 St. Lucia island in the Caribbean holds a wealth of natural beauty—lush mountains, a steaming sulfur volcano, 19,000 acres of rainforest, charming black-and-white-sand beaches, stunning rare colorful foliage and exotic wildlife. When you add the pleasant St. Lucia weather and the nice beaches, you understand why it is a popular Caribbean destination. There's much to do on this little island, although given it's rise as a high-end resort, you will need your wallet handy if you wish to take advantage of much of it. The rainforest is an ideal place for hiking, mountain biking, bird-watching or just enjoy standing near a waterfall to soak up the mist from its spray. And there's also whale-and dolphin-watching, snorkeling, kite-sailing, fishing and diving. Vacationers going to St. Lucia travel there generally for two distinct reasons: either to enjoy its charm and undeveloped feel, still found in some places, or to luxuriate in five-star waterfront luxury. Whether staying in a deluxe, all-inclusive resort or a local inn or hotel, St. Lucia and its residents extend a warm welcome. An avocado-shaped island 14 mi/23 km wide by 27 mi/43 km long, St. Lucia is one of the greenest and lushest areas in the Caribbean. The island is mountainous, except for the northern area around Gros Islet and Rodney Bay. Most of the resorts and towns are located right along the shore. The twin volcanic peaks, Petit Piton and Gros Piton—probably the most-photographed mountains in the Caribbean as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site—are on the southwestern side of the island. If you are planning to visit St. Lucia, there are "must sees" that you may want to add to your itinerary during your stay. Typical excursions include tours of historic buildings and a sugar mill or more rigorous adventures such as horseback riding, hiking, rain-forest canopy tours, snorkeling or flightseeing. The most popular tours include an opportunity to view and photograph the Piton mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and those visiting by boat have the option of snorkeling in the marine reserve at the base of the twin peaks. Island-wide tours often include a drive through Castries with stops at the open-air markets, a visit to a working plantation and a refreshment break in one of the fishing villages to sample local foods. Adventure tours focus on watersports, such as diving, or land activities, such as zipline or tram rides through the rain forest. A photo tour combines sights with insights into capturing their memories. Other options include a visit to the drive-in volcano, a walk though one of the botanical gardens, or a tour of Pigeon Point National Park.  The Church Of The Immaculate Conception, Castries, St. Lucia   Castries, Saint Lucia  Pigeon Island , St. Lucia Be sure to include at least a few of these great natural attractions!Sights—The mineral baths at Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens; views of the Piton mountains; touring the sulphur springs at La Soufriere Volcano, which is called "the drive-in volcano"; spotting the endangered parrot, the Amazona versicolor; the black-sand beaches on the south end of the island; a zipline ride or tram trip through the treetops in the 19,000-acre/7,690-hectare rain forest. Museums—The history and culture of growing sugar at La Sikwi Historical Sugar Mill and Plantation; multimedia displays at Pigeon Island Interpretation Centre. Memorable Meals—Pumpkin soup at The Coal Pot; green fig and saltfish at Ladera Hotel's Dasheene Restaurant; little plates at Orlando's; savory creme brulee at La Terrasse; cocktails made with local rum Bounty, or Piton Shandys (a blend of beer, spices and fruit juice) after a day on the beach. Late Night—Counting nesting leatherback turtles; dancing to soca music during Friday-night street parties (Gros Islet's Jump-Up and Anse La Raye's Fish Fry); mingling with yachters and expatriates at The Lime in Rodney Bay. Walks—A hike on the Edmund Forest Reserve Rain Forest Trail; a challenging climb up Gros Piton; a stroll through tropical forest to a sandy beach. Especially for Kids—Climbing over the ruins and cannons at Fort Rodney at Pigeon Point National Park; snorkeling along shallow reefs at Anse Chastanet Resort and enjoying watersports on Reduit (pronounced red-wee) Beach; watching pools of furiously bubbling mud at La Soufriere—an active volcano.  And for you Casino go-ers, casino gambling is not a major draw on St. Lucia, but for those who love it, there is a decent one. The minimum age is 18, and complimentary membership is required. Treasure Bay Casino St. Lucia's first casino has 260 slot machines and 22 table games (including three poker tables). There also is a full bar and snack areas, and the casino itself is in a 60-store enclosed shopping mall. Patrons must be at least 18 years old and must obtain a complimentary membership to enter. Open Sunday-Thursday 10 am-3 am, Friday and Saturday until 4 am. U.S. currency is used. Baywalk Mall, Rodney Bay (Gros Islet), St. Lucia. Phone 459-2901. http://www.treasurebaystlucia.com. Whatever your pleasure, we can make just about anything you can dream up--happen! I'm eager to help you make those dreams come true so let's talk--and let's get your bucket list out. I'm sure we can check off a box or two with a trip to your favorite luxury destination!
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 NCL Norwegian Dawn | Photo:NCL Daniel McCarthy from the Travel Market Report shared this update this week. No food buffets and cruisers temperature checks are just a couple of the new changes as they start traveling again. Norwegian Cruise Line will begin sailing again with a brand new set of health and safety measures onboard its ships. In a letter to its travel advisor partners on Monday, NCL said that it was launching Sail Safe, a set of “stringent health protocols and supporting innovation to meet and exceed industry and health standards,” in order to ensure the safety of both its future guests and crew members. The program includes six new safety measures that Norwegian has added onboard its ships and to its embarking, and disembarking, procedures. It includes new air filtration systems called H13 HEPA that NCL says will remove 99.95% of airborne pathogens onboard; increased sanitation including fogging in staterooms and public areas and increased frequencies of cleaning onboard; COVID-19 tests available onboard and enhanced training for NCL’s medical crew; and online check-in and staggered embarkation to promote social distancing. One of the bigger changes will be the new health screening procedures both before embarkation and onboard that includes touchless temperature checks for guests prior to embarkation, prior to all meals and activities in public venues, and prior to returning to the ship from a port of call. NCL is also planning to have crew members go through temperature checks multiple times a day. NCL also said, as part of Sail Safe, that it will no longer offer buffet service and instead will offer full service meals served by crew members. In the letter, Norwegian said that “this is just the start of a wave of new technologies and enhancements we are rolling out, so you can explore the world with the ultimate Peace of Mind.”  For those who are looking to fill your days and nights with fun, Curacao has a hopping nightlife scene. Live music is a staple of this multicultural island, and all types of music can be heard, from jazz to soca. There is going to be the perfect bar or watering hole for any traveler. If you are tired of waiting and dreaming, or you're ready to book again-even for 2021- Then you're going to love that Norwegian is offering some great bonuses to enrich your next cruise vacation with their "Free At Sea" promotion. Choose from Free Open Bar, Free Specialty Dining, Free Shore Excursions, Free WiFi and Free Kids. I'm happy to help you make the decisions necessary to get your vacation plans back on track. Click to schedule your complimentary travel consultation with me and let's start making plans!  |
Debbie PalmerOwner and Travel Expert at Palmer Preferred Travel Categories
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