Just returned from honeymoon at Ladera and Le Sport in St. Lucia.
May 10th, 2001, 10:48 AM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Just returned from honeymoon at Ladera and Le Sport in St. Lucia.
Just spent 3 days at Ladera and 6 days at Le Sport for our honeymoon. As much valuable information as I pulled from this discussion board prior to our trip, I wouldn't mind sharing my trip info. <BR> <BR>Alex
May 10th, 2001, 03:00 PM
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Hi Alex! <BR> <BR>I would love to hear about Ladera. For our next vacation I have Anse Chastanet, Ladera, Caneel Bay, Little Dix Bay, and Cap Jaluca in mind. They have all had great things said about them and I am having a difficult time deciding. Hopefully your inf will help me to make a decision. <BR> <BR>Thsnks
May 10th, 2001, 03:07 PM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Hi Alex! <BR> <BR>I would love to hear about Ladera. This is one of the resorts my husband and I were thinking about for our next Caribbean vacation. Please share any and all info that you think will help us decide if Ladera is the right resort for us. <BR> <BR>Thanks so much.
May 14th, 2001, 06:01 AM
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Lisa, <BR> <BR>I would love to provide info on Ladera. Quick disclaimer though - I don't have a benchmark against other St. Lucia resorts (other than Le Sport) since this was out first trip to the Caribbean. <BR> <BR>If you were floored by the pictures of Ladera from the website (www.ladera-resort.com), wait until you see the actual view. It's absolutely breathtaking. After arriving in the room and being greeting with a Rum Punch, we did not want to go anywhere but stay in the room and lounge in our plunge pool. Each room is different from all other rooms and they range from a simple 1-bedroom to a 3-bedroom villa. Unfortunately, we weren't able to see any other rooms. Didn't matter, ours was stunning enough (Room "M"). I can't imagine a more romantic place in the world. I had read that some people had a mosquito problem but we never did. Of the 2 days that we spent there, I received no bites and my wife received 2 or 3. We did have birds fly in and out of the room and spotted a few geckos on our walls - it was pretty cool. The food was exceptional. Breakfast is included in the room price and it's very good. Dinner is not included in the price of the room but it's great. You can purchase the meal plan but I wouldn't recommend it unless you plan on eating lunch and dinner there every day. The view from the restaurant is equally breathtaking. <BR> <BR>We did go to Anse Chastanet one day to go snorkeling. Ladera provides the transport (takes about 15 minutes) and equipment (snorkeling gear, chairs, towels). Anse Chastanet seemed very nice and I think they have the same open-air concept, although some rooms are higher up than other rooms. We did walk the grounds and the rooms closer to the beach did not have a beach view since they are set back from the beach. We did walk up the steps to the restaurant and the views from there are very nice. This resort was our second choice if we had not gotten Ladera. Although I think we would have been very happy at Anse Chastanet, we could not have been more pleased with our decision to go to Ladera. <BR> <BR>Another place I found valuable info on Ladera, as well as on other Caribbean resorts, when I was "honeymoon shopping," was www.caribtravelnews.com. It's all postings from travelers. <BR> <BR>Like I said before, this was our first trip to the Caribbean but I would be surprised if any location was more romantic and breathtaking than Ladera - we can't wait to go back. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. <BR> <BR>Alex <BR>
May 14th, 2001, 06:33 AM
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Alex: <BR> <BR>Can you comment on your afterthoughts regarding splitting your trip between the north and south ends of St. Lucia? After doing this, would you do it again, or just spend time at the south end? What would I miss by not going to the north end? <BR> <BR>I ask because my husband and I are considering St. Lucia and are going to split the trip ... either between the north and south ends, or just stay at the south end and split between Ladera and Jalousie Hilton. (We definitely want to experience Ladera, but not for the entire week.) Thanks!
May 14th, 2001, 06:41 AM
#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
Alex: <BR> <BR>Can you please comment in your afterthoughts on staying in the north and south ends of St. Lucia? Was it worth it ... what would one miss by just staying at the south end? <BR> <BR>I ask because my husband and I are considering St. Lucia and would split the trip, either between the north and south, or (and I am leaning to) just staying in the south and splitting between Ladera and Jalousie Hilton. We definitely want to experience Ladera, although don't want to stay there for a week. Thanks.
May 14th, 2001, 10:01 AM
#9
Guest
Posts: n/a
Cheryl, <BR> <BR>We have no regrets on splitting up the trip between Ladera and Le Sport. Only regret is that we wish we had been able to stay at Ladera for at least another day (we only were able to stay for 2 days). We both thought the South landscape was more beautiful and green than the North. The North was more flat and desert-like. <BR> <BR>We initially were reluctant to move not only from one resort to another but to the other end of the island; however, we enjoyed the two vastly different experiences of a totally romantic resort (Ladera) and a semi-romantic, smaller all-inclusive spa (Le Sport). Since the second place we stayed was all-inclusive, it was difficult to want to leave the resort given all the resort activities. Although we did go to Pigeon Island one day which was a nice excursion. We also went to Castries one afternoon which probably has the best shopping (for local crafts) as well as duty free shopping on the island. I believe all the golf courses are in the North (we played at St. Lucia Country Club early one morning - nice course). The other thing we did was take a sunset cruise on the Brig Unicorn - highly recommended. The ship also offers a full day cruise from the North end to the South end of the island. <BR> <BR>I agree that a week at Ladera might be pushing it but since we did not visit the Jalousie Hilton during our visit, I am not able to comment on splitting the vacation between the two. We initially considered splitting the vacation between Ladera and the Hilton but wanted to experience a different part of the island instead of just moving down the hill. Based on my research on the Hilton and my stay at Ladera, however, they are completely different resorts that will allow you experience two separate fun-filled experiences. <BR> <BR>If we were to have spent a week in the southern end of the island, we definitely would not have run out of things to do/places to visit (snorkeling, botanical gardens, rainforest, volcano, sulfur springs, etc.) especially if one of the places was a spa (Jalousie Hilton). I would spend it least three days at Ladera though. Any less and you'd feel cheated. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any additional questions. <BR> <BR>Alex <BR>
May 14th, 2001, 05:19 PM
#10
Guest
Posts: n/a
Alex <BR> <BR>Thank you so much for your reply to my message. It, and your reply to Cheryl, helped tremendously. I am looking forward to visiting Ladera. <BR> <BR>You mentioned that you were only able to spend 2 nights there. Is that because of time limitations or because you could not get reservations for a longer stay? Also, do you have any idea of how early reservations need to be made? <BR> <BR>Thanks again for your help! <BR> <BR>Lisa
May 15th, 2001, 04:35 AM
#11
Guest
Posts: n/a
Hi Alex: <BR> <BR>thanks for you trip report! it sure made me feel homesick for Ladera. We ahd room R and it was fantastic. We were able to see a few of the other rooms and everyone has a great view. It is true that it really is impossilbe to describel the views from Ladera. WE plan to go back for our anniversary next summer.
May 15th, 2001, 07:15 AM
#12
Guest
Posts: n/a
Lisa, <BR> <BR>The reason we stayed only two days is because we were not able to reserve a room for longer than that. We originally wanted to stay four days at Ladera and then four days at Le Sport. <BR> <BR>If you know when you'll be going, I would make reservations as soon as possible since space is obviously limited, especially if you are going in peak season. <BR> <BR>Although all rooms are spectacular, I would maybe ask for a plunge pool that has sun exposure (makes for a warmer pool) since most are not heated. I read in several places that Room "S" is the one to request for a one bedroom. <BR> <BR>Let me know if you have any other questions. <BR> <BR>Alex
May 16th, 2001, 05:41 AM
#14
Guest
Posts: n/a
Been there - <BR> <BR>We loved Le Sport. I have not had many spa treatments in my life so I'm not sure how their treatments compare to topnotch service. My wife has occasional spa treatments and she was very happy. I enjoyed them tremendously. A you've probably read, you are able to schedule two treatments per day. They provide you with your schedule upon arrival but you can reschedule them to suit your calendar. <BR> <BR>We did eat at TAO - 5 out of our 6 evenings there and we couldn't wait to go each day. The food was exceptional and the service was even better. We live in Washington DC and go out quite a bit so we are able to recognize a first-class restaurant and this definitely was one. The service was perhaps the best service I have ever received. The presentation of the food was as spectacular as the flavor. We truly can't say enough great things about TAO. A clear view of the ocean from every table helped as well. TAO was definitely the highlight of the resort for us. If you go, make sure to make advance reservations. <BR> <BR>Evening entertainment consisted of one main open-air bar, an enclosed air-conditioned piano bar, and an outdoor gazebo that would play live music. Since we were on our honeymoon, we didn't want a heavy-duty party seen. We got exactly what we wanted. The main bar would have an occasional band but mainly had a DJ pumping out 70's and 80's music. The gazebo always had nice entertainment - a talented steel drum band seems to play pretty much every other day (always a big draw). Most of the live entertainment would conclude by midnight, if not before then. We are both in our low-30s and love to have a great time but we weren't looking for a party resort but one that had relaxed entertainment, and that what we got. <BR> <BR>Some of the highlights were: <BR> <BR>At the resort - TAO, daily lunches (featuring Caribbean, Italian, Middle Eastern, Far East themes), totally relaxed atmosphere, scuba diving and snorkeling (great reef), and daily treatments. <BR> <BR>Off the resort - Brig Unicorn sunset cruise (they also have an all-day cruise that is highly recommended), Pigeon Island, town of Castries, and golf at St. Lucia Country Club. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps. <BR> <BR>Alex <BR>
May 16th, 2001, 06:25 AM
#15
Guest
Posts: n/a
Hi Alex! Thanks for the report! It sounds like you had a fabolous time. We also enjoy splitting our time between different placs when we go on vacation. Could you please tell me more about the day activities at LeSport, and especially, the snorkeling there? Thanks!
May 16th, 2001, 09:00 AM
#16
Guest
Posts: n/a
Maria - <BR> <BR>Yes, we had a fantastic time. There are too many daily activities to list but I'll name a few: water skiing, sailing, windsurfing, scuba diving, fencing, archery, meditation and yoga classes, snorkeling, golf and tennis instruction, etc. Of course, you receive two daily spa treatments as well. If you go to the website (www.lesport.com.lc), they list all the daily activities. <BR> <BR>We have never snorkeled in the Caribbean but we thought that Le Sport's reef was absolutely breathtaking. We also snorkeled at Anse Chastanet and thought the reef at Le Sport was nicer. Others may refute that. Along with many types of beautiful fish, we also saw several octopuses, moray eels, and those poisonous stone fish (they don't bother you). Also, the coral was amazing. I finished a whole roll of film underwater taking pictures of fish and coral. They also have introductory, as well as advanced, scuba diving classes that allow you to get much closer to everything. <BR> <BR>Let me know if you have any other questions. <BR> <BR>Alex <BR>
May 16th, 2001, 09:28 AM
#17
Guest
Posts: n/a
Alex - I love all the detail you've given in this post. Did you, by chance, meet Andre & Stephen who work concierge/front desk we hope they still work there. Also, did you meet Wendy or Derek ... up at the spa, absolutely amazing. We miss LeSport and look forward to going back.
