Magical Travel Lottery win to St Lucia!
That was the start of my conversation with Graham from the Travel Foundation, an independent charity which works with the travel industry to promote sustainable tourism.
Needless to say, I was delighted – a bottle of wine, perhaps even champagne – would be a very welcome prize! I couldn’t quite believe it (and I still couldn’t, right up to getting on the plane!) when Graham told me that I had won an all-inclusive 7 night stay in one of the top hotels in the Caribbean. We were going to be staying in the exclusive Paradise Ridge Suites, with Butler Service, at the Ladera Resort on St Lucia.
Saint Lucia is part of the Windward Island Chain, a sub-group of islands within the West Indies, served by direct British Airways (daily) and Virgin Atlantic (5 per week) flights from London. The island is 27 miles long and 14 miles wide with a combination of high mountains, lush rainforests, beautiful bays and palm fringed beaches. The two majestic volcanic cones on the Southwest coast, Gros Piton and Petit Piton, make this island truly unique.
We travelled with British Airways and chose to use the No1 Traveller Lounge at Gatwick which was a great start to the holiday – they offer complimentary food and drink, magazines you can take on the plane as well as a Spa area. I would highly recommend adding a lounge pass and it’s something that I regularly do for my clients.
Our driver on arrival in St Lucia was Nigel and he was waiting for us with a cold Piton (the local beer) which was very welcome. I love the feeling of heat that greets you when you step off the plane, especially coming from chilly Edinburgh. Nigel’s greeting “Welcome Home!” was to be repeated throughout our stay, and is typical of the hospitable nature of the St Lucians, for whom tourism is now the main source of employment and income.
Approximately 45 minutes from the airport, the eco-luxury resort of Ladera sits high up on a ridge right in the centre of the Pitons, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site – this stunning location allows for breath taking uninterrupted views of the Pitons, lush tropical foliage and the Caribbean Sea shimmering 1,100 feet below.
Each of the 37 suites has only three walls, with the fourth “missing” wall providing the most magical view I have ever seen. This open plan design allows for a cooling breeze and an open invitation to nature, but it was the view on opening my eyes in the morning that I will remember – watching the mist rolling over the mountains one morning and the sun’s first rays illuminating the lush rainforest another day. It was a magical experience. We loved watching the geckos running about and falling asleep to the sounds of tree frogs chirping in the darkness.
The luxurious Paradise Ridge Suites, equipped with extravagant heated pools and offering the ultimate in privacy, along with dedicated butler service, have been dubbed the sexiest suites in the Caribbean by Forbes Magazine. The canopied, four poster beds, along with other furniture and the handmade tiles, are hand crafted on site from local woods by the team of artisan craftsmen. It is these unique, quintessentially St Lucian, interiors, along with the use of fresh local produce and the warm and genuinely friendly staff, most of whom have worked at Ladera for many, many years, which make it such an authentic experience.
On arrival at the Resort we were greeted by a refreshing cool drink, before Keicher, our lovely butler for the week, showed us round our Suite. The sun was just setting and Keicher encouraged me to kick off my shoes and feel the temperature of the private pool. A bottle of champagne on ice was also waiting for us, as well as a fridge full of Piton Beer and soft drinks, replenished daily.
Ladera have a huge range of excursions available, and we spent the next day out on an afternoon cruise – snorkelling followed by a sunset cruise with the dramatic Pitons (along with rain showers and rainbows) on one side and the beautiful sunset on the other. We had a great view of the villas at Sugar Beach from the sea, as well as a glimpse of Ladera, high up on the hillside.
Another excursion which was excellent was accompanying Nigel, the resort’s executive chef, to the local market on Saturday morning. We were up early but the sun was hot hot hot – we cooled off with fresh coconut water (Nigel has impressive machete skills!) before purchasing some fantastic ingredients. The island produces a huge variety of crops, from salad leaves to mangoes, and avocados to bananas, which the hotel kitchen try to use, rather than importing produce. On our return to the hotel Nigel gave us a fascinating demonstration of how to prepare jerk chicken and Cajun salmon that we can try at home.
We were very lucky to have a show round of the beautiful Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort, which is located directly below Ladera on Jalousie Beach. It is a stunning property, and I will write a separate blog on it. There is fantastic snorkelling from here, and Ladera provides a shuttle bus 3 times a day to take guests down to the beach and return just before sunset. I had thought we would do this every day, but to be honest we were happy with either the private pool in our Suite or the refreshing infinity pool by the bar, where there was a lovely breeze (and waiter service for cocktails – very important!).
Ladera Resort is an exceptional place – the magical views, coupled with the highest levels of luxury and service, make for an unforgettable experience, and one that I will be recommending to all of my clients, whether for honeymoon, renewal of vows or just as a romantic escape.
If you would like to find out more about the Travel Foundation, and how to make your own holidays greener, you can visit their website at www.makeholidaysgreener.org.uk.
The Travel Lottery gives you the chance to win up to £5,000 every month AND help protect the future of your favourite holiday destinations. Find out more here www.thetravellottery.co.uk.