Take me to St. Lucia: Where to go and stay!

St. Lucia is a beautiful island in the Caribbean with mountains and lush rain forests. We chose to vacation there last week for my birthday and it was so worth it even if it was only for 5 days. So where should you stay on your next St. Lucian vacation? Well, it depends what you like to do and what kind of vacation you wish to have. The north of the island seemed to be more popular with many tourists staying in Rodney Bay for example. If you like to have restaurants, bars, shopping and nightlife at your fingertips, the north is for you! However, we were opting for more of a picturesque location surrounded by nature. Head to the south, particularly Soufriere, a small village near the postcard friendly Pitons (the 2 signature mountain peaks of St. Lucia).

Soufriere is the perfect location if you wish to be near beaches and jungles. It's also a central location to many attractions including the Sulphur Springs at the drive in volcano (a must!), nature trails, and plantations.

There are numerous accommodation options from airbnbs to hotels or resorts. Most tourists to St. Lucia tend to stay at resorts or they are just passing through on day tours from a cruise ship. While they looked nice, most resorts were out of our budget. We found Samfi Gardens, a small budget hotel located in the mountains right outside of Soufriere.

The room was spacious and came with all that we needed including a small kitchen area to cook your meals as there is no restaurant or bar on the premises. (Ahem, we were too lazy to do any cooking LOL).
That was a particularly hefty drawback for us because you have to go elsewhere for food. Being that I forgot my driver's license back in the States, we had to use the taxis to go everywhere and let me tell you, the taxis are EXPENSIVE! Even a short distance of 15 minutes is $25 USD each way! It makes me cringe to think about how much money we spent on taxis. NOTE: Rent a car while in St. Lucia and be prepared to drive on the left side (as in the UK) and drive carefully on winding mountain roads, some poorly maintained!

You forget all about how expensive St. Lucia can be when you get to wake up and look at this view everywhere from your hotel. We enjoyed Samfi Gardens as the room price was perfect on the wallet. The staff is super helpful and it was close to all of the attractions in the area.

Look out for my subsequent posts about beaches, partying and eating in St. Lucia! Definitely consider it for a short vacation. It is expensive there, but totally worth it, considering the breathtaking views, friendly locals, and amazing food! Just make sure you don't have to rely on taxis too much!