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Style: An attractive, light and airy house built over multiple levels with lots of creole style – exposed wooden ceiling, fretwork breezeways and verandas. Some local river stone used in the walls, but mostly wood, traditional tongue and groove painted pale turquoise against white louver windows and doors which open onto the magnificent views. A relaxed, comfortable, family-friendly, cottage-like home for easy-going, tropical living
The Beach: Anse Chastanet, approximately 3 minutes down the hill by car, a stiff walk back up
The Rooms: 5 bedrooms on different levels and 3 bathrooms (all with tub and shower) including en suite master bedroom other two shared. Two of the bedrooms are for children (one with bunk beds and another gallery room doubles as play area/bedroom)
Key features: Ideal family St Lucia holiday home with children’s bedrooms. Enclosed swimming pool (10ft x 15ft) with tiled sun terrace. Alfresco dining and sun terrace. Spacious open-plan living/dining area with stunning views. Fully equipped kitchen. Laundry room. TV for DVDs only. Stereo system. Small library of books, selection of board games. Gas barbecue. Twin-engined Aquasport motor boat available on request (extra cost). Nearby tennis court (extra cost) for day play.
Children: Welcome – child’s bedroom and play area/bedroom. Cots, high chairs, toys, games and books available. Due to the many stairs and balconies, small children require close supervision
Staff: 3 housekeepers on duty 8.30am to 3pm Mon-Fri and 1 on Sat and Sun. Caretaker and gardener, Paul (will sleep overnight on request – no extra charge) |
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Beach & Swimming
About five minutes down the hill from Bananaquit House is Anse Chastanet, a lovely cove with grey sand and a beach bar (part of a hotel). Watersports are available and there is excellent snorkelling and diving. Anse Mamin is a small cove just north of Anse Chastanet (also part of the resort’s 600 acre estate). It has a sandy beach (some stones) and sports including kayaking and mountain biking in the valley, and is a nice place to spend the day. The beach and swimming at Jalousie Plantation, about 20 minutes drive, is ideal for children. There is a man-made white-sand beach and a variety of non-motorised watersports. In the bay just beyond Soufriere, Malgretoute, there is a reasonable stretch of grey sand beach with a beach bar.
There is a small swimming pool/large plunge pool at Bananaquit House, which is set within a tiled terrace adjoining the mid level and the main living area of the villa. The immediate pool area is completely enclosed by wrought iron railings at the height recommended for children by US Health and Safety standards. The pool has entry steps across one corner and measures 10ft x 15ft. |
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Sports & Recreation
There is a private tennis court (day play only) very close to the villa which can be rented on an hourly basis. This has been built into the hillside and is enclosed by fencing (balls that go over it are almost impossible to retrieve). Take your own rackets and an ample supply of tennis balls. Nearby Anse Chastanet Resort has a full service spa called Kai Belte, and there is mountain biking on their estate Anse Mamin Plantation through Bike St Lucia Jungle Adventure (who will pick up from the resort’s main beach).
The local area is very fertile and there are good opportunities for visiting gardens and former plantations. There is also plenty of hiking in the area, particularly around Fonds St Jaques inland. If so much looking at the Pitons inspires a desire to climb one, then tours are available of the Gros Piton. The area is good for birdwatching and an estimated 50 species can be seen around this area. The scuba diving around Soufrière is also excellent. It drops off underwater almost as steeply as the land descends to the sea. The walls are clad with coral and there are volcanic outlets, so you might end up diving in bubbles. We recommend Dive Fair Helen. |
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Locality
Situated on the south west coast of St Lucia just north of Soufrière, Bananaquit is one of a number of villas on the hillside above Anse Chastanet. Close by is La Bagatelle, another holiday home which can be rented through Tropical Villas. Soufrière is the oldest town in St Lucia and although it is currently undergoing development it still retains some of its traditional character. On the bay itself are a couple of seafront restaurants and bars. To the rear of the town are the Diamond Falls and Botanical Gardens, with explosive tropical flora and some baths that take advantage of the mineral-laden and extremely hot waters. You can take a curative bath here if you wish.
In the area you will also find another famous St Lucia attraction (the most famous of course being the Saint Lucia Pitons, which are designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Sulphur Springs, the island’s volcanic vent. It is an area of steaming, smelly morass, jokingly referred to as the ‘drive-in volcano’. The countryside here is immensely fertile and there are two delightful former plantations. At Morne Coubaril Estate you will see old cocoa works, copra and cassava factories and the remains of a sugar mill as well as a re-creation of a traditional St Lucian farm workers’ village. Farther south is Fond Doux, where there are garden tours and you will see the traditional method of processing cocoa beans. |
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Useful Hints
Ask your travel organiser or the management company (if booking direct) for initial food and drink supplies to be laid in for your arrival (a starter food pack costs approximately US$40 per person), so that the cook can prepare a simple welcome meal for you. Thereafter, your cook will be happy to assist you with your shopping should you wish to delegate this chore, however do expect to provide transport and an appropriate gratuity for this service. Rental rates for villas in St Lucia do not include ‘tips’, about which you will find advice in the guest information book at the villa.
Personal laundry is not included in the rental rates and charges are approximately as follows: machine wash small load EC$10, hand wash small load EC$25 and ironing small load EC$25.
Bananaquit House has a pet dog which lives on the premises and can be removed by request for the duration of your stay.
Bananaquit House does not have air-conditioning. It has been built to allow the natural flow of air by way of breezeways and louvered windows and doors. All bedrooms are fan cooled either with a ceiling fan/standing fan and there are mosquito nets over the beds. |
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Rates
| Bananaquit House | 01 May-14 Dec 2007 | 15 Dec-14 Apr 2007-08 | 15 Apr-14 Dec 2008 | | 1-4 guests | 405 | 583 | 445 | | 5-8 guests | 480 | 720 | 528 | | 9-11 guests | 576 | 838 | 634 | Prices are per night in US$ and include 8% Government Tax. All rates subject to change without notice. Rates do not include the Christmas/New Year period for which a 10% supplement applies and rates are for full occupancy only (no tiered rates), with a minimum stay of 14 nights. A 10% supplement also applies for stays over the annual Jazz Festival which takes place in May when a minimum rental of 5 nights also applies. A 10% reduction applies for bookings of 21 nights or longer. Minimum stays: a 3 night stay during 15 Apr to 14 Dec except during the Annual Jazz Festival when the minimum stay is 5 nights, for stays 15 Dec to 14 Apr the minimum is 5 nights except Christmas/New Year when it is 14 nights. |
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How To Book
If you wish to book your St Lucia holiday direct, reservations should be made through the local managing agents, Tropical Villas. You may contact Tropical Villas for further information or reservations by using the DIRECT ENQUIRIES facility or the WEB link at the top of this page. To confirm a reservation, you will need to send a deposit equal to 25% (non refundable) of the total rental fee. Payment of the remaining 75% is required 45 days (non refundable) prior your arrival. If you are booking within 45 days of your arrival, full payment must be made to secure the booking. For a review of Tropical Villas and their services together, written by James Henderson, please see here where you will also find links to reviews of many more St Lucia villas managed by Tropical Villas and featured by DefinitiveCaribbean. |
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UK Tour Operators
If you wish to book through a tour operator or travel organiser, please follow the link below.
See List of UK Tour Operators
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Airport Meet & Greet
If you are booking direct ask the villa management company Tropical Villas to send a taxi to meet you at the airport. These are arranged with their taxi driver Desir (pronounced Daisy), who normally waits in the area just outside the customs hall at Hewanorra airport. He will hold a Tropical Villas sign and if you miss him go to the Tourist Board desk and they will page him for you. Your airport transfers are paid for locally and take approximately 50 minutes from Hewanorra. Alternatively, if you would prefer to be taken care of from the minute you arrive at the airport, with a range of services that can include helicopter transfers, a Concierge Service please click here for St Lucia Representative Services.
If you are booking through a travel organiser, it is likely that their representative will be at the airport to meet you. This service and your return airport transfers should be included in the cost of your holiday. Please check at the time of booking. |
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Getting Around
A hired car is strongly recommended for all St Lucia villas, though a jeep is recommended for this villa. A vehicle will be useful if you want to dine out at night or do lots of exploring and particularly when it comes to shopping for groceries. Book car hire via your travel organiser or direct with Drive-A-Matic (Tropical Villas will book this for you) or Cool Breeze Car & Jeep Rentals (which has an outlet in nearby Soufriere) and ask for your vehicle to be delivered to the property approximately 3 hours after your scheduled time of arrival on St Lucia or the following morning. They will issue your St Lucian driving licence, price US$20 or EC$54 and can return the car to either airport or they will collect it at a pre-arranged time on your departure day.
Be aware that there can be a shortage of cars in St Lucia over the Jazz Festival and possibly at Christmas, so at these times you are advised to book well in advance. Also book early if you want one for a week or more because the pre-booked rates can be better. |
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This review forms part of our St Lucia Travel Guide. All the information on this page comes to you free of charge. Please remember to mention DefinitiveCaribbean when you contact Tropical Villas for your St Lucia villa rentals and Drive-a-Matic or Cool Breeze Car & Jeep Rentals for your St Lucia car rental.
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