Gracie

I'm thinking about planning my honeymoon at the end of July/early August in St. Lucia. I'm considering splitting the 7 days into 4 at Anse Chastanet and 3 at Ladera (I can't decide between the two and thought I'd have the best of both worlds). Should we get the meal plan or just fend for ourselves? It gets rather expensive with the plan - I think we could eat cheaper on our own. Is it easy to get to other restaurants? Any input is appreciated. <BR>

Lizzie

Gracie, <BR> <BR>Congratulations! My boyfriend and I spent ten days on St. Lucia in February - we stayed at the Jalousie Hilton. The island was breathtakingly beautiful. We went to Ladera twice for dinner and thought that that resort looked incredibly romantic. The restaurant there, Dasheene, was terrific. We didn't do a meal plan at the Hilton, because the plan they offered was VERY expensive. Overall, I'm not sure I'd recommend a meal plan because there are several good places on the southern side of the island. However, it can be expensive to get to these places from either resort. We took taxis from the Hilton to Dasheene, and they certainly add up. The Hummingbird in Soufriere is good, and lunch or dinner there is worth it. There's another restaurant in Soufriere—The Old Courthouse, I believe—that's supposed to be good. Bang is just off the Hilton's property and is very good and extremely inexpensive. There are also two restaurants on the Hilton's property that you might want to try. <BR> <BR>So... I guess I'm saying that with the cost of land taxis/water taxis, you could end up spending just as much money without the meal plan, but you might want to allow for trying different places. Hope this helps!

Sooooz

Gracie, <BR> <BR>We went to Anse Chastanet 3 years ago and absolutely loved it! It can be very difficult to go off that particular resort for meals, so we did the meal plan and were very pleased. The road to the resort is a one-lane, unpaved road. We went off the resort one night and had dinner at Ladera, but considering the cab expense, we were glad we took the meal plan at Anse. At each meal, there were many dishes to choose from, so even though I'm a picky eater I always found something I liked. <BR> <BR>Soufrier is the town between Anse and Ladera, and though I believe there are a few nice restaurants, I think most are small and very informal. Not that I always have to eat at a fancy place, just didn't think navigating the Anse Chastanet road was worth going into Soufrier for. Guess it all depends on what works best for you. <BR> <BR>Hope you have a good trip! <BR> <BR>Sooooz

lisa

We stayed at Ladera and the food there is great. We ate at Anse Chastanet and at Jalousie Hilton too and they both had very good food also. I would not get a meal plan if I were you. We had fun trying out different places, including Bang and the Hummingbird. For us the meal plan would not have been worth it, but if you are the appetizer-entree-dessert at every meal type then maybe you should get it (we're not; we usually each just got one entree and a glass of wine apiece). We also did the occasional buffet dinner (once at Ladera and once at the Hilton).

joan

I don't like meal plans either. In addition to the others, don't forget a leisurely lunch on the tiny upstairs balcony at Camilla's, in the middle of Soufriere. Good people watching too!