GO CARIBBEAN: DEREK EVANSis bowled over by the lush green hillsides, the turquoise seas, the weather, the amazing culinary delights and, most of all, the hospitality of the people
I OFTEN wondered what paradise would conjure up. Now I know. The island of Saint Lucia fits the bill and, in my book, is the nearest thing to Utopia.
I am bowled over by the lush green hillsides, the turquoise seas, the weather – steady at 30 degrees – the amazing culinary delights and, most of all, the hospitality of its people.
Since gaining independence from the UK in 1979, St Lucia has become the gem of the Caribbean for holidaymakers and cruise ship stopovers.
Some throwbacks remain. Cricket, for example, is still regarded as the number one sport, followed closely by soccer. Driving on the left and the standard three-pin wall socket are reminders of the old regime.
My 90-minute taxi journey from Hewanoora International Airport in the south to Windjammer Landing Resort in the northwest was something akin to a sightseeing tour.
“That’s the Atlantic on our right. When we reach the resort, it’s the Caribbean to the left,” my driver informs me. We stop to view Dennery Bay and its shanty town that thrives on the lucrative fishing industry.
No trawlers or monofilament nets here. No sir. Instead, small flat-bottomed boats still reign with baited hooks, hand-drawn nets and lobster pots to bring in the big ones.
Windjammer Landing is an exclusive resort elegantly set in the rich hillside overlooking the beaches and blue waters of Labrelotte Bay. It is owned by the Smith family from Ontario and employs a staff of 387.
Guests are spoiled for choice, from stand-alone luxurious villas to estate villas, each boasting spectacular views of the Caribbean. There are 120 villas (58 in timeshare) and 331 bedrooms.
My villa has a rooftop sun deck, swimming pool, balcony, air conditioning, ceiling fans, fully-equipped kitchen and cable TV. Man, it’s the nearest place to heaven on earth!
A shuttle service takes guests to the resort centre where five restaurants offer international à la carteselections to satisfy all palates.
Windjammer Landing is geared for couples, honeymooners and family holidays. The notice-board, for example, shows 20 different activities each day. The gym opens at 6am and then it’s the tennis clinic, snorkelling trips, water skiing, serenity spa, and so on.
The bars stay open until 1am, with live music each evening, and the local Piton beer goes down a treat. But it’s the peace and tranquillity of the resort that is appealing.
Security is tight, very tight. Entrance is by way of security barrier and there are 24-hour patrols within the complex.
Even the beach area has security personnel. It begs the question, is it all necessary? “It’s what our guests have requested” comes the reply
I meet John Maycock, the general manager, who invites me to a fundraising dinner to send a team to Miami to compete in the Taste of the Caribbean culinary competition. “Be my guest,” he says.
Suffice to say, my money is on the Lucian team to claim the prestigious award. Our dessert of Dennery coconut pumpkin cheesecake with mango and bell pepper coulis garnished with sugar breadfruit rounded off a superb three-course meal that included cocktails.
CASTRIES ISthe capital of Lucia, where out of a population of more than 160,000, one-third of the inhabitants of the island reside. The city's focal points are the Derek Walcott Square and William Peter Boulevard. A 400-year-old Samaan tree stands sentinel over the sites.
Poet Derek Walcott and Sir Arthur Lewis together brought great pride to the island by achieving Noble Prize status for literature and economics in 1992 and 1979, respectively.
The town has many charming boutiques and shops but perhaps the fruit, clothes and fish markets are the ideal areas to catch the local scene. I’m reliably told the spoken French-based creole language “patois” remains unwritten to this day.
Hundreds of cruise ships visit St Lucia each year and generate major revenue for the island. Castries is the stopover point and its deep port accommodates six liners at any one time.
My visit to Monroe College in the town provides an insight into the teaching structures for students. The college, founded in 1933 in New York, extended its operation to Castries in 2007 to offer young people the opportunity of further education, having progressed from secondary school but missed out on university.
A four-month course in hotel and restaurant studies provides students with sufficient qualifications to seek work in these sectors. “Our success rate in the tourism sector in St Lucia is 95 per cent,” college vice-president Alex Ephrem says.
The college also runs a two-year course that culminates with a BA degree in tourism management. “While hotels and restaurants are very co-operative with our objectives, placement on cruise ships is only 7 per cent. We have to work on this,” he says.
On the road again with guide Aaron, this time to Marigot Bay on the west coast, location for the 1967 film Dr Dolittle starring Rex Harrison. A clutter of red-roofed houses built for the cast still nestle in the hillside and the boxer George Foreman’s holiday home overlooks the bay.
The national flag of blue, yellow, black and white is eye-catching along the roadsides. Blue is for sea, yellow for sun and black and white for the people. “So we’re not racist,” Aaron says.
Also evident is the abundance of banana plantations. While tourism is the top revenue resource for the island, bananas are the chief export commodity.
The coast road takes us through the fishing villages of L’Anse La Raye and Canaries. We stop at viewing points for photographs, where the vendors sell identical necklaces, bracelets and earrings. I purchase one set and thereafter reply: “I’ve only got one wife.” Reluctantly, they accept my logic!
Between Canaries and Soufrière we pass the site of the mudslide that claimed five lives last November when Hurricane Tomas swept away a popular arts and craft centre. Two fallen trees remain straddled across its roof.
We view the famous twin mountains of Gros and Petit Piton, each about 750m above sea-level. Although they appear to be side-by-side the peaks are three miles apart. In 2004, Unesco declared the Pitons a World Heritage site.
In Soufrière, I visit Our Lady of the Assumption Church in the town centre with enforcement information officer, Deellam Emmanuel.
The design is typical olde-style Lucian architecture, with the interior painted in three shades of blue. A strong smell of incense prevails.
“We have two masses on Sundays. Seventy per cent of Lucians are Roman Catholic, you know,” Emmanuel says.
As enforcement officer, he keeps traffic moving through the narrow thoroughfares and ensures tourists are not harassed by local vagabonds.
On to Sulphur Springs volcano, still bubbling with mud, water and steam at 100 degrees. The lava is one mile underground and the sulphur smell (similar to rotten eggs) indicates that it is safe as the pressure continues to be released.
The springs are a weak spot in the crust of an enormous collapsed crater, the result of volcanic upheaval of gigantic proportions that took place in 1766.
PERHAPS THEhighlight of my tour is the Diamond Botanical Gardens, Mineral Baths and Waterfall. Built by King Louis XIV of France in 1713, it is claimed that as a child Empress Josephine, wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, bathed in the original baths.
In 1925, Andre du Boulay, owner of the estate, excavated the site and restored two baths from the original 12. However, the holding tank built in 1784 is still in use. The baths are fed by hot spring water. I was tempted, but declined to have a dip!
The gardens are very impressive, with lots of local plants, trees and flowers clearly identified and in full bloom during my visit.
An educational exhibit lists the birds in the area including the parrot, the national bird of St Lucia. With the waterfall as a backdrop, this completes a great day out – one not to be missed.
As I say my farewells to St Lucia, my thoughts centre on just how a relatively small island, only 616sq km, can bring so much pleasure and relaxation in these difficult times. It really does cleanse the mind and soul!
St Lucia where to . . .
Stay
Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort and Spa, PO Box 1504, Labrelotte, Castries, St Lucia, 00-1-758-456-9000, windjammer-landing.com.
Visit
The town of Castries, capital of St Lucia. Best day to visit is market day on Saturday.
Sulphur Springs, Sufrière. St Lucia's and the Caribbean's only drive-in volcano. Open daily 9am until 5pm. Admission $8 (€5.70).
Diamond Botanical Gardens, Waterfall and Mineral Baths. Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun 10am-3pm. General admission $5 (€3.50), mineral baths $6-$15 (€4.30-€10.70).
More information
Saint Lucia Tourist Office, P0 Box 221, Sureline Building, Vide Boutielle, Castries, 00-1-758-452-4094, stlucia.org.
Get there:British Airways (britishairways. com) flies from London Gatwick to Hewanoora International Airport.
Derek Evans was a guest of Windjammer Landing Resort and Saint Lucia Tourist Office