Saint Lucia
You might remember not too long ago when I posted about a trip to Guatemala. In that post I outlined the idea that Caelynn and I both agreed that we would take the other on a trip to a destination they had never been to. I wrote about how the trip was to remain a secret for as long as possible and the duration would span about a week. As fate would have it, Caelynn’s secret only lasted until just about a week before we were to take off to Saint Lucia. We were sitting in a coffee house in Ireland and it just so happened to “accidentally” slip out. Neither here nor there, Saint Lucia was our next destination and, since I didn’t know much about it, I was excited to get down there and see what it was all about!
Given the fact that Caelynn is actually the one that booked this trip, handled logistics, and paid for everything, I thought it would be most appropriate to lead this post with Caelynn’s Corner. After all, she is the mastermind behind Saint Lucia!
CAELYNN’S CORNER
I chose to take Dean to Saint Lucia for my surprise trip because I wanted to go somewhere we would both enjoy. Saint Lucia has beautiful, serene beaches but a lot of hiking as well. The views of the pitons are what really sold me on Saint Lucia.
This was the first trip I had ever planned by myself and it is way more difficult than I thought, but I learned a lot just from planning this one trip. I became very overwhelmed at times trying to research where to go, where to stay, what to do, what’s nearby; the list goes on and on. There are a ton of things I would have done differently now having visited there, but overall we had a great time.
We flew into UVF because I was under the impression that this was the international airport. We stayed on the north side of the island, while the airport was on the south side. That’s one thing I would have done differently. We spoke to other couples who flew from the US to the northern airport and their drive to the hotel was only about 15 minutes whereas we had an hour and a half drive.
I rented us a car and I went back and forth wondering if it was worth it to spend $100+ to get a jeep instead of a small standard car. I decided it wasn’t worth it, I also decided to trust Dean’s driving and not get insurance.
That hour and a half turned into 3 hours due to my poor navigational skills. I made us miss a few turns and Google Maps ended up taking us directly through the jungle. This was the most terrifying experience of my entire life. We drove through bushes, massive potholes, over logs, basically anything you can imagine. We later found out about the boa constrictors and spearhead snakes (which are the most dangerous snakes in the Caribbean and Central and South America) that are all lurking in the jungle. Thankfully Dean’s expert driving got us through the madness safely. My body wouldn’t stop shaking and I was on the brink of tears as we exited the scary, dark, and dense jungle. I felt an immense sense of gratitude towards Dean for holding it together, getting us out of there, and not letting me know how terrified he was during it.
When we arrived to Ti Kaye, I didn’t want to leave the resort. And we didn’t. For the three days we were there. It was nice to be lazy, catch up on a ton of sleep, and enjoy the rainy days. We had a few hours each day of sun while at Ti Kaye and we did our best to enjoy them. I felt relaxed after Ti Kaye, but ready to explore the country we were in rather than be cooped up in a small, intimate resort.
We decided to do an easy, 30 minute walk that would lead us to a view of the pitons. We had originally planned on hiking the pitons and I was relieved we didn’t once I was able to see how steep and intimidating they were.
We headed to Marigot Bay after, and it blew my expectations out of the water. The resort looked beautiful online, but was even more beautiful in person. Everyone was very helpful and kind, and the food was incredible. I enjoyed my time more at Marigot than Ti Kaye. Marigot is less secluded and there’s more to do and see.
All in all, I had a great time relaxing for a week before the holidays. Our biggest issue while we were there (aside from the jungle) was the mosquitos, but if you’re prepared with great insect repellant before your trip, you’ll have a great time!
FINAL THOUGHTS
I want to expand on a few ideas Caelynn mentioned above. Renting a car, as I almost always prefer to do when visiting a new country, wound up being a little less convenient than it normally is. The roads in Saint Lucia wind along the outside of the island with the occasional road cutting through the interior. For the most part, they’re not incredibly well maintained and, as Caelynn mentioned above, sometimes Google Maps thinks muddy roads that knife through the jungle are adequate routes to be taken. I think this is the first country I’ve ever visited that I would advise new travelers to simply take taxis or buses to their resort. Especially considering we didn’t bounce around all that much. The rental car cost us $371 for the week and we had to pay $200 in repairs for the damage we incurred from driving through the jungle.
Ti Kaye was a nice resort, the first of our two stops in Saint Lucia. The cost per night came to $194 but the real surprising expense was that we spent $645 on food through our three days at the resort. I would have guessed that Saint Lucia was a little more affordable but it turns out it’s more expensive than I ever would have imagined. Our time at Ti Kaye was relaxing and uneventful but it was great to be able to lay back, unwind, and enjoy some pina coladas. On our last day at Ti Kaye, I got the chance to do a shore dive off the beach ($120) and got to see some coral reef, tropical fish, and explore the ocean a bit.
After leaving Ti Kaye we headed South to see the two famous pitons. My original idea was to climb Gros Piton but, after some consideration, we decided not to. Gros Piton is about a 3-4 hour hike through strenuous conditions and I’m sure the view is more than worth it but this trip specifically was meant to be more relaxing than adventurous. Instead, I took us to Tet Paul Nature Trail; an incredibly easy and short hike that yields stunning views of both the Gros and Petit Piton. Just down the hill from there are some hot springs from the islands volcanoes, we didn’t have time to stop by but I hear they’re lovely.
To cap off the trip, we trekked back up North to stay at Marigot Bay Resort, an all inclusive resort that both of us really enjoyed. -Full disclosure- I factored the cost of our three nights a MBR into the final cost above but we stayed for free thanks to Caelynn and her ability to work out a deal with them. The price per night for an all inclusive room, just like we had, is right around $800/night. While at MBR we got massages, kayaked to a private beach, and enjoyed a rum tasting class. Marigot was awesome and we certainly enjoyed this location more than anywhere else while we were here. The property is beautiful and the staff was incredibly helpful. If you have the interest and the means, I’d definitely recommend it!
On our last day, we had a late flight so we drove North to Rodney Bay to take out some jet skis for a bit ($120 for both of us for half an hour) because it’s something we’ve always talked about but have never actually gotten to do. About an hour North to rip around some jet skis for a bit was a fun way to sign off our trip. From there, it was an hour and a half drive back to the airport to head back home.
I’m grateful to have someone like Caelynn in my life because, without her, I probably would never have even had Saint Lucia on my radar. Her interests open up my world more than it would without her and I’m proud of her for taking the reins on the first trip she’s ever planned. Looking back to when I first started traveling consistently, I was often unsure of what I was doing, if it was right, if it’d be fun etc. And that was while traveling by myself! The added pressure of traveling with someone else and planning everything for them, especially without their input, can be stressful. The contrast in our two trips is hilarious to me but I think it’s great for us both to diversify our experiences like this.
All in all, Saint Lucia was a great experience. I’m not sure when I’ll be back, if ever, but I’m glad I got the chance to enjoy their warm weather and welcoming attitude. If you plan on visiting, I hope this helps you better understand what you might be spending during a week trip and how to better navigate the twists and turns of this beautiful country. And don’t forget your bug spray!
Have you ever been to Saint Lucia? Or anywhere in the Caribbean? I’m curious to hear how our experience compares to ours!