Remembering the good times… That’s what I prefer when I write travel articles! So I’m super happy to write this article about my visit at Saint Lucia [a tropical island], in the Caribbeans.
BOOKING
We received the help from a specialized agency because we didn’t know anything about Saint Lucia. Moreover, my sister lives in Canada, so we had to book different flights. There are two airports in Saint Lucia, one that is linked to Paris, and the other to Canada. Of course, both airports are on different ends of the island. So we definitely needed some help.
HOTEL
We stayed at the Saint James Morgan Bay Resort. It is a big resort with two pools, beaches and several restaurants, activities, gyms,… We had an ‘all inclusive’ services: meaning we could eat and drink whenever we wanted, and as much we wanted! That’s what I call true holidays! There are many resorts like this in Saint Lucia.
TRAVEL
The island is quite big but you can go from an end to another in only 2 hours by car. We rented a car for a day in order to be free to travel through the island. It was pretty nice, but be careful as the roads are difficult to drive on! Roads are uneven, sometimes damaged, and people drive quite fast there. Be careful if you have motion sickness, you may have a hard time. You can also drive a cab but it is quite expensive (around $40 to go from a city to another). Last option, you can use the local bus. It looks like a mini van, with around fifteen places. You just need to know your destination, and you ask the driver. A ticket costs $1,70 (Caribbean dollars) which is a few cents in Euros. It is quite cheap, and really funny!
WEATHER
The weather is really hot and humid (impossible to do my hair!). It’s rare to have less than 25 degrees. We went there in March, and it was the best time to visit. However, there were some heavy rain (with hot water). It was ok as they didn’t last more than 5 minutes. By the way, one of my favorite memories was when I was swimming in the sea and it started to rain all of a sudden. I was already wet, and having the hot water falling on me felt super nice. It was like having a relaxing shower!
MONEY
The country’s currency is the Caribbean dollar, but as there are many tourists from USA (it’s only 5hours away by flight) it is possible to pay in American dollars.
FOOD
There are many dishes made with cooked fish, marinated chicken, rice, plantain or green banana (curiously, it has a floury texture). At the hotel, food was American-like. It makes sense as most of the tourists are from USA.
ACTIVITIES
We enjoyed several excursions.
La Soufrière
With a guide, we went to the south of the island, to a city called La Soufrière. We visited a volcano, put some mud on our bodies and bathed in natural hot springs heated by the volcano.. We ate at a traditional restaurant, and went back to the volcano hot springs. On the way back, we saw Saint Lucia’s pitons. It was such a nice adventure!
Pigeon Island
The day we rented a car, we went to Pigeon Island. It is on the top of the Island. Water’s color was turquoise… It was beautiful! There is a park (Pigeon Island Park) where you pay an entrance fee and you can rent some deckchairs and spend the day there. Water is so clear we did some snorkeling! We used our own equipment, but it is also possible to rent them at the location.
Marigot Bay
On the same day, we went to Marigot Bay. It is a harbor with designers shops, yachts, spa,… I felt like being in an American movie!
Castries Market
On a Saturday morning, we went to the Castries Market. It was a nice experience! There are a lot of craft items, yummy food from local producers (mainly fruits and fish), spices, clothing,… As we clearly were tourists (what, a sunburn on my face?), we were called by the merchants. They are not persistent, so no problem, just don’t be surprise.
Friday Night Market at Gros Islet
This market has been created by fishermen as they used to rest during weekend days, they were selling all the unsold fishes on Friday night. Many people used to gather and it usually ended as a party! Nowadays, there are a lot of street foods, craft ship, rhum… and music with people dancing! I personally didn’t like it as there were many weird people, and stray dogs (they were so skinny, poor animals!). I didn’t enjoy the atmosphere, but it is still something to see.
SOUVENIRS
What gifts to buy? As in most of Caribbean islands, it is forbidden to take shellfishes from the beach, in order to not disrupting the eco-system. So even if there are some sellers on the road, do not buy them, otherwise you’ll have a fine to pay! It is the same for plants, flowers,… It’s forbidden. I would recommend you to buy spices, craft items (bags, paintings, bowls, jewels,…). What I came back home with? A lot of pictures, and incredible memories.
I hope you enjoyed discovering Saint Lucia! I read a lot of articles about Guadeloupe and Martinique, but not so many about this island. Saint Lucia is a bit poorer than its two other sisters, but it deserves to be visited!
And you, do you want to visit Caribbean islands?
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Blog: TheDailyParis
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