Just returned from Ladera
 

My wife and I just returned from Ladera amd St. Lucia. Any questions?

Dear Matt; <BR> <BR> I am planning on honeymooning at Ladera next May. Was it as wonderful as everyone says? What kind of room did you have? Are some views better than others? Do you recommend the meal plan or are there other restaurants worth visiting? How were the beaches/shuttle services? Is there anything that you should bring that the resort doesn't supply? We are planning on staying for 6 nights, is there plenty to do? Sorry for all of the questions, but I am surprising my fiancee' with this trip and want to make sure it is the right place. Thanks for your time. Mark

Mark, <BR> <BR>Sorry it has taken so long to reply. Back to work after a honeymoon is complete hell. <BR> <BR>The Ladera is utteryly amazing. The pictures on the internet do not do it justice. First of all, we just had a room with a plunge pool, but we never used the pool, it was too cold since it was not in the sun. I would have rather had the deluxe suit with two views, because you get more breeze. We had a view of the bay and the Gros Piton. The Petit Piton was blocked by a tree, but it was still incredible. We were up every morining around 7 am. It is amazing to wake up with the mountain in your eyes. Our room had a couch and a chair and the bed was up some stairs, so it was like a tree house. The mosquito net was strange but, I got over that. The mosquitos were not that bad, you just deal with it. The place is too nice to complain. <BR> <BR>We chose the meal plan. For $48 per person on the Romance package, we got soup, appetizer, salad, dinner, desert and a bottle of wine. So all we had to do was tip and we did not have to pay for a taxi. The Dasheen is amazing as well. You will be in heaven if you like to eat good food. <BR> <BR>The staff is great. Everything is "No Problem". The shuttles are great. Sit in front and ask the drivers any questions they love it. They will schedule whatever you want to do. We went to a secluded beach, went horseback riding, and went on a Soufriere tour. The rest of the time, we spent it at the pool and the Hilton Beach. We never went to Anse Chastanet, because people who came back were never impressed and we did not want to waste any time. <BR> <BR>You will have plenty to do. The volcanoe is close by, which is a fun afternoon or morning hike. We went, halfway there we ran into a Rastafarian man, named Christmas. He took us through the volcano, the springs and then a shortcut back to the Ladera. Very funny guy and down to earth. He scared us at first, because he came out of the bushes with a machete, but he was great. <BR> <BR>The vacation was incredible. We will return in the years to come. It is a beautiful island. Very green and lush. And the people are awesome. <BR> <BR>Just bring a good attitude, plenty of sunscreen, and bathing suits. The island is very casual and laid back. We had wonderful weather, no rain, and no Hurricanes. Alberto decided to leave us alone. <BR> <BR>If you have any other questions, shoot away. We took 9 rolls of film. If you want I will try to scan some and can email them out. <BR> <BR>Let me know. <BR> <BR>Matt

Matt -- I'm so glad to hear you liked Ladera as much as we did. I truly believe those rooms with those views are unique in the world, and the staff really makes it special. I'm disappointed to hear the negative comments about Anse Chastanet lately -- we really enjoyed snorkeling there but I've heard enough comments like yours to make be believe it must be going downhill or something.

I'm surprised to hear the comments about Anse Chastenet!! We were at Ladera on our Honeymoon in May/June and went to AC. We loved it! It was unique to see the black sand. We did snorkel there, but enjoyed it more at the Hilton. I think it is worth visit!! <BR> <BR>Also, glad to hear it didn't rain. We were there for two weeks and it rained every day. <BR> <BR>Enjoy your trip!!

Matt, <BR> <BR>We'll be going to Ladera in October and are really looking forward to it. Everyone on the post has been extremely helpful. It's so good to know so many people have enjoyed it there. Couple of more questions for you and maybe Lisa could add comments as well. We're coming from the Chicago area and I it sounds like the flight will take most of our first day and we'll probably get in pretty late (and probably hungry). Would the restaurant be open late in evening (since we'll probably be starving after traveling all day). If not would there be any place else to get something to eat? Were you met at the airport and how was the ride back to Ladera? I understand they have hair dryers, so they - if so I'd like to leave mine at home. (The less to pack the better). Again, a big thank you to all my responses. P.S. Matt, if you do scan some pictures, would you mind an email to me as well? I'd love to see them!

Joan, <BR> <BR>We were supposed to get into the Ladera around 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Due to Air Jamaica and a huge lay over in Atlanta, we did not get to the Ladera until 8:30. Dinner, I think is served to 9:30. If you guys get in later than that, I would ask the staff. They will help with anything. They would be willing to get something together for you. My wife and I brought some snack food along with us for the week. Just something to nibble on if we got hungry on the plane or on the beach. <BR> <BR>We got off the plane, went through customs and them some guy grabbed our luggage to helps us out of the baggage claim. We told him we were going to the Ladera. He led us to another guy, who got us the taxi to go to the Ladera. We tipped the luggage guy $1 US for each bag. The taxi was covered through the plan that we bought through the Ladera, which was nice. <BR> <BR>The ride itself was peaceful. The air was warm and pleasant after Airplane air. We rolled the windows down in the back and closed our eyes and enjoyed the smells and sounds. It took around an hour, but went fast. I enjoyed watching the people and the sites. It was curvy but not that bad. Tight roads. <BR> <BR>It will take me sometime to get all of our pictures together, but I have saved your email address and will get some pictures together. <BR> <BR>Let me know if I can help you out in anyway. <BR> <BR>Matt <BR> <BR>PS - If I could go back right now, I would.

Hi Joan: <BR> <BR>I spent my honeymoon at Ladera in June and we did not get to the hotel until 10pm. We were taken to our room and told that someone would be over from the restaurant with a later dinner for us in a few minutes. That was so nice of them to do that for us. I bet they will do the same for you too. We did not take an iron as they have them there at Ladera to use. All yu have to do is ask for one at the reception desk. <BR> <BR>Let me know if you ahve any more questions. You will just LOVE Ladera.

Hi Joan, I along the my fiance for now at least will be honeymooning in Ladera in Oct. when are you going to be there and are you worried about storms? Some people have told us it was a big risk, but from reading Lisa's and all the other travel reports we wanted to go so bad, we thought it was worth it. Thanks Lisa, you have given us so many wonderful nights of reading about your time and live vicariously through you expierences and can't wait to leave. We are going to be there for 5 days and then back to Jamaica and Sandals Negril for 6 more. We like the idea of two totally different types of atmosphere. We live in Atlanta and weren't quite sure how long the flight was to Mobay and then from Mobay to St. Lucia and has anyone encountered a long lay over in Mobay before. We are leaving Oct 23rd and can't thanks. Thanks everyone we took the time to write a trip report, without hearing so many wonderful things and just general information I doubt I would be as excited as I am.

Hi Joan. We did not arrive at Ladera until after 11:30 pm, so it was very dark out, the front desk had already closed, and dinner was long since over. But we just asked the man who met us (and two other couples in our minivan taxi) at Ladera who showed us to our rooms whether the restaurant was still open, and he said there were still a couple of people there and we could go up for a drink and ask if they had anything left that we could have for dinner. So that's what we did. We just went to our room, changed very quickly, and walked up to the restaurant. It was a little before midnight, and the bartender was really nice. We told him we'd just arrived and asked if it would be possible to get something to eat, and he said the kitchen was closed but he would bring something out for us. He asked what we wanted to drink and I said a pina colada and he made a face and said, "If you like, I can make you something special," so we said OK and he brought us out two delicious drinks that were totally different and like nothing I've ever had before. One tasted like coconut with some kind of liqueur and the other tasted like banana with nutmeg and maybe rum. Then he brought out some chicken dish that was left over from dinner along with some rice and vegetables. We have no idea what the chicken dish was but it was delicious and had sort of a grilled spicy flavor. It was wonderful to be outdoors enjoying the evening breeze after being in the stuffy airplane for so long, and you could hear the tree frogs singing. There was only one other couple left in the restaurant. After we finished eating we thanked him and asked about our bill and he waved his hand and said "Don't worry about it." It felt like true island hospitality. We went over our bill when we checked out of Ladera at the end of the week, and sure enough, there was no charge from the restaurant that night for our drinks or dinner. By the way, since it was dark when we arrived, we couldn't truly appreciate Ladera's beauty until the following morning. It was amazing to wake up and see the view that we had missed the night before!! <BR>Todd -- You're welcome. <BR>I hope you both have great trips and post reports when you come back!

Thanks to everyone again for all your responses. Todd, we're leaving for Ladera on Oct. 11th and will be gone before you arrive. Too bad, I'd really like to meet you. I wouldn't worry about the weather. You may need a sweater though. You'll love Sandals as well Todd. We were at the Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay a couple of years ago. As a matter of fact we were there in October as well, and the weather was just beautiful! Nice and warm during the day and just the slightest breeze in the evening! Sandals is just fantastic. Wonderful people, service, atomosphere. You did a great job in picking your honeymoon destinations! If you have any questions about Sandals, just ask. They're all pretty similar. Lisa, I need to ask again, are there hair dryers in the room? Can I leave mine at home? Thanks again for all your help! Joan <BR> <BR>

Matt-- <BR>If and when you are able to scan pictures, I too, would like to see them. Please e-mail them to me also. I am planning a honeymoon at Ladera next year. Thank You.

Matt, <BR> <BR>We're interested in the secluded beach you went to while at Ladera. How safe did you feel while you were there? How secluded is it? What is it called and how did you get there? Joan

Hey Matt, if you want to post your pictures, I suggest you use one of the internet sites that lets you create albums -- I use zing.com, but photopoint.com is another and I'm sure there are others. It is free, then all you need to do is send people a url. Doesn't fill up mailboxes, etc. You can put lots of pictures in one album, but I like to keep mine to less than 20. <BR>(Too more and it looks like being stuck in someones slide show of a family reunion!)

Joan, <BR> <BR>The beach that we went to was called Sabnick beach. It was off to the side of the hilton, past both Pitons. Throught the Ladera, we took a shuttle to the town of Soufriere and then took a water taxi to the beach. They dropped us off and asked us how long we wanted to stay. We only stayed two hours, which was perfect. <BR> <BR>The Ladera gave us snorkel equipment, chairs, and we payed to have a packed picnic. It was great. Real nice. You could see boats passing by, but nobody ever stopped. We felt real safe. <BR> <BR>It got hot around 1 o'clock, so we were glad we only stayed for two hours. There were no trees. There was also good snorkling, because there was no one to bother you. We saw some barracuda and an ocotpus. <BR> <BR>It was definitely worth it!

Hi Joan. Ladera had hair dryers at the front desk. I just went down the morning after we arrived and asked if I could keep it in the room for the week, and that worked out fine.

Matt, my wife and I are going to Ladera in November. We are interested in exploring some beaches that are not crowded. It sounds like Sabnick is one. Did you find or hear about any others? How much was the water taxi? Thanks. Also, did you rent a car? We would like to be able to explore the rain forest some on our own and might rent a jeep for a couple days.

Jeff <BR> <BR>I was in St. Lucia on my honeymoon in June and we rented a jeep from Cool Breezes and had a great time with it. We drove everywhere. Just remember to drive on the left and when you are about to go around a blind curve (which is most of the time) honk your horn once to let anyone on the other side you are there. <BR> <BR>We took a water taxi from the Hilton to Anse and it was $20 round trip. I think our water taxi driver told us it was $90 round tirp up to Casteries and back.

Jeff, <BR> <BR>Sabnick is the only one that I know of. That was the one booked through the Ladera. It was 35 EC dollars and then whatever it cost to have them pack a picnic lunch. It was a great ride over there. You can stay as along as you want, which is nice. Nobody to bother you. People can see you, but nobody ever stopped. We just relaxed, read, and snorkled. <BR> <BR>We did not rent a jeep. We did not want to feel like we had to explore. We were going for our honeymoona and just wanted to take it easy. They book taxis for you, wherever you want to go. It is much nicer that way. You can see the sights and not have to be driving. But to each his own. <BR> <BR>We had a a blast. The Ladera is amazing.

Has anyone been in december? <BR>We are going this december and wonder how the weather will be. Does it get that cold at night that we should bring warm jackets ect? <BR> <BR>Did you have any problems with bugs at night if your room lights were on? <BR> <BR>How long a ride as it to the beach, and how often does theie bus run? <BR> <BR>Were there any other places to eat in walking distance?