out stlucia.org and sunlinktours.com for some ideas. Recommend you check out Soufriere and the Pitons. You can do a day sail there or you can hire a taxi. We prefer not to do excursions through Sandals's because we like to be on our own schedule. We hired a "taxi" to drive us around the island and stopped at many good sites. Pitons, volcano, botanical gardens, The Mourne, banana plantation etc. It was a lot of driving, but we really got to see the island. Castries Market is great too. Our first trip we did the ATV adventure, great time if you like ATV's.
As for a place to eat off resort, The Coal Pot in Castries is excellent and is open air on a small, calm harbor. Wonderful ambience and great seafood. You can get a taxi for about $10 each way. About a 10 min drive. We liked it so much we went twice. Have also read good things about The Green Parrot overlooking Castries and Spinakers but we did not go to either of those.
Recommend you don't fall into the trap of booking everything through Sandal's. You can get your own taxi for the day which could include two or three of their excursions. We shared one with another couple that we met for the day. If we would have wanted it to ourselves, it would have only been $20 more. We did book a couple of things through Sandals which were fine (ATV'S and Grenadines). You are just better off doing some things on your own. There are an abundance of taxis in that area. Just ask around at the resort while sitting at the bar or get one through the front desk for short jaunts.
Wish I were going somewhere warm in 3 weeks. We just got dumped with what looks to be about a foot of snow...
Have a great vacation!
Jan 22nd, 2005 | 08:15 AM
#6
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,728
Likes: 0
I agree with everything Schultz has said. If you do venture down to Soufriere, two great lunch spots are the Hummingbird (if you're driving it's on the north edge of Soufriere), and if you take a water taxi, the lunch restaurant at Anse Chastanet is very good, and you can snorkel beforehand. I would not drive into Anse Chastanet just for lunch, the entrance road is (was) two miles of hell. The rest of the roads are just as Schultz said...rent a car with a high wheel base and you'll be fine. I recommend that you do not pick up hitchhikers in St. Lucia. Have a great trip!
Jan 22nd, 2005 | 08:19 AM
#7
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
Hi Anice,
We are going to Sandals Grande early March. Would appreciate a post after you return from your vacation. We have never been to a Sandals, an all-inclusive or St. Lucia, so would appreciate any feedback. Thanks again and have a great trip!
We are going to Sandals Grande early March. Would appreciate a post after you return from your vacation. We have never been to a Sandals, an all-inclusive or St. Lucia, so would appreciate any feedback. Thanks again and have a great trip!
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Jan 22nd, 2005 | 08:28 AM
#8
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,870
Likes: 0
I hope you enjoy your trip to St. Lucia. It was the first place I visited in the Caribbean and have been smitten with the region ever since.
Though I agree that a car or jeep is the best way to see the island, I personally wouldn't have felt comfortable driving there without some experience driving on the left-hand side of the road. The roads are very winding and steep and riddled with potholes. If you're feeling adventurous, go for it! Otherwise book a taxi for one or two day tours around the island.
I second the rec for taking a catamaran down towards the Pitons--gorgeous scenery, good snorkeling. The botanical gardens are beautiful but can get very crowded--I would go early or late in the day. Though I found the drive through volcano to be of geological interest, it was no great shakes visually and my clothes smelled of sulphur the rest of the trip.
The village fish fry in Anse de Raye has been getting a lot of notice and praise--I believe it is on Friday nights--and may have eclipsed the jump-up in Gros Islet.
A helicopter tour of the island would be beautiful--I took it from the northern airport down to the Jalousie for my vacation and flying between the Pitons is stunning.
You can also take daytrips to the Grenadines from St. Lucia--you fly to Union Island and can then take catamaran snorkeling trips through the Grenadines. You can do it as a day trip or an overnight. Hope you have a great time on St. Lucia!
Though I agree that a car or jeep is the best way to see the island, I personally wouldn't have felt comfortable driving there without some experience driving on the left-hand side of the road. The roads are very winding and steep and riddled with potholes. If you're feeling adventurous, go for it! Otherwise book a taxi for one or two day tours around the island.
I second the rec for taking a catamaran down towards the Pitons--gorgeous scenery, good snorkeling. The botanical gardens are beautiful but can get very crowded--I would go early or late in the day. Though I found the drive through volcano to be of geological interest, it was no great shakes visually and my clothes smelled of sulphur the rest of the trip.
The village fish fry in Anse de Raye has been getting a lot of notice and praise--I believe it is on Friday nights--and may have eclipsed the jump-up in Gros Islet.
A helicopter tour of the island would be beautiful--I took it from the northern airport down to the Jalousie for my vacation and flying between the Pitons is stunning.
You can also take daytrips to the Grenadines from St. Lucia--you fly to Union Island and can then take catamaran snorkeling trips through the Grenadines. You can do it as a day trip or an overnight. Hope you have a great time on St. Lucia!
Jan 22nd, 2005 | 09:02 AM
#9
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,503
Likes: 0
BTW, the Grenadines Trip is awesome if you want to island hop for the day. Worth every cent we paid for it. You fly at 8,500 feet so you can see the islands and the reefs very well on the flight.(55 minutes) Sailing and beaches were beautiful and nice lunch and drinks provided on board. Paradise!
Jan 22nd, 2005 | 09:05 AM
#10
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 13
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Thank you everyone for the wonderful advice.
Brenda, I checked out the tripadvisor website...JohnK's advice is very helpful. I have also read good things about the Coal Pot...will definitely check it out.
Concerning the driving, to be honest, I am a little nervous. I would like to rent a car and spend a day on the beach at Rodney Bay (heard it was one of the best beaches) and have lunch in the area. I will probably wait and see what the roads truly look like and if I hubby and I are able to handle it. I am going to have to remember to stay on the left side though.
I believe a St. Lucia DL is $20. Where is the best place to rent one? What does a small truck or SUV cost for the day?
Also, we are landing in UVF and I heard the drive to the Regency is every bit of an hour. I would love seeing some of the scenery. Is it worth it or should I find a way to land at SLU?
Chrissy, will post a travel update on my return.
Thank you everyone for the great advice.
Anice
Brenda, I checked out the tripadvisor website...JohnK's advice is very helpful. I have also read good things about the Coal Pot...will definitely check it out.
Concerning the driving, to be honest, I am a little nervous. I would like to rent a car and spend a day on the beach at Rodney Bay (heard it was one of the best beaches) and have lunch in the area. I will probably wait and see what the roads truly look like and if I hubby and I are able to handle it. I am going to have to remember to stay on the left side though.
I believe a St. Lucia DL is $20. Where is the best place to rent one? What does a small truck or SUV cost for the day?
Also, we are landing in UVF and I heard the drive to the Regency is every bit of an hour. I would love seeing some of the scenery. Is it worth it or should I find a way to land at SLU?
Chrissy, will post a travel update on my return.
Thank you everyone for the great advice.
Anice
Jan 22nd, 2005 | 09:43 AM
#11
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,503
Likes: 0
Anice,
Keep in mind that if you choose to land in SLU, you may add on a connection to a smaller plane, thus adding on more time anyway. SLU can not accomodate large planes. The drive from UVF is definitely an hour plus. Seems like there were more potholes in '04 than '03. That said, it is not unbearable by any means. The scenery is very nice, Atlantic Coast, lots of bananas, outskirts of rainforest. We flew into UVF both trips and took the helicopter in and the shuttle back. Nice to hop on a helicopter instead of a shuttle after the long day of travel. Their website is stluciahelicopters.com.
Keep in mind that if you choose to land in SLU, you may add on a connection to a smaller plane, thus adding on more time anyway. SLU can not accomodate large planes. The drive from UVF is definitely an hour plus. Seems like there were more potholes in '04 than '03. That said, it is not unbearable by any means. The scenery is very nice, Atlantic Coast, lots of bananas, outskirts of rainforest. We flew into UVF both trips and took the helicopter in and the shuttle back. Nice to hop on a helicopter instead of a shuttle after the long day of travel. Their website is stluciahelicopters.com.
Jan 23rd, 2005 | 09:10 AM
#12
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 466
Likes: 0
Sandals Regency is one of our favorite
Sandals. Do the Day Sail you will have a blast and we also did the Dinner Cruise which was also super fun. Pool is great at that resort never brothered with crowd. Venture out of the resort, rent a taxi for the day and do the whole island you will love it. Any ?s feel free to email me @ [email protected]
Sandals. Do the Day Sail you will have a blast and we also did the Dinner Cruise which was also super fun. Pool is great at that resort never brothered with crowd. Venture out of the resort, rent a taxi for the day and do the whole island you will love it. Any ?s feel free to email me @ [email protected]
