Back in November, I got invited to experience the Sugar Beach hospitality in St Lucia. To be honest, St Lucia was never on my radar, and with the current pandemic situation, I was hesitant to go. But after a lot of research and back and forth emails, I finally decided that it is probably one of the safest place to travel to right now. So couple of weeks ago, my mom and I went on a mother-daughter trip to this paradise and we never expected the beauty that awaited us.
First off, where is St Lucia? I got this question almost every time I told someone where I was heading. St Lucia is a tropical island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It is located northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. Coming from California, we took a five-hour flight to Miami and then another 2.5 hrs from Miami to St Lucia. It was my first time flying since March last year. I was anxious at first but felt relieved when we went to the airport and it was almost empty. It was truly so different from how it used to be. The planes weren’t full either and they tried to leave the middle seat empty. Some people even had the whole row to themselves.
What are the requirements to travel to St Lucia?
- a negative PCR test within 7 days prior to your arrival to St Lucia
- completed and approved Travel Authorization form
- you need to pass the screening and temperature checks upon arrival
- confirmed reservation to a COVID-19 approved accommodation in the island
Upon arrival to Hewanorra International Airport in St Lucia, we were brought into a hub to get our temperatures checked and review our paperworks. The line was not that long and we were able to continue to customs and arrivals within 20-30 mins. After getting our luggages, we were met by the property’s shuttle to drive us to the resort. The drive from the airport to the resort was about an hour.
When we got to the gate of the resort, our temperatures were checked and we were given our villa number. We didn’t have to go down the van and we were driven straight to our villa where we met our butler and continued our check in process.
Welcome to Sugar Beach!
Sugar Beach is a luxury resort set in the middle of more than 100 acres of tropical rainforest and can be found between the iconic Pitons and is part of a larger UNESCO World Heritage site. It is one of the biggest properties I’ve ever stayed at. We stayed in one of their luxury villas which features butler and turndown service, oversized plunge pool and private patio, a walk-in closet, mini bar, safe, and so much more! Upon entering our villa, we were wow’ed by its beauty and the amazing beautiful view of the Piton from our patio.
The villas definitely have a colonial charm and we noticed that they all have that white look and furnishings which creates a great contrast against the lush surroundings.
Everyday, my mom and I went to the Great Room for breakfast. I tried to order the local food and had a traditional creole breakfast one time. It was so good and I could tell everything they served was fresh. I also ordered their berry smoothie everyday, that the servers already had it memorized. On our last breakfast, I forgot to order it and they had to ask me about it. I love their attention to their guests. All of the staff were nice and helpful and very warm.
On one of the nights, we had sushi for dinner just to be able to experience the ambience of this pretty seaside restaurant. It looks so dreamy with the lights hanging on the trees and the perfect beach set up. There was even a musician who played one night while we were eating.
Let’s talk about the beach. Sugar Beach is right on one of the island’s best white-sand beaches. One of the benefits of staying at Sugar Beach is easy access to the beach. Other resorts would require you to drive to go to one. In Sugar Beach, you can either walk to the beach or call a shuttle. They even have villas that are few steps away from the beach.
My mom and I enjoyed our time lounging in their beach huts and swimming in the calm, turquoise water. I even fell asleep a couple times and I felt like it’s been a long time since the last time I was really able to rest and not think of anything. The beach was my favorite part of the resort.
Sugar Beach also has a large outdoor pool with a view of Petit Piton. It is surrounded by white cushioned loungers and lots of palm trees. I can’t imagine one getting sick of the swimming in the sea but if you need to switch it up, the pool is a nice spot too.
Everyday we were able to witness beautiful sunsets. We viewed it from our villa one time, then at a deck close to the beach, then from the beach. Each one didn’t disappoint.
The property provides different activities every day and during Sundays they host a s’mores and bonfire night. My mom and I sat on the bean bags and ate the s’mores that we made while we took all the beauty of this paradise in. It was such a fun night.
Overall, we had an amazing time. Even though land tours were cancelled and we couldn’t go out of the property, the activities and relaxing experience we had were enough to make us long for our time in Sugar Beach even up to now. The only thing I wish we were able to do was the water activities they have on site. My mom and I talked about doing it after seeing one family did it, but when we got to the counter, we were too late and they were already closed for the day. Unfortunately, that was our last night too. Oh well, I guess we just need to go back again someday.