December 08, 2009
Tips for the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia
The last time I was on St. Lucia, I ate lunch at Dasheene Restaurant.
Photo: Lisa Limer for Condé Nast Traveler
A question has come in from a reader named Nancy:
"We are going to St. Lucia's Coconut Bay Resort on January 1st. Any tips for our week there?"I'm a big fan of St. Lucia--it's a lush island full of picturesque drives, rainforest, and views--and have been there three times but, unfortunately, for only one day each, as a stop on a cruise. The last time--three years ago--I hired a driver in advance to pick me and my husband up at the pier in the morning when the ship pulled in and drop us back there in the late afternoon. My advice for you is to spend a day on a private island tour with him. His name is Julian Bissette, and his email address is bissettejc@candw.lc. (If you want his phone numbers, shoot me an email at wperrin@cntraveler.com.)
Julian showed my husband and me the island's highlights that were on my agenda--the fishing village of Soufriere and the Diamond Botanical Gardens among them--as well as off-the-beaten-path spots we wouldn't have known to look for on our own, such as Plas Kassav, a "factory" where they make a local bread from cassava root the traditional way (an experience that I wrote about here). I found Julian through the concierge at Ladera Resort, where my husband and I ate lunch midday (at the restaurant pictured above). My suggestion for you is to contact Julian and let him spend a day showing you his island.
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Thanks for the smart advice folks. My colleagues in timeshare relief are planning to take a trip in Caribbean in the first of January next year after new year, I think your tips are so helpful to us. Thanks
Posted by: andrieperkins | December 08, 2009 at 08:22 PM
Thanks for the smart advice folks. My colleagues in timeshare relief are planning to take a trip in Caribbean in the first of January next year after new year, I think your tips are so helpful to us. Thanks
Posted by: andrieperkins | December 08, 2009 at 08:23 PM
If you are staying on the island, stay at Tikaye. It was really great. The food and drinks were awesome at the hotel restaurant and bar. The beach was fairly nice and the snorkeling was very good. From Tikaye, you can take a boat to local towns and eat right on the water. It's very lovely.
We also stayed at Sandals, which was not as good for food, drinks or service, but the beach was a bit bigger and they had whiter sand b/c they had it imported.
Find out about Fish Fridays at a town near Tikaye. Really fun.
We also took a private tour, which we also recommend. We enjoyed going to a lot of local bakeries and stores, as well as the hot springs and botanical garden.
The zip line tour was also a lot of fun.
Posted by: t3ri | December 08, 2009 at 11:31 PM
My vacation at St. Lucia was to die for, thanks to your tips! I will definitely be spreading the word about this beautiful vacation spot. However, during my research for vacation spots i did find another place that caught my eye-Pensacola Beach, FL. This barrier island is next on my list!
Posted by: brin | December 14, 2009 at 05:17 PM
You should also consider rushing your passport if you want to go soon. There's good information for this all over the place, try http://learningly.com/how-do-you-get-a-passport/
Posted by: steve1008 | December 16, 2009 at 06:50 PM
If you need to speed up your passport there are good resources online, like http://learningly.com/how-do-you-get-a-passport/
Posted by: steve1008 | December 16, 2009 at 06:51 PM
check out the Caribbean Travel Examiner for a lot of good info about the Caribbean, particularly St Lucia
http://www.examiner.com/x-1092-Caribbean-Travel-Examiner
Posted by: caribbeanmuse | December 27, 2009 at 07:10 AM