St Lucia will always have a special place in our hearts.
1). Where did you go and what made you decide?
a. St. Lucia – We wanted to find a bucket-list item that was beachy and close for us to get married. It had to be diverse in climate and terrain.
b. 1. – Anthony’s Key – Roatan, Honduras – Another bucket list item but this one was all about adventure, R&R, scuba diving and getting ‘off the grid’. Anthony’s Key
b. 2 – Roatan Institute of DeepSea Exploration with Karl Stanley – this was a rare
opportunity to go down to the bottom of the sea in a submarine, built for two!!! Stanley Submarines
2). Was there anything that didn’t meet your expectations and why?
a. Everything was perfect. We go in with a glass-half-full mentality and are seldom disappointed.
b. The people in Honduras are lovely. The country is quite poverty stricken. We spent our time at the resort, Anthony’s Key, which offers hillside bungaloos and beach cottages. We stayed in the beach cottage. Again, everything was it should be, no disappointments.
The creatures at that depth, are so albino and lacking in any color that it was disappointing to not experience their colorful beauty in their habitat. But, white/albino is a color so that in itself, is beautiful.
3). What was your favorite experience and what would you recommend? Did you have any favorite hang outs or restaurants we should know about?
a. We climbed the Gros Piton. It was not a hike for the casual gym-rat. This was intense and steep and well worth it. Like anything, that which does not kill us makes us stronger. We hiked with RealStLuciaTours.com for the best experience. They arranged transportation to/from our Sandals resort and our driver/guide, Richard, gave us a tour of Soufriere and we enjoyed our wedding dinner with a group of locals, in a St Lucian bar, eating grilled chicken, cider and beer watching the St Lucian cricket team at the T20 World Cup finals. It was absolutely perfect!!
We hung out only at our Hotel, The Grande St Lucian, which was wonderful! The staff and food and entire experience in St Lucia was beyond perfection.
b. This is a ‘scuba’ or ‘dolphin experience’ resort. Couples are up early for the 7a boat that takes out the first scuba for the day. There were about 6-8 boats that went out twice a day. If you are looking for a scuba adventure, this is the one! Beautiful, clear water and this hosts the infamous ‘Blue Hole’. IT is an amazing ‘shelf’ that takes you down to the most beautiful fish in the warm, clear Gulf waters.
This is also a haven for Dolphin enthusiasts. It is home to the Roatan Institute for Marine Science (RIMS) and the Caribbean Marine Laboratory & Educational Facility. You can spend the entire day studying and playing with these docile creatures. We wish we had the kids with us as this was an incredible opportunity to really get to know the animal as well as getting to understand their environment through education and play.
We also spent time at the nature preserve and animal sanctuary, Maya Key. This is a private island with secluded beaches, snorkeling, rescued animals (jaguar, ocelot, monkeys) and a Myan ruin. This was an excursion that offered lunch and cocktails as well.
All meals were at the Resort.
The claustrophobia kicks in immediately as you release from the the ballast holding the Sub, Idabel. This is not for the faint at heart and it is a pricy adventure. But, it is well worth it for bragging rights and something to talk about at the Bar when you are on land. To be 2000ft under water is pretty fantastic.
4). Is there anything you’d wish you’d known prior to going?
a. We did our research! But, the only thing I wish we had planned for were the waterfalls and dinner at Ladera. We just didn’t have enough time.
5). Would you go again and what is the one thing you’d do differently?
a. We would go again to renew vows or take our children. St Lucia will always have a special place in our hearts. We would also like to spend more time in the water and in Soufrere and some time at Sandy Beach. We went with one mission and not much more……it was about relaxing not seeing how many action items we could cross off.
b. We would bring the kids next time because it is so water oriented and allows the family to enjoy a little bit of everything. Roatan is a lovely place but, like any 2nd world country, it is depressing and is best served if stayed at the Resort or part of the guided tour.
