Break the bank or save for a house — your Caribbean trip of a lifetime can fit either budget.
By: Sherri EisenbergSt. Lucia
This lush, green island is defined by its jungly landscape and dramatic Piton mountains. For couples looking for a combination of nature and nurture, this could be just the place.
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Ti Kaye Village is set on the bay, overlooking the reefs that comprise the island’s marine park. The view is unforgettable, but it’s the space itself, with its mosquito-netted four-poster beds and hammocks, that you’ll remember (room rates start at $220 a night; tikaye.com).
Photo courtesy of Ti Kaye Village
To Do: The hotel has its own dive shop, Island Divers, and the guides will take you into the sunken boat wrecks near the resort as well as around the island to turtle-filled Fairyland Reef or barracuda-lined Coral Gardens. For first-time divers, there are classes, too.
Where to Eat: Take a boat ride across Marigot Bay to Rainforest Hideaway, a remote French-Caribbean fusion restaurant set among mangroves. It feels like an adventure from the moment you step onto the boat. Dishes include true blends of continental and island cuisine, such as a ham-hock terrine with pineapple and tamarind, as well as jerk shrimp with Parmesan risotto. They’re served on the candlelit dock, to a serenade of jungle frogs.
Splurge
Paradise doesn’t come cheap, but for those who love nature and luxury equally, Jade Mountain may be as close to heaven as a resort gets. Rooms have just three walls, with infinity pools that extend from inside the room to out. Designed around views of the Pitons, the suites bring the rainforest into the room (along with the occasional bird) and offer a sense of camping (wake with the sun, trade air-conditioning for breezes), albeit with high thread-count sheets. Fortunately, the beds are curtained with gauzy white mesh to keep out the bugs and make you feel like the only two people in the entire world (room rates start at $1,050 a night; jademountain.com).
Photo courtesy of Jade Mountain
To Do: Rent mountain bikes at Bike St. Lucia and cycle high up into the mountains, down to the beach or through the jungle to hidden waterfalls, all via Jade Mountain’s eight miles of beautifully maintained trails. No matter which route you choose, you’ll cruise past fragrant flowers and lush fruit trees.
Where to Eat: If Jade Mountain is all about cocooning together in your own private world, then room service is the natural extension of that privacy. Except here that translates to six-course meals served, course-by-course, in your suite. Your romance may not need any fuel, but foie gras, caviar, filet and champagne certainly lend an air of specialness to the evening.
