St Lucia - Final Thoughts & Resort Contrasts

To conclude the posts on my time in St Lucia I wanted to provide some contrasts between the resorts we stayed at and give a couple of final thoughts. I had a lovely time at all of the resorts, and as an adventurous tourist, these highlights might be of benefit to someone of a similar ethic. These scores are entirely personal and really, just for fun!

Location: Jalousie = 10 / Crystals = 8 / Rendevous = 7
Resort (facilities / rooms / aesthetic): Jalousie = 10 / Rendevous =10 / Crystals = 8
Scuba diving / snorkelling: Jalousie = 10 / Rendevous = 6 / Crystals = NA
Activity programmes: Rendevous = 10 / Jalousie = 9 / Crystals = NA
Range of complimentary facilities: Rendevous = 10 / Jalousie = 7 / Crystals = NA
Food and drink: Jalousie = 10 / Rendevous = 8 / Crystals = 3
Staff: Rendevous = 9 / Crystals = 8 / Jalousie = 8
Cleanliness: Jalousie = 10 / Rendevous = 10 / Crystals = 7
Wifi / internet access: Jalousie = 10 / Rendevous = 3 / Crystals = NA
Value for money: Rendevous = 10 / Crystals = 8 / Jalousie = 8

I would visit all three resorts again and my husband is certain we will be going back to Rendevous again in the next 18 months. The Jalousie has the wow factor and Crystals is a great place for creative people, however, its bohemian flare would be too much for those who prefer perfect surroundings.



I also wanted to mention the islands flora in this final post on St Lucia (for now), if one takes their time and uses an inquisitive eye, a treasure trove of gems lay scattered throughout the island.





All the resorts I stayed at and visited have embraced their botanical opportunities, with some glorious results.







I was gutted to hear how some people and businesses had been affected by the recent Hurricane Tomas, but my contacts at the Tourist Board have told me that they recovered quickly and now it is business as usual. For anyone who wants a magical honeymoon, luxurious adventure holiday or to simply sit in a hammock and admire the scenery, then St Lucia is a must.

Resorts in St Lucia - Crystals

Located a mere 10 miles away from Rendevous, it took us over an hour to drive to Crystals! The road snakes through rainforest and hills, and in some places is in awful condition. However, in my mind this adds to the adventure and the views along the way were stunning.

The sun set around 18.30 and it was quick to get very dark (no lighting along the roads), we found the track that led us to Crystals, and were extremely surprised by its awful condition. It is not a good introduction.

Crystals has a bohemian-chic feel to it; a small number of quirky cottages make up the development, all of which have fantastic views of the Pitons. Artistically decorated inside and out, it is a colourful, interesting and stimulating, yet a relaxing place to rest your head. The owner Monica is a mine of information and so very helpful, an eccentric lady who makes a mean rum punch!



There is no activity programme at Crystals, however, we hired a 4x4 (essential for getting about in St Lucia) from Benny at Red Tiger and explored! The town of Soufrière lies at the bottom of the valley between Crystals and the glorious Pitons, and visiting it was our first excursion out.





Soufrière is a small coastal town; as with many other urban centres on the island, it is poor and most of the people live a simple life. As with many other urban centres across the globe, they have their fair share of problems with drugs. Upon my first visit in to town, it was visible straight away, we came across quite a few hustlers and were frequently approached in the car. I'm not going to lie, it was scary to begin with. But as we needed to get supplies (breakfast only at Crystals,but every cottage has full kitchen facilities), we had to go in nearly every day. By the end of our stay on the island the apprehension had gone and we were fine about going in to town.

The first breakfast we had a Crystals was devine! A mix of sweet breads with cinnamon and coconut, locally grown, fresh papaya, banana, banana bread and omelette. Pity there was no coffee to wash it down with because although we had a machine in our cottage, it had small bugs in it - so we never used it. Unfortunatley after the first breakfast, standards slipped, as did the time it was served, so each day there was a little disappointment.

One thing that never disapointed was Monica's artistic flair, I loved the way she had adorned the property with aesthetic delights. No corner left untouched and I was especially keen on the tree house bar....



Crystals was a great platform from which to reach Anse Chastanet beach, well-known for it's amazing snorkelling and scuba diving opportunities. More on that later.

I enjoyed Crystals, and chatting away in the tree house with Monica; the location is amazing and it's decoration appealed to the hippy in me.

For more information on Crystals check out: http://www.stluciacrystals.com/

To hire a car through Red Tiger check out: http://www.stluciajeeprentals.com/

Taking a look at what St Lucia has on offer - overview

I recently spent two weeks in St Lucia (in October)and for the first time, I could truly understand what the term 'tropical paradise' really meant. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder; but what I plan to do is to share an objective, but constructive look at what St Lucia had on offer.

Located in the south of the Antilles chain in the Caribben, St Lucia is a small, volcanic island, just 27 miles long and 14 miles wide. It is primarily made up of golden, sandy beaches and lush green rainforest. To the north there is Castries, the capital and to the south, the two Pitons, an iconic and famous UNESCO World Heritage site.



Temperatures range from 26c - 32c and the seasons on this tropical island shift between wet and dry. When I was there in October the weather was mainly sunny, with blue skies; sometimes a little humid and it rained on the odd occassion for a couple of hours. It was moving in to the dry season which will run from December to April.

Looking at the 2010 statistics released from the Tourist Board, I can see that primarily, tourists are honeymooners, the majority of which come from the US and UK. The amount of people getting married on the island are decreasing, but honeymoon numbers are looking healthy; up 31% from 2008 to 2009. Every month of 2010 has seen higher number than the same period in 2009.

Hewanorra International Airport is located in the south of the island; from here there is one main road which circles the island - but I'll come back to roads later! Accommodation in St Lucia ranges from apartments and small guest houses to all inclusive, five-star, fantasy-like resorts. During my time there I stayed in two resorts (Rendevous and The Jalousie Plantation) and one private estate with villas (Crystals). They varied widely and I'll be giving you the low-down on all of them in a separate post.

(Rendevous)

So, 'what about adventure sports?' I hear you cry! There was more than enough to stimulate my senses, every day. Infact, it took some time to get my energy levels back to normal upon my return home! St Lucia has loads on offer; scuba diving, brilliant snorkelling, rainforest hikes, dinghy sailing, kayaking, nature tours plus comprehensive activity programmes at the resorts. I'll be posting another blog about the sporting adventures I had on the island shortly.