Plan your stay!
Transportation
You’ll need some kind of transportation to get around – we’re surrounded by forest at the top of a tall hill. The roads are rough and walking down is challenging. Back up is even harder!
Most of our guests hire our driver (he provides the vehicle, too), but you can rent a vehicle and drive yourself around if you prefer lots of adventure!
Dining
If you want to cook, we have a well-stocked kitchen. If you don’t, our housekeeper offers cooking services for a reasonable fee. She also has a “take care of us” plan where she does everything (plans, provides the groceries and does the cooking).
Want to eat out? You’ll find restaurants nearby, from local bars to fine dining.
FAQ
You will need transportation. We recommend you hire the driver that partners with us (Junior), especially if your group is four or larger, but driving yourself with a rental vehicle is an option, too. See our “Transportation” page for more information.
Many guests hire Doxie to provide meals for them, but we have a well-equipped kitchen if you prefer to cook yourself. There is a grocery in Soufriere, about 10-15 minutes away, and lots of restaurants within a 30-minute drive. See our “Food” page for more details.
The nearest beach is Anse Chastanet beach, with Anse Mamin beach a short walk away from that. It’s possible to walk to Anse Chastanet, but we caution against it. We’re at 550 feet elevation, making it hard to walk back up or to take supplies, and the road is very steep and rough and often slippery with leaves and dirt (or mud) and loose gravel.
The beaches are public, but the facilities (including umbrellas and loungers) are not. We provide beach equipment for your use (chairs, towels, snorkel gear, coolers, etc.).
We have three staff people (Doxie, Kerryus, and John) and at least one of them is usually on-site almost around the clock. No one lives there, although we have a caretaker every night (he sleeps outside under the deck). No one but Doxie (housekeeper) will be inside for any length of time.
You may ask the staff for privacy and they will work with you to complete their required chores without bothering you any more than necessary. But you may not tell them to leave the property, and we don’t rent the villa without the staff. Their cost is included in the rent.
Please do not book any tours ahead of time without contacting us. We’ll let you know if there’s a better option before you make a commitment.
For anything that requires a boat, or if you want a particular restaurant/activity at a particular date/time, we suggest you book that ahead of time. We can help with recommendations but most of those require a deposit so we don’t make them for you.
If you are using the driver service for your stay, he’ll have an itinerary-planning meeting with you on your first morning and will help you make reservations then.
If your stay is between Dec 20 and Jan 5, we recommend you book restaurants and activities ahead of time. Contact us for more information.
No, we do not allow any type of event. You are welcome to celebrate special occasions. But you may not have other people come to the villa, either to join your event, simply visit with you, or to provide services or supplies, without prior written permission from the owners.
No. We have both 110/120V (US) and 220/240V(UK) outlets. We also have a selection of USB cords and USB outlets.
Open-air houses are designed for air flow: no glass over windows, interior walls may not go to the ceiling, and some are missing a wall entirely! Many tropical houses and resorts are built in this open style.
Our home has all four walls and heavy louvers and screens over the windows, but no glass over the windows and no weather-stripping/sealant around the doors. The doors to the back (pool side) are usually left open all day to “let in the view” and maximize the breezes.
The open-air design means the air conditioning is not very effective in cooling the rooms, but it does blow cool air on the beds to make sleeping more comfortable. Sound will carry, so we have radios and TVs for “cover-up” noise. Insects and small creatures can get in, so we have mitigation measures (traps, treatment, and spraying), but please note that no measure will be 100% effective in keeping pests out of the villa.
It’s a tropical island that’s warm and gets a fair amount of rain, so, yes, there are mosquitoes around. We have a pretty good mosquito control system at the villa so there are usually very few mosquitoes there. But you may still see some, particularly if it’s been hot and rainy recently. We have mosquito nets around the beds and mosquito rackets, just in case there are some around.
The typical weather is warm and sunny, with summer highs in the upper 80’s and winter about 10 degrees lower. Nights are about 10 degrees cooler than days. Much of the rain falls between late afternoon and morning (when it’s cooler). Most days are mostly sunny but may have short rain showers (5-10 minutes). The wet season (June – November) has more rain and it is a bit more cloudy, but there should be a good amount of sun and days that are complete rain-outs are not common.
The wet season is also hurricane season. Although St Lucia is usually spared from frequent or severe storms, it is a possibility that there will be a hurricane or tropical storm that impacts St Lucia. If you are travelling in hurricane season, we urge you to purchase travel insurance that covers hurricanes/severe storms.
Many places accept credit/debit cards, especially if they are tourist-oriented or a bigger store. The Massy grocery stores accept cards. Most places, except some very small vendors, will accept US currency but have a worse exchange rate than the official one. If you bring US currency, be sure it is in good shape, with no marks, tears or rips. We have hotel-style safes in the closets for cash and other valuables.
Our staff and partners that provide services (cooking/meals, grocery shopping/delivery, driving, masseuse services) accept cash only and are priced in US$. If you prefer to not bring that much cash (or unexpectedly run out), you may use your credit/debit card or Zelle to pay us, and we’ll pay them on your behalf. There is a transaction fee for this service – 5% for cards and 2% for Zelle.
Most of our guests feel very safe in St Lucia and in our home (as do we), and none of our guests or us have been the victim of a crime in St Lucia.
Although there are very few crimes against tourists in St Lucia, they are not unheard-of. The most common crime against tourists is property theft, usually of unattended valuables. So don’t flash wads of cash around or wear expensive jewelry, keep an eye on your valuables wherever you are, and use our waterproof boxes for snorkeling or our slashproof bag for the beach. Although our staff has been proven to be trustworthy, it’s still prudent to use the hotel-style safes in the bedroom closets for your cash and valuables.
St Lucians are a friendly people but no one needs to know your occupation, income, how much cash you have, where you are staying, etc. Don’t invite anyone up to the villa (local or tourist), and if someone asks where you are staying, just say “Anse Chastanet” .
Please lock and deadbolt the doors at night. To deadbolt them, pull the doors inwards tightly and throw the bolts at the top and bottom of the doors.
Our signature "Take Care of You" treatment
No time to plan your vacation or hate planning? No worries! Here are services we provide to make it easy on you*:
✦ An example itinerary
✦ Airport pick-up
✦ A “welcome pack” with food and beverages
✦ An on-site itinerary planning meeting
✦ Driver services
✦ Concierge services
✦ Shopping services
✦ Cooking or meal plan services
✦ Massage services
*Extra charges apply for some – contact us for details
Our signature "Take Care of You" treatment
No time to plan your vacation or hate planning? No worries! Here are services we provide to make it easy on you*:
✦ An example itinerary
✦ Airport pick-up
✦ A “welcome pack” with food and beverages
✦ An on-site itinerary planning meeting
*Extra charges apply for some – contact us for details
✦ Driver services
✦ Concierge services
✦ Shopping services
✦ Cooking or meal plan services
✦ Massage services
Water/beach activities
There are lots of water and beach activities in St Lucia: beaches, snorkeling, diving, boat tours, dolphin and whale-watching, deep-sea fishing, wind or kite surf, day sails up the coast, and sunset sails on catamarans.
Land activities
Rainforests and hilly terrain provide lots of great land activities. Climb a mountain, go zip-lining, ride ATVs or mountain bikes, tour ruins, walk through gardens or to stunning viewpoints, splash in a waterfall or the mud baths, visit a volcano, or take a Segway tour.
Other activities
Even though St Lucia is known for her outdoor beauty and activities, there are things to do indoors, too: get a spa treatment (even without leaving the villa), shop for souvenirs, tour churches or art galleries, or do a little duty-free shopping.
Answers to other questions
In the village of Soufriere. There is a decent-sized grocery store on the far side of town and fairly-well stocked MiniMart close to the near side of town. You can also find a bakery (mostly breads and savories; few, if any, typical US sweet breakfast pastries), a butcher, and an open-air market with fish and fresh fruits and vegetables. There are also stands on the sidewalks in Soufriere. Doxie may be able to source items for you – discuss it with her and give her a day or two of notification.
The larger stores, including a liquor store and grocery, are near the airport. You may wish to stop at them on your way to the villa. (The local groceries also carry some wines and liquors, although the selection is fairly limited.)
It typically contains: one roti (turmeric-seasoned vegetables, with or without chicken, wrapped in a flat bread) per person, a salad, snacks such as chips and salsa, local beer, Coke, and Sprite. A bottle of Doxie’s tasty rum punch will be in the refrigerator for you. We also supply local coffee (“Green-Gold”) and tea for your stay.
Yes, you may, with some restrictions. The current duty-free allowance for alcoholic beverages is one liter per person. You may bring more than that, but you will have to declare it and pay the duty on the excess. The duty is calculated on your purchase price, so please bring a receipt for the excess volume.
We recommend that any food you bring into St Lucia is in its original packaging. Most non-perishable food is allowed in without inspection. Don’t bring in raw fruits or vegetables. Poultry is prohibited, and raw meat may be held for inspection. If you wish to bring in raw meat, please contact us for advice on how to do this.
The water supply for the villa is rainwater that has been treated with chlorine and filtered. The bottled water in the office-style water cooler tastes much better so we suggest you drink that.
The Massy grocery store in Soufriere is reasonably well-stocked. But the grocery in La Tourney (near the airport on the way to the villa) has a better selection. If you are very particular about something, you may want to bring it with you, or contact us to see if it is available locally.
Prices vary considerably, with staples like flour and sugar and local vegetables being about that same as in the US. Store-branded items run about 20-30% more expensive than in the US. Imported brand-name items (such as Cheetos) are 2-3 times as expensive as in the US. Prices may look quite high to you because they are in EC ($1 EC is worth about 40 cents US) and include tax.
The complimentary welcome pack will have one roti per person for dinner and some salad. If you prefer something else, contact us and we’ll let you know if it is possible and whether or not there will be an extra charge.
There are a number of restaurants within a 10-20 minute drive of the villa, from food trucks to fine dining. If you wish to eat at the villa, our housekeeper can cook for you or you can have our driver get carryout for you.
Yes. Since the villa is not sealed, you will get some “visitors” that can get in under the doors. Some are helpful and cute, like the little bird with the red spot on his neck (“Fred”), the little geckos (car insurance, anyone?) and visually similar anoles. We appreciate the geckos and anoles – they are harmless and tend to be shy and they feed on insects.
We also get insects in the house, and occasionally a mouse or a bat.
Nighttime temperatures cool down to the mid 70’s in the winter and the upper 70’s to low 80’s in the summer.
To cool the house down as much as possible, turn all the ceiling fans in the house on around dusk to bring in the cooler outdoor air.
Use the bed fans (they blow air between the sheets) and the standing fans, and you may be cool enough to sleep comfortably. If not, the air conditioning is positioned to blow cool air on the bed and make sleeping a little more comfortable.
However, if you are very sensitive to heat, it may still be too warm for you at the villa, especially in summer or early fall.
Villa Grand Piton is a poor choice for younger children, due to our remote location at the top of a tall hill and the steepness of the grounds (for instance, the drop from the pool railing to the ground is about 30 feet), and the lack of places to play safely outdoors. The villa is not childproofed. For instance, there are 220-volt outlets up 12-18 inches from the floor which pose a serious safety hazard to small, inquisitive fingers. We also have no amenities for children (no cribs, high chairs, etc.).
Although we are not ADA-compliant, we are handicapped-friendly. The villa and parking area are on the same level, the doors are wide, and there are only three wide steps between the house and the pool.
We don’t routinely have issues with the WiFi, although our provider is probably not as reliable as the provider that services your home.
We won’t have WiFi when there are power outages, which happen occasionally.
We suggest at least one person in your group have an international data plan on their phone as a backup.
It’s not as robust as we’d like it to be. So we’ve installed solar panels to supplement the purchased power, and have a backup generator in case of an extended outage. John or Kerryus will start it for you if needed.
Yes, ages 5 and up. Due to safety concerns, our home is not suitable for children under 5. Infants that have not started crawling are acceptable.
Yes, 10 pm to 8 am. These apply to all the properties on the hillside. Our staff has the right to turn your music down if we receive complaints about the noise.
In the late afternoon, shut most or all of the doors. Don’t leave lights on indoors while you are outside after dark. You can ask Alexa to turn off and turn on the lights so you don’t have to fumble for a switch in the dark.
Hewanorra International Airport in Vieux Fort. The code for it is “UVF”.
These have flown in the past: Delta from Atlanta; American from Miami, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, and Philadelphia; United from Chicago and Newark; Jetblue from Boston, Newark, and JFK; Air Canada and WestJet from Toronto. Some of the flights operate only in high season (usually Dec – April).
The driving is on the left-hand (“British”) side of the road.
Travel time is about 50-60 minutes.
The nearest beaches, Anse Chastanet and the Soufriere Beach Park (also called Hummingbird beach), are a 5-10 minute drive from the villa.
To drive in St Lucia, you will either need an international license or a St Lucian driving permit. If you don’t have or want to get an international license, the car rental agency will issue you a St Lucian permit at the same time you rent the vehicle (about $20 US) .
Let us know that you want to hire him and we will let him know. Letting us know a week or two ahead of time is fine. You don’t need a set schedule for the week – he provides a complimentary itinerary consultation on your first morning if you are using his services and not renting a vehicle.
Our driver cannot process credit cards directly. He accepts cash (US and EC dollars both accepted). His prices are all quoted in US dollars. If you don’t want to bring cash or run out, you may pay us and we will pay him for you. There’s a fee for this to cover our financial costs to process and wire the money: 2% for Zelle and 5% for credit cards.
No, but you can hire our driver to pick you up. Let us know your arriving flight information and we’ll get your pickup scheduled. Our driver’s vehicle is large enough for your group and your luggage.
The island electrical service is 220V. But we have both 220V and 110V (U. S.) service throughout the villa. You will not need an adapter or a transformer if you are from the US, Canada, or the UK.
The official language is English, with a French-based Creole patois spoken by many St Lucians in addition to English.
The official currency of St Lucia is the Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$). The bank exchange rate is right around $2.70 EC to the US$ (37 cents US = one dollar EC). The US dollar is widely accepted but usually at a lower exchange rate ($2.50EC per $1 US).
The St Lucian culture follows England, with a 10% service charge added to many bills such as at restaurants and bars. So tips are not nearly as expected as they are in the United States. We frequently add a bit, especially if they were extra-pleasant or did something extra for us. If our bill doesn’t show a service charge, or we aren’t sure, we still tip, but usually 5-10%. The average hourly wage in St Lucia for those in the tourism industry is about the same as a Starbuck’s grande latte, so we know a little extra is appreciated.
Yes. Most travelers have no issues with the drinking water anywhere on the island.
St Lucia is not like Jamaica – it’s generally a safe place. We’ve never had any issues at the villa, and none of our guests have had issues during their stays with us.
Of course, use common sense: don’t wear expensive jewelry, don’t leave your valuables unattended, don’t flash wads of cash around, don’t go down dark alleys, don’t go in search of illegal drugs (marijuana is decriminalized but not legal), and don’t invite people back to the villa.
St Lucia is in a very temperate climate and much of the island is a rainforest, prime conditions for bugs to thrive. We have methods to try to control their population but we can’t eliminate them entirely.
Some mosquitoes in St Lucia can transmit diseases. However, they have to bite someone with the disease and then bite you to give you the disease. This kind of mosquito does not usually fly more than about a quarter of a mile, so being in places of low population density (such as at Villa Grand Piton) lowers the likelihood that a mosquito will bite an infected person and then fly far enough to bite you and transmit the disease. So although it is possible, it is unlikely.
We suggest you wait until you arrive. There are two bank locations for currency exchange and an ATM in the airport. You can also use US dollars, but the exchange rate is slightly worse than the bank rate.
There’s inconsistent information on this, so, to be safe, we recommend that your passport be valid for at least six months after your arrival date. The airlines may deny you boarding if your passport expires sooner than that.
We suggest starting at around $200US per person for cash-only entrance fees and other minor incidentals (for a typical stay of 5-7 nights).
Add to that what you plan to spend on driving or for cooking/meals and tips for our staff. We’re happy to help you make an estimate on all of that before you arrive.
Most tourist-oriented places and the grocery stores accept credit cards. But lots of the smaller places accept only cash (US is OK), and some places, such as Mystic Man, give a decent discount for cash instead of credit card.
There are ATMs nearby but they are not a reliable source of cash (they run out quickly), and you can pay us with a credit card or Zelle if you run out of cash to pay for services (cooking/meals/driving/massages), although there is a 2-5% transaction charge for that to cover the financial fees we are charged.
We strongly advise you have an international plan for your arrival day, especially if you are renting a vehicle.
Since the local WiFi provider is not extermely reliable, we also recommend at least one person in your group have an international plan for the duration of your stay as a backup. Most providers sell international data plans for a week for a reasonable price.
To drive in St Lucia, you will either need an international license or a St Lucian driving permit. If you don’t have or want to get an international license, the car rental agency will issue you a St Lucian permit at the same time you rent the vehicle (about $20 US) .
Yes, you need a passport. We suggest it be valid for at least six months after your arrival date.
Our night caretaker is there for several reasons. Mostly, it’s in case you need something at night. For instance, one time the water pump failed at 8 pm at night (we are on cistern water), and he was able to get it started again. He also can start the generator in case of power failures or let you in after dinner if you forget the keycode. The infrastructure is not as robust as in the US, and our staff does not have vehicles (many people do not in St Lucia), so by having someone there at night we can make sure you are well taken care of.
It is also partly a security measure. We haven’t had any issues, and the villa locks up securely. But the villa is located in a fairly secluded area at the top of a hill in a forest, and most of our guests find that having someone there gives them a little extra peace of mind.
We are staffed basically around-the-clock, just as a hotel always has staff on-site . Doxie and/or Kerryus show up at about 9 o’clock in the morning but wait outside on the driveway until you open the back doors. They will most likely be at the villa until mid to late afternoon. John, our night caretaker, arrives shortly before dusk and remains outdoors overnight, just in case you need something, until about dawn.
There is some staff member there basically around the clock, every day of the week, just like at a hotel.
Doxie sets the schedule of the staff for the week. She may switch up roles from time to time to give people time off and she may take a day off occasionally. If you want to know the schedule, discuss it with Doxie.
The villa is not available for rental without the staff. Our standard of service is that someone is on site around-the-clock to maintain our property (which takes a lot of time in the Caribbean climate) and be there in case you have a question, or to assist in case something unexpected happens, such as a power outage.
Our staff is also there to ensure you have a memorable stay and address any issues you have as quickly as possible. According to a recent industry study, one in ten travelers visited the emergency room while on vacation. We sincerely hope nothing happens to any of our guests, but we want you to rest assured that our staff can quickly get help for you at any time of the day or night in case you need something.
Yes, you may. Doxie sets the schedule. But you may not send the staff home without Doxie’s permission. For instance, if you are planning particular days to be out and prefer the villa to be cleaned when you are not there, please let Doxie know your schedule and preference, and she will work to try and accommodate your scheduling request. Keep in mind that she will have to be at the villa on days you want her to cook dinner.
Yes, for the standard services of cleaning, maintenance, caretaking, and general assistance. Cooking and meals are not included. The driver and masseuse are not employees of ours, so their services are extra.
No. They all have their own homes nearby in the Soufriere area. Our night caretaker will be on the property overnight, but you’ll probably not see him much unless you need him.
We wish we could, but that is not possible in St Lucia. There’s no Amazon Prime or Lowe’s or WalMart. We have spares or extras for many items, but not all.
The villa has free WiFi throughout, extending to the gazebo and covering the pool area. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee 100% availability as our provider is not as reliable as providers in the United States. Therefore, we suggest that at least one person in your group have an international data plan on their cell phone as a backup.
Yes, we have snorkel gear for your use. We have standard masks, full-face masks, fins, snorkels, snorkel vests and carrying bags.
Beach towels, beach chairs, beach umbrellas, sunglasses, regular umbrellas and rain jackets. Coolers and ice packs, metal thermoses, and melamine dishes and plastic glasses for picnics. Binoculars and a tripod.
Yes, we supply local coffee (“Green-Gold”) and a selection of teas. We try to stock coffee beans for the expresso maker, but it’s not available locally so we sometimes don’t have any.
Yes, we have cable TV from a local provider. It has many stations, but we cannot guarantee your favorite station will be included. They also sometimes block (“geofence”) major sports events.
Mr Coffee drip coffee maker, DeLonghi espresso/cappuccino machine, French press and single-cup pour-over. We do not have a Keurig or equivalent.
We do not have a backup for the espresso maker, so we cannot guarantee its availability.
In addition to coffee-making appliances, we have: NutriBullet and Ninja blenders, toaster, electric hand mixer, pasta maker (manual), ice-cream maker, InstantPot, waffle maker.
Large refrigerator/freezer with icemaker, smaller refrigerator/freezer for guest use exclusively, dishwasher, induction cooktop, microwave oven, countertop oven (we do not have a built-in oven). There is a large propane grill on the deck.
If you forgot your toothbrush, toothpaste, razor or a comb, we have them set out in the makeup areas in the bathrooms or in the drawers under the sink. If you don’t find what you need, ask Doxie.
Yes, we have waterproof speakers that will pair via Bluetooth to the Echo Dot so you can access our Amazon Music Unlimited subscription. Please leave the light-blue cylindrical speakers on-site and do not connect them to your device.
For your device or taking to the beach, we have a darker-blue square speaker (with a bottle opener!) for your use. Instructions are on the desk in the living room.
There are books in the study area and playing cards and some board games in the TV room in the storage unit near the door.
Yes, we’ve set up Alexa for your convenience. You can play music (with our Amazon Music Unlimited subscription), control the lights throughout the house, ask for information about the villa (we’ve programmed answers to some questions), or get general information, such as the status of your departing flight.
We have a washer and dryer next to the refrigerator. Please ask Doxie for directions on how to use them, or, better yet, have her do the laundry for you.
Yes, on the back deck we have a large stainless-steel propane grill with six burners and an infra-red side burner.
Yes, we have a desktop computer and a printer. Although we try to ensure their availability, we cannot guarantee it.
No – we provide those.
No, we have USB ports near the beds and several other places in the villa, and we have several types of phone charging cords.
No – don’t worry about the basics. We provide: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hand soap, toilet paper, Q-tips, dishwashing detergent and paper towels. If you forget your toothbrush, toothpaste, razor or a comb, ask Doxie when you arrive and she’ll get you some.