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Exploring St. Lucia

Photos and Story By Tab Hauser

After dealing with an extraordinary three week cold snap in early winter my bones felt the need to get away to something tropical. At the same time we learned that we had frequent flyer points on the old Jet Blue program that were about to expire. With that in mind we went ahead and booked tickets to the island of St. Lucia because it was the most southern and direct flight from New York we can get.

Once airline reservations were made it was time to find a place to stay. My goal was to stay somewhere romantic with a private pool at a reasonable price in a good location. Nine years earlier we visited St. Lucia and stayed in the southern part of the island near the famous Pitons in a place called Anse Chastanet Resort. We liked the place so much that we never left it for the seven of the nine days we were in St. Lucia. On this trip we wanted to get to know the island and people better. The idea was to explore both the north and south areas along with at least one of the many waterfalls this island has.

The Pitons Of St. Lucia On The Tropical Southern Side Of St. Lucia

In doing research I found hotels that offered what I wanted but at prices ranging from $450 to $1500 a night. These were amazing suites with a private plunge pool and easy access to a pretty beach. Of the resorts I looked at only four were in the area I wanted to stay. The others were in the more congested north. After reviewing the prices I expanded my search looking to rent what are called “villas”. Renting a villa can be anything from a basic 2 room cottage to a magnificent multi bedroom house complete with large pool, housekeeper and cook if you wish. Doing further research found me four places that met my needs. I finally made a reservation with a place called Oasis Marigot staying at what they called the Caribbean Blue Suite. The rate was listed at $329 a night but with two free nights when booking seven our cost came down to $235. With reservation made I decided not to tell my wife we were not at a hotel and let the suite be a complete surprise.

View Upon Arriving At Villa

Next on the agenda was the need to rent a small four door 4 X 4. The reason for this is because Caribbean Blue Suite was at the end of a bluff on a rutted single lane road. Getting a 4 X 4 in St Lucia is a good idea anyway if you want to get around. Upscale hotels like Ti Kaye Resort and Anse Chastanet have extremely bumpy single track roads to their resort and the high clearance helpful. Having four wheel drive is also a nice feature for these roads when wet. You will also need these cute SUV’s if you explore some of the out of the way waterfalls and beaches.

St. Lucia is a great place to visit. What is nice is that people are friendly and they speak English. I like the fact that St. Lucia is not over developed and southern two thirds of the island is beautiful. It is also a small mountainous island no more than 15 miles wide and less than 30 miles long. Here the idea of not having a hotel room directly on the beach also appealed to me not only in cost but also because it would have us go out, talk to people and see different sites. By having a villa at the end of a cliff with our own pool gave us some very nice privacy we wanted. By not being in a hotel atmosphere we got to talk to some of the locals or expats that live on the island. At one restaurant in Marigot Bay we asked our friendly waitress where she would go to dinner on a date or with friends. This would lead us to two places that we would not have tried. Also, while I down loaded a two pages on waterfalls to visit the one we hiked to was recommended by a British transplant. We were happy it had no signs or crowds. We also hit 6 different beaches during our stay. When we were at the beautiful Anse Chastanet resort nine years ago we never left that one.

Our Neighborhood In St Lucia, Marigot Bay for the week. (Our Villa was on bluff at the top left side of photo above.)

Looking Down Into Marigot Bay From Villa Next to Ours. Our "Warm Up" Beach in Marigot Bay the First Day

Other than making dive reservations for two mornings our plan was to relax and have fun one day at a time while exploring different areas and beaches of this small island. To get around the driving is British style. I have driven in Cayman’s, Virgin Islands, Australia and in the previous year did over 1000 miles in New Zealand. My secret for driving on the “other side” is to put a Post-It Note under your line of site on the inside of the windshield with “THINK LEFT” written on it. This reminds where I am supposed to be when making turns. Another effective method that helps is to do a little “tag team” driving. By this I mean having your partner remind you “left turn, left lane” for the first day. St. Lucia is a great island to explore. If you do not drive and want to get around, make new beach friends and chip in to hire a driver to take you around. The road to Soufriere is tropical, lush, full of switch backs and beautiful. The roads are also well paved and mostly marked. By the second time driving on this “colorful” road it became natural. My advice is be cautious and let people pass you by pulling over. There are also plenty of scenic spots with a mini-market to go with them.

On our first day in St. Lucia we decided stay “local” in Marigot Bay. After visiting the rental office that manages the property by pontoon ferry we parked ourselves on the small beach that extends out in the bay. Marigot Bay is really a bay with in a bay and where the original Dr. Doolittle was filmed. The beach is one of the smaller ones on the island and was not crowded. For lunch we ordered the local cuisine from one of the beach shacks and enjoyed two Piton beers and rum to go with it. Piton is the name of the only beer brewed in St Lucia. If get food from the shack on the south side near the dock as it is half the price. The beach at Marigot Bay offers a host of water activities one can do with various water toys. We were pleased to pass on doing anything and simply planted ourselves next to the palm trees and enjoying the tropical weather we needed so badly. Marigot Bay offers a sunset cruise, ½ day snorkel trips to remote beaches, kayaking, diving and sailing. After a day on the beach we went back to Caribbean Blue Suite to watch the sunset and get ready for dinner in the area.

Back In The Water Spiny Caribbean Lobster In Hole In Protected Reef Park

The next day we arranged to go diving in the south at Anse Chastanet Resort. As mentioned earlier, we stayed there in 2001 and had fond memories of this picture perfect pretty beach. We also remember how easy the diving was. We arrived at Anse Chastanet after driving 23 miles on the windy road taking us 50 minutes. The road south takes you through two old fishing villages and up into the rain forest. One can lose track on how many “S” or hairpin curves there are but the drive is breathtaking and at the end seeing the Pitons is amazing. I drove south 3 times during our stay and let me emphasize it is well worth it and should not be missed if you come to St. Lucia and stay on the north side.

Victor Antoine, Guinness World Record Holder Of Most Dives Friendly Sea Turtle At 45 Feet

At the Anse Chastanet dive shop we settled in, filled out the paperwork and had our guide walk us right off the beach to the “house” reef. This dive shop requires everyone on their first dive with them to leave from the beach. This is the second time I did this easy and beautiful dive that goes no deeper than 50 feet. Here we saw lots of coral, sponges and fish. After the dive we had a couple of delicious roti’s (a Caribbean wrap) at their beach side restaurant, strolled up and down the beach and signed up for 2PM boat dive. If you are a diver, Anse Chastanet does only single tank dives. This is great if you do not want to spend 3 hours on a boat away from a loved on the beach. They do a single tank dive because the dive sites are usually no more than several minutes away. Our second dive was just a few minutes around the corner from the “house reef” set with the pitons as a back drop. Here we drifted and swam in about 45 feet of water enjoying the clear water and marine life. On this dive Mr. Victor Antoine was there to assist us. He holds the official Guinness book of world records with about 26,300 dives. He told me he figured out that 1966 six and half years of his life was spent underwater.

Pretty Anse Chastanet Dark Sand Beach With Resort & Jade Hotel Above. Beach Side Bar & Restaurant

Being a one tank dive had us back to our lounge chairs in less than an hour enjoying the late afternoon sun and a couple of amazing blended cocktails. At 5PM we used the outside shower by the dive shop, changed from our bathing suites and headed south 20 minutes to Ladera for dinner. Ladera is a 5 star hotel set up on a mountain with the views of both Pitons to the left and right having the ocean and sunset between the peaks. Tonight being Tuesday was the manager’s cocktail party as well as their excellent buffet dinner. If you are not staying at Ladera them make sure you do a sunset and dinner here.

Enjoying A Sunset Cocktail From Terrace At Ladera Hotel

On our third day we still had diving on our mind so we made reservations with Ti Kaye Village Resort diver shop on pretty Anse Cochon. This place is only 20 minutes south of Marigot Bay. (Anse is the word for beach) Ti Kaye is upscale hotel has cabins and rooms up on a bluff overlooking the ocean having steps leading down to the beach. Here, Island Divers set us up for two tank boat dive and the complimentary use of lounge chairs and umbrellas for the rest of the day. The dive sites included a sunken freighter about 5 minutes from the hotel in 60 feet of water with the second dive with in eye sight of the hotel keeping us at 45 feet. A highlight was holding a baby octopus that looked like sea weed floating around at first.

On The Bridge and Stern Section on wreck off Anse Chochon

During the dive we met Harley and Laura who were enjoying a few days off from their jobs working on a private yacht. We had lunch and cocktails with them at the hotel beach side restaurant and then read, swam and napped on the beach. We left at 5:30 so we can make it back to the villa and jump in our pool with cocktails in hand while watching a bright orange sun sink beneath the horizon.

That Was One Cute Baby Octopus. We Let It Go Carefully On A Rock Where It Camouflaged Itself Beyond Us Recognizing It

Click Below Pictures To Enlarge

Pretty Sponge Flat Fish File Fish Maureen Contrast Beauty Hungry Moral Eel

Camouflaged Scenic Reef Anomie Poison Bristle Worm Big and Small Creatures Blue Tang 2 Coral Shrimp Trumpet Fish

On our fourth day we decided to take some local advice and hit a bakery that produces cassava bread just before the village of Canaries and then continue to an unmarked waterfall in the area. Cassava bread is made from flour grinded from the cassava root. At Plas Kassav they mix it with coconut and then add ingredients like berries, chocolate, bananas, dried fish or mix fruit. Because we arrived at 9:30AM most flavors were sold out. We did see the bakery behind the shop with their large wood burning kettles in clean up mode. In tasting the cherry cassava we found this patty looking bread a bit heavy with plenty and coconut and cherry taste. The cost was EC7 or less than US$2.00

View Of Waterfalls After 20 Minute Easy Hike Outside of Canaries, St. Lucia

The Paved Section Of Jungle Road To Falls Cooling Off In Falls Near Canaries

Getting to our next stop required us to make a left turn after the bridge on the main road in Canaries and then drive a few miles on a one lane bumpy jungle road. We were happy to have the higher clearance vehicle as it took the bumps and tight switchbacks well. At the end of the road we walked across a steel bridge and continued on a pretty but worn path until we reached the stream and saw the falls. At the end of the path we crossed over a few rocks until we reached the pool where this picture perfect falls dropped into. For several minutes we had the place to ourselves until three young couples from London joined us who had also been staying in Marigot Bay. After admiring this beautiful falls we all waded in and cooled off swimming around like happy children. It was a St. Lucia find at its finest. This meant a beautiful place, not that hard to get to and no cruise boaters to crowd it up simply because the roads would not take the vans. After splashing about we walked back to the SUV and decided that going back to Ti Kaye Resort 10 minutes away would be a fine place to lunch and beach. Once again we left 30 minutes before sunset so we can watch it from our villa in the pool.

Maureen With Ezra James, Tours Supervisor with vats behind them. At the Still

Aging Area Where Rum Sits In Old Jack Daniels Barrels Which Help Give Chairman's Reserve and Admiral Rodney Rum Its Flavor

On our fifth day we decide it was time to explore the northern part of the island as well as a windward Atlantic Ocean beach. Before doing this we made an appointment to see the island’s rum distillery just five minutes down the road. The reason for wanting to see them is because over the last several years I have acquired a taste for fine aged rum. These are not the types of rum one mixes with Coke. These you sip as you would a good Cognac or Scotch due to their smoothness and quality in the aging. St. Lucia Distillers has been in operation since 1972 as a merger between two old distilleries. They produce all of the St. Lucia’s different type of rums. If you go to St. Lucia and have an interest in how rum is made in what would a smaller factory we recommend the 90 minute “Rhythm of Rum” tour. The tour is entertaining and informative. We learned their best rums “Chairman’s Reserve” and “Admiral Rodney” go through an aging process in Jack Daniel’s barrels that give it a smooth taste and soft finish. They also produce basic rums used for mixing drinks as well as flavored rums. One unique rum we tried was called “Nutz” and was like tasting a liquid Snicker’s bar. While not the type of rum I would sip on, I did buy a bottle to pour over vanilla ice cream or to make a peanut martini. They also make a banana cream rum that sold out but we were lucky to buy it in a local store. There is a factory store on premises.

Panoramic Photo of Cas En Bas Beach with Little Our Korean 4 X 4 on Left Next To Marjorie's

From the distillery it took us about 40 minutes to drive through the capital of Castries and up past Rodney Bay to Cas En Bas. Cas En Bas is a circular beach on the north windward side. There is one small hotel here and one restaurant souvenir shop called Marjorie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant. It is also a place to go horseback riding. When you get to the beach park next to Marjorie’s as she lets you use some of the lounge chairs at no charge. In return one should buy a few cocktails or lunch. Her lunch of fresh fish and chicken was delicious and reasonably priced. (call 4508637 or email majorie66@candw.tc if you wish to have dinner on the ocean there) After eating we hung out on her lounge chairs and watched the kite surfers do their thing enjoying the constant breeze. Because the wind is so constant and the beach nice and sandy this place is becoming a haven for this sport.

1000 Year Old Cooking Site Along With Slightly Newer Artifacts Found On Cas En Bas Beach

After a little lounging we decided to take a walk to the north side of the beach and came across a Dutch archaeology team finishing up their dig of the area. A Prof. Dr C.I. Hofman of Leiden University was kind enough to show us around describing how the university oversaw the excavation of the indigenous people dating back about 1000 years. She said erosion as well as construction vehicles driving in the area were exposing the area to the point where bones and other artifacts were coming to the surface. She showed us a recently discovered cooking area complete with a stone fireplace. Next to it were intact large shells. These shells had 1000 year old burn marks on them because the people literally cooked the meat out of the shell. She also walked us around nearby where exposed pottery shards were on the surface. It was a unique experience of being in the right place at the right time.

Reduit Beach On North Side of Island Taking Waverunner Across Bay to Pigeon Island in Back Ground

From Cas En Bas we headed back to Rodney Bay Marina where we paid a visit to our new friends we met early in the week. After security let is on the dock we found the 160 foot Westport Yacht with Harley and Laura on it. We marveled at this amazing luxury vessel that they call their home and work. We chatted a while and invited them to visit us when they come north. From Rodney Bay we drove around to Reduit Beach to see why this place is so popular. We parked in front of the Rex Hotel and walked through it to see a long sandy beach with lots of hotels lined along it shores and many people in the sand. After walking end to end on the beach we got stopped by man who rented us wave runner for 40 minutes at $40. We rented it because we wanted to shoot across the large bay and see and see Pigeon Island as well as all the hotels that line this busy beach along with the yachts anchored here.

Pigeon Island (now connected to St. Lucia)

Pigeon Island is a tall vantage point used to protect the island from invasion. It should be noted that St. Lucia changed hands seven times between France and England until England won out in the end. Near Pigeon Island we saw Sandals and the new Rock Resort which was still being built. While the area here is nice, I almost feel sorry for the people that never leave the resort to head south to the Pitons, the rain forest area as well as prettier less crowded beaches near Soufriere. We found that area in the north was arid, more crowded, but had the convenience to lots of bars, restaurants, fast food places and mini-strip malls. Another words, it was not the St. Lucia I had come to love. Heading back to Marigot Bay we hit traffic in Castries where it took 10 minutes to drive 4 blocks based on bad traffic management thus missing our nightly sunset in the pool.

Snapper Cooked In Aluminum Next To My Mahi-Mahi on Fire Fresh Lobster and Crab Back (stuffed crab shell)

Being this was a Friday night, we headed to dinner at fish festival / street party at Anse La Raye. We picked going to Anse La Raye because it was only 10 minutes south of Marigot Bay. Here on Fridays the street closest to the beach is shut down and vendors open up selling seafood. This includes fish cakes, lobster, poached and fried fish and even grilled fish on request. There is music going and it is a fun cheap way to eat and meet people. If you do not eat any kind of seafood bring a sandwich so your significant other can enjoy it. My wife had a healthy portion of “mac pie” or what is a macaroni and cheese pie along with a Johnny Cake. (grilled bread). Things here get started around 7:30. Visit here if you are staying south on the island. If you are staying in the north I recommend going to the Gros Islet “Jump Up”. In St. Lucia there are two events every Friday night and Gros Islet “Jump Up” is the bigger of the two. The fun usually starts around 9PM but ends much later also.

Castries Saturday Produce Market

Saturday was our last full day in St. Lucia. Saturday is also when St. Lucian’s go to market early to set up, sell and buy produce. As we love local markets and have visited them all over the world we did not want to miss this one followed by a visit to the adjacent craft/ tourist market. The produce market had more than 50 tables set up and loaded with locally grown fruits and vegetables. Many were obviously tropical in nature while others were of more the standard variety we see at home. All the tables were overseen by women. At the market we bought some carrots and a grapefruit as well as some spices and pepper sauce. There were also two butcher shops cutting and selling meat.

Buying Produce & Spices Outdoor Butcher Baron For Different Pepper Sauces, Banana Ketchup and More

( Click Above Three To Enlarge Picture)

As we missed breakfast and was hungry, we walked to the food court (or alley) based on a waitresses suggestion earlier in the week and visited food stall number 8. Here we ordered a late breakfast of mac pie, noodles and vegetables, cooked beans, salad and sweet potato. This large plate of food that we shared only cost us EC$12 or about US$4. (We passed on the fish that was offered as it was a little early to eat more.) Next to the stalls were tables with mostly St. Lucian’s eating away and looking very hungry as many started their day 6AM or earlier. A young American couple wandering about saw us eating and decided it was worth a try joining us. From the food market we walked into the market for tourists and bought locally made beaded necklaces, earrings and the obligatory T-shirt.

Getting A Late Breakfast At Stall #8 In Food Alley At Market One Delicious Plate Of Local Food

The most important thing we wanted to on our last day was to have some beach time in a tropical setting. With this in mind we headed 50 minutes south and just past Soufriere to Jalousie Plantation Resort. This is a hotel / partial ownership resort set in the middle of the magnificent Pitons. About a mile from the hotel we had learned there is a “warm” waterfall one can visit for US$3 each. We decide to pull in because there were no vans or mini-buses in the parking lot. After paying $3 each we walked 5 minutes down the path and steps. At the end there is a waterfall that had a manmade basin or pool at the bottom of it. Here the water falls dropped in it. On the left side of the falls there was a long PVC pipe that came down from the mountain into another small pool near by.

The Pitons Warm Water Mineral Falls The Water Falls High Up From the Cliff And Drops in Man Made Pool

This water was hot because it did not bounce off the cliff and cool off. We found one young couple at the base of the falls enjoying the warm water running on them. They were leaving as we were getting in and enjoyed having the pool and falls to ourselves. We really liked this place but decided we needed the beach so we got up and started to leave just as a cruise boat tour with about 20 Europeans got there. This is not a big place so my advice would be to check the place out when you are in the area. If you see a large van or two in the parking lot consider visiting after 3PM. The $3 gives you an hour’s time which is more than enough here.

Beach Side View Jalousie Plantation With Petit Piton Cliff View With Underwater Camera of Beach from Coral Reef

From the falls we continued a mile to Jalousie Plantation. We walked down the steep hill to the beach and purchased a day pass for $20 each. The day pass gave the use of a thickly padded chaise lounge and large straw palapa that offered plenty of shade. Here we ordered cocktails and lunch and had it served beach side. We then snorkeled on the protected coral reef adjacent to the beach, swam to their floating platform and napped on it taking the sun in. Jalousie was the picture perfect beach to finish our week. In fact the beach is really a little too perfect as the hotel imports fine sand from Barbados to cover its pebbly bottom but you would never know it unless told. What I will say is that it works real nice here and it was worth the day fee if you are not a guest here or in Ladera.

Snorkeling The Jalousie Reef Chasing some Blue Tangs Brain Coral

On our return day our flight did not leave until 4PM. We were thrilled as this gave us a half a day in our villa with nothing to do but lounge in the pool until it was time to shower and leave. We spent 8:30 to 11:30 in the pool even bringing a tray of food next to it to have breakfast.

Last Morning Activity Was All Pool Side With Great Views

IF YOU GO:

Hotels:

My personal recommendation is to stay in the south part of the island. Hotels to put on the list should include Ladera, Anse Chastanet and Jade Hotel (which is part of Anse Chastanet and more expensive), Jalousie Plantation and Stonefield Estate Villa for the area around Soufriere. Slightly north I would consider Ti Kaye Resort. Ladera and Stonefield are not beach side but have shuttles running regularly to the beach where you can use the lounge chairs. Ladera and Stonefield both offer private pools. For Marigot Bay you can check out Oasis Marigot or the Marigot Beach Club Hotel and Dive Resort.

A Beautiful St Lucia Plunge Pool View

Villa Rental:

Having our own villa was a nice change. We certainly did not mind the price savings and did not miss eating the large buffet breakfasts (or the prices attached to them). In fact breakfast usually cost us less than $2.00 by getting a buttered baguette at the local bakery. Being on our own with a vehicle also allowed us to eat in different places. We were not dependent on a hotel as our only source of meals. Having a kitchen also allows you to go to the local market and get fresh island ingredients and cook them up thus saving money on food or having the fun of trying new ingredients to cook with. We did not do that but had we stayed longer would have. The Caribbean Blue Suite villa at the end of the bluff overlooking nothing but the Caribbean Sea made us feel like we were in our own world. The down side of course meant no room service but we did have daily maid service. For villa rentals of different sizes I suggest going to www.vrbo.com and click the area you want to stay. We found multi room homes and suites all over the island. In fact in one area we found a 3 Bedroom air conditioned house with pool and housekeeper for $350 a night.

Our Villa:

Marigot Oasis Go to www.oasismarigot.com and click to Caribbean Blue Suite or any of the other larger villas if you wish to stay in Marigot Bay. Villas here are rented on both sides of Marigot Bay. The north side accommodations are accessible by pontoon ferry that takes a few minutes. You then get to your villa via vernacular or steps. These villas are clumped together. The Caribbean Blue Suite and Emerald Villa are next to each other on the south side of the bay and required us to drive up a narrow and bumpy road to the very end. I would not stay here without a vehicle. Both places give you complete privacy with their pools so skinny dipping would be perfectly acceptable if desired. Our price was $235 a night which was much lower than a comparable hotel room. This is because you get 2 nights free when staying seven. Our Suite or villa included one bedroom that had a four poster queen bed with a modern and quiet air conditioner that chilled very nicely. It also has a ceiling fan. Adjacent was a bathroom with a tiled shower. The outer room was open air via four slotted doors on two sides that completely folded out. When opened you had views of ocean, sunset, passing boats and the hummingbirds. This outer room was not air conditioned for obvious reasons. It had a complete kitchen and couch looking out. The star of the villa was the blue tiled pool that was at the end of the bluff attached to the outer room. For most of the week we tried to be back there to watch the sunset with cocktail in hand. The suite did not have a TV. Internet was promised but was not working until the manager fixed it on our third day. If you decide to stay here make it clear with the reservation that it is important to you and to confirm it is working.

See http://www.youtube.com/user/tubehemlock#p/a/u/0/rDlmRGN59hk for what this villa looked like

Food:

Marigot Bay:

Doolittle’s: www.marigotbeachclubhotel.com Doolittle’s is named aptly after the famous movie made in the 1960’s that was filmed in this bay. We had dinner here twice and found the Pepper-Pot their best dish followed by their fish specials. On our second dinner here we met David Shimeld who has owned the place for 16 years. He is a transplant from London of one of the Caribbean’s more colorful characters he got to meet and like. You can see him sitting at the bar making sure his place runs smoothly and the guests are happy. Doolittle’s has a bar, waterside tables and a lounge area where guests can meet each other over a game of pool. He serves three meals a day. The restaurant is below his 25 villas or studio suites overlooking the bay. You get to Doolittle’s via a free two minute pontoon ferry ride.

David Shimeld, Owner, Complete With A Pretty Lady, Rum and Cigarette. Banana's Foster

Chateau My Go: www.chateaumygo.com This place is on the south side of the bay adjacent to the mall. We had a wonderful sautéed chicken dish in a mild light colored chili sauce along with mahi-mahi and local side dishes. The small pizza’s that came out of the kitchen also looked good if you want a change back from non local food.

JJ’s (on the road into Marigot Bay). This is the least expensive and simplest place of the four in the area we ate at. We found the island style food and service very friendly. They made very St. Lucian soups as well as Creole food. A bonus here is the bakery counter in the back called Mama Sheila’s Snackette. Do not leave here without at least few pieces of her cakes. Her lemon cake tasted like the one my grandma used to make. The New York style cheesecake is on par with the best that comes out New York. We ordered in advance and took home her rum cake. It will be hard to buy another airport boxed rum cake again. They can be reached by emailing sherille@hotmail.com or calling 772-7643

Marigot Bay Hotel: www.discoverystlucia.com This is an upscale hotel on the bay adjacent to the yachts. They have an upscale dinning place as well as nice bar. We enjoyed a well made club sandwich here one night at the bar.

Julian’s: Just below JJ’s is Julian’s. We made a reservation based on good things we had heard from people living on the island. Unfortunately we found the food flat. The problem was she was having a issue getting water delivered and when we made the reservation in person you can see this troubled her and in fact was not sure even to open the place that night until we stopped by.

South:

Ladera www.ladera.com We did dinner here because we spent the day at Anse Chastanet. Ladera is a magnificent hotel with food to match. We were here on Tuesday which was the manager’s cocktail party and buffet dinner. There was enough delicious canapés and appetizers to fill you up if you desired at the cocktail party so we had to pace ourselves. While we usually don’t do buffet’s, Ladera would be the exception.

Castries:

We only hit the food alley where the market is. All the stalls served up fresh fish and chicken and local side dishes of mac pie, salad and rice.

Car Rental: Surf the net on car deals. Some rental companies are better than others. Look for free days when renting a week and as well as free drop offs and pick ups. It is about the same price to rent a car as it is to take a taxi to most hotels from the airport in the south so that day is a wash. We like to drive so we took the car for the week and got a free day. We used Costless because they responded quickly and met us at the airport where we signed for the car in the parking lot.

St. Lucia Distillers Go to www.saintluciarums.com to learn about their fine products and to get tour information. I recommend if you are staying on the island to go by 10AM to avoid any large tours from any cruise boats that on the island that day. This tour will show you how rum is distilled and then let you sample many of the products they sell.

Common Sense Travel:

St. Lucia is not known for attacks on tourists and considered a safe island. However crime is on the rise and if you are careful you should have no problem. It was made clear to me by people living there as well as the people running the villa that common sense should be used. That means treat the island as you may treat any city at home. Do not walk around strange neighborhoods at night, stay in well lit more traveled areas, do not leave anything on the beach unattended where there are no guards and keep valuables out of site when parked. Please note that people are helpful on the island. If you stop for directions we were told to give the person a pleasant greeting and ask how to get to the place needed. While picking up people on the street is not a good idea in general, in Marigot Bay we would occasionally give an older woman or children a lift up the steep hill in the area. They really appreciated that. Lastly the food and water is safe in St Lucia. I also recommend bringing your favorite bug spray in case you are bothered by mosquitoes. We did not find them much of a problem as they only appeared at dusk.

EXTRAS: Please click the picture to enlarge it

The Village of Anse La Raye showing older small homes

Click Photo To Enlarge It

Friends at the Caribbean Blue Suite (the bug was sucked up a split second by the small frog after the shot)

Marigot Beach From Bluff New Friends Work & Home

***Please email any corrections or comments to tab@tabhauser.com Home Page www.tabhauser.com