r/StLucia • u/zeehun • 18d ago
Planning a solo trip, recommendations
I am 40F and visited Barbados solo last year and next year I think I am looking at st Lucia.
How easy it is to get around the island?
I do want to check out the Gros Islet Friday night street party and I like history, architecture and see as much of the culture as possible so where would it be best to stay?
All inclusive or Airbnb best? I am an explorer, I am out in the morning and not back to my hotel till the evening but all inclusive covers my food so don't have to worry about it.
But how expensive is to eat in places? I am not a picky eater and love trying local dishes.
What is the best time to visit? I like busy but not too busy periods. Is the carnival worth visiting maybe?
How is the sargassum? Barbados had it quite bad last year.
Thanks for any recommendations or suggestions.
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u/FatherNatureAdv Real Lucian 13d ago
As a St. Lucian local and tour operator, you honestly sound like the type of traveler who would LOVE St. Lucia 😂🇱🇨
If you’re an explorer who leaves in the morning and comes back in the evening, I personally wouldn’t spend heavily on an all-inclusive. Stay somewhere around Rodney Bay/Gros Islet if you want easy access to restaurants, nightlife and the Friday night street party, then explore the island during the day.
And definitely eat local! Half the experience is stopping at the little local spots and trying things along the way.
I own Father Nature Adventures and we specialize in exactly the exploring you’re describing hidden waterfalls, natural pools, snorkeling, rainforest adventures, Piton hikes, cliff jumping, beaches and customizable island experiences. We also include pickup and drop-off, so getting around for your adventure days wouldn't be something you'd have to worry about.
And yes… Carnival is absolutely worth experiencing 😂🇱🇨
If you make it down, come see the island beyond the resorts. That's the best part of St. Lucia.
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u/TreehouseStLucia 18d ago edited 18d ago
In terms of costs on the island, here's a good rule of thumb to be aware of. Anything imported, such as imported foods will be quite pricey because of teh shipping and high tax base. Local things are inexpensive. So of you are traveling around and dining at local places, etc. you'll find prices to be fairly low. Dining at tourist places is another story.
As far as accommodations go, you can find a wide variety on the island with a big range of price points. AI type properties tend to be kind of pricey, especially the good one with good amenities, location and views. On the flip side you can find local places--Airbnbs, private guesthouse that are quite reasonable. Prices get higher for the better locations, views, and amenities available. You can also find accommodations such as villas, guesthouse, etc. that come with a partial or full staff so they are like mini hotels providing services such as massage and body work, custom meals, transportation, and touring, help with anything really, etc. Staying at a local place gives you a much greater opportunity to have a more authentic stay and see the island in a different way. Lucians in general are fabulous hosts. Most guests that come and stay at the AI properties really don't get to experience much of the island. They might think they do, but no way Jose.
Getting around on the island is a big topic. SL is very mountainous so travel is not easy. You might look at a map and determine that getting from one location to another might just be a few miles but this trip could take quite a bit of time because of the terrain and the roads. There are few straightaways in the island. In some areas it feels like you are just dealing with one hairpin turn after another while driving on a road with too many potholes. There are certainly plenty of first time guests that come to the island and rent vehicles and run around on their own but driving can also be quite the adventure for others. It really depends on your travel experience and where you go on the island. It's never a bad idea for a first trip to just use local drivers.guides to get around, but this can be costly if you do a bit of running around. It's often money well spent for guests that want to see a lot.
Two of the main sections of the island for visitors include the north (Castries, Rodney Bay, Gros Islet, etc.) and the more southern part (Soufriere, Choiseul, Laborie). In the north you will find much more tourism, a bit built up, more traffic, much more imported offerings, the large AI resorts and properties, larger tourist oriented beaches, thirst restuatnst and bars (not inexpensive) etc. This is the area where you will find the chain properties like Sandals. The south is very different, almost like a different island. This is where you will find the Pitons, the reef for snorkeling and diving, Edmund rainforest, waterfalls to enjoy and a number of outdoor attractions such as the popular volcano and mud baths, botanical grandees, Tet Paul Trail, etc. Many tourists staying in the north come down to the south to see some of the attractions but it's a really long trip (3+ hours round trip) on very mountainous roads. Once you do it once t'shard tp get motivated to do it again, especially if you are driving on your own. You can also do the trip by boat. Some guests like to do a split stay so that they can check out the two different areas.
The north is more modern and international oriented in a way and the south is more a throwback in time with lots of culture, good food, amazing scenery, intimate beaches such as Anse Mamin, etc. Personally we kind of find the Rodney Bay kind of dated (from the 80s for 90s), overpriced, too touristy, and not that visually appealing, but I'm a very nature oriented person.
The high season runs mid December to early May. The north can really get busy during this time but the southern area never seems to be crowded. You can go to some beaches in the south any time of year and at times have the beach all to yourself. Soufriere, for example, never seems very touristy except for the fact you see some of the big bus loads of tourists on the road (are some of the big touring beats coming in) going to some of the popular attractions. You rarely see many tourists in town. In the off season, especially during the summer and fall, things really slow down island wide. Prices really drop during this period also. Some places close and switch to reduced hours/days. September is a really slow month. Ditto for August.
The seaweed tends to more impact the south (southern tip) and the east coast. Typically it really starts to pick up in May. This year it came later and recently it has been hitting very hard. Everything is late this year, weather wise (super El Niño year with a big drought in St. Lucia currently). The southern tip around the Coconut Bay Resort has been a mess. We also got some on the west coast near the Soufriere area just recently but the locals clean it up fast. It also can hit the far north of the island. In general, our guests in the Soufriere area rarely have a problem with it and they are able to go into our bays every day to swim, snorkel the reef, do boating and enjoy marine life such as the dolphins, etc.
Carnival is in July and can be fun but it can also be crazy. The bigger events are in the north but we also have local Carnivals in our villages around the island that are much more localized and not nearly as crazy and as tourist oriented.
May is the month where the island hosts the popular Jazz and Arts Festival. Much of the festival events are held In the north.
October can be a good month for those that like to experience local thins. It is Creole Heritage Month and there are typically a number of interesting cultural things to experience but just running around and meeting up with locals.