St. Lucia trip report
Mar 21st, 2008, 12:55 PM
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St. Lucia trip report
We had a wonderful time! We were in St. Lucia for 6 nights, and we spent 1 night on Miami Beach. This was my first time in St. Lucia and my husband's 6th time there. All his prior trips had been for business, though, but he had stayed at a few hotels and had tried many of the island's restaurants. On my prior trips, I've been to the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and Barbados, and St. Lucia is now my favorite Caribbean island.
We flew on American from Denver, did an overnight in Miami, and flew nonstop from Miami into the Hewanora(sp?)airport. A driver, Eugene, we booked through our hotel picked us up. He drove us up the east coast of the island - the faster, less scenic route. The roads were in great shape. They put in new roads last year to host the Cricket World Cup. The drive took around 1 1/2 hrs. On our way, the driver offered to stop off at a scenic overlook in Dennery that had a roadside bar for a Piton beer and tasty fish kebab.
We stayed at the new Rock Resorts hotel, The Landings on Rodney Bay. I highly recommend this hotel. Be aware that it's still under construction, so I'd advise staying in a beachfront building. We were in bldg #1 and when in our unit or on our balcony, we couldn't see or hear the construction. I think build #2 is also beachfront. The panoramic views of the bay and Pigeon Island were stunning. The room rates are currently discounted for the construction. The condos are luxuriously comfortable, with top of the line appliances, tasteful decor, and a very comfy bed.
The beach is one of the nicer ones on St. Lucia - an island not known for its beaches. The water was very calm and the beach is the perfect spot for watching the sunset. The spa wasn't open yet when we were there, but we were told it was going to open next week or so. We did get a couples massage at the hotel and it was very good.
The hotel employees were extremely friendly and enthusiastic - they made us feel very welcome. Some of the service could use a little polishing, but they tried very hard to be helpful. The concierge was very nice, but there were some mix ups on our bookings - I would recommend re-confirming any bookings and reservations.
We arrived the night the hotel hosts it's weekly cocktail party for the guests. There was live music, a buffet of delicious appetizers and a bartender serving a dangerously good rum punch, along with other drinks.
More to come...
We flew on American from Denver, did an overnight in Miami, and flew nonstop from Miami into the Hewanora(sp?)airport. A driver, Eugene, we booked through our hotel picked us up. He drove us up the east coast of the island - the faster, less scenic route. The roads were in great shape. They put in new roads last year to host the Cricket World Cup. The drive took around 1 1/2 hrs. On our way, the driver offered to stop off at a scenic overlook in Dennery that had a roadside bar for a Piton beer and tasty fish kebab.
We stayed at the new Rock Resorts hotel, The Landings on Rodney Bay. I highly recommend this hotel. Be aware that it's still under construction, so I'd advise staying in a beachfront building. We were in bldg #1 and when in our unit or on our balcony, we couldn't see or hear the construction. I think build #2 is also beachfront. The panoramic views of the bay and Pigeon Island were stunning. The room rates are currently discounted for the construction. The condos are luxuriously comfortable, with top of the line appliances, tasteful decor, and a very comfy bed.
The beach is one of the nicer ones on St. Lucia - an island not known for its beaches. The water was very calm and the beach is the perfect spot for watching the sunset. The spa wasn't open yet when we were there, but we were told it was going to open next week or so. We did get a couples massage at the hotel and it was very good.
The hotel employees were extremely friendly and enthusiastic - they made us feel very welcome. Some of the service could use a little polishing, but they tried very hard to be helpful. The concierge was very nice, but there were some mix ups on our bookings - I would recommend re-confirming any bookings and reservations.
We arrived the night the hotel hosts it's weekly cocktail party for the guests. There was live music, a buffet of delicious appetizers and a bartender serving a dangerously good rum punch, along with other drinks.
More to come...
Mar 21st, 2008, 06:58 PM
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Enjoying your trip report so far! St. Lucia was the first Caribbean island I visited and since then I've been utterly smitten with the region. I would very much like to return one day to St. Lucia. Glad to hear that the roads have improved.
Mar 23rd, 2008, 09:32 AM
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For our overnight in Miami, we stayed on South Beach at Nassau Suites Hotel. It worked great for us. It was a 3 star and around $200 - reasonable by South Beach standards. The suite was nicely decorated, clean and very spacious. The location was perfect for exploring South Beach. We had dinner at Prime 112. Good steaks and sides, but a little over-rated and overpriced, in my opinion. We had to wait about 30 minutes for our table, despite having a res.
Back to St. Lucia...
After the cocktail party our first night there, we had dinner at the beachfront hotel restaurant. It had good food and a pretty setting. We were told that a second more upscale restaurant will be added eventually.
Our first day there we walked to Pigeon Island (not really an island anymore after being connected to the main island). The walk took about 15-20 minutes. We went up to the overlook at Pigeon Point. The views were well worth the short and steep hike. We loved the little restaurant there for lunch, Jambe de Bois. It had an rustic island atmosphere, fab views and good food - great chicken curry. We lingered over Piton beers and tasty tropical drinks. It's a popular stop for cruise passengers, so it gets busy. That afternoon, we hung out at our beach and enjoyed the free rafts provided by the hotel for the very calm bay water. We headed into Rodney Bay for dinner at Ku De Ta. It's a very good Thai restaurant with great laid back ambience. Check out the interesting artwork in the restroom!
To be continued...
Back to St. Lucia...
After the cocktail party our first night there, we had dinner at the beachfront hotel restaurant. It had good food and a pretty setting. We were told that a second more upscale restaurant will be added eventually.
Our first day there we walked to Pigeon Island (not really an island anymore after being connected to the main island). The walk took about 15-20 minutes. We went up to the overlook at Pigeon Point. The views were well worth the short and steep hike. We loved the little restaurant there for lunch, Jambe de Bois. It had an rustic island atmosphere, fab views and good food - great chicken curry. We lingered over Piton beers and tasty tropical drinks. It's a popular stop for cruise passengers, so it gets busy. That afternoon, we hung out at our beach and enjoyed the free rafts provided by the hotel for the very calm bay water. We headed into Rodney Bay for dinner at Ku De Ta. It's a very good Thai restaurant with great laid back ambience. Check out the interesting artwork in the restroom!
To be continued...
Mar 31st, 2008, 03:32 PM
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Day 2:
We started our day with a couples massage at our hotel - it was wonderful! We headed to Rodney Bay for lunch at The Edge. Loved the ceviche. It's one of our favorite restaurants in St. Lucia. While in town, we picked up some groceries - there are a couple large grocery stores in Rodney Bay. We spent the afternoon at the beach. There's a guy who sells fruit from his little boat. He signals his arrival by blowing on a conch shell. Other guests who bought from him said he has good fruit. Before sunset, guests and locals gathered to see a sax player who performed on the beach. Later in the evening, there was a fire dance show at the beachside hotel restaurant. We enjoyed watching it from our balcony plunge pool. We intended to go to the Friday night "Jump Up" in Gros Islet, but it rained that night, and we weren't too motivated after a few Piton beers. I miss that beer!
Day 3:
We rented a car for the day to tour the island. Driving on the left side of the road, along narrow switchbacks, was a little nerve- racking. It would have been more relaxing to hire a driver or do the boat/bus tour, which we heard good things about. We wanted more flexibility, though. It was a very pretty drive down the west coast. We had lunch at Ladera - stunning views, but slow unfriendly service and small portions. We did the short tour of the "aromatic" volcano and toured the botanic gardens. The gardens were very lush and pretty, but we weren't impressed by the mineral baths. We stopped at Marigot Bay on our way back. It's worth a stop to see the beautiful harbor. We parked at the Discovery Hotel. We took the dinghy to JJ's for a drink - nice sunset view. Then we took the dinghy to Rainforest Hideaway for dinner. Only accessible by boat, it has a unique and romantic setting, delicious food, and it's pricey but worth it.
To be continued...
We started our day with a couples massage at our hotel - it was wonderful! We headed to Rodney Bay for lunch at The Edge. Loved the ceviche. It's one of our favorite restaurants in St. Lucia. While in town, we picked up some groceries - there are a couple large grocery stores in Rodney Bay. We spent the afternoon at the beach. There's a guy who sells fruit from his little boat. He signals his arrival by blowing on a conch shell. Other guests who bought from him said he has good fruit. Before sunset, guests and locals gathered to see a sax player who performed on the beach. Later in the evening, there was a fire dance show at the beachside hotel restaurant. We enjoyed watching it from our balcony plunge pool. We intended to go to the Friday night "Jump Up" in Gros Islet, but it rained that night, and we weren't too motivated after a few Piton beers. I miss that beer!
Day 3:
We rented a car for the day to tour the island. Driving on the left side of the road, along narrow switchbacks, was a little nerve- racking.
It would have been more relaxing to hire a driver or do the boat/bus tour, which we heard good things about. We wanted more flexibility, though. It was a very pretty drive down the west coast. We had lunch at Ladera - stunning views, but slow unfriendly service and small portions. We did the short tour of the "aromatic" volcano and toured the botanic gardens. The gardens were very lush and pretty, but we weren't impressed by the mineral baths. We stopped at Marigot Bay on our way back. It's worth a stop to see the beautiful harbor. We parked at the Discovery Hotel. We took the dinghy to JJ's for a drink - nice sunset view. Then we took the dinghy to Rainforest Hideaway for dinner. Only accessible by boat, it has a unique and romantic setting, delicious food, and it's pricey but worth it. To be continued...
Mar 31st, 2008, 04:15 PM
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Jun 16th, 2008, 11:20 PM
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Hi I'm considering this hotel for Nov or Dec. and really appreciate your trip report. How do you feel about stayin in that area as opposed to Soufriere and having a view of the Pitons instead? We'll have a baby also so comfort will be our first priority, I think the suites with the kitchen and modern amenities will be helpful.
Jun 26th, 2008, 10:58 AM
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I am curious for more info on The Landings. We are looking at going there late next March. Two adults and two teenage girls. We want some golf options but mostly beach time and good food. The girls want access to some island shopping/markets and some activity. Where do you think The Landings fits in with that? We're considering combining this with a couple days of sailing.
Thanks.
Thanks.
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