Simply St Lucia..
Flying into St Lucia was an amazing sight....so lush and green, The Pitons in clear view and of course the clear blue Caribbean sea below us, I couldn't wait to touchdown!
As the plane doors opened the heat was intense...but very welcome after leaving a cold wet England.
I decided to opt for two hotels for our 10 night family holiday; firstly we stayed at the newly opened (May 2007) Cotton Bay Village followed by the refurbished Almond Smugglers Cove.
Both properties are located in the north of the island, around 2hrs 15minutes from the airport. Whilst it is a long transfer the scenery from the airport through the mountains is beautiful.
However, for those that don't like long transfers or winding roads you may wish to opt for a helicopter transfer. We did this on the return and were so pleased we did. From the north of the island it took 20mins to the heliport followed by 15mins helicopter ride to the airport. I would highly recommend this option as it's a fantastic opportunity to take some super arial photos and a much quicker option than by road!
Cotton Bay..WOW! 5* Pure luxury! Cotton Bay is made up of private villas and townhouses. Some villas have private pools and the others are located around a main pool area, it also has it's own beach. We stayed in a 2 bedroom villa round the pool. Our villa was equipped to a very high standard and included butler service, you are even provided with a mobile phone to contact your butler 24/7! The beach isn't the best in the world to be honest, however the pool area was so quiet and secluded that it suited us better and was just a couple of steps from our terrace. Children are kept occuiped as well, as Cotton Bay offers a low key children's club and babysitting service. Cotton Bay is perfect for a relaxing break and has a lovely Spa.
After our 3 night stay at Cotton Bay we moved a few minutes down the road to Almond Smugglers Cove. Again set on it's own beach with 3 pools (children's, adult only and mixed). I loved the fact that the main pools and restaurants were located next to the beach. Unlike a traditional hotel block, ASC is resort style with rooms in single storey blocks spread throughout the gardens, some are beachfront. As a family we booked the One Bedroom Garden Suite, which gave us a separate living area which turned into Gabrielle's bedroom at night. Again our children were well catered for as they offer an action packed childrens club. The food was very nice and unlike a lot of All Inclusive hotels we didn't have a buffet every night. It's table service with a good menu. Breakfast and lunch was buffet style and plentiful!
Don't wait until the airport to buy duty free, we headed out one morning to the capital Castries to do all of our shopping there. Not only did we have the big daily market but also the 'Duty Free Village' shopping mall. A place to grab your branded items at a fraction of the cost from the UK.
Don't get caught out...Sadly I did get some nasty mozzie bites. Unless you want to spend a morning at the doctors and a nice bill at the end of it, go prepared with some repellent!!
Overall this really was a holiday to remember and I would love to return.
Please, if you have any questions about my holiday or would like to find out more about St Lucia then do give me a call or drop me an email.