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Original poster

St Lucia - first time visit

30 replies

Helpmetounderstand · 22/10/2023 15:23

We have used our amazing airmiles to book 14 nights in St Lucia in August 2024. But I'm slightly struggling with the price of hotels, and whether or not we should stay the whole time in one resort.

Most of the resorts I have found (on Hotels.com) are in the north of the Island (Rodney Bay, although The Landings is the one I quite like the look of). If we stay in one of those hotels, we won't be able to afford all inclusive. I'm unsure if not going all inclusive will end up more expensive, or if it is perfectly easy and practical to eat outside the hotel (the only issue being a fussy family, aside from me, who went to Thailand and ate burgers most of the time).

I would like to visit Soufriere, and I have read that the roads are not so fabulous, and so I wondered if we should stay a few nights there (sadly, it won't be at Sugar Beach!). In which case, do we consider staying for some days on the north of the island, hire a care for some days in the middle, include some nights staying in Soufriere, and then either go back to the north, or go to Vieux Fort?

Also, this is a really stupid question, but I'm wondering how St Lucia compares in atmosphere to Thailand? I realise they are totally different countries and cultures, but I wanted to ask if anyone has been to both.

Thanks!

OP posts:
OrangeBlossom28 · 22/10/2023 15:29

I can only comment on my own experiences of the island and where we stayed. The journey from the airport to the resort we stayed at, The Royalton, was long and very winding although very scenic.
We had heard about the local Friday night party but didn't go. We also heard about it being less safe to travel to the capital Castries on your own.
Hoping others come along with more info.

Original poster
Helpmetounderstand · 22/10/2023 15:43

Thanks for replying @OrangeBlossom28 can I ask, did you enjoy your stay? Did you do much sight seeing beyond the resort, or did you stay mostly in your resort? I'm just trying to get a feel of how easy it is to get around a little. Thanks!

OP posts:
OrangeBlossom28 · 22/10/2023 15:45

We planned to go out on trips from the resort but DH had what we think was E Coli so was quite poorly and we didn't go. A family we made friends with there went on some excursions and really enjoyed them.
I think it's a safe island overall.

sárinaaa · 22/10/2023 15:50

Sorry to be a Debby Downer… but fourteen nights is a very long time on St Lucia. We were there in July and it pissed down for all four days. It gets a lot more rain than nearby islands because it is so mountainous.

The pitons are gorgeous though. You get a fab view of them as you come in to land.

In terms of where to stay, the intl airport is in the south. If I were you, I’d split my time between different areas of the island. We stayed at Balenbouche estate which was lovely and very readonable, but not on the beach.

FrillyGoatFluff · 22/10/2023 15:54

The journey from the airport to resort was beautiful, but Christ alive I felt so so sick. I don't get travel sick, but those roads in a coach for two hours was NOT FUN. Especially with people puking all round you!

We rolled our eyes at people getting helicopter transfers from the airport, and joked about how ridiculous it was, but after that journey I can see why they did!

Echo PPs saying two weeks is quite long too. We had a fortnight and we're definitely ready for home by day 9/10.

It is a stunning island though ❤️

villagelife1992 · 22/10/2023 16:33

14 nights is a long time in St Lucia. We didn't feel as safe as other carribean islands. There seemed to be an undertone. We did a nice boat trip and went to see the Hotel Chocolate plantation but couldn't find much else to do. We went 7 years ago so things might have changed. If you like beaches I remember one side of the island being better than the other (like a lot of the islands).

ScandiNoirNuit · 22/10/2023 17:49

We were there last year and I loved it but would say a week is definitely long enough. We were AI which we never normally do but I am so glad we did as it was extortionate to eat within the resorts eg $60 a head for mediocre lunch. Very different to Thailand in that respect. We stayed in Rodney Bay. The Friday night party was great but we had kids with us which limited things quite a bit!

Beware that everything is priced in dollars and can work out quite expensive eg hiring a taxi for days trips, snorkelling etc

Loved it but I wouldn’t say it was the easiest place to explore.

itchyhand · 22/10/2023 18:14

Is it definitely a hotel you're looking for? We stayed in a treehouse and apartment we found on Airbnb in Laborie. We borrowed their car and it felt like we did the Caribbean on a shoestring. We did go up north and it felt totally different, hassled on the beach etc.

We went to the fancy hotels for lunch and a look around and they are stunning, but then we pootled back down to our unspoilt tropical beach.

Just realised it was 8 years ago Confused

AmandaHoldensLips · 22/10/2023 18:18

Don't bother with Castries. It's horrible.

cptartapp · 22/10/2023 18:40

It's thirty years since we went. My over riding memory is being horrendously travel sick.

Nodashians · 22/10/2023 19:00

Years ago I went for 10 nights and stayed in self catering accommodation for the first five nights near Reduit Beach. From there I did lots of excursions, went on the beach and had lunch at the place on the beach a couple of times and ate out somewhere different each evening. Then we got a taxi to what was then called Almond Smugglers Cove and made the most of all the hotel facilities. It was a fantastic holiday.

Silkiefloof · 22/10/2023 19:04

We went there years ago but just for the day from Martinique on the boat Express des Iles. It was very beautiful but we preferred Martinique but you could travel between the two.

nobleisle · 22/10/2023 19:23

My husbands family is from St Lucia so ive been a few times. Deff go all inclusive. Soufriere is beautiful, we stayed in fond doux and went to sugar beach for the day. Amazing snorkelling. Hotel chocolat is in Soufriere and they have a restaurant over looking the pitons which is beautiful!
There's also the sulphur springs there which is great.
I'd split my time between Soufriere and the main land so like gros Islet/ Castries.

nobleisle · 22/10/2023 19:23

It is quite a long drive though!

Original poster
Helpmetounderstand · 23/10/2023 14:24

Thanks so much for all of your comments! They have been really helpful, although I have to confess, they have helped me to decide that it might not be the right place for us to go. The flights were super cheap Avios flights, so I have sucked it up and taken the hit to cancel the flights. St Lucia looked so very beautiful, but the resorts are incredibly expensive, and we are a little worried we might be disappointed. We were lucky enough to go to Thailand this year, and it just feels so very safe and easy to travel around. We can maybe do St Lucia at some point in the future!

OP posts:
Eebygumball · 23/10/2023 17:53

@Helpmetounderstand
Have you considered Grenada? BA fly there so you can use Avios and it’s a very safe island. They drive on the left so hiring a car is very easy. Lovely beaches, rainforest, historic sites, lots to see and do.
Not very touristy (in a good way). Plenty of places to eat out in addition to the few hotels.
We stayed a fortnight, drove out and about , did organised tours, lovely small capital city.
And I’ll say it again, it’s known as a very safe place. We walked out and about in the evenings for dinner, with pre teens, locals were all polite and friendly, traffic would stop and let us cross the road. We also got the local “bus”/minivan into the capital several times which was quite an experience, filled to capacity with the locals, blaring music, great fun!

Reallyitsonlyme · 22/04/2024 07:44

Going to resurrect this for my own purposes! What did you decide in the end @Helpmetounderstand?

@Silkiefloof We plan to fly to St Lucia on air miles then get the boat to Martinique for most of the time. We are finding it hard to get much info on Martinique though, do you have any tips? (For context we spent a few weeks in Guadeloupe last year and can speak French).

We did mostly self catering places we found on booking.com along with a hotel and b&b for a few nights but generally prefer self catering ideally within walking distance of facilities but know we may have to sacrifice the walking distance bit.

@itchyhand that sounds great. Do you have a link to the accommodation you stayed in?

We have 18 nights in total and would like to spend a few days when we get to St Lucia Then go to Martinique for 10 days or so then a few days in St Lucia again before flying home.

Any tips welcome! Thank you.

FestivalFun · 22/04/2024 08:16

I went about 15 years ago with my DC, I stayed in a hotel called Almond Smugglers Cove for the second half of the holiday. This hotel may have changed names but some googling could find his out, it’s near Pigeon Island. For the first half of the holiday we stayed in a self catering town house (the equivalent of an airbnb) near Reduit Beach. We went out on a trip nearly each day and had one day on the beach, I wonder if the restaurant called Windjammers is still there. I had no problems with the roads. I only have extremely positive memories of the holiday.

House4DS · 22/04/2024 08:22

@Helpmetounderstand whereabouts did you go in Thailand? Was that in our summer too?

Original poster
Helpmetounderstand · 22/04/2024 12:08

@House4DS It was summer. We went to Chiang Mai, Koh samui, Krabi and Bangkok. We had an AMAZING time. Only thing we wouldn’t do again is Bangkok. It was so humid and hot it was oppressive. We had some bits of rain, and one stormy day in Krabi but we would 100% go again in the summer.

OP posts:
jeaux90 · 23/04/2024 06:35

@Reallyitsonlyme we stayed in St Lucia and we absolutely loved Windjammer resort.

LoudSnoringDog · 23/04/2024 06:39

ive booked St Lucia for DPs 50th in March 2025. We decided all inclusive

echo comments re Thailand. We went in feb and have rebooked for new year. Best place I’ve ever been

itchyhand · 23/04/2024 06:55

Reallyitsonlyme · 22/04/2024 07:44

Going to resurrect this for my own purposes! What did you decide in the end @Helpmetounderstand?

@Silkiefloof We plan to fly to St Lucia on air miles then get the boat to Martinique for most of the time. We are finding it hard to get much info on Martinique though, do you have any tips? (For context we spent a few weeks in Guadeloupe last year and can speak French).

We did mostly self catering places we found on booking.com along with a hotel and b&b for a few nights but generally prefer self catering ideally within walking distance of facilities but know we may have to sacrifice the walking distance bit.

@itchyhand that sounds great. Do you have a link to the accommodation you stayed in?

We have 18 nights in total and would like to spend a few days when we get to St Lucia Then go to Martinique for 10 days or so then a few days in St Lucia again before flying home.

Any tips welcome! Thank you.

This is the treehouse:

www.airbnb.com/slink/jdCb2HOZ

If you check the host profile you can see their apartment which we stayed in too.

These were the only homes on Airbnb when we went but there's loads now. I'd love to go back and see how much it's changed.

Wallpaperontheceilings · 23/04/2024 07:02

I was so, so I’ll on the bus journey from the airport to the hotel. Worst journey of my life, I thought it would never end. We did the helicopter trip back to the airport, and it was amazing! Made the holiday so special.

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