miler

I'm looking for advice on where to stay and where to go in St. Lucia on budget. My wife and I will be going there the end of November so we need to find something quickly. We are planning on doing a good amount of snorkeling, hiking and exploring. We'd like to find something more quiet and quaint and less like a hotel. We would love to be near the ocean and a pool isn't necessary. Thanks — miler <BR>

r thomas

Try Anse Chastanae (spelling. It was what you described several years ago when we went. Snorkeling --5 Star. <BR>Also stayed at Wyndham Morgan Bay last year. resort type place. Best tour of island or any asland I have ever been on was from Joey by beach. Excellent snorkeling eating etc.

joan

For a moderate budget, try Stonefield Estates or the Hummingbird. Both lower-cost properties on the Soufriere end (Pitons view) of St. Lucia. There've been recent good reviews of stonefield. individual cottages with great views. If you look at Hummingbird, get the highest unit, it will still be cheap, but with better amenities. Great food too!

Shari

If you are interested in the Reduit Beach/Rodney Bay area of St. Lucia, I can recommend the Rainbow Hotel. Nothing fancy, but it is a one-minute walk thru park grass to Reduit Beach. Very reasonably priced. Rooms are not luxury, but the are large enough, very clean and comfortable. Every unit has either balcony or patio. Friendly staff. One of the few hotels on Reduit beach that is not AI, which I like. They have a nice restaurant and also a tiki style bar/restaurant by the pool. It's an easy walk to many restaurants and shopping in the Rodney Bay area. <BR> <BR>Good luck with the snorkeling...I didn't think St. Lucia was all that great for snorkeling. Although I've heard others with good reports, so maybe we had the aftereffects of bad weather or something the time we were there.

Mary

Check out Oasis Marigot in Marigot Bay. I did a trip report a month or so ago so you may want to try a text search (above). I felt Marigot Bay had much better snorkeling than Anse Chastenet which is supposedly "the" spot. Snorkeling in St. Lucia, overall, isn't the best in the Caribbean but it's not the worst either. <BR> <BR>You may want to divide your trip in two areas. We did. There are inexpensive places to stay all over the island. We also stayed at Mago Estate in Souffriere which was extremely "quaint." Both have websites. Both had their pros and cons. And both are described in detail in my trip report.

lili

another vote for rainbow hotel if you decide on rodney bay area - check out reviews for it at: www.caribbean-on-line.com

Alex

Check out Ladera Resort. About as much of a deviation from a hotel as you can get. Incredibly romantic with an awesome views of the ocean and Pitons. <BR> <BR>It's a bit more expensive than other resorts on the island though.

miler

Let me back up a bit... which part of the island should we stay on? That is probaly a better starting point. Like I said, we love nature (snorkeling, hiking, beaches...) but need to find some place for dinner and definately want to get a good feel for the island. We'd probably prefer being near beaches that aren't too windy also. At $75/day we probably won't rent a Jeep and would rather not spend too much of our trip driving. We found some great last minute deals with the villas at Stonefield Estate and also Windjammer (probably too much of a hotel for us though) which is near Soufriere I think. Anse Chastenet was a bit more. We're still quickly trying to research our other suggestions.

joan

Miller: I like the Pitons/Soufriere part of St. Lucia the best. It is hilly, and loaded with nature hikes, the "drive-thru" volcano is there, it is just gorgeous. (They filmed Superman there!). The north end of St. Lucia, where Windjammer is located, is flatter, more populous, and IMHO, not quite as pretty. But then again, I'm from Florida and crave mountainous roads! Be warned, however, from an avid snorkeler: there are not many good places to snorkel on SL. The beach at Anse Chastanet (you can take a water taxi from Soufriere or navigate the awful mile-long road into AC) is about the best snorkeling. Limited snorkeling also at Anse Malgretoute, near Stonefield, and you can also take a boat ride and snorkel around the Pitons. You also have the Jalousie beach nearby, good for lunch and snorkeling also, but man-made (you'd never guess by looking).

miler

We almost booked a villa at Stonefield in Soufriere with a wonderful view of the Pitons. However after researching all we could about the island we thought maybe a resort might be a safer bet since we have no idea where to go, how to get there, etc. We went ahead an booked the Windjammer today they are running a 35% off special and will throw in a sunset cruise. That makes it the same price as the villas. If we don't feel like spending $25 for a round trip taxi ride to a restaurant (which will add up after 7 days) they have 3 or 4 restaurants there. Do you know what the area is like? Are the beaches nice around there?

joan

No, I don't know about the beaches there, but you're right, Stonefield would be very tough without a car. I've heard great things about Windjammer on this board, and they look beautiful! Have a great time there, and be sure to splurge and take the daylong sailboat trip to Anse Chastanet for snorkeling. Have a Piton beer and a meat patty for me!

miler

The Jeep rentals I found were running $85/day! That prompted us to rethink our plan. Not knowing the island and reading that it isn't quite as safe as others at night (I'm not a paranoid safety traveler but I'm not naive either) we thought a place with restaurants near by could be nice... just in case taxis became too costly from remote areas. I tend to play it safe when I don't know where I'm going... but not knowing is half the fun of traveling! <BR> <BR>What is Anse Chastanet all about? Good snorkeling? We love to snorkel and have our own gear... if you rent it more than once I found out it is cheaper to just buy it then you don't have to deal with the whole community germ issue. We've been to 5 of the Virgin Islands and now are venturing south to explore more. I think we'll be near Rodney Bay, what other area should we check out (hiking, beaches, dinner... whatever)? <BR> <BR>If anyone wants to email me directly, feel free. — miler

DIXIE

Yes! Anse Chastanet has some of the best snorkeling and diving on the island right off the beach! And The Pitons are just on the other side of the cove. Beautiful!

Barb

Miler, we're also looking at the Windjammer for a trip in March. Just wondering if you were able to get in touch with them directly. Any sites I checked out were all reservations companies. Thanks for the info!

miler

Barb, I found a great deal at IslandTrips http://www.villasstlucia.com/villas/stlucia43.htm. Since we're leaving in a month we found reduced rates. I didn't try to call Windjammer directly. I can give you a full report after Thanksgiving.

Barb

Miler, me again. We've got to stop meeting like this! Thanks for the info. which I'll check out. Sounds like we're looking for a fairly similar trip so I'll keep checking your threads. It would be great to get a trip report. Hope you guys have a blast!

Mary

Having stayed in both the north and the south parts of the island on two separate trips, I think I'm the only one that prefers the north. So much more to do, more places to eat, more places to stay. The south is more lush but the north, IMO, is quite scenic. I felt very isolated in the south and anywhere you want to go via taxi, will cost about $50 round trip. A day trip to the south for sightseeing would have suited me just fine.

Red

Also stayed at wyndam morgan bay two years ago, good food and friendly waitstaff. Went on day excursion with Joey on the beach and had a great time . Good food and good snorkeling.