When we were looking for things to see and do in St Lucia, I came across a Real St Lucia Tours on the internet. A quick enquiry was answered very quickly and efficiently with a lot of information like the pricing, what it entailed and what we could choose to see. We really liked the fact that you could have a private tour! I quickly booked us in for the tour 8 months before we were due to go!
Please bear in mind that some of their packages/tours may have changed since we went in May 2015.
Our tour began with our guide, the smartly dressed Shane, coming to our resort to meet us! He picked us up in a comfortable air conditioned car. He was polite and friendly from the beginning. He actually insisted I sit behind him so he could always open the door for me when we had to get out of the car at any point. Very courteous and considerate. His driving was smooth, careful and made the journey very comfortable. It added to the island experience when he put on a Bob Marley cd as well!
When we told him we were on our honeymoon he congratulated us and insisted that we celebrate towards to end of the tour!
photo as we started the tour of the South side of St Lucia
The first stop on our tour was the Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens. It was really pretty and quite well kept. We paid an entrance fee of US$5.00 per person which is not included in the tour price. The Botanical Gardens are home to the Diamond Falls which runs black due to the mineral content of the water. You also get to see various types of plants that grow on the island.
We then drove to the Tet Paul Nature Trail, stopping along the way to take photos of some of the scenery including Gros Piton!
When we got to Tet Paul, we were introduced to some of the guides who work on the trail. When we visited in May 2015 the trail was run off donations. The guide who took us along the trail was very knowledgeable and helped us take some wonderful photos.
Shane then drove us to the drive-in volcano and sulphur springs! The entrance fee to the volcano was US$12.00 per person. You actually park up close to the crater, get out and walk along a path that goes around the crater. You then drive a little further in to get to the sulphur springs where you can change into swimsuits/bathing suits in order to enjoy the sulphur springs!
Once we’d washed most of the mud off (Shane told us not to wash off our faces!), we continued on to the Toraille Waterfall. It was lovely and cool which was a great contrast to the really hot springs we’d experienced. We were also able to wash off the rest of the mud.
After swimming around and even standing under the waterfall for a bit we got dried off and changed. Shane then passed us some delicious local Piton beer!
Shane then took us to a local restaurant and even ordered ahead for Roti Chicken so it was ready by the time we arrived. It was a delicious meal that really hit the spot after a full day of sightseeing and trail-blazing.
Once we’d had our fill of food and drink at the little restaurant, Shane brought us back to our resort. It was brilliant to be shown round the island by a local who was as friendly, informative, professional and fun. He really made the experience fun and worth every cent we paid.
I would highly recommend Real St Lucia Tours if you want to see the sights of St Lucia!
Helpful links:
Real St Lucia Tours: http://www.realsaintluciatours.com/
Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens : http://diamondstlucia.com/
Tet Paul Nature Trail: http://www.tetpaulnaturetrail.com/
St Lucia volcano: http://www.st-lucia-vacation-guide.com/st-lucia-volcano.html
Sulphur springs: http://soufrierefoundation.org/discover/attractions/sulphur_springs_park/
Toraille Waterfall: http://soufrierefoundation.org/discover/attractions/toraille_waterfalls_gardens/
Ratings:
Service – 5.0
Value – 5.0
Overall – 5.0
