Leejnd

Hi,

I'm new to this board (but not to travel message boards, believe me! I tend to research my vacations relentlessly.) I'm planning my first trip to the Caribbean in October. I've been doing my homework and, while I'm close to settling on St. Lucia, I'm still not completely convinced.

Here's the deal. We are three women in our 40's who were childhood friends, but haven't seen much of each other in the past decade or so. The purpose of this vacation is twofold: to have some quality time to reconnect and reminisce about our "wild youth" , and also, one of the other women is recovering from a serious illness, so we wanted to take her to a beautiful tropical setting where she can relax, soak in the sea breezes, eat healthy island foods, dip her feet in the ocean and regain her strength.

We're pretty settled on renting a villa as opposed to a hotel or resort, as we don't want to have to eat every meal in a restaurant. We're not interested in a hoppin' party scene, but on the other hand we don't want to be somewhere so remote that if we do want to get dressed up and go out for dinner or cocktails, there won't be any place to go! We want someplace that is lush and physically beautiful, not arid. We do want beautiful beaches, but we're not stuck on having legendary miles of white sand -- as long as there are beaches where we can sun ourselves and do some swimming, that will be fine. We also want to be able to do some snorkeling. Beautiful natural features are a draw -- waterfalls, hot springs, things like that.

We want to avoid the tourist throngs, but we don't want to be so off-the-beaten-path that we won't have a chance to meet other people.

So have I chosen the right island, or do any of you knowledgable travelers have some better ideas for me?

Also, if we do settle on St. Lucia, I've been looking at various villas, and two intrigued me: Brigand Hill midway between Castries and Soufrière, and Belle Coco near Soufrière. Any comments?

Thanks so much for any help you can give me!

LeeAnne

DB

Not meaning to throw a spanner into your plans, and maybe you've been there and want to try something different, but your description sounds exactly like the north shore area of Kauai.

...pretty settled on renting a villa as opposed to a hotel or resort, as we don't want to have to eat every meal in a restaurant.
*check* - rent a "Princeville" or "north shore" condo with a kitchen.

...we're not interested in a hoppin' party scene, but on the other hand we don't want to be somewhere so remote that if we do want to get dressed up and go out for dinner or cocktails, there won't be any place to go!
*check* - Kauai is layed-back with plenty of nice restaurants, although you don't really need to dress up.

...we want someplace that is lush and physically beautiful, not arid. We do want beautiful beaches, but we're not stuck on having legendary miles of white sand -- as long as there are beaches where we can sun ourselves and do some swimming, that will be fine.
*check* - that is Kauai.

...we also want to be able to do some snorkeling. Beautiful natural features are a draw -- waterfalls, hot springs, things like that.
*check* - many places for good snorkeling, there are waterfalls and rivers, hiking trails, no real hot springs, but many other sites.

...we want to avoid the tourist throngs, but we don't want to be so off-the-beaten-path that we won't have a chance to meet other people.
*check* - Kauai is the "slower" of the major Hawaiian islands, and generally not too crowded.

Leejnd

DB,

Thanks so much for your response! Y'know, I'd love to go to Kauai -- I live in CA, so it would be a shorter and less-expensive flight for me. And I love Hawaii anyway. I was in Maui last summer, did a triathlon there.

Unfortunately, we have to stick to someplace easier to get to from NYC, as my friend who is recovering from illness will be flying from there. We'd originally considered Bali, but there's no way she could make such a long flight. And the flight to Kauai would also be too long for her.

So it's the Caribbean for us, at least this time. Now we just have to pick the right place!

LeeAnne

JimC

I have never been to St. Lucia, but several people on these boards have reported that driving on the roads can be very "intense." Were you planning on driving from the villa to the beach or other island sights? You might also consider St. John (where I have been), which is definitely a villa-oriented island with good roads and a safe destination for three women staying on their own. Not as lush as St. Lucia, but the north shore is fairly lush, with gorgeous beaches, snorkelling, and hiking.

MarionCK

Hi, Lee Anne,

I'm sure you've been reading here, but I would suggest that you look in to Nevis.

It would be any easy flight from New York to SJU with a connection via American Eagle to NEV.

There are many lovely villas to rent. You might look at some on www.nevis1.com.

I think Nevis would provide the "lush" that you are seeking, as well as some lovely beaches. Most villas, also have a pool.

This sounds like it will be a wonderful trip...with memories that will last a lifetime.

I wish you and your friends happy planning and a wonderful time

Marion

MIM04

LeeAnne - I have been to St Lucia and I think St Lucia is a beautiful place, however, it is not my first choice of an island to rent a villa. I think you might feel too isolated. It is a longer flight too, longer than it would be to a lot of other islands (about an hour longer)and I know that seems to be a major concern.

I think you would enjoy St John or Nevis more. There would be more people to socialize with, when and if you want to and more to see and do. These two islands are both lush and beautiful. You could fly to St Thomas and take the ferry to St John or you could fly to San Juan and then fly to Nevis.

Both islands are great for villa rentals. I do not feel uneasy on most islands as I lived in various parts of the Caribbean, but I have felt uneasy in St Lucia at certain times.

Sounds like wherever you chose it will be a fantastic trip! I wish you well in your planning.

ktebe

Lee, unlike the previous posters I think SL is a great choice. We got married there two years ago and spent one week in Soufriere and one in Castries.
We stayed at Anse Chastenet in Soufriere and the Royal St. Lucian in Castries, so I can't comment on the villas. I can tell you about thing sto do, though.
There's tons more to do in Soufriere. We went snorkeling, scuba diving, visited a volcano, hiking in a rainforest to a waterfall, visited a plantaion, sailed and soaked in natural spring tubs. The nightlife is somewhat lacking, though. There are a few spots, highlighted by "Bang" which is great, but that's about it.
The northern part of the island is very touristy, Castries is where the cruise ships dock and the adjacent bay is full of hotels. Personally I liked Soufriere a lot better.
Maybe you want to consider a place like Anse, if you choose SL. The side trips are posted in advance so there aren't driving worries. The "rooms" are really bungalows you have to yourself. There's some walking involved at Anse, as it's on a hillside, incase that matters.
Ken

MIM04

Ken - You had a different experience there. Being on honeymoon and staying at a beautiful resort is much different than three women renting a villa on what is not the safest island out there.

Leejnd

Thanks to all of your for your replies. Hmmm...lots to think about! I'm going to do some more research into St. John and Nevis. I was attracted more to St. Lucia because it sounded like it was more lush and beautiful, plus I liked the idea of the waterfalls, the hot springs, the volcano, etc. But if there are similar things on the other two islands, I'd be interested in them as well.

I'm a little concerned about driving around St. Lucia. I assumed we'd rent a car, and I'm a pretty adventurous spirit -- I've driven all over Italy, including the Amalfi Coast drive, so I have no problems with windy roads. But if they are particularly treacherous, then perhaps I should rethink this.

I'm also a little concerned now about the safety factor...should three women traveling alone there be worried? As mentioned, I'm definitely known for being adventurous, and I've traveled all over Europe with my mother and/or my sister, so I don't feel like I need a man around to keep me safe. On the other hand, I'm not going to take any foolish chances! My mother and I were on a cruise just last month, and while I tend to do most port stops on my own, when we stopped in Morrocco we did ship excursions.

Anyway, I'll go do my homework into the other two islands. But meanwhile, more opinions would be welcome! Thanks everyone!

LeeAnne

okey

Leeanne,

I have been to St. Lucia 10 times. Usually go once a year and usually with group of girlfriends. I've never felt unsafe or threatened in any way. Quite the opposite. Obviously, you have to make wise choices, just like you do in your own city. I always stay in the Rodney Bay area and there are tons of beautiful villas to rent. Go to www.vrbo.com site. It stands for vacation rentals by owners. You should be able to find something there, but I would recommend the North side of the island, as it appears to have everything you want. There's tons of restaurants and bars in walking distance in case you do want to go out at night. Beautiful relaxing beach, Reduit Beach. The villas and hotels on the south side of the island are quite isolated and so you may feel trapped and taxiing everywhere can become quite expensive.

St. Lucia is a fantastic island, and I've been to many and this is by far my favorite. The people are kind and helpful and friendly. Let me know if you need any more in depth info on the island.

freester

I've been to st lucia twice. I would not recommend it. The beaches are mediocre, there is alot of poverty and I didn't feel safe. The natives were not that friendly either. Cayman, Aruba, st john, turks would be better choices.

Leejnd

I really appreciate all the feedback! I'm still evaluating, taking all of your opinions into consideration.

I'm looking deeper into St. John. So here's my question now: if I were to rent a villa on St. John, where on the island would be the best place? I'd read so much about St. Lucia, so I have a pretty good feel for the various regions of that island, but I can't seem to figure out which is the best place on St. John.

I still haven't ruled out St. Lucia, but now I'm reconsidering if we want to be in the more remote southern area, so we wouldn't feel so isolated, especially at night, since we do want some nightlife. I'd only been looking at villas down by Soufrière, but now I'm going to check out some up by Cap Estate. I'm assuming we'd still be able to visit all the places down by Soufrière if we rent a car, as I definitely want to do all those things Ken mentioned, such as snorkeling, visiting the volcano, hiking in a rainforest, seeing waterfalls, soaking in natural spring tubs. Especially that last one, as I think that could be particularly healing for my friend, who is recovering from Lyme disease.

At least I have it narrowed down to St. John vs. St. Lucia!

LeeAnne

Tuxedocat

As your interest in St. John has deepened, now I'll jump into this thread. St. John has a wide selection of villas, and in October, you're still technically in the off-season so prices will be lower. I would look on the web under "St. John USVI" which will come up with alot of information. St. John is a great choice because it has the really down to earth and laid back aspect, and it can be as luxurious as you'd like. It is 2/3 national park so it cannot get overly developed. It is civilized enough to have a great wine shop, but noncommercial enough to have some of the most gorgeous beaches anywhere. On the occasional rainy day, you can meander through the shops in Cruz Bay. You can hang out with locals and really get "Caribbean" at places like 'Skinny Legs' and 'Island Blues' in Coral Bay. Basically, the island is more remote and quiet on the eastern half (Coral Bay), and the more civilized western half (Cruz Bay), but the entire island is beautiful and fairly low-key. Some of the villas are more remote and in the mountains which can be gorgeous and private but not so accessible. Some of the villas are within walking distance to Cruz Bay, but then that might not be what you want either. I liked staying in the Great Cruz Bay area which was close to town but still removed. If you begin to solidify a choice of St. John, I and other folks on this board will have more specific suggestions for you.

okey

St. John's is a great island too. If you do decide on St. Lucia, you want to stay on the northern part of the island. There's some lovely villas in Cap Estate, but you'd have to taxi to get anywhere for dinners, etc. I recommend villas in Rodney Bay area. There's a lot of very nice ones, and that way you'll have a very short walk to many different restaurants and nightlife. I usually take a day trip to the touristy spots in Soufriere, like the waterfall, botanical gardens, seeing the pitons, volcano (although, i'd skip the volcano), etc. You can do that all in one full day trip, either by boat or by car. (I'd recommend boat). I'll see what names of villas I can come up with and post them on this board sometime today.

okey

Here's a villa you should check out. It's exactly where you'd want to be.
http://www.vrbo.com/56926

christiegr

Lee: Hi..While St John is a lush,mountainous island..it does not have waterfalls or hot springs (that I recall)if that is important to you, you might be disappointed.

Don't get me wrong..I have been to Kauai and to St John and I love both for different reasons.They are very different islands.Kauai being lava based and St John not.I must say that the snorkeling/water clarity in St John was better than Kauai.If you do choose St John...I would stay near Cruz bay so you would be within walking distance to shopping and restaurants or on the North Shore near the nice beaches.

I noticed that a previous post suggested maybe Aruba...I have to disagree with them.Aruba is a very flat,dry island.I think that you would be disappointed with.

I am by no means trying to discourage you from going to St John as I loved the island..I just feel that if waterfalls,hotsprings were important to you that somewhere else might be a better choice.

I have never been to St Lucia but I do believe that there are waterfalls there.

Whatever you choose..I wish you the best!

sailor

Hi LeeAnne,

Your quote:

"I still haven't ruled out St. Lucia, but now I'm reconsidering if we want to be in the more remote southern area, so we wouldn't feel so isolated, especially at night, since we do want some nightlife. I'd only been looking at villas down by Soufrière, but now I'm going to check out some up by Cap Estate. I'm assuming we'd still be able to visit all the places down by Soufrière if we rent a car, as I definitely want to do all those things Ken mentioned, such as snorkeling, visiting the volcano, hiking in a rainforest, seeing waterfalls, soaking in natural spring tubs. Especially that last one, as I think that could be particularly healing for my friend, who is recovering from Lyme disease."



Oh ... please, reconsider again, LOL! At least consider a split between the two areas of the island. North (Rodney Bay) area and the South (Soufiere area).

Hang on here this post will be long.

First, I would say that the drive back and forth from Rodney Bay to Soufriere is one that you may not want to experience more then once (especially if you try to drive it yourself). It is a beautiful drive along the Southwest coast, but NOT and easy drive, most people are NOT comfortable driving this route on their own.

I really think for most of what you are looking for you really need to spend some time in this area (Soufriere). At the very,very least a few days!

Belle Coco, does look from the pictures that it is located pretty close to Stonefield Estates. I have been interested in that one myself. I do think you might look into a villa at Stonefield Estates, and that way you won't have that total seculed feeling, and there would be a restuarant on property, and other guests. I am pretty sure most of there units, have kitchen facilities. They also provide shuttle service to the nearby beaches (in the past they provided it to the Jalousie Beach), and to the town of Soufriere. If you should opt not to rent a car. Taxis are expensive on the island, but a safe way to travel around. And most of the taxi drivers, are trained to be guides for their island also.


The area between the Pitons is just one of the most dramatic places for scenery that you will find in the Caribbean.

Believe me...There is reason that Oprah put "Visiting the Pitons in St.Lucia as #1 of the five must..., places to see, in your life time."

Please don't just sail by in a boat! The Pitons, must be experienced up close and personal from the beautiful beach at Jalousie Bay. Wonderful swimming at the beach and nice snorkeling at the Marine reserve, all at the base of the Petit Piton.

http://www.thejalousieplantation.com/content/42.htm

Pics of the beach at Jalousie Bay and some pics from Sundown at Dasheene (Restaurant at Ladera). This is also a must do in St.Lucia in my eyes. Even if you don't want to have dinner, going for a cocktail or beverage at sundown, will be an experience you will not soon forget! Pick a night that entertainment is offered. Loved the night the Steel Pan Band was playing. Just dreamy!

http://community.webshots.com/album/103844898NYXiXg

Click on the Photo gallery on the Ladera site for pics of Dasheene.

http://www.ladera.com/index.asp?sect...p;content=home

And then ... there is the beach at Anse Chastenet and Anse Mamin (part of the Anse property, just north and secluded, bike St.Lucia is located at Anse Mamin). Wow! Exotic, lush soft dark sand beach (hot). South seas feel. A must see again! Nice, nice place to snorkel, again from the beach (marine reserve) there.

Anse Mamin beach shot

http://community.webshots.com/photo/...76759542LHkhjz

Entertainment schedule for "nightlife" at some of the resorts and places around St.Lucia and the Soufiere area:

The pictures on this site are from "Bang" a locals place, next door to the Pier Restaurant at the Jalousie. Lord Glenconnor does not believe in advertising so Bang is not listed. Wednesday night is the Caribbean night at "Bang"

Soufriere area:

Ladera, Jalousie Hilton, Anse Chastenet, Bang, and other places like Stonefield Estates, I am sure have things going on, on certain nights.

http://www.stlucia.org/activity/nightlife.asp

This is a new place that is or has opened in Soufriere, sounds interesting for nighowls. Pirate's Cove: Quote: “Nightly entertainment is what we’re about. Limbo dancing, live bands, karaoke and pan (steel bands) are planned,” said Chris, “then there’s fine-dining at the Master’s Quaters.”

http://www.tropicaltraveller.com/Jun...rantreview.htm


More to come...

Donna

Diana

Hmmm, this is a toughie. I have been to St Lucia twice and loved it.

Unlike some of the other posters, I never felt unsafe, and I felt the locals (PLEASE don't use the word "natives&quot were quite friendly.

That having been said, St Lucia is more of an "old style" Caribbean island that retains a lot of its Caribbean roots, and that can be very exotic (in a good way and in a bad way depending on the individual) to the Caribbean newbie.

It was the first island we went to in the Caribbean and we spent much of the trip overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, smells and tastes.

I don't recommend STL for the first trip unless you all:

1. Want to apend all of your time relaxing at your resort
2. REALLY want to immerse yourself in the culture of the island

I'd suggest St John for a good "starter" island.

Leejnd

WOW! I've got to say that this is one of the most helpful travel forums I've ever participated in (and I've done a lot). You all have been so wonderful and helpful!

I am doing my web-surfing and reading, and I am STILL seriously torn, but I have to admit I am slightly leaning towards St. Lucia. As some have mentioned, it's the lush tropical aspect that is drawing me -- the waterfalls, hot springs, and incredible natural beauty. Also, it seems the prices for villas are a little better -- i.e. we'll be able to get more luxury for our buck. Unfortunately the airfare is a bit more, but I think not so much that it cancels out the savings on the villa costs.

St. John is appealing mainly due to the fact that it sounds like it might have a little more "action" than St. Lucia -- not that we're doing this trip for action so to speak, but we don't want to get totally bored either. Keep in mind, we're not honeymooners happy to sip champagne and gaze at the stars alone in our villa, y'know? And while we do have lots of hilarious memories to reminisce about, that will only take us so far! We definitely want to be able to see some live entertainment, and if my friend is feeling up to it, drag her out on the dance floor for some laughs.

But if this is available on St. Lucia, than that would be my preference. On the other hand, if St. Lucia is going to be so devoid of entertainment and other people that we'll have nothing to do in the evenings but stare out at the sea, then I'd lean towards St. John. AAACK! This isn't getting any easier!

Donna, thank you for all the links...I'm going to go check them out.

LeeAnne

Tuxedocat

Interesting that several people on this board are suggesting St. John. Well, it seems now you need to ask yourself why St. Lucia? If you think you would like to immerse yourself in Caribbean culture, that might be a good reason (although St. John has a very interesting and proud heritage). If you think you need more seclusion then both are equal. If you think you want more natural beauty, you cannot find two more competitively beautiful places. If you're lookin' for a revisit of your wild youth, I know some sailors at Skinny's I can fix you gals up with.