(Sarah & Dana, UK)
Thank you Marcus, Kendal, Uric and everyone for such a wonderful stay in beautiful St. Lucia! Marcus was always available to help and all of his colleagues always said hello, and introduced themselves. From M, K and E, we learned a lot about the island- and the developing garden! We loved how imaginative the house is, the breezes through it, the plunge pool (great at the end of a hot day!) and sunsets from the balcony. In terms of practicalities, the nearest big supermarket (we think!) is in Cul de Sac, about 30mins drive to the north. There’s also a petrol station there and we found plenty around the island. The bakery in Canaries (just before the bridge at the south, or the left) did great sweet rolls. The best snorkelling beaches we found were Anse Chastnet (to the snorkel, accessed through the (expensive resort)- you don’t pay, but food and drink are costly. Anse Cochon is accessed through the Ti Kaye resort- there’s a US$10 charge, but you get that off the cost of anything you buy there. They were friendly. The local ‘secret’ beach was also good for fish- we felt safe there, even though for all those beaches the roads were bumpy and occasionally steep: hold your nerve and rent the 4*4! Places to eat: La Haut (on the road to Soufriere) was great local food, plenty of it, and well-priced. It was friendly and the rice was amazing! Ladera was great for cocktails and sunset as a special break, with an unsurprised view of the Pitons. We also did the Tet Paul trail which was both interesting and stunning in the view of both Pitons. It’s a family dinner and we learned lots about the fruits, herbs and history of the area (including an elephant!) we took a boat trip with Denver, Shashamane boats, which went down from Marigot Bay to Sugar beach which stops for snorkelling and a very personal view of the coastline and the island’s history- a great option if the bigger boat trips aren’t for you! Finally the ziplining, cable car and shore hike at the rainforest adventures were brilliant- it’s not easy to find but well worth the trip. Other places like the Sulphur Springs, Morne Coubaril and the gardens are all worth visiting if you have the time too. Pretty much everyone was really friendly. We loved the natural beauty of St. Lucia and we feel very grateful for our visit here. Thank you, Marcus! Our family of 3 (baby of 1.5 yo) stayed at Bocean Villa for 8 days and we had an amazing time.8/11/2019
Our family of 3 (baby of 1.5 yo) stayed at Bocean Villa for 8 days and we had an amazing time. Marcus is a wonderful host, he answered all our questions, gave us great recommendations and we rented our car for our 2 week stay on St. Lucia. You should definitely get a car to explore the island!! Our recommendations:
- Anse Cochon/ Ti Kaye resort for snorkelling. You can buy a guest pass for US$10 so that you can park your car directly near the beach, and use that as credit in the restaurant on the seafront (food/drinks). You can rent the snorkelling gear for US$16. Amazing. - Anse Chastanet Beach: - Sugar Beach: nice beach between the two Pitons. You can access it by parking your car before the resort entrance (and pay US$10), and then walk all the way down to the beach or you can pay US$50 (per person!) and you can park your car in the resort, and use that amount in credit in the restaurant. - Rodney Bay Beach: beautiful, long beach. There’s also a waterpark, restaurants, watersports. . . - Secret Beach: 5 minute drive, road is a bit difficult but manageable! - Beacon Restaurant: we went twice! Buffet lunch, amazing food and price, superb view of the Pitons. - Adeline’s Café: just down the driveway, for great coffee, juices and cakes! - Marigot Bay: you can take a little taxi boat (for 2’) and you can enjoy the beach (small). We nly stayed a couple of hours but it’s nice to visit. We had lunch at Julietta’s Restaurant and had an amazing view on the bay + home cooked food. - Tet Paul Nature trail: loop of about 45’ with views of the Pitons, with a guide. US$10 per person. - Pigeon Island (US$8): short walk to 18th Century Military Base, nice view. Then you can enjoy 2 beaches. - Segrapes Beach Bar Restaurant in Rodney Bay: - Sunsets! And we of course enjoyed the refreshing pool and the spacious villa. Thank you Marcus for having us! Lea, Nicolas & Luka The Wood Family
Family of 5(ranging from 18- 72) enjoyed a very comfortable ten day stay at Bocean Villa. Marcus was extremely welcoming and helpful. Like others before us, we highly recommend Adeline’s for coffee and cake, but we really enjoyed breakfast on the road. Recommend booking a table for breakfast. Further afield we also enjoyed: - Soufriere; Hummingbird beach. Cheap lounges, good bar - Anse Cochon Beach @Ti Kaye Resort: $10 entry, but redeemable at the beach bar. Good snorkelling, lovely beach, but popular with boat trips! - Sulphur Springs: worth a visit - Gros Islet Friday Night Jump Up is great fun and great food. - Dinner at Dasheen Restaurant @Ladera Resort; Great food, stunning location between the Piton Peaks. - Diamond Botanical Gardens: waterfall and baths definitely worth a visit. - Pigeon Island: worth exploring- historic site with fort ruins - Pool at the Villa helps you cool off after a day exploring. Thank you, Marcus. We hope others enjoy St. Lucia as much as we did! The Woods. Ps. Leaving guide book for others. xxx We came w/3 guests and the Bocean Villa was more than enough space. Here was our itinerary for the trip.
Day 1, June 1: We rented a car from SIXT because we are under 25 so we couldn’t get a car from Marcus. We came to the house before stopping by a grocery store because we didn’t want to leave our valuables in the car. Marcus was very pleasant and greeted us on our arrival. We went to Eroline’s market in Soufriere which was 25 minutes away from the villa. Make sure to grab all the provisions you may need because there aren’t many stores near the villa and the restaurant hours are weird. We ended the night making sandwiches and enjoying the pool. Day 2, June 2: We started the day early and got breakfast in Soufriere at a restaurant near the pier. (I believe it was scrappers?) We paid US$25 for the food and US$11 for drinks/ smoothies. The food was great and inexpensive. We then went on a tour w/ captain Peter whom we met on our first day while exploring Soufriere. We took the boat to Sugar Beach and he provided us w/ snorkel equipment and lunch. The trip cost us US$200. He was kind enough to show us the bat cave. For dinner, we had asked Adeline to prepare us a meal. She made tuna, salad, plantain, rice and potato yams? (they were white and starchy) The dinner was ok, but fairly expensive compared to the breakfast we had. She charged us US$75. Day 3, June 3: We went to Reduit Beach and the water was Crystal clear. There is a free parking lot there and we paid $20 for 3 chairs and an umbrella. We sat near the yacht club and met a guy named Jonathan who took us on a sailing adventure to Pigeon Island and a secret beach. Ask him to take you on an adventure! He works for the water activities right next to the yacht club. Day 4, June 4: We ate @Beacon restaurant. It was only US$14 per person and the restaurant has great views. Day 5, June 5: Botanical Gardens 7usd adult. $6 usd for the public mineral bath $7 usd for private Sulphur Springs: $10 for the bath only $15 for the bath+ tour Must do! Day 6, June 6: Ti Kaye Resort: $10 usd per person (can be redeemed as credit at restaurant) Small beach, good for snorkelling Orlando’s Restaurant: expensive $50- 55 usd for 5 course meal dinner Unique flavours Day 7, June 7: Tet Paul Nature trail $10 usd/ person OVERVIEW: Must do: . Sulphur springs . Tet Paul trail . Reduit Beach . Ti Kaye Resort Must Eat: . Beacon restaurant . Scrappers? (in Soufriere near pier) Marcus was an amazing host! He was so accommodating and was quick to respond to any messages. Thank you, Marcus! -Jasmine, Liz and Damon Boston, MA We came with 2 adults and 3 kids and we all has an absolute blast staying at ‘Bocean Villa’ for the 5 days we were there. Marcus was a gracious host and very welcoming to us; he was always just a call away! Thank you Marcus for your hospitality and lending us your beautiful home for a few days. The people around the village are truly nice and helpful if you ever have any questions about directions or recommendations.
The list below are the places we went to and our reviews on them: FOOD: - The Beacon: Amazing! So good we went there twice! Staff is very nice and food is delicious and represents the authenticity of their local cuisine! Buffet style! 10/10 - Slappers: Fresh and tasty food. They have burgers, sandwiches, rotis (local cuisine), and a buffet which you choose your options. - Adeline’s Café: Very good food that is delivered either straight to your door or you can walk right across the street to dine at her house. Cooks with organic ingredients and makes anything you might want and puts her own flare on it! You must notify her ahead of time if you want her to make anything; so good, we ate from her twice! She is very nice and a precious woman. - Purity Bakery: Next to church in Soufriere, really tasty pastries and coffee that is perfect for a light morning breakfast. I recommend the coconut filled pastries. Yummy! - Chateau Mygo: In Marigot Bay! Hopped right there after our boat ride in Marigot Bay. Tasty and different food, nice refreshing meal after long day in Sun. - Tysha Shack: Our dinner on the first day and it was ok. Only burgers, a wrap and chicken. Wasn’t the best food but only option in Canaries. Wouldn’t recommend! - Petit Peak: Decent food. Local food was great but if you want American food, it was ok. Very, very pricey. - Brian’s: Bread and general store in Canaries. Nice fresh bread in the mornings. EXCURSIONS: - Gilian Boat Tours: Reasonable price and flexible hours. Took us snorkelling 3 places and spent around 2 hours at Sugar Beach. Departed from Marigot Bay, travelled all the way to Soufriere on boat, total of 4-5 hours. - Castries Central Market: 15 minutes from Marigot Bay, city life. Nice arts and crafts and has busy and large Massy Grocery store. - Sulphur Springs: A must! Very relaxing and cheap admission ($5); nice experience that you can only get in St. Lucia. *Recommend going there as soon as it opens to get max photo ops and space since it gets very crowded later on. - Morne Coubaril Ziplining: average ziplines, good for beginners and small children. Pricey for what you experience but for us it was worth it because our 6 year old could go on it! - Tet Paul Nature Trail: Decent trail that give you good photo opportunities between the 2 Pitons. Takes only 35- 45 minutes. - Marcus’ Private Beach: track starts along the road, ask Marcus for more details! Place is steep and rocky in some places, a good 20- 30 minutes walk on dirt road. Beach is nice and peaceful after a long walk. TIPS: - Not much grocery stores and restaurants in Canaries, so be sure t get supplies and other when stopping in Soufriere. - Restaurants have weird timings and most places close early, so keep that in mind. One again thank you, Marcus for giving us a spectacular home. We had an amazing few days in the beautiful island of St. Lucia. -The D’ Souza Family x We have had a wonderful time at Bocean Villa!
It is a perfect location! We spent several days diving- w/action adventure divers in Soufriere! I highly recommend them for diving or snorkelling- very professional and great underwater tour guides! We loved Adeline’s- we asked her in the morning to fix us dinner a couple of nights- delicious fish, potatoes and fresh green salad- the second time, we invited her to sit and visit with us. What a delightful woman! We had lunch @ the Beacon one day after diving- it was ok, but the views were stunning! We enjoyed ziplining @Morne Coubaril- a bit expensive US$75 per person but I had never done it before so I’m glad we went. The private beach is a great place for snorkelling- squid, puffer fish . . . The drive is sketchy, but doable in a 4wd. Take it slow, park by the steep path- it is indeed- PRIVATE! Tet Paul is a beautiful walk w/great views of the Pitons- US$10 per person. Toraille Falls- if there is no crowd is a delightful place. Botanical Gardens and Diamond Falls- Lovely One day we went to Hotel Chocolat @ Boucan and had chocolate love cake- delicious. I wasn’t a fan of the chocolate martini- the views are beautiful. Bocean villa is a perfect spot for seeing different parts of the island. Cliff & Cathy Richards San Antonio, TX USA |
BOCEAN VILLA JOURNALTips, Insights, & Things to do While at Bocean Villa.
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