Paradise Found (St. Lucia)

Member Name: Meggysmum

Product:	St. Lucia
Date:	28/05/09 (66 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Perfect caribbean.

Disadvantages: You have to come home!

I visited St Lucia in 1992 and always promised myself that I would go back. I didn't expect that it would not be for 17 years and then with a husband and two children in tow! However I was not disappointed with the return visit and my family loved it as well.

We stayed at Almond Morgan Bay which was a delightful hotel suitable for all the family but I will write a seperate review eventually for that.

St Lucia is set near the southern end of the caribbean and has a very tropical weather pattern. Rain showers occur nearly all year round but if possible it is best to avoid the traditional summer months as they are the islands wettest. Christmas through to Easter seem to be the best times to visit.

The island is only 27miles long and 14 miles wide. English is the official language but the locals mainly speak a creole patois. This makes it very easy for English tourists. The currency is the Eastern caribbean dollar which has a fixed exchange rate with the US dollar which means that excursions were more expensive than we had originally budgeted for as the dollar has been strong lately. As a tourist it is wise to be sensible about your safety but we never felt at all uncomfortable or unsafe, in fact the island has a really friendly feel.

If you are into exciting night-life this is not the place for you. I am not bothered at all, I asked some of the other guests about local evening entertainment and there did not seem to be much and what there was centred on the Rodney Bay area.

As this is a tropical island the flora is beautiful, everywhere you turn there are exotic,almost artificial looking flowers and plants. Bananas and Mangoes grow everywhere. I even saw cashew nuts growing which are fascinating as they grow below the fruit on the tree so are very labour intensive to harvest-now I know why they are so expensive! The beaches on the Eastern side of the island are served by the Atlantic sea so are cooler and much choppier than the western side. Here you will find the ideal tropical beaches, clear water fringed by palmtrees. I am not usually keen on swimming in the sea but even I couldn't resist the warm blue water. At the North end of the island the sand is quite pale but becomes darker as you head south, closer to the volcano but it certainly didn't look black which I had heard. Remember the sun is very strong so slap on your highest factor sunscreen, we saw many people impersonating lobsters as factor 15 wont do a thing there for many people! After a long day of relaxing in paradise be prepared for a quick sunset. If you were planning a glass of champagne whilst you watch the sun go down -be quick. It goes from full daylight to night in about 20minutes!

There is only so much lying on a sunbed I can take so we decided to head off on an island tour. We used the carnival company and went on one of their catamaran tours down the western coast. It was lovely to see the island from the sea. We had travelled through the heart of the island on our way to the hotel and had seen the villages inland so it was nice to have a different perspective. We travelled all the way to Soufriere and had a magnificent view of the Pitons which are the famous volcanic plugs shown on all pictures of St Lucia. Soufriere means "Sulphur air" and is named because of the strong smell from the volcano. It is billed as the caribbeans only drive-in volcano as when it last erupted it blew the side of the mountain into the sea so now you can see the bubbling rock at ground level. The smell is very intense when we got out of the minibus (that had picked us up from the dock). When I had visited previously you were free to roam around which was very dangerous and now everyone has to stay behind the barriers as a guide went through the crust about 17 years ago and had to be dragged out by his party, not a nice thought. There is not really much to see but it is an experience none the less! After the volcano we travelled to the botanical gardens and the diamond falls. The gardens are wonderful and we had a fantastic guide with a huge voice and a great line in patter, he was extremely knowledgeable and was well tipped by everyone when we left. The diamond falls is a small water fall in the gardens, it is named because of the variety of colours of minerals that have been deposited on the rocks, I remember being surprised the first time I saw it as it was smaller than I expected but it is still pretty. We then headed back to the catamaran, the journey through Soufriere is interesting as the houses look typically caribbean and the resdents are very laid back. We had a lovely lunch on the catamaran of lots of local produce, my favourite being roasted plantain. On the return journey we stopped for some snorkelling, if you have your own gear bring it as there was not enough to go round. It was a trip I would recommend to get a feel for the dramatic nature of the landscape.

We also went to the Northern end of the island to Pigeon Island which is actually no longer an island because when the bay next to it was dredged they used the silt to make a causeway. This is a national monument and was where the fort stood that where Admiral Rodney watched for the French invasion from Martinique in about 1750. The site is currently under renovation and they hope to restore the fort fully. It is a good walk on a hot day but the views are fantastic and yes you can see Martinque in the distance. What I loved about Pigeon island is the marked contrast in the sea as you walker from one side to the other (only takes 5 minutes) as one side is Caribbean and the other is virtually the Atlantic.

There are attractions now inland in the rainforest including high rope courses and tree gondolas. These looked good fun but seemed very pricey so I can't comment on them.

All in all I think this is an idyllic tropical island. Friendly people, lovely food and beautiful scenery. And if you go in April like we did you will certainly experience the sun too (although you may have to dodge the odd shower!)

Summary: Everything for a laid back holiday