St Lucia - First Time Suggestions

[airlinerob]

Hi All -

 

I'm going to be on the Carnival Victory on October 9th.

 

I've never been to St Lucia before and would like some suggestions of the best excursion to get a taste of the island.

 

We are not really into the "beach", but would like to see some of the island, etc.

 

Any suggestions for a good excursion for a first timer?

 

Thanks!

[cruisingforthe25th]

Do an "island tour" with COSOL. He is great. Takes you all over the island, feeds you, and has a cooler with him that he is always pouring from. Just google him & check it out. We went on his tour last year when we were on the Victory, and are going again this year.

 

Sue

[martyap]

James will give you a super tour, cost you less $$ AND he will be there in person! We've tried both and preferred James.

 

Marty

[Host Faith]

Spencer Ambrose offers a really nice West Coast tour. If you do a search on his name in this forum you'll find lots of reviews and recommendations. My husband and I went with him once, and my Mom and friends went with him the second time we were in St. Lucia. I have a couple pics in my review of the Serenade of the Seas, the link is below.

[mdrobtx]

+1 Cosol.:)

[geenafeena]

does COSOL tour include a boat ride to the other side of the island? i read this in a review, but saw nothing mentioned about in on the website.

how long does this tour stop at the beach for?

[mdrobtx]

does COSOL tour include a boat ride to the other side of the island? i read this in a review, but saw nothing mentioned about in on the website.

how long does this tour stop at the beach for?

 

It was a couple of years ago but there was no boat ride on our excursion with Cosol.

We stopped at Jalousie/Sugar beach for about an hour or hour and a half. If you snorkel, go snorkel right up next to Petit Piton. Awesome.

[palos]

We just got back and used COSOL tours. THey were very good--A/C van and plenty to drink and eat. However you should know that St. Lucia's roads are very bumpy and it takes 1 1/2 hours to get to the Pitons and unfortunatelly the same time to get back to the ship. Everyone on the van was wiped out and asleep on the long drive home. Although St. Lucia is hilly and lush with greenery, it is very poor. On the trip you see plenty of shacks, poor small towns and bumby roads. I would try to find a tour that you drive to the Pitons/Jalousie beach and take a boat back to the ship. This would be MUCH more enjoyable. Really COSOL tries to make a good day out of not much to do on the island. COSOL includes a short fast boat ride from a small village to the Pitons and back again. That is the only water part. Too long of a drive in most peoples opinions. Next time I would do a catamarran and avoid the island.

[Beyondthe7Seas]

My dad was talking about this clothing store where they make different cloth. I'm not exactly sure how to explain it, but does anyone know what the name of this place is? Thanks in advance!

[teacherman]

We will be returning to St Lucia in December, because that is one of the stops our ship is making. It is probably our least favorite port. We have done the island tours and a sailing tour to the Pitons, but we do not really enjoy the island. IT IS BEAUTIFUL!!!! As has been said, the roads are very twisty, up and down, and it takes a long time to go a short distance. Last year, we walked into town. Not much there. On the return walk, we "cut" through a fisherman's area and ended up stopping in a 10 foot square "store" where we sat and had beer and conversation with some locals. That was fun and memorable. Might do it again.

[wineandbeach]

we went with Spencer for an island tour and I highly recommend him. Very easy to communicate. We did the west coast tour with the water taxi back and it was a nice mixture of touring, beach and boat ride. It was great riding through the towns, then seeing them from above and then seeing them from the water. Sitting on the beach between the Pitons is an amazing sight! St Lucia is a beautiful Island!

[karen&roy]

My dad was talking about this clothing store where they make different cloth. I'm not exactly sure how to explain it, but does anyone know what the name of this place is? Thanks in advance!

 

Here it is!

Welcome to Caribelle Batik

The Company was established in 1979 to create colorful batik clothing with hand-made care and flair, and almost thirty years later; Caribelle still draws visitors from all around the world.

 

The batik studio and boutique are housed in 112-year-old Howelton House, the former home of Victorian doctor. Local traditions say the house is haunted, and the Caribelle operation certainly adds an air of witchcraft, with artists leaning over simmering cauldrons of wax, the floor creaking under a thick layer of wax drippings, the scent of molten bees wax drifting through open windows to blend with the pungence of cedar after a rain shower.

 

In a world of mass production and compromise, thank goodness for Caribelle Batik.

Wall hangings, sundresses, shirts, blouses, beach wraps, pareos, evening wear, children's wear, men's wear, scarves, batik accesories, souvenirs, bags, jewelry, paintings, home accesories, decorative items and so much more.

Every item is fade free, color fast and pre shrunk, however, for the first wash; we recommend that you wash separately using hot water, and a mild detergent.

Take an original piece of the Caribbean home with you.

[nelderwoman]

Hi

Our first time to St Lucia too, where can we find this store