Luxury family fun: in St Lucia with the kids
In need of a luxurious break where children are just as welcome as the adults? Nancy Cruickshank says: consider St Lucia
St Lucia is a volcanic island with the world's only drive-in volcano… well, it is close to the US, after all! The area is one of outstanding natural beauty above and below the sea, as it's also an internationally recognised marine wonderland.
It's an ideal spot for families – in fact it qualifies as the very best family holiday I have ever experienced. Myself and my husband work full-time and we were really looking forward to spending some time together as a family with our two young daughters, aged two and three.
We stayed nestled in between the breathtaking Pitons. Quite literally - two peaks jut out of the water at either end of a horseshoe bay. This area of the island is very lush & green… somewhat Jurassic-Park-like. You can easily snorkel from the hotel beach, take a glass-bottomed boat trip or go for the full diving experience – everything is easily accessible, not to mention, quite magical.
The hotel is arranged over this stunning setting, so that each room or villa feels very private and beautiful. Our villa had its own private plunge pool, a separate bedroom for the girls and an incredible ocean view. It was heaven and meant that Jim and I could lounge by the pool after lunch (and, God forbid, read our books) whilst the girls took a nap in their bedroom or watched a DVD in ours.
Mornings were spent at the beach or in the huge hotel pool. We built hundreds of sandcastles, swam in the clear blue sea, snorkelled, read books to the children, played on the swings and ate lunch together at the beachside restaurant. Afternoons often included playing in our private pool, with an occasional visit to nearby Soufriere or an excursion.
The hotel offers a babysitting service, which meant we were free to enjoy dinner alone whenever we wanted in the elegant hotel restaurant, or go out to one of the excellent local restaurants such as Ladera. We also enjoyed taking the girls to dinner with us at the Pier restaurant - the food is less spectacular but it's also less formal and dinner was served from 6.30pm. Great for children, the staff were incredibly welcoming to the girls and made sure they had food they enjoyed.
This holiday felt like a return to simple family living, admittedly in a rather luxurious environment with excellent service. It was easy to enjoy every moment of this family holiday together.
Will we visit again? Definitely!
Family-friendly features
1. Direct flights - we flew with Virgin direct from Gatwick to St Lucia. The outward flight takes nine hours, seven hours on the return
2. Babysitting services
3. Villas with two bedrooms and a private pool to enjoy while your little ones take a siesta
4. Attitude – kids are really welcomed and staff are very attentive
5. Beach vending is illegal in St Lucia so there is no-one to hard-sell you or your little ones
6. High chairs available in all restaurants (of which there are four)
7. Kids under five eat free
8. Complimentary cots
9. Nurse on site with a doctor on call in nearby Soufriere – for any accidents or illness
10. Learning Centre for children aged five plus (or accompanied by you or a local nanny from age three) 9am to 5pm. Crafts, games, beach Olympics and much more
11. Great service - with kids in mind. For example, if you eat dinner as a family and your children are wilting before dessert, they will deliver it to your room whilst you get on with putting the children to bed
Things to do
1. Snorkelling and diving
2. Swimming – a huge pool near the beach and your own private plunge pool
3. Glass-bottom boat trips
4. Kayaking
5. The beach!
6. Oversized chess board – horses as tall as our children kept them entertained each day
7. Deep sea fishing
8. Pool table
9. Jazz on the beach
10. Whale & dolphin watching
11. Golf – though admittedly only a 3-hole course
12. Spa & gym
13. Sailing
14. Tennis
15. Visits to nearby Soufriere & Castries
16. Excursions - Botanic Gardens, waterfall & drive-in volcano
When to go
December to April is considered peak season, although there can be some rain in December & January. June to September is less expensive but it will be humid.
Find out more
We travelled with Elegant Resorts, who offer a high standard of personal service (each hotel is personally vetted by the team). We stayed at the Jalousie Plantation in an Ocean View Villa Suite and flew direct from Gatwick to St Lucia with Virgin. Transfer time from the airport is an hour by road or 15 minutes by helicopter. Seven nights in low season costs from £1,565 per person; in high season from £1,965 per person.
Updated 2009
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