My husband, Mark, and I were married on June 16, 2000. As a travel agent specializing in the Caribbean picking the right Island for my honeymoon was a quick and easy decision. Mark and I wanted to spend our honeymoon on an island with a beautiful, lush, dramatic landscape and a quiet serenity. The natural and easy decision was to spend our honeymoon on St. Lucia. The next important decision was what type of lodging we wanted for our honeymoon. As a travel agent I am very familiar with all of the lodging choices on the island. The criteria we applied to our decision to the island for our honeymoon also applied to the hotel/resort. Again the choice was an easy one, Ladera Hotel. Ladera is a unique hotel in the Caribbean, open to the Caribbean side "open air" with high ceilings and private plunge pools perched 1000 feet up on a ridge between the Piton Mountains, St. Lucia’s most dramatic land feature. The views from the rooms are truly amazing and romantic.

 

We booked our honeymoon with what I consider the best tour company specializing in the Caribbean, Air Jamaica Vacations. As we had enough air miles for a free ticket we only needed to book the land portion with Air Jamaica Vacations. Ladera is in the very scenic southern portion of the island where the rain forest and the Piton Mountains are located. The closest airport to fly into if one is staying in that area is the Hewanorra airport, which is just 45 min. from Ladera. Unfortunately our miles were with American, which only flies into the airport in the northern portion of the island.

 

June 18^th
Our American flight arrived at Vigie Airport in Castries, the capital of St. Lucia around 7:30 pm. Customs took an exceedingly long time, as is usual in the Caribbean. By the time we cleared customs and got a taxi it was 8:30 pm. It was a 1-½ hour-long roller-coaster taxi ride down to the Southern part of the island where Ladera was located. The roads were twisty with no shoulders to speak of and lots of blind curves but really not that bad to drive in my opinion. We arrived at Ladera around 10:30 pm and we were shown to our room. When we opened the door and entered into room "R" we were amazed at how beautiful the room was with the inlaid tile floors, the beautiful bed with the mosquito netting over it and the huge patio (all open air) with the plunge pool. As it was night we could not see the Piton Mountains looming over us but we sure could feel them. Since it was way past the dinner hour the staff was kind enough to bring us a little something from the kitchen.

 

June 19^th
When we rolled over the next morning and beheld the site before us outside our patio, we threw back the covers and rushed up the steps to the patio to gaze in amazement. Looming next to us were the Gross Piton and Petit Piton mountains and far down below us the beach and Hilton Resort and out to infinity the Caribbean J . We stood there for several minutes absolutely mesmerized. Finally, hunger made itself known, and we decided to make our way over to Dasheene Restaurant for breakfast (which is included at Ladera). We got our first look at Ladera in daylight and were not disappointed. Everything is clean and well kept with beautiful tropical plants and trees everywhere. On our way up to the restaurant we passed by the main pool that looks like it drops off the edge of the world. Dasheene Restaurant is open air and all the tables have numbers on them so you can reserve a certain table for dinner etc. We went ahead and reserved a table for the manager’s cocktail party and buffet for that night. All the fruit juices are fresh and local. You can have omelets made to order and there are plenty of fruit juices and cereal.

 

We went back to the room for the rest of the afternoon to relax and de-stress after the wedding and flight. We sat on our couch up on the patio for a long time absorbing the peace and beauty of our surroundings. The cocktail party and buffet that evening was really fun. We had the opportunity to meet some of the other couples staying at Ladera that week. I must say the view from the bar looking down the ridgeline at how Ladera was laid out was really interesting to see. It really is obvious that Ladera is laid out literally on a ridge with the Caribbean and Piton Mountains on one side and the rain forest on the other. The food at the Monday night buffet was very good with lots of variety. I especially enjoyed the dessert J , and since we were on our honeymoon we were on the "romance package" and got a bottle of wine with each evening meal we purchased at the restaurant, a bottle of champagne and a St. Lucia parting gift.

 

Tuesday June 19^th
We slept late and after breakfast we arranged to rent a jeep for the time we were going to be there. We were given a ride down to the village of Soufriere to the Cool Breezes Car Rental agency to rent our jeep. Then it came time for my new husband to drive a stick shift that was on the wrong side of the car to drive on the narrow roads in the village which were also on the wrong side. Needless, to say I did a lot of praying and gripped the door handle as we set off. Mark, my husband, was a quick learner and quickly got the hang of it. We drove over to the botanical gardens and waterfall to tour it as we had heard it was worth the time and small fee to get into the gardens. It was a beautiful place and we had a very informative guide. We took lots of pictures and bought a few souvenirs. When we got back to Ladera we spent the rest of the afternoon playing in our plunge pool. We went to dinner again that night at Dasheene Restaurant and sat out on our open-air patio looking at the full moon and all the stars in the sky. We saw a cruise ship glide silently by out in the Caribbean (ahhhh how wonderful). I want to say a word before I forget about any concerns anyone might have about bugs in the room, as it is open air. The ceiling over the bedroom area is quite high and the lights are way up by the ceiling so the few moths we saw were way up out of our way. The only critters I saw all week were one really cute frog outside our door the night we arrived and a few geckos on the railing out on the patio. We never did see any in the room.

 

Wednesday June 20^th
After breakfast we decided to take the jeep and try out the Hilton’s beach. So down we went which took about 15 min. Guests of Ladera are allowed to use the Hilton beach, just not the palapas. So we found ourselves a couple of beach chairs and made ourselves at home. We had lunch in the beach restaurant and basically sunned and swam most of the day. Mark did have the misfortune of making contact with the only jellyfish in the whole area. It stung and left a silver dollar size red place on his arm. That evening we had reservations at a neat restaurant we had heard about called "Bang Between the Pitons". They have a floorshow and dinner every Wed. night. We got there early so we could get good seats. I believe the cost was $40 per person and well worth it. The dinner was very good and there was a local band to entertain us during dinner. After dinner, the floorshow started which consisted of two brothers who were acrobats and fire eaters etc. It was a very entertaining show and we had a great evening.

 

Thursday June 21^st
We decided to drive down to the Hilton and take a water taxi over to the beach at Anse Chastanet. Ladera does have a free shuttle to take you down to Soufriere to catch a water taxi over to Anse Chastanet, but you have to go over at 9 am and don’t come back till 4 pm. We did not want to get up that early or stay that long over there so took a water taxi over on our own and got some great pictures of the Piton Mountains from the water. Ladera does give you beach chairs to take to Anse, as they will not let you use their chairs. I have to say between the two beaches -- the one at the Hilton and the one at Anse -- we much preferred the one at the Hilton. The beach at Anse was littered with cigarette butts. This is to be expected as Anse has a more European clientele and they smoke more than Americans. The beach at Anse is a black sand beach and not nearly as attractive as the white sand beach at the Hilton. I went up to look at some of the rooms and speak to some of the staff and I can say that I was not nearly as impressed with the rooms, views from the rooms or the staff as I was at Ladera. I would highly recommend any room at Ladera over Anse. Our water taxi picked us up in the afternoon and on the way back to the Hilton our driver took us over to a crevice in the side of one of the Pitons to see where thousands of bats hibernated during the day. It was really cool to see. That evening we went over to the Hilton to have dinner in their restaurant right on the water, which had a buffet that night.

 

Friday June 22^nd
This was such a sad day for us, as we had to check out of Ladera and leave our personal paradise to drive to the north end of the island to stay for three nights at the new Hyatt Resort. After checking out and receiving our darling St. Lucia honeymoon gift we set out to drive at a leisurely pace to the north end of the island. I am a fanatic about taking pictures. Every time we came to a "viewing point" I wanted to stop and take pictures. Mark was sweet and cooperative, stopping at every one I saw. It took us about three hours to get to the Hyatt which is on the very north tip of St. Lucia near Pigeon Island National Park. Whereas Ladera was intimate and casual, the Hyatt was elegant and luxurious. The minute we pulled up to the entrance someone was there to open our door and welcome us to the Hyatt. We were escorted through the beautiful open-air lobby with its high ceiling and marble floors to the check-in desk. Our luggage was brought in and we were taken to our ocean view room facing the Atlantic. The Hyatt is built on a narrow isthmus joining the mainland of St. Lucia with Pigeon Island. On one side was the Atlantic, with Rodney Bay and the Caribbean on the other. We were taken on a tour of the public areas of the hotel before we went to our room. Our room was very nice with a huge king bed and artwork on the walls, an armoire with TV, love seat and table, and small fridge. The bathroom was very elegant and had a bathtub (Ladera only had a shower but it was a huge one). While my husband took a nap I explored the hotel and grounds. That evening we had a nice relaxing dinner in what they call their more casual restaurant. I can’t remember the name of it. After dinner we went by the open-air bar and listened to a Caribbean band play for a few minutes then retired to our room.

 

June 23^rd, Saturday
After sleeping late and enjoying a leisurely breakfast we drove into town to return our jeep to Cool Breezes. The employee was giving us a ride back to the Hyatt when he casually asked what we had done since we had been on the island. We told him what all we had done and seen the last 8 days. He was surprised that we had not drunk from a fresh coconut. He said we had to do that before we left and that he knew a person who had a stand so he detoured over to a shopping center. Sure enough there was a St. Lucian with a truckload of fresh coconut opening them and selling them to tourists to drink from. The employee from Cool Breezes (sorry can’t remember his name) in a very nice gesture insisted that he pay for us to drink from a coconut. The vendor hacked us an opening and we upturned the coconut and drank from it. I must say it tasted like sugar water to me. But is was a fun experience and I am glad we got to experience it. Once we were back at the Hyatt we had lunch and while Mark took a nap I changed into a swimsuit and made my way out to the BEACH!!! Yes, I live for the beach. I found a nice palapa and a lounge chair and settled in for the afternoon. After I had been there for a little while a waitress came and took my order for a drink (ahhhh those cold rum drinks) then a little while after that a hotel employee came along with cool wet wash cloths and gave me one to moisten my face, now is THAT pampering or what J . Occasionally I took a dip in the Caribbean but otherwise read and napped. Now that was the life. Late in the afternoon I decided I wanted to go get in the fabulous huge pool with waterfalls and meandering streams that I had seen earlier. The Hyatt has the coolest pool. It has this shallow area with indentions full of mini-Jacuzzi nozzles shooting small jets of water under you. It was so COOL to just sit there in my own mini-Jacuzzi. I swam up the meandering river to the waterfall and splashed around. Mark came out after his long nap and took some pictures of me in the pool. We went in and got ready for our sunset sail on the Brig Unicorn (the tall-masted sailing ship they used in the mini-series Roots) We set out from a harbor near Castries and motored up to Rodney Bay where we could see the Hyatt on the isthmus between the mainland and Pigeon Island. We had hors d’ouvres and champagne served to us and a local band played on board. When we got to Rodney Bay the crew raised the sails and we sailed back down the coast of St. Lucia as the sun set. It was really a fun excursion and I highly recommend it. That evening we had dinner at a nice casual bayside restaurant called The Charthouse.

 

June 22^nd, Sunday
Sunday morning dawned with gray clouds and no sun. We decided to keep to our original plan to walk up to Pigeon Island and tour it. First we explored the museum and grounds. It started to rain so we took shelter in some old English ruins with some British tourists. We all chatted for a few minutes until the rain stopped. We then began our climb up to the very top where the remains of a British fort were along with cannons. It was beautiful up there and if it had been a clear day you could have seen Martinique. When we came back down we went by a restaurant housed in the remains of the officer’s mess called The Captain’s Quarters. There was really a neat atmosphere there and it was right by the Atlantic so we decided to come back for dinner that night. I do want to say before I forget that there is a small admission to Pigeon Island. I think it was $6 US but I won’t swear to it. So we did go back for a very nice dinner setting out side until it started to rain then we had to go inside to a table.

 

June 23^rd, Monday
It was time to leave paradise and go back to the real world (boo hoo) We had a last breakfast, took a last walk around the grounds, packed and went to the airport for our flight home. I do want to say the staff at the Hyatt was superb. We had a fantastic time and really loved St. Lucia. As a specialist in the Caribbean I have been to most islands there and St. Lucia is my favorite. We can’t wait to go back and I always recommend St. Lucia to my clients if they are looking for a lush beautiful laid-back island.

 

Ladera history
Ladera was designed by John DiPol a commercial interior designer from Washington D.C. He and his wife lived aboard a 48-foot yacht anchored in the Potomac River. They vacationed in the Caribbean every chance they got. On a trip to St. Lucia in 1968 DiPol found his paradise – a 200 year-old St. Lucian plantation nestled smack-dab in the middle of the island’s spectacular Pitons. He went back home and sold his yacht and moved back to St. Lucia to build a small hotel on that plantation 1000 ft up on a ridge between Gross and Petit Piton mountain peaks. Trade winds inspired a design that included several three-walled buildings, each with one side open to the elements to let the breezes and views indoors. He called this hotel –Ladera.

 

St. Lucia travel tips:
Official language: English
Language spoken: English and Patois
Government: St. Lucia is an independent commonwealth
Rainfall: 54 in. per year
Temperature: 79 degrees average
Size: 238 square miles
Best buys: Hand-silk screened and painted Bagshaw Studios designs; wood, pottery, and straw items
Currency: EC (Eastern Caribbean) Dollar but US dollar is widely accepted
Airlines: Many major and local airlines serve St. Lucia
Airports: Hewanorra Airport in the south part of the island and George C.
Charles Airport (formally Vigie) in the north part of the island in
Capital, Castries
Flying time: Atlanta: 4 hours, Miami 3 hours, San Juan 2 hours.
Entry requirements: A valid US passport or original birth certificate and government issued photo ID. A valid return ticket is required.
Departure tax: $20 per person.

 

St. Lucia tourist board: 800-456-3984:
St. Lucia web site: www.stlucia.org

 

St. Lucia offers its visitors a hint of the South Pacific in the Caribbean. The twin peaks of Petit and Gros Pitons, rising to more than 2,400 feet on the southeastern Caribbean shore, are majestic, well-known landmarks visible for miles at sea. Waterfalls, sulfur springs, and working plantations growing tropical fruits and vegetables are just some of the natural riches there. Other attractions include beaches, watersports, towering mountains, valleys full of flowers, a rain forest, a drive-in volcano, and the secluded lushness of Marigot Bay and finally the history of Pigeon Island.

 

No one knows more about St. Lucia than I do, unless they are from there, so for your next island vacation --- let me send you to St. Lucia!