The Jalousie Plantation was the last place we stayed at in St Lucia. A five-star resort, it has been winning many awards this year including the Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Travel Awards 2010; "Favourite Leisure Hotel, The Americas & the Caribbean."
It is a luxurious resort, spread out over 100 acres of rainforest between the Pitons. We stayed in a new luxury villa and as soon as we stepped in I could see that every last detail was finished to the highest standard; my favourite parts were the fabulous four-poster bed and spacious double shower. Our location presented awesome views of the Petit Piton, which looked great from our private plunge pool.
Eager to explore and check out the sports facilities, we were quick to dump our bags and get down to the beach. I could have cried at the view. For me, this was paradise.
The resort had a lot of activities on offer, although many were not complimentary as at Rendevous. Wakeboarding, tubing, water skiing and scuba away from the beach are all extra; Hobie Cat dinghy’s, snorkels, windsurfing, kayaking, archery, yoga and pedalos were included.
A shuttle bus service is used for guests to move around the resort as it is fairly spread out in the forest, our villa was located at the top of a steep hill. Although all of the drivers were smiley, friendly and courteous; the service itself needs some attention. On a regular basis the shuttles took 30 minutes to pick us up from our villa, which is quite annoying when you have dinner reservations or a water taxi waiting.
The food was great, we mainly ate in the beach-side restuarant, with great views across Anse de Pitons. For one meal we dined in the Great Room, a new restuarant on site with live piano music, soft lighting, impressive chandeliers and a gorgeous dark wood bar. We ate sashimi, Parrotfish and an open seafood lasagne; which were all divine. Only on half board at the time, we had to pay for drinks, and two glasses (of very good) wine cost $23 including two lots of taxes!
Although there are various board options at the Jalousie, one needs to be careful how they plan to stay there. All-inclusive is a simple, if pricey option, coming in at $123 p/person, p/day. Ever the entrepid explorers, we decided to take a mixed approach; booking part all inclusive, part half board and part with no package; choosing instead to visit local restaurants and stock up the fridge in our room with food and drinks. Alcohol is expensive here, but many people use the local shops to buy local Piton beer and rum. Mind you, the resort cocktails are just the best!
The Jalousie is currently undergoing a huge revamp, with the all older villas being replaced with the new luxury ones like we stayed in. The new villas have all the modern technologies and luxuries one would need. However, the revamp means there is constantly work taking place and the main areas are a buzz of builders, vehicles and materials. Not really what is needed when trying to make the most of paradise!
For us, the best part to the Jalousie is the snorkeling and scuba (although such fine accommodation did make it very difficult to leave!). This will be covered further in a separate post, comparing sites visited here with others on the island.
(Essential island kit)
Apart from making the most of the sports facilities, my favourite way of enjoying The Jalousie Plantation was from a sun lounger, on the beach, watching the sunset with a Pina Colada and loved one to hand; life can be beautiful.
For more information on The Jalousie Plantation please go to: http://www.jalousieplantation.com
