With so many hiking options available, clients—especially those new to hiking—may feel a bit overwhelmed. Not to worry, says McDaniel. “We’re willing to tailor everything to guests’ fitness levels and their interests. If they’re interested in birds, we’ll hook them up with a birdwatching specialist, sending them on a trail with someone who is very, very knowledgeable about bird life. If they’re interested in tree species, we have the most amazing tropical garden, with experts who can take them walking in the rainforest, or simply walking around the 192 acres of our property with a lot of wonderful trees, plants and medicinal herbs.” The main thing, she continues, is simply to get out and explore. “A lot of people come to the Caribbean just to sit on the beach. They’re not maximizing the time they have in such a wonderful place. St. Lucia has the most pristine rainforest in the Caribbean, and it’s wonderfully underutilized—which is good news for people who decide to make the effort to go there.”
Rates at The Jalousie Plantation start at $240 per room per night dbl.
walk on the wild side You probably know The BodyHoliday, LeSPORT, a health and wellness resort set in the northern region of the island, as a spa-centric escape. But you may not know that clients staying at The BodyHoliday have the chance to get their adrenaline racing with a variety of adventurous tours packaged together in the resort’s Walk on the Wild Side program.
The collection of soft adventure pursuits includes Edmund Forest Reserve hikes with stops at refreshing waterfall-fed swimming holes; hikes through local communities including Millet, Venus and Anse La Raye; and, of course, the famous Piton mountains.
But that’s just the beginning of the adventure. The BodyHoliday’s River Doree program takes clients hiking to the top of a 120-ft. gorge, into which they’ll rappel, seeing exotic tropical flowers and hummingbirds as they go. When they reach the landing area, the sandy bank of a shallow river, trekkers hike for the rest of the trip.
At the other end of the spectrum from the strenuous and heart-racing River Doree is the Turtle Watch, a drive through Grand Anse Reserve, where leatherback turtles are known to lay their eggs during the late-spring and early-summer. Though the tour isn’t physically exhausting, it’s still an adventure—clients will actually camp in the reserve overnight, with morning tea prepared for them as the sun rises the next morning.
All-inclusive rates at The BodyHoliday, LeSPORT do not include Walk on the Wild Side tours, which range from $110 to $130 pp. Room rates range from $363 to $455 pp per night.
