saint lucia vacation

[gclaudio]

My wife and I are thinking about going to Saint lucia next year. We are looking at one of the Sandals resorts. Has any one stayed at any of them and what is your sugestion on witch one is better. And what time of year is best for diving.

 

[dvankirk]

We stayed at La Toc in October. I think that it was the quietest / more peaceful of the three resorts in St. Lucia. That being said, it is quite hilly and is a little work going from the main part of the resort (main pool and main lobby) up to the quieter end of the resort at the top of the hill (though there is a van if you would like). I think that it was around 72 steps up to our villa from the beach. There is a shuttle that runs most of the day between the three resorts (about 45 minute ride between them) if you want to visit the other resorts. I can't say what time of year is best for diving, but in October water temperature was in the 70's and vis was 60-80 ft.

 

[drrich2]

Your profile indicates you are not certified, yet you plan to dive, so I'm guessing you plan to take an open water scuba course. Before or while you're there?

I would suggest you do a quick forum search for 'Sandals' and read over some of the threads about people diving via Sandals resorts. I'm not talking specifically about St. Lucia, and I have not personally stayed at a Sandals. It is my understanding from postings by some who have that at least some Sandals dive op.s tend to not give a particularly good scuba experience (e.g.: I think the story was the group had to all come up with the worst air hog hit the end pressure, and dives tended to be shorter than some wished).

Whether this is true of a Sandals on St. Lucia I don't know, but I thought you might want to read up on Sandals and scuba on the forum in case it's of interest to you.

St. Lucia is lush, mountainous and beautiful. I did a 2-tank boat trip with Scuba Steve's hitting Superman's Flight and Fairy Land; enjoyed the latter site more, but glad to have done both.

Richard.

 

[ColoDale]

Have a look in this SB forum - Lesser Antilles. It will have the St. Lucia posts and Sandals for that island. We stayed at La Toc (twice) and it got a lot bigger after 10 years. We went in August and November. Aug was hot topside and water temps were around 90F in shallower spots. Nov was cooler and the vis good.

Anymore when we stay at Sandals we use an outside dive op to get better bottom times and less herding. If you are not experienced then Sandal's operation may fit you better. We have found that the procedures across all Sandal's properties does not vary much.

Sandals Halcyon in Aug was a bit buggy but that will vary by season and rain. It was nice though. You should be able to visit the other St. Lucia properties while staying at one. Last time we were there, for diving all the properties left from Castries so a shuttle was in order. Could have changed. Sign up early for diving each day.

Nice island and the dive sites to the South around the Pitons are good.

 

[gclaudio]

Thanks every one. Drrich I am certified I have not been on hear in awhile so I forgot to update my profile.

 

[dvankirk]

It is my understanding from postings by some who have that at least some Sandals dive op.s tend to not give a particularly good scuba experience (e.g.: I think the story was the group had to all come up with the worst air hog hit the end pressure, and dives tended to be shorter than some wished).

Whether this is true of a Sandals on St. Lucia I don't know, but I thought you might want to read up on Sandals and scuba on the forum in case it's of interest to you.

St. Lucia is lush, mountainous and beautiful. I did a 2-tank boat trip with Scuba Steve's hitting Superman's Flight and Fairy Land; enjoyed the latter site more, but glad to have done both.

Richard.

This is true of all of the Sandals diving that I have done - herded tourist honeymoon dives. I go to Sandals to spend time with my wife and diving is a secondary benefit. As long as you know what you are getting going into it. It's not a dive trip, but a trip that I get to go diving on.

I wonder a lot if it is really worth it sometimes, though. I always enjoy the fact that they make me do a skills test even though I have hundreds of dives and certifications from three different agencies, but get out there and there are always a couple of yahoos who can't figure out how to get their 1st stage attached to the tank and kick more coral than Pele at the world cup. Funny and tragic at the same time.

 

[Rand]

My wife and I stayed at Sandals Halcyon Beach in St. Lucia about 9 years ago. We did a discover SCUBA course there and did 4 dives. It was our first experience in open water and while fun, I don't remember anything particularly spectacular about the diving. And yes, what has been referenced about the Sandals diving experience is also true at Sandals St. Lucia. We had some certified divers on our boat and part of their briefing included depth and time limits, and they had to stay in the group. And, I believe they were limited to two dives a day. If that's your thing, great.

As for the resorts, I would recommend staying at Halcyon. It is the smallest, cheapest, and quietest, but you get access to the other two resorts for free and a free shuttle runs frequently between all three. The only thing I didn't care for at Halcyon was that the beach there is not private and there are some pushy locals trying to sell you stuff they claimed to have made every time you walk by. The other two resorts have private beaches and don't have that problem.

My understanding is that La Toc is more of the party scene, and it is situated on a pretty steep hill, so walking around might be more of a chore. They do have a shuttle that takes you up to the furthest parts of the resort so you don't have to trudge up and down the hill to get to the Hibatchi place. Grande is the most expensive and has a ton of great places to eat. Our favorites there were the crepe place and the by-the-beach restaurant and their lobster dinners.

Sign up for the catamaran sail to the volcano/botanical gardens. We also drove the same route, and the winding roads there may make some car sick. Boat is the better way.

Someone online recommended the helicopter ride from the resort to the airport on the way out. Definitely worth it. You avoid all the windy roads and get to see some awesome views of the island.

Spoiler alert. If you are going there hoping to see lava shooting into the sky from the volcano, prepare to be disappointed. It is more like bubbling mud puddles and steam.

 

[diver 85]

Where ever you stay, get to the PITONS---& make Superman's Flight/Piton Wall dives, for sure......

[/URL]sf diver over barrel sponge by GEAUXtiger, on Flickr[/IMG]

More here.....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/80825593@N08/sets/72157630274191198/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/80825593@N08/sets/72157630521027672/

 

[dvankirk]

The boat ride to Superman's Flight gives you great views of the Pitons. We also did a dune buggy tour (through Sandals) that was the highlight of the trip. We started up North and went south almost the entire island through banana plantations, to a lava bath at the base of the pitons, and to a really nice waterfall with a great guide. It included lunch at a local spot overlooking the pitons. Well worth the money.

 

[diver 85]

The boat ride to Superman's Flight gives you great views of the Pitons. We also did a dune buggy tour (through Sandals) that was the highlight of the trip. We started up North and went south almost the entire island through banana plantations, to a lava bath at the base of the pitons, and to a really nice waterfall with a great guide. It included lunch at a local spot overlooking the pitons. Well worth the money.

+1 on the boat ride to the Pitons---was great even thou it poured rain MOST OF the day......

https://www.flickr.com/photos/80825593@N08/7547673776/in/set-72157630847746006

[/URL]Grand Piton in background--starting a dive on Piton Wall by GEAUXtiger, on Flickr[/IMG]