We had a great time exploring St. Lucia. Enjoyed the morning bread sent by Janus. We did many of the things mentioned in this book but some things we did that we didn't notice here: Roots in Town - Great Local food + Friendly owners. Walking to Sugar Beach - This is very hard + long walk: Recommend a Taxi Orlando's - We didn't have a chance to eat here but owner very friendly + good grapefruit juice. Dinner expensive ($60.00 USD) but lunch reasonable. Thanks! Ashley + Shakita Laura, Kam & Dan
Dec. 28 – Jan. 4 2020 Diving/snorkeling: Chester at Action Adventure on Soufriere beach. He will also kill lion fish for you to take home. We made curry fish (can of coconut milk, ginger, garlic, curry powder, veggies at your choice and lion fish. Gros Piton: no joke- it is rocky 2 mile ascent and a rocky 2 mile descent. Go slow. Ice your knees afterwards. Took us 6 hours, most people do it in 4 but I think that depends on your level of skill and ability. Beach beach is Anse Mamin, take your car to Anse Chastanet, park and walk through beach resort to cliff side/oceanside walk away. Worth it, water is clear, lots of natural shade so you don’t need to rent chairs just bring a blanket, suncream and water. Also very few people, its like having a beach to yourselves. The beach is fairly inaccessible- roads suck but you already made it up to Serrana so you can make it to Anse Chastanet, so that’s why people don’t go there. Laura New Years trip Chicago, Il, Merica Day One Kam: These roads! Phew!. But you are reading this, so you made it, Brave! At the end of the twist and turns was Janus to guide us to his little slice of paradise. It was late so we washed the Chicago off of us and went to bed. Day two Kam- What to do. Well we drove by a sign that read Sugar Beach, that sounded nice, back up the hills we go. $50 Per person?? Whoa, uh well just use the free pass and pack the card In the lot right next to the resort for $10. Nice beach but if you want that imported white sand (I made that up, it could be real sand) you need to pay for that so we set up shop next to the beach by the Pitons base, a bit rocky but beautiful. Out in the distance is the ACE a $150 million dolor yacht belonging to some Ukrainian Oligarch, cool I guess. Started getting late so we went back to our Apartment and made some frozen Pizza, we picked up last night on our drive in. For the first 2 days of our stay we didn’t have a car. This meant we explored the town which I would recommend. However, we did find the locals v. pushy. Oh and everywhere closes on Sundays. So don’t expect to be able to do much!
We recommend Zakas Café, great coffee! They don’t have a good menu, but when we said we were hungry she cooked us fish roti, which was very tasty! We got a water taxi to Anse Mamin. Was great to see the island from the sea. But was more expensive than expected (US$80.00) once we got the car (hired through Janus) we felt we had more freedom. Would definitely recommend getting one. Roads were a bit scary at first, but we quickly got used to them. Just go slow and use your horn. Our first day out in the car included breakfast at The Mango Tree – incredible views and tasty food, followed by the mudbaths + Sulphur Springs – very reasonably priced, good tour, get there early to avoid crowds – we got there @ 9:45 and left @ 10:30 when the buses started arriving. We then drove onto the Piton Falls – V. Quiet, cheap, beautiful, next to this is Martha’s Table – best meal so far. Buffet wasn’t on but lunch was V. Tasty and extremely reasonable. We ended the day back at Anse Chastanet – drive there was a bit risky. But the 4x4 from Janus was great. Day 2 in the car included The Tet Paul Nature Trail ($10US). We got there at 9am, were the first people there which was nice. Easy walk, good views. We then tried to find Anse L’Ivrogne – we failed and couldn’t find it so went on to Laborie; lovely locals beach, more gradual decline into the sea than around here. Stopped at Choiseul Art Gallery on way back – great local products. Had lunch at Bamboo Restaurant, tasty + reasonable. Those were our main sightseeing days, we also went to the Botanical Gardens, they’re worth the money. But the baths are not. Gardens were beautiful though. We ate at Ruby’s a couple of times, they weren’t doing pizza but other food was nice. Tried to go to Feds but they were closed as on Holiday. If you want fresh fruit + bread, the ladies selling it on the street are the best value for money. Janus is a brilliant host with a great team. Bringing us fresh bread was a thoughtful touch. Was really helpful to be in touch with him for the duration of our stay – Useful tips + advice. #1 Tip: Hire a Car – Freedom. #2 Tip: arrive early to avoid tours #3 Tip: Eat at marthas Table. Thank you Janus + Team for a wonderful week Here! Molly + Alex Coventry, England Janus, We truly loved our stay! It was the best St. Lucia Airbnb experience we have ever had. Your hospitality and communication were much appreciated. We would stay with you again in a heartbeat! We drove here after spending 3 days in the north. A few of our favorite places: Food
Things to do
10/10 would stay again. Angel + Noel New York, NY My husband & I had very nice time here @ St. Lucia. We liked the villa apartment very much, it was a home away from home. Janus was very hospitable and wanted to make our stay here was comfortable. It definitely was an adventure, especially the driving.
Places we visited were the Diamond Waterfalls + Botanical Gardens. Sugar Beach was very beautiful but a very long walk down – unless you take a taxi. We also did the Sulfur bath. Something different that we wanted to try. Pigeon Island was also very nice especially the beach next to the national park. Janus recommended a local restaurant “Fedo’s only about 5 minutes away. Food was fresh and fast service. They close at 5 pm daily so best to get there early. People are very friendly and very helpful when it came to directions. Other places we visited were Marigot Bay + Marina – beach and restaurants really good. Gros Islet is a definite place to go. Lively at night and on weekends. Music was great. Atmosphere party type. Overall it was a great experience. Vacation is over for now. Until next time. Farewell Soufriere! Roberto & wife Boston, Massachusetts Thank you, Janus, for your hospitality After an amazing week here we would like to say a big thank you to Janus and his team who have gone above and beyond to make our stay here so special, we didn’t have a car so we did lots of walking and sometimes took Janus Taxi’s.
Our favorite beach was Anse Mamin which is only a 10mins walk from Anse Chastanet. We found it less quiet and more natural. There lounge chairs which you can rent, but there is a big space with shade, if you want you can just lay there on your towels. We walked to Anse Chastanet twice which took about an hour, the hardest part is the hill at the start. We also went to Sugar Beach and got a taxi there and walked back. There is a gig hill on the way back but if you buy anything from the bar even water keep the receipt you can get the shuttle back up for free. There is a section with beach chairs, but we sat closer to the resort on our towels. This beach has great views and beautiful water but much busier than others. Another must see is the Sulphur springs, but get there early as the cruise ship tours get there around 10:30am. We then walked to piton falls which aren’t as popular as others, but we loved them and the natural pool we could swim in and relax-very cool place. Close by was our favorite restaurant called Marta’s Table which served amazing fish and pork with lots of delicious sides and the best service! One day we hiked Gros Piton and it was challenging but very rewarding hike. Our guide was very friendly, knowledgeable and encouraging all the way to the top. The views and sense of achievement are well worth the hike up. The way down can take just as long as it’s very rocky, so we had to take our time. Do it as early as possible (opens at 7am) We started at 8am and the last hike is at 2pm. There is also a really good ice-cream shop at the bottom to reward yourself. We hope you enjoy this home and the beautiful views from the balcony as much as we did! Hannah + Josh, UK We’re had a wonderful time staying at Sapphire 3, the apartment is a perfect base for exploring. We did not have a car but it wasn’t a big deal, we did lots of walking and Fabian and Janus and the other drivers were all great for short trips by car. So easy to organize, we could go wherever we wanted.
Walk into town unit isn’t too far, maybe 15 minutes. The first time we went we rode the route to the left, but after that we actually preferred going right at the apartment, seemed much more perfect. The first 2 days we were here there was a carnival in town. Absolutely fantastic! Such great atmosphere, everyone just having fun! • Hummingbird Beach- quite simple to walk to, usually quite quiet. Good snorkeling, lots of eels and octopus. • Anse Chastanet- We got a water taxi ($60 US) stopped by to look at the bat cave- very cool. We spent the day there, great snorkeling area. On the left of the beach is where you get snorkeling gears for $11 US- definitely recommend! We ate at the resort restaurant/ restaurant/ bar on the beach, expensive but great food! Everyone here was very welcoming even though we were not staying at the resort. We think all sun beds are for those who stayed at the resort so we just sat on towels on the sand, but not much shade as the day goes on. • Volcano + Sulphur Springs Mud Bath – Organized taxi with Fabian. Really interesting tour of volcano, then onto mud baths, good fun but make sure you go early. We set of at 10am and that’s when buses of people arrived. • Tet Paul Nature Trail – We picked this tour instead of hiking the pitons, it is cheaper and much more easy to walk, took about 30 minutes and only $7 USD. Guide was good, very knowledgeable about the local plants. Fantastic view even though it was a bit cloudy. We went there at 8:30 am and were the only ones there. • Botanical Gardens – we walked from here, took about 30 minutes. Bit steep but not too hard. $17.50 EC per person. We didn’t have a guide so we had a nice stroll at our own pace. Lovely plants lots of little lizards and birds. Glad we went. Food: • Petit Peak – lovely view, good local food and not too expensive. • Pier 28- went on the evening of carnival, so it was quite busy plus not much choices but service was good and staff were friendly plus not too expensive. • Fedos – We had to check it out since everyone was raving about it . It’s a lovely place, mixture of tourists and locals. Really cheap and food was really good! Do recommend checking it out. Only open for lunch and breakfast though. We also did a bit of cooking here. There’s a good supermarket near the church in town to get supplies. Overall a great stay! Everyone is so friendly, say hello to everyone! Definitely recommend staying at the Sapphire apartments, just makes your stay so easy! Thank you, Janus, + Fabian+ all the other drivers for making our stay enjoyable! Love from, Carys + Daniel From London, England When I first got here it was raining and the forecast stated it would rain for the remaining of the time I got here. However, it did get a little sunny that Wednesday. I had the opportunity to experience a few locations.
- Tet Paul Nature Trail was nice. We had a chance to see and over look of the pitons and the entire view of Soufriere. It was nice. - Sulphur Springs mud bath was also inexpensive. It was a short in and out time for us because the place was really crowded. - Toraille Waterfall was beautiful. Great for taking pictures and you can go under the waterfall. - Sugar Beach was my favorite of my trip. I had a chance to relax and swim in the ocean. It was not too crowded and there was a bar at the beach. The view of the beach was beautiful. Overall my stay was nice despite of the weather raining for most of the stay. Janus and his team showed good hospitality the time I was there. Someone came and brought small food items such as fresh bread and mangoes which was nice. I would definitely return when the weather is better. ALEXANDRA We had a wonderful time at Sapphire 3. The place and the view is amazing and the location was perfect for us.
Sulphur Springs: Mud bath was very nice but don’t forget to visit the volcano with a guide and the little museum because it was interesting. Piton Fall: We paid US $3.00 per person, walked a few minutes and arrived in a wonderful nature paradise and 3 warm baths and a little waterfall. It is very beautiful and there were only two people there when we arrived. We had a very nice time there we recommend it. Sugar Beach: We went there by car, after the rain (bad idea) it was a bit dangerous cause the road was slippery. After we parked the car we walked about 20 mins to the beach. The beach is actually amazing but the return walk a bit rough. We would advise to go there by water taxi ( it seems there are a lot). Anse Chastanet & Anse Mamin: We went there by boat ($100 EC for 2 of us) because we were told the road is terrible and quite dangerous when you don’t have a car. The snorkeling is so beautiful and there are amazing corals on the right side of the beach. Tet Paul Nature Trail: Easy walk and amazing view. Toraille Fall: Beautiful fall where you can have a nice bath. Diamond Botanical Garden: Nice and easy walk, luxurious nature, beautiful waterfall but you can’t bathe in it. Warm baths look like small swimming pool and you must pay an extra fee- we haven’t tested it. Jerusalem Mineral Bath: 2 Warm baths/ one cold one. We had a nice time there. US $3 per person. Gros Piton Hike: This hike is quite expensive (50 US $/P) because a guide is mandatory, even if ours was totally for himself and tired to hike or even talk to us. Most of the hike is rock climbing, but the views totally worth it! Sapphire Falls & Jungle Spa: The path is at the beginning of the road to the Sulphur Springs. We walked around 20 mins and paid a guy for the entry. The fall is so beautiful, you can have a mud bath, and then you can go to a warm bath from which you see the waterfall- amazing! And we were totally alone there. Snorkeling in Soufriere Bay: beautiful corals and a lot of fishes on the right side. WE LOVED OUR STAY HERE! THANK YOU TO JANUS AND HIS TEAM CLAIRE & CHRISTOPHER- GUADELOPE We stayed four nights in Sapphire 3 and were very impressed with the views and location. We rented a car so we were able to drive to the Sulphur Springs and Tet Paul Nature Trail, but for the most part we were on foot.
We met a bunch of awesome locals who were super helpful in finding our way around Soufriere. Don’t be afraid to ask for suggestions. This book was also helpful to find food nearby. Just make sure you get your fill before 4’o’ clock because everything starts to shut down. If you’re reading this and its already too late, no worries the super market is open until 8. SAPPHIRE APARTMENTS… 5 STAR If you have any questions feel free to reach out to us! Colton & Rachel Henrie (@culton211) (@rachaelhenrie) UTAH, USA St. Lucia was very good to me. I had a wonderful time. Went to Morne Coubaril Estate, climbed the piton (worth the view and bring lots of water). I found a beautiful beach next to Anse Chastenet: Anse Mamin. You can take the water taxi to go or drive there. They also have a restaurant there.
Went to have dinner at Bamboo (Awesome Décor) Orlando’s (Creole Type) Ruby’s Pizza (Very Good) and Petit Peak which has a great view. Ask your host for arrangements and transportation that way you will be in good hands. The people on the island have been very good to me, very helpful and kind and a special thanks to my new friend Fabian who really helped me throughout my stay. Sapphire 3 was top of the places to stay at. Very well located and charming view…. And awesome staff. MUCH LOVE... M.J MONTREAL CANADA |
WEATHER IN SAINT LUCIA
While most places in the world have four well-defined seasons, its proximity to the equator means that this is not really the case for the island of St. Lucia. Archives
February 2020
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