Kelsey & Parker (Richmond, VA)
 
We booked St. Lucia purely because of Janus’ home on Airbnb. We were not disappointed when we got here for our Honeymoon! The ride from the airport was arranged by him and so have all the rides we’ve gotten here. Makes it so easy and effortless. Full disclosure, we didn’t plan anything before we arrived here. We wanted to wing it and see what each day brought so here we go…

Night we flew in we got in at about 3pm so we spent a few hours at the place taking in the views before walking down to Valelse (previously Ruby’s). They have a very American Menu but everything we had was delicious. My burger was fresh. You could tell they make their own and my husband said it was the best cheese steak he had ever had. Dinner was awesome but the road back up the hill was intense. Get ready to sweat and get those legs burning!

Day 1- we decided we wanted to fully relax on our first day so we decided to go to Sugar Beach. Im a huge bachelor fan so I was excited to go to this place knowing so many of the contestants have vacationed here.

Must be good right. It was amazing. It’s a tad expensive but if you go early in the day it is worth it! $50.00 for each beach chair but they are covered and includes a towel each. They also have great restaurants where we had breakfast and lunch. Both take credit card . Amenities: pool, changing area, yard games, tennis court, snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking and stand up paddle boards.

Day 2- We read in this book that the botanical Gardens are close, so we ventured there. 20 minute walk- bring water. I recommend going earlier in the day, maybe 9/10 before all the tours start. There’s an awesome waterfall there as well as some gorgeous flowers! They have a cute souvenir shop there as well and restaurant.

Day 3- Janus gave us a ride to Hummingbird beach. This is more of a local beach which was great. We got lunch there and then ran into a guy on the beach names Noah. He runs a water taxi that we wanted to take to Anse Chastanet. He not only took us there but took us two other places to snorkel for U.S $160.00. It was random but super fun to get a local to take us on the boat and see the island from the water and all the beautiful homes. The view of Jade Mountain Resort from here is Beautiful too. In the evening, we just had dinner back at the villa.

Day 4- We did a tour of the Sulphur Springs and waterfall. Hind sight- should have set this up with Janus because the driver for the company we used didn’t know how to get there. Once we were picked up we got to the waterfall/springs and it was amazing. The guide took pics covered in mud. The smell is special so prepare yourself but so worth it to see something this unique. Try to go early in the morning  before the crowds start to pile in. After the tour we had lunch at Fedos, per the drivers recommendation. It was good- more traditional cuisine in the heart of the town. Another evening relaxing at the villa and making dinner.

Day 5- Back to Sugar Beach because we liked it so much. Had lunch there as well. We got the seafood pizza which I would highly recommend.

Day 6- Piton Day- this is not a hike this is a climb and it was insanely hard. We made it 4/3 up and decided to save the rest of our energy for the journey  down. The view at the half way point is beautiful so even if you only made it there, consider it a win. It was US$50.00 per person, they also let you rent a backpack for U.S$5.00 if you didn’t bring one. Go at 7am before the sun comes out  to much towards the end it was becoming hard and was not pleasant.

After the Piton, we came back here and relaxed Before our wine cellar dinner at Ladera resort. We stumbled upon this online and boy they did not disappoint. When we got there, they were very welcoming, gave us drinks while we waited. The sunset and then lead us into the wine cellar where they had a single candlelight table and music playing. It was 7 courses each paired with wine. It was great for our last night/celebrating a special occasion. This was the most expensive thing we did. It was $438 with service charge and VAT but so, so worth it!


​Janus- thank you so much.

You’ve been amazing. You have such a beautiful country and we look forward to returning.
Things we wished we knew:

1.       10% tip is already included at most places
2.       Anytime you go out at night wear bug repellent 
3.       Download whatsapp t communicate with janus. Airbnb was a bit delayed
4.       Book dinner reservation as far in advance as you can. The resort restaurants fill up quick.
5.       I have a story hgilight on my Instagram of St. Lucia. Feel free to look at what we did @kelskeesee

Enjoy your vacation!!

We came to St. Lucia for a friend’s wedding at the Sandals Grande St. Lucian. During the wedding festivities we were staying at Sandals Halcyon Beach. For those of you wondering about the resort experience vs this- you made the right choice. Serrana villa has been more than we could have ever imagined and we have truly loved every moment. The resort wasn’t terrible but the food was bad. We rented a car and drove down to Soufriere. Crazy experience but I am now a driving pro.

Monday- we went to get a couples massage and spa treatment at kai belle spa at Jade Mountain. The spa is right on the beach and the prices were very reasonable for what you receive afterwards.

We walked right out to Anse Chastanet but decided to walk to Anse Mamin – maybe 5-10 minute walk.

There was a very small section for non-resort guests and the beach in that area was less than ideal so we walked back and paid $36usd for 2 nice chairs under a hut at Anse Chastanet.

You can eat in the restaurant and get drinks from the bar there aswell. The snorkeling was right there near the beach and $11 pp. The current can be somewhat strong but we were impressed by the number of fish we saw.

Dinner this night was at Hummingbird resort about 5 minutes away. The food was good and the view even better. Anse Mamin was really nice but I don’t know if it was just the specific lady I talked to or what, but she said we could only sit off the side near the volleyball court. The area there wasn’t great so we walked back. Hummingbird food was good (pork chop had nice heat but very buggy. Wear bug spray.

Tuesday - We started the day doing Tet Paul Nature Trail which was well worth the small entrance fee! The views were amazing and the hike was easy, maybe 40 minutes total. Do be sure to wear sneakers though! Afterwards we went to the Volcano. They make you get a tour guide but the short tour was very interesting. We stopped at the mud baths and Sulphur springs on the same property but only stayed  few minutes because it was insanely hot. Sitting in a pool, of hot water isn’t what we had in mind at the moment!

For lunch, we stopped at Fedos in Soufriere and the meal was both quick and utterly delicious. Dinner was at Boucan with friends. Make a reservation and they’ll sit you overlooking  the Pitons. It was expensive but one of the best meals we’ve had with chocolate incorporated creatively into every dish. They also had a good wine list. Great atmosphere.

Tet Paul - was just a really nice property. The views just kept getting better. We opted for no tour guide and we had the place to ourselves.

The Volcano was fine. Glad we did it. Not much else to say. Would’ve been better to do the springs in a colder climate.

Fedos was fantastic- I ordered creole chicken and Paige ordered chicken curry. I preferred hers she preferred mine. The sides were fantastic and local with tip, lunch was $19usd. Such a good value. Just walk its close.

Boucan was a resort spot. Loved how they incorporated chocolate. Very pricey. You are paying for the view, but it was good Very buggy, wear bug stray.

Wednesday - we started the day at the botanical gardens/diamond falls and it was beautiful! We did get a local tour guide which we were torn about but he was incredibly knowledgeable and in the end it was a good move. The falls were gorgeous .

Afterwards we drove to Sugar Beach. I’m sure its not for everyone but we loved it. We paid $#50.00 pp for the shuttle but it was in a form of a voucher you could use for food and drinks at the beach. It could be a very long walk otherwise, once you reach at the beach you can choose from the small free area of pay $50 per chair under a hut to sit with resort guests. We chose to pay and really enjoyed ourselves. It was incredibly quiet and relaxing and they brought food and drinks right to us, if you eat at the beach the shuttle back is free.

We were tired and got a private chef through Janus this night. Ramsey came and made Grilled seafood with garlic lime butter sauce. It was fantastic and totally hit the spot. He even plated it beautifully, served it to us outside and did the dishes while we ate. We talked to Ramsey a good bit while he was here and the whole experience was fantastic. Highly recommend.

I've read mixed reviews about Sugar beach. If you don’t want the food or chairs just take a water taxi. I wanted to eat there so it made sense to take the voucher. The food was not great but I enjoyed eating on the beach. We also looked at the free sitting and it also look depressing so pay the money and get the nice chairs. I thoroughly enjoyed the beach. Got some reading done, swam a bit and laid out comfortably. The Pitons over looking this beach made me realize this is why we all came to St. Lucia. Paradise.

Thank you Janus for the lovely place. Wish we could stay longer. Maybe next time will check out Sargas or Saba. Thanks also for hooking us up with a private chef with last minute notice. Your island is Beautiful. This was my first trip to the Caribbean and I get it now
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Evan & Paige

​Jake & Katie Honeymoon (Michigan USA)

We were lucky enough to find Serrana Villa for 3 days during our honeymoon. What an unbelievable experience and the views were picture perfect. Janus welcomed us when we arrived and gave us the home tour. We wished we could have stayed there longer but unfortunately the home is booked nearly every day anyways moving forward

We will 100% book back!! 

Trip highlight: from best to down

• Tet Paul Nature Trail- short walk/hike for best view on the south of island. Tour guide even pick a few Mangoes for us along the walk.
• Mango Tree Restaurant: buffet on Thursday night, food was hands down our favorite and we also has entertainment
• Gros Piton Hike- long hike for decent views. Bring beers to drink on top with tour guides!! Well worth it!
• Sulphur Springs – very fun experience and lot of fun photos to be taken
• New Jerusalem mineral baths- we were the only ones there and the baths were amazing. Small walk to baths.
• Boucan – another great meal. Must get the Yellow fin tuna main meal. They provided complimentary bread/dip to start, chocolate to end meal and chocolate shot before we left.
• Anse Mamin- expensive but jungle burger was amazing .
• Dasheene at ladera-great view for sunset and great food/service.
• Not the greatest experience but we read other reviews so we checked them out- Botanical Gardens and Diamond Falls
• Orlandos restaurant- So so experience and if we come back to Soufriere we will not do.

 
Janus Thank you for amazing hospitality! We also loved the mangoes you delivered on Day 2
Thank you
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Jake & Kate