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The beautiful volcanic island of St. Lucia is “ the only sovereign nation to be named for a woman” - and according to the tourist board, the official tourism promotion is “Let Her Inspire You”
It has been many years since we vacationed here - but it is true that it is a very special place that has some of the most friendly locals, that really take it personally to ensure you enjoy St. Lucia.
It has come a long way from the days of a few all-inclusive adult resorts on the north shore to become an island full of adventure and cultural events such as Creole Day Festival (Jounen Kweyol), on the last Sunday of October day to celebrate the mixed culture of the Island along with the French/African dialect known on the island as Kwéyòl. A former British colony that was also a French colony before becoming independent from Britain in 1967 - so St. Lucia definitely celebrates being a country of mixed cultures.
As with most Caribbean island vacation spots, there is no lack of adventure that include diving, hiking and restaurants, both high end and home cooking, but one unique tour is the Soufrière world famous “drive-in-volcano” at the Sulphur Springs Park.

There is something for everyone in St. Lucia for a fabulous sunny vacation.
(pics from Saint Lucia Caribbean Island | Official Tourism Website)

Being Charged by an Elephant on the Beach.!!

Our resort in Soufrière was perched 1,000ft up on a ridge, so it was quite a hike down a trail through the forest to the beach (there was a shuttle but we wanted the adventure).
The beach swim was a welcome relief from the heat, but coming out of the water, we came face to face with an ELEPHANT... not sure if we were in danger, we stood there frozen. Then it happened - he started to charge at us.!!!

In the end, he was just looking for some food, and was quite friendly.!! (The farmer came out to explain that “Bupa” the elephant was brought to the island many years ago and has become something of a minor celebrity on the beach - and by the way, he was pretty tiny, maybe only standing 6ft tall.! - but, unfortunately l understand he has died in recent years)

Such a Unique St. Lucia Luxury Resort

Going back quite a few years, we had quite a unique experience on the island of St. Lucia at a resort called Dasheene. It was located on the south end of the island, once part of the Rabot Estate, one of oldest cocoa plantations. At the time it was a family run, Eco-friendly resort that had the unique feature of having an open sea view wall to take advantage of its breathtaking location - looking out between the famous Piton volcanic peaks.
More recently, it has been renovated and become Ladera Resort, but, even thought it has become more luxurious, it still keeps its Eco-friendly standards. They have also kept the open concept rooms and the Farm-to-Table Award Winning "Dasheene" Restaurant, that has retained the name of the original resort.

This is another on of those "special places", away from the standard all-inclusive hotels that can befound on the north end of the island.

Our Terrific Local Artist Tour in St. Lucia

We hired a private driver to tour the island for the entire day, and it was a highlight well worth the money. The resort had recommended a local young man who was very knowledgeable and willing to cater the drive to our own interests.
After a volcano tour, and several famous beaches, Manny also took us to many local artisans. We met painters, silkscreen artists and basket makers, where we were able to buy several very nice items.
The one that that stood out from all the others was Vincent Eudovic. A cute little shop, with lots of touristy small wooden carvings, but once l suggested some of his work had a Henry Moore feel, and he found that l was an artist, he took us out to a large barn FILLED with spectacular sculptures, small to massive sizes. This guy had amazing talent, but unfortunately his “real” creations were out of our price range at the time...

It was many years later that l found him online and purchased a beautiful unique sculpture for an anniversary present - carved from extinct Laurier Cannelle roots dug up in St. Lucia forests.!! I am so happy to see that Eudovic has now expanded and become an international celebrity with his Eudovic Art Studio & Guest Apartments and has become a “must see” location on St. Lucia.

Be Careful When Booking the Eastern Caribbean in the Fall

When we booked our sunny vacation, we didn’t give any thought to the weather at the time... September prices were pretty reasonable - so off we went.
Luckily, after a week of spectacular weather, with perfect temperatures and no rain, we began the trip home.
Taking off in the plane, l began taking photos of some of the most unusual cloud formations l had ever seen... It was only after we got home that we had heard about the terrible hurricane that had come through the island of St. Lucia.!!

Ever since, we have been so much more informed about potentially bad times to travel to the specific locations.