Before reaching St Lucia I had been liasing with a lovely lady called Shiryln, from Barefoot Holidays. I had briefed her on what my objectives were while on the island and we met up once I had settled in. Barefoot Holidays specialise in excursions; they help tourists uncover the island's gems, be it by jeep, helicopter or boat.
I had an array of questions for Shirlyn (and her colleague Allison), and they were happy to answer them, plus give me additional suggestions on activities I could do during my trip. They suggested places to visit; specific estates, reserves and beaches, all of which were welcomely received.
They also arranged for us to take a catamaran trip along the west side of the island onboard 'Calipso', a lively party boat. On the day in question we were picked up by a courteous driver and taken the short distance to Castries Port. After a small shower of 'liquid sunshine', we set sail, out of the Port and in to the Caribbean Sea.
The 'baby-maker' rum punch was soon flowing, even if it was only 10.30, we were on holiday :) From the sea the land could be seen in all its seductive glory. Lolling, fertile peaks, with the odd beach-side town or dwelling making an appearance as we motored south to Soufrière. Just sitting back watching the island unfold was an adventure all on its own.
It didn't take long to reach Soufrière; from here we boarded comfortable minibuses and were shuttled inland to the only 'Drive in Volcanoe' in the Carribean. A small site which smoulders foul-smelling hydrogen sulphide gases, it is no longer active. There are also accessible springs here and even though we wanted to revisit and lather ourselves with the grey-brown mud, we didn't get the chance.
Next stop - Diamond Botanical Gardens! Just a short drive away, this was one of my favourite parts during the whole time on the island. The gardens offer a mesmerizing encounter with flora; along the snaking trail a kaleidoscope of colours and textures pop out of the greenery.
The trail peaks at the Diamond Waterfall, a small opening among the towering trees. Streaky brown and yellow sides produce a stark contrast to the forest, and reminded me of Willy Wonkers chocolate factory!
The circular route led us back to the minubuses through more awesome vegetation, along the way signs pointed out various plants such as Orchids, Heliconia and Hibiscus. The last land stop was to the Val de Pitons restuarant, to munch on some traditional Caribbean fare and recharge the batteries.
I'll admit, by the time we got back onboard Calipso, I was fairly sozzled! The planned snorkelling stop was highly anticipated as the humidity was making many lethargic - but we had a great time bobbing along to the reggae being played and making new acquaintances. We stopped halfway between Soufrière and Marigot Bay, a location I would revisit later in the trip whilst scuba diving.
The snorkelling was ok, it was our first time doing it on the island so I was just happy (but a little dissapointed at the lack of variety) to see some fish! We were the last ones back onboard Calipso and after a quick peek at Marigot Bay (where Dr. Doolittle was filmed), we returned to Castries Port - slightly wobbly, but very fulfilled after an exciting day on and around the island.
(Captain of Calipso with the Captain of Serenity - my husband!)
For more information on Barefoot Holidays go to: http://
www.barefootholidays.com/index.htmlro
