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- Feb 28, 2007
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Here are a few pics from St. Lucia. A gorgeous volcanic island that is home to 160,000 residents. Most of the population lives on a ring around the island with the interior largely unihabitable - mountains and dense jungle. The island's economy is split between tourism and banana farming. Banana farming dominated until the 1980's and after which St. Lucia lost its preferrential market share to Europe. Since then tourism has started to take over. Fortunately, tourism isn't at the point of only having exclusive resorts. There are plenty of small intimate hotels to be found, both on the sandy natural beaches and also within the jungle interiors.
Spa's and sulphur spring baths are a big thing here and prices are reasonable. For example, the hotel I stayed in was a small little hotel in a moderate town close to restaurants. It was $130 US per night, had a pool and nice little bar. This of course is not the big tourist season which occurs in our winter months. There are of course a few of the all inclusive resort hotels like Sandals and such, but that isn't my cup of tea.
There is a couple of inactive volcanic cones called the pitons (petite piton and gross piton). There is also an active volcano which you can drive to. You don't get anything as dramatic as that wonderful costa rica shot thrown up a couple of days ago. However, there are bubbling mud pools and sulphur steaming rocks similar to what you see at yellow stone park. The local beer is called Piton beer after the two inactive volcanic cones. Apparently there is a hiking trail up gross piton. People can also climb petit piton but that requires actual climbing gear and you have to go with a guide. Unfortantately I didn't have a chance to do either in my three days there - of which I was engaged in a buisness trip.
All in all this was a gorgeous, safe and beautific place. I am trying to make arrangements to visit there with my wife in March for a real vacation and will probably take up one of the jungle spa/eco-trail packages that are available. Enjoy the pics!
The beach by my hotel (it was a 15 minute walk from my cheaper hotel or we could have paid $50 extra per night to stay on the beach - I enjoyed the walk).
There are several water taxis right on the beach. Prices were on the order of $50 for 1/2 day and $100 for a full day. I thought this was incredibly reasonable. Some of them offered fishing, but they weren't the big charter fishing boats you typically see - still it would be fun!
Some pictures from the car
One of the banana farms - notice the blue bags are surrounding the banana bunch. The put the pesticides in the blue bag which keeps the pesticide active much longer. It also has the side benefit of not wasting pesticide due to spray drift. I was actually impressed at this practice!
Spa's and sulphur spring baths are a big thing here and prices are reasonable. For example, the hotel I stayed in was a small little hotel in a moderate town close to restaurants. It was $130 US per night, had a pool and nice little bar. This of course is not the big tourist season which occurs in our winter months. There are of course a few of the all inclusive resort hotels like Sandals and such, but that isn't my cup of tea.
There is a couple of inactive volcanic cones called the pitons (petite piton and gross piton). There is also an active volcano which you can drive to. You don't get anything as dramatic as that wonderful costa rica shot thrown up a couple of days ago. However, there are bubbling mud pools and sulphur steaming rocks similar to what you see at yellow stone park. The local beer is called Piton beer after the two inactive volcanic cones. Apparently there is a hiking trail up gross piton. People can also climb petit piton but that requires actual climbing gear and you have to go with a guide. Unfortantately I didn't have a chance to do either in my three days there - of which I was engaged in a buisness trip.
All in all this was a gorgeous, safe and beautific place. I am trying to make arrangements to visit there with my wife in March for a real vacation and will probably take up one of the jungle spa/eco-trail packages that are available. Enjoy the pics!
The beach by my hotel (it was a 15 minute walk from my cheaper hotel or we could have paid $50 extra per night to stay on the beach - I enjoyed the walk).
There are several water taxis right on the beach. Prices were on the order of $50 for 1/2 day and $100 for a full day. I thought this was incredibly reasonable. Some of them offered fishing, but they weren't the big charter fishing boats you typically see - still it would be fun!
Some pictures from the car
One of the banana farms - notice the blue bags are surrounding the banana bunch. The put the pesticides in the blue bag which keeps the pesticide active much longer. It also has the side benefit of not wasting pesticide due to spray drift. I was actually impressed at this practice!
