Im heading down there in just under a month and have done a pletheria of research. Just wondering if anyone has any firsthand experience of what to do and what not to do…Thanks! -Rob
Go on the “JEEP” tour and request Big Joe as a guide, He will hook you up, super cool Rasta guy.
The tour was awesome too, eating just picked coconut, bananas, walk right up to a volcano, random guy on the road who takes Bob Marley requests, walk through a rainforest, swim under a water fall, etc, etc,…
Oh and leave a big tip, most of the Americans gave him like $5 after being with him all day. Lame!
Where are you staying?
Grande st Lucian resort. I’ll be there for a week. Was thinking of renting a motorcycle for a day to go exploring
I spent a week there this time last year actually.
Many beautiful parts of the island but sadly, theyre still rebuilding from the hurricanes a few years ago. There are also some dumpy parts of the cities that are very close to the touristy areas so just try to be on guard for that. Much like any Caribbean destination, theyre main industry is tourism but I found them to be a little more on the pushier side than say the Bahamas. You also gotta remember everything on the island is small and scaled down so youll probably have to spread out where you spend your time but if you do theres a lot to take in.
With those disclaimers aside, I also found it to be much more of an authentic island experience than the bigger named islands (ive only been to the Bahamas so im going on stories/what ive seen when I compare to the rest of the Caribbean here lol). If youve done your research then you know all the typical stuff so dont be afraid of TripAdvisor reviews and such.
The Pitons are OUT OF THIS WORLD BEAUTIFUL. Ive been all over, and that was by far the most beautiful view ive ever taken in. Dint spend any time in Vieux Fort but Castries is a great little city. I also made it to many of the little towns up and down the coast and those were in their own unique right a really cool experience. I highly recommend a land and sea tour. Definitely the best way to see the island. Theyll take you to all the major destinations within the island (Volcano, Pitons, etc) and then take you back to your resort by means of boat so you get to see it from a distant view which I found pretty interesting.
Usually when I vacation, im up and about and always on my feet but to be honest, on this trip I just did a lot of relaxing. Based on word of mouth of the other people at the resort though, the zipline course and atv tours were really great too.
I think we did the land and sea tour as well because we did some snorkling too. (We brought our own masks and snorkels as we don’t like TB. )
The ride from the airport is sketchy with those roads and those drivers. LOL
We took a helicoptor back to the airport when we left and flew over the Pitons etc.
If you do a good tour you learn a lot about their culture and economy. Big Joe said if the US bought like 2% of their bananas from the island their would be no poverty, etc. It was cool too because he would yell to his Rasta friends walking down the road with greetings and such.
We are planning to do some activites together. My whole family is going for my brother’s wedding. I upgraded my room from the garden to a balcony view over the Caribbean so that I could really enjoy the trip. Did you guys prepay for these activities or is it better to wait until you get there?
I don’t remember but knowing my wife she booked everything in advance.
We paid while we were there. A lot of times the resort endorsed activities are inferior to the independent ones so we used tripadvisor and word of mouth to pick out what we wanted to do. Sounds a little nit pickey but you spend so much money on a trip like this, why risk some of these “once in a lifetime” activities being ruined to a bad tour or something like that.
Thats what I found out. It looks like Sandals is a little biased on what they offer for activites. I started doing my own research and found many more things to do, but also much cheaper too. Did either of you rent a car while there or rely on public transportation? I am not sure if my hotel offers transportation to any places.
I am pretty sure this is what we did but it was years ago so…
http://www.islandroutes.com/tours/descriptions.cfm?event=ehTours.dspDescription&tid=67&cid=7
For some reason, your link is blocked at work, but I think this is what you are referring to
It is Island Routes - A member of The Sandels group of companies
Land & Sea Saint Lucia Adventure
A guided historical tour begins on land through banana plantations, Marigot Bay and the fishing village of Anse La Raye. On arrival to Soufriere, take in the spectacular view of the majestic Pitons. After a stop at the Sulphur Springs “drive-in- volcano,” the picturesque Diamond Waterfall and a walk through the lush Botanical Gardens. Lunch is served and then it’s time to head out to sea on a catamaran for snorkeling and a stop at Marigot Bay – where the films Dr. Doolittle and Superman II were filmed – for a photo op.
Note: Days of operation: Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday
Tour Facts
Approximately: 7:0 hours
Min.Age: 5 years
Things to consider
•Not recommended for pregnant women
•Not accessible for the physically challenged
•Not recommended for people with back problems or who have had a recent back surgery
•Not recommended for people with respiratory or heart problems
•Not recommended for people with a recent arm/hand surgery
•Not handicapped accessible
Be sure to bring
•Sneakers
•Change of Clothes
•Towel
•Swimsuit
•Cash
•Camera
•Sunscreen
•Water Shoes
•No Jewelry
Prices Starting
From
Adult…$118.00Kids…$60.00