Just returned from a week at Ladera
 

My wife and I just returned from 7 nights at Ladera and it was absolutely unbelievable. If anyone has any questions about the resort or the s/e part of the island, I would be more than happy to respond. This board was a huge help to me in planning my honeymoon and it would be a pleasure to help someone else. <BR>

Hi Mark- I'm going to staying at Ladera for part of my honeymoon in December (also staying at the Hyatt). We're trying to decide what type of room to get -- currently leaning to 1BR Deluxe. Any thoughts? Also would like to hear your thoughts on the meal plan -- is it worth it? <BR> <BR>Thanks!

Jon - just got back from St. Lucia - I didn't se the Hyatt, but it's in the north, near Castries - the north side of the island is like most other islands - the beauty of ST. Lucia is in Soufriere, by the Pitons. The whole island is very much like a poor fishing village - but also with some very nice resorts. You might onsider staying the whole time at Ladera, or also at th Jalousie Hilton. I stayed there and it was lovely. Dinner at Ladera was the highlight though - you'll be very pleased. Cabs from Castries down to Soufriere are $80-90 each way though, so you probably won't be doing much exploring on a daily basis, and I'm serious - the Pitons are so fab compared to the rest of the island - switching to the hyatt might not be worth it. <BR> <BR>Downside to Ladera (I think) are that you have to take a shuttle down the steep mountainside to the Jalousie beach. ALso no TVs at Ladera, and after dinner time there is no nightlife at all. Jalousie had AC, TV and lots of videos to rent. And several restaurants, whereas Ladera has only one I think - but if I had to eat only at Dasheen forthe rest ofmy life, I'd die happy. Good luck on your trip, and be prepared to spend at least $150 for every dinner, $40 for breakfast and $50-60 at lunch. Also, bring some dresses for dinner - the island is on the formal side, being formerly British and very conservative.

Hi Jon: <BR> <BR>My husband spent our honeymoon on St. Lucia last June. We stayed 5 nights in a deluxe 1 bed suite with heated plunge pool (request suites R or S) and 3 nights at the Hyatt. I ahve a full trip report and all my pictures on my web site just e-mail me and I will give you the address. <BR> <BR>Mark <BR> <BR>What room number did you have? I sure do miss ladera and want to go back next summer.

We stayed in room V which was a deluxe one bedroom w/heated plunge pool. When staying at Ladera, all breakfasts are free. The meal plan was definately worth it. We chose a romance package in which at dinner, we received a bottle of wine, appetizer, salad, entree and dessert. We ate at several other places (Hilton, Anse, Hummingbird) and nothing could touch Ladera. There are no phones or TV's, but that is the whole point of this resort- to enjoy the views and forget the daily grind. I have been lucky enough to travel quite extensively around the world and in my opinion, Ladera is the perfect getaway. PS. Both Julia Roberts and Paul Simon had stayed there recently, so keep your eyes open for celebrities.

Does anyone know ... Do any of the rooms/suites at Ladera have private small (heated) swimming pools rather than just the "plunge" pools? I thought I recall reading somewhere that a couple suites do? <BR> <BR>Also, I still trying to decide how to split my accomdodations for a potential trip to St. Lucia ... What would we miss by skipping the north end and just staying in the south (splitting time between Hilton/Ladera)?

My daughter is honeymooning at Ladera at the end of June. What activities would you recommend? Also, where would you recommend eating other than Dasheen? <BR>Any other tips? <BR> <BR>Thanks in advance.

Hi <BR> <BR>I think the 3 bedroom and two bedroom villas with full pools maybe heated? <BR> <BR>As for activities: when I was there on my honeymoon ast June we did the diamond waterfall and botanical gardens which was very nice. We also did a sunset cruise on the Brig Unicorn(used in the mini series roots) went to teh beach at the Hilton and Anse (take a water taxi to Anse as you get great views of the Pitons) do MOrne CAbrul estate and rain forest tour. Otherwise we just realxed at teh pool and enjoyed the fantastic view. As for restaurants besides the fabulous Dasheene we ate at the Hiton beach side restaurant and their restaurant right on the water, The Bang on WEdnesday night when teh have their floor show. I have a full trip report and pictures on my web site. E-mail me if you would like the address.

What's the weather like in June and July? <BR>What's the ride like from the airport to the resort? <BR>How long does it take to get to the beach?

Anybody?

Mark -- I'm so glad you enjoyed Ladera and that it was as wonderful as I remember. I think it would be a very special place for a honeymoon....

Gina, <BR> <BR>Don't know the weather in June or July but I can only imagine (hot). <BR> <BR>We drove from the northern airport (Castries) to Ladera - took a little over an hour. Lots of cliffs and sharp turns but fun. <BR> <BR>We went to the Anse Chastanet beach. Taxi took about 10 minutes and the boat ride about 5 minutes. The Jalousie taxi took about 10 minutes I believe. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps. <BR> <BR>Alex

As my anniversary approaches(June 16) I just wanted to check back to see if everyone is still raving about Ladera. We were married there last year- It was absolutely wonderful! It hardly seems like a year. I was just reading back through my journal to find some of the other places we ate, activities, etc. We ate at Dasheene several meals including lunch but we enjoyed Captian Hooks one evening- intimate, we were one of two couples there,but awesome food. We also went to Bang on Wed. night and had a great time, and the Courthouse in Soufriere. We always requested Chris to drive us- what a super guy! We also did the typical tour things around Soufriere, half-day sailing, snorkeling at Anse and Jalousie. But I think I enjoyed the beach at Jalousie more! Please email me directly if you have any other questions. Thanks, Stacy

How does one part/area of St Lucia differ from another? We love to eat/drink, water/beach, and golf. We would like some nightlife too, is there any?? I like the idea that st L is lush and seemingly lavish but I do not want to feel too secluded... <BR>I booked my wedding band through east coast entertainment!

Hello <BR>I was pleased to read your message, as we've just booked Ladera for our honeymoon in December this year. We are to marry in a small church nearby in the middle of an 11-night stay. <BR>Is this too long at Ladera? <BR>Is it easy to get to the beach from the resort? <BR>How was the restaurant? <BR>Any problems with the room? <BR>How were the staff? <BR>Did you do any diving? We intend to. <BR>What trips should we try from there? <BR>Thanks for any comments you can give. <BR>Kathleen and Glenn <BR>(Cambridge, England)

Jon - cancel the reservation at the Hyatt. Just got back from a Hyatt/Hilton split, and wasted 3 days at the Hyatt but loved the 5 days at the Hilton. The Hilton is on the beach between the Pitons. Ladera is on the ridge behind the Hilton. Ate there at Dasheene and asked to see a room. The rooms are spectacular at Ladera, but we really enjoyed the air conditioning in our ocean-view villa with plunge pool when we got back to the Hilton. I did like having a TV and phone, although I didn't call home at all during the vacation. <BR>Ladera shuttles you to the Hilton beach twice a day. Snorkeling is great right off the beach in the marine reserve. Take the water taxi to Anse Chasanet to the black sand beach and the snorkeling there. <BR>Can't miss with either Ladera or the Hilton.

Hey Stacy: <BR> <BR>My first wedding anniversary was June 16th. We spent our honeymoon at Ladera I bet we saw you there and just didnent know you. We also went to the Bang on Wed. night so we must have seen you there too. We had deluxe suite R. I ahve gotten to know another couple Charles and Shelley who spent there honeymoon there at the same time and they were in suite S. What a small world. <BR> <BR>We sepnt 5 nights at Ladera then went to the north to spend 3 nights at the Hyatt. We loved theHyatt to beautiful room s and nice neach empeccable service. WE also spent quite a bit of time at the HIlton and loved it too. Blut frankly there is no amount of money you could have paid me to trade Ladera for any other resort. If air condition and having a phone is very important to you then I would recommend HIlton or Hyatt.

Gracie, <BR> <BR>Why do you feel that you wasted your time at the Hyatt did you have a bad experience? We have 7 nights booked there in July

Kathleen and Sally, <BR> <BR>My wife and I spent a week at Ladera last Thanksgiving and thought it was probably the most phenomenal place we had ever seen. However, Sally, if you don't want to be secluded, it might not be the place for you. We love nightlife, and our one criticism was that we felt sort of trapped at Ladera. However, that small criticism was more than outweighed by the incredible beauty at Ladera and courtesy of the staff. Also, Dasheene is fantastic, and the bar at Ladera does have nightlife (a band one night that was fantastic, and drinks and the moon over the Pitons is about as much nightlife as I need). Kathleen, we did a horseback ride at Morne Coubaril which was fun, but somewhat dangerous. We did a water taxi to Marigot Bay that was fun. I would definitely do a water taxi up the coast. I heard the rainforest hike was great, but everybody returned wet, tired and muddy. I heard the volcano tour was pretty dull. The beaches are accessible, but either you ride the free shuttle at the times it comes, or you pay for a cab. If you are the sort of person who wants to be able to stroll out to the beach 10 times a day, Ladera may not be for you. <BR> <BR>Let me reiterate: Ladera is by far the most beautiful resort I can imagine. The food at Dasheene is fantastic, the staff at Ladera as kind as they could be. If anyone has any questions, feel free to email me about our trip.

Hi Cheryl, <BR>To answer your question about a pool in your room at Ladera. Yes, the two villas have heated pools, and two of them have pools that aren't heated. We had a villa with a pool for our honeymoon 3 nights and it was awsome. The pool went to 7 feet deep, it was really neat. Its not real big but big enough. We only went to the beach one day and decided we liked it better up in our room lounging in the pool. We also had stayed in the north area prior to ladera, so we had been at the beach enough at that point. If you have the money definetly get the villa. <BR>Lynn

PART I: Hi. After tons of research, my husband and I decided to stay at Ladera for 10 days in May and June of this year. Let me just say that it was absolutely incredible. We had Unit X, which is the very last unit. It is a deluxe, and unlike others, the plunge pool (larger than other deluxes, but not as large as a villa), was upstairs and totally secluded. The views were incredible. Absolute paradise. <BR>Dasheene (the restaurant): phenomenal. Slower service that we're used to in the D.C. area, but we didn't mind at all. Our pace totally slowed while we were there, so the service matched our new-found relaxed personnas. <BR>Breakfast: never, ever in all my vacationing years have I ever made it to a free buffet breakfast -- until Ladera! I think it was our favorite meal of the day. My husband drank coconut milk out of a coconut, I fell in love with soursupp juice, and it was just so peaceful to look out across the Pitons. The birds are hysterical -- they really will steal your food, so do the buddy system when going up for seconds. Also, the gekkos and lizards are a fascinating side show. <BR>Rooms: DO upgrade for a deluxe. One night we had a smaller room (due to an unfortuante incident with our room) and there was NO cross breeze, which you really do need to keep cool. <BR> <BR>See my next post for info on beaches, restaurants and personal security in your room. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Part II <BR> <BR>The beaches are great. You do sort of feel like the "redheaded stepchild" because you can't use the covered lounge chairs at the Hilton or the cool huts at Anse Chastanet. When it rains, it can be a bit of a bummer. A drizzle wasn't a big deal -- cooled us off. We just stayed in the plastic chairs that Ladera supplied. During harder rains, we tended to snorkle. During the bigger storms, we just hung out at the bars. So it works out. <BR>The best thing about going to Anse was Elvis the boat driver. He was funny and very informative. <BR>Snorkling is much better at Anse Ch. than the Hilton, fyi. <BR>Restaurants: Go to the Bang, on the grounds of the Hilton, but only on Wednesday. That's the night of the great floor show with rowdy acrobats. My husband ate fire! We made the mistake of going another nite, and there were only two couples (and a friendly dog). Totally dead nite. But the show night was great. More expensive than the other nite b/c it's a fixed menu. <BR>Hummingbird also was delicious. We heard good and bad things about Captain Hook, but never made it there ourselves. Also heard good things about Old Courthouse. <BR>Make sure you eat at Ladera on the night they offer the buffet (Monday). Yummy! <BR> <BR>Trips: went to Castries for the day (with Elvis). Coulda done without that. Elvis was great, but Castries was boring. Typical junk sold at replica stores. The Ladera gift shop has much better items. <BR>Rainforest was also fabulous. I highly recommend it, but only with the Ladera-approved tour guide (whose name is escaping me...dang). <BR>We went horseback riding at the Morne Courbaril estate. Great two hours! We went through the volcano, so we managed to merge two trips into one. <BR>Did the art auction. Didn't buy anything during the actual auction, but then bought a great piece after at the suggestion of two fantastically nice families from Texas that we befriended. Whee!! <BR>

Jean -- I'm so glad you liked it! <BR> <BR>They must have changed the beach chair situation since we were there -- too bad. When we were there we were allowed to use the chairs and huts at Jalousie.

Part III -- geez, I have a lot to say! <BR> <BR>A note about safety: Ladera is very safe, and the beaches are also safe. YOu will not be accosted by strange folk. However, be aware that you are staying near Soufriere, which has almost 45% unemployment. Also, remember that the rooms do not have fourth walls, so there is an inherent vulnerability. Please, please, please always use the room safes. If your items don't fit, ask the wonderful folks at reception to put items in their larger safe. Ladera really does feel like paradise, so you might be lulled into a false sense of security. But remember: it is a hotel and petty crime does occur, albeit rarely. Use your room safe for ANYTHING OF VALUE: cameras, film, money, jewelry, etc. <BR> <BR>There; now back to the fun stuff: <BR>The staff is exceptional. They will bend over backwards for you. I, unfortunately, contracted a UTI while on vacation. I needed cranberry juice and it was a holiday. One gal at reception called her HOME and asked her mother if they had any there that I could have! I guess they found some, b/c when I returned from the beach, there was cranberry juice in the fridge! <BR> <BR>In a nutshell: <BR>Rooms: gorgeous; Food: Yummy; Views: unbeatable; Service: fantastic; <BR> <BR>We'll go again.

I was just wondering if you could hear your neighbors at this hotel, since there is an open 4th 'wall'. I too am considering this place for my honeymoon with my fiance', but want to make sure it is private

Dear Keely; <BR> <BR> During the week we were at Ladrea for our honeymoon, there was a night or two in which we did hear our neighbors. But, this was easily remedied by turning on the plunge pool which drowns out all noise. Enjoy Ladera- it is truly paradise.

We are planning on going to Ladera in April and I am curious about car rentals. Has anyone rented a car or do they have mopeds? How far is it to Castries? I am also curious if you think you absolutely need travel guides for the rainforests, etc. My finace and I are avid hikers and were wondering if this is something we could do on our on?

Hi Shawn: <BR> <BR>My husband and I spent our honeymoon in St. Lucia last summer. We rent a jeep from Cool Breezes and had a blast driving it around the island all week. Now the roads are not for the faint hearted. THey are narrwo and twisty turny and you do drive on the other side of the road. We did not see anyone on mopeds. We stayed at Ladera in the south part of the island and drove up to Casteries. It took us about 3 hours. It is a very pretty drive though. If you have more specific questions you can e-mail me and I will lgive you my husbands e-mail as he did all the driving. also I do ahve a trip report and pictures on my web site www.seashelltravel.com.

Of all the Caribbean Is. I would have to say that St. Lucia is right there on top! <BR>We were there about 6 yrs. ago. I would love to go back but I can't talk my husband into it. One-because the roads were pretty bad. Two-the only golf course was 9 holes and it was private. <BR>My questions are: Is the course open to the public now? Is it still 9 holes? <BR>Are the roads in better condition now? We were there after some bad rain storms and about the ony way you get to Soufriere was by jeep. I believe the road into it from the north was closed because of slides. <BR>Thanks.

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