St. Barts vs. St. Lucia WWYD?

girliegirlral

Ladies,

Any advice over how to pick St. Barts vs. St. Lucia.  I would really appreciate some info!  Also if you have any hotel recs for either island that would be fabulous!!!!!

TIA!

tnriver

I just got back from my honeymoon to St. Barts. It was amazing! I have never been to St. Lucia, so I cant compare them for you, but I will say that St. Barts exceeded my expectations. It is very french, very chic, and absolutely beautiful. There is some great shopping and the food is an experience in itself. The restaurants are unique and while some can be expensive, are really tasty. There is a main town harbor area of Gustavia, in which all the yachts dock and it is surrounded by shops and restaurants. There there are other beaches and areas around the island where the hotels and more shops and restaraunts are. We stayed at Hotel Le Toiny, which is on the other end of the island from the main town of Gustavia, and it was so pampering and wonderful. I cant even say enough good things about St. Barts. I will definitely be back.

girliegirlral

Thanks for the info!  Where did you fly in to?

tnriver

we flew into St. Martin, spent the night there, and took the ferry to St. Barts. My husband refuses to fly on tiny planes, so we didnt take the commuter flight into St. Barts. (the runway coming in is only as big as an aircraft carrier and ends at the ocean) The ferry wasnt bad though at all. We took the ferry back and spent the night in St. Martin again before heading home. 

Linqdz

I haven't been to either, but looked into them for my HM (we ultimately decided on Bora Bora). My parents have been to St. Barths and they loved it, but they said it was sooo expensive (and not to be obnoxious, but they are pretty comfortable).

Honestly, if you can spring for it, do St. Barths. You can go to St. Lucia any other time. Your HM is a once in a lifetime trip, so I say "make the most of it."

VESmith25

I also honeymooned in St. Barth and actually just returned for a second trip this past October.  I have been to more than 10 islands in the Caribbean and St. Barth is the only island that I will return to again and again.  It truly is a little bit of France in the Caribbean! 

There are more than 20 beaches on the island and depending upon the time of year you go you may very well find yourselves alone on the beach!  The food is amazing- I honostly have not had a bad meal on the island.  The shopping is also wonderful.  You can truly find anything your heart desires! 

For accomodations we have rented a private villa each time.  For our honeymoon I was hesitant and believed we needed to stay in a hotel for the amenities that would be offered.  My hubby convinced me otherwise and I am so glad he did!  The privacy you have is just wonderful!  We have opted for villas in the hills so it is such a treat to wake up to an amazing view and then head out to your private pool for a dip before breakfast!  Check out St. Barth Properties to see some of the villas they offer.

I can talk about SBH all day so feel free to ask any questions.  Good luck with your planning!

VESmith25

I just wanted to add that cost wise SBH does have a reputation of being costly but in all honesty is can be done on a budget.  For our honeymoon we didn't worry about cost but our most recent trip was on a tight budget as we had already taken a trip to Europe earlier in the year.  We traveled in the low season on AA miles and booked a villa that was offering a discount. 

The best cost for flights can be found on St. Barth Commuter.  I believe it runs 130 Euro round trip.  Winair is another option but is more expensive. 

For dinners we saved by ordering the 29 Euro prix fixe menus offered at many of the restaraunts (Wall House, La Plage, and K'fe Massai).  We would each have 3 courses with a bottle of wine for around 100 Euro.  In total our Oct. trip ran right at $3500 for 1 week.  Even for being on a budget we did not feel that we missed out on anything this trip!

girliegirlral

Besides Hotel Le Toiny (which I looked at and seems AMAZING but too pricey )  can you ladies recommend any hotels or villas that you stayed at?  Any part of the island I should stay away from?  Any villa that I can look into that was amazing didn't break the bank?

I reallllly appreciate the help...and I am getting super excited!

VESmith25

We have stayed at two of the more modestly priced villas on the island.  We chose Villa Royal Palm for our honeymoon b/c the view from Vitet is amazing-we think the best on the island.  The regular price for the villa in the low season is very reasonable.  Keep in mind with villas that most of the larger villas will rent at a 1 bedroom price meaning you will be the only one at the villa but the other bedrooms not being used will be locked. 

For our last trip we booked after the low season specials became available and got a steal in Villa Aquamarine at 50% off!  If you are willing to wait to book until around March/April you will find many of the villas will offer specials if you are traveling in the low season (Apr 15-Dec 15).  Some will offer 10-50% off the low season rate, a free car rental, a meal prepared by a private chef, etc.  For our next trip I have my eye on Villa Seven Island b/c at the current price it seems like a great deal.

When it comes to locations on the island it all really comes down to personal preference.  There are no bad areas at all.  Some areas are more convenient than others but keep in mind that with the island being only 8 sq miles you can be just about anywhere in 20-25 minutes tops. Our fist trip being in Vitet was definitely further out so things like a quick trip to the grocery store weren't nearly as convenient but still not a big deal at all.  This past trip we were in St. Jean so we were much closer to shopping and restaurants.  The best thing is to go on the St. Barth Properties or Wimco site and do a search for your dates and price range. 

Blusieme

Hi,

I've never been to St Barts - although it sounds wonderful. 

We're planning to honeymoon in St Lucia. I fell for the pitons mountains that the island is known for. And after tossing and turning over destinations, we realized its an island. it has a beach and the ocean like all the others. Its all beautiful. 

St Lucia seems romantic yet offers activities also 9hiking the volcano, zip-line rain forest tour, etc). we were able to find hotels & villas under $500 per night. (and lower or higher prices depending on your budget). It seemed other islands like the Maldives, Bora Bora, etc. were very pricey. We dont have $800+ per night for accomodations.  

Which ever you pick, you can go to www.tripadvisor.com and search hotels, villas, B&B's for your destination. You can read reviews from people who have actually stayed in those places etc. A hotels website always looks wonderful.....I like to check on 'reality" b/4 trusting a place. especially my honeymoon!  

best wishes to you & congrats. Happy planning.