HOW I PLAN A TRIP | OUR ST. LUCIA ITINERARY + WHY WE'RE STAYING IN RODNEY BAY
Every trip I plan, whether it's for us or for a client, starts the same way: not with a hotel, but with the people going. Right now I'm deep in planning our upcoming trip to St. Lucia, so I thought it would be the perfect example to walk you through exactly how I plan a trip, step by step, and why every choice we made comes back to who's on it.
STEP 1: START WITH WHO'S GOING
This trip is two couples, and we all want the same kind of vacation: active days, great food and a fun night out. Before I looked at a single hotel, I wrote down what would make this trip a 10 for our group:
Adventure: we don't want to sit by a pool all week. We want at least one big day out exploring the island.
Deep-sea fishing: a must for our group on every trip we take together.
Snorkeling: clear water and something worth seeing under it.
Really good restaurants: dinner is the highlight of every vacation for us.
Walkability to nightlife: after dinner, we want to be able to walk to a bar or two without arranging a taxi every night.
That list made every decision after it easier. A romantic, secluded resort would be perfect for a honeymoon, but it would have been the wrong trip for us.
STEP 2: CHOOSE YOUR HOME BASE
St. Lucia is a small island, but where you stay changes your whole trip. It really comes down to north vs. south.
The south (Soufrière) is the St. Lucia you've seen on Instagram: the Pitons, the volcano, the rainforest and some of the most beautiful (and most expensive) resorts in the Caribbean. It's quiet, secluded and very romantic. Evenings are mostly spent at your resort.
The north (Rodney Bay and Gros Islet) is where most of the action is. There's a long, calm beach, a marina, a strip of restaurants and bars, and a much bigger range of hotels at every price point.
WHY WE CHOSE RODNEY BAY
1. The price. This was the big one. The resorts with the famous Piton views are breathtaking, but the most iconic ones can easily run over $1,000 a night, and there are far fewer mid-range options down south. Rodney Bay has a lot more choice, so we could book a great hotel for both couples and put the savings toward the experiences we actually care about: a private boat day, a fishing charter and long dinners out.
2. Walkability. Rodney Bay is one of the few places on the island where you can walk from your hotel to dinner, then on to a bar, without needing a car. Reduit Beach, the restaurant strip and the marina are all close together. And on Friday nights, the famous Gros Islet street party is just up the road.
3. Deep-sea fishing. Rodney Bay Marina is the hub for sport-fishing charters on the island, so we can walk down to the dock in the morning instead of driving an hour each way.
4. Restaurants and nightlife. The north has the biggest concentration of restaurants on the island, from beach bars to dressed-up dinners, so we can try somewhere new every night.
The trade-off: we won't wake up to a view of the Pitons. So instead of staying near them, we're bringing the Pitons into our trip with a full day on the water.
STEP 3: PLAN THE "BIG DAY"
Almost every great trip has one day that everyone talks about afterward. For us, it's a boat tour from Rodney Bay down the west coast to Soufrière, and it packs in everything on our wish list:
The Pitons: the two volcanic peaks rising straight out of the sea are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and seeing them from the water is one of the best views on the island.
Snorkeling: a stop in the clear water near the Pitons to see the reef and tropical fish.
Sulphur Springs, the "drive-in volcano": you can drive right up to the steaming vents of a dormant volcano, then soak in the warm, mineral-rich mud baths.
Toraille Waterfall: a short walk through tropical gardens to a waterfall you can stand under to rinse off all that mud.
Sugar Beach: soft white sand tucked right between the two Pitons. It's the postcard shot of St. Lucia.
MY TIPS FOR THE SOUFRIÈRE DAY
Wear an old, dark swimsuit to the mud baths. The mud and sulphur can stain light colors.
Leave your silver jewelry at the hotel. Sulphur tarnishes it.
Pack reef-safe sunscreen, a cover-up, a towel and water shoes.
Bring some cash and check what your tour includes. Some tours cover entrance fees and lunch, and some don't.
Book a private or small-group tour if you can. It's worth it with two couples, because you can stay longer at the stops you love.
STEP 4: FILL IN THE REST OF THE WEEK
Once the home base and the big day are set, I build the rest of the itinerary around them, and I always leave room to slow down:
A morning deep-sea fishing charter out of Rodney Bay Marina.
A beach day on Reduit Beach with lunch at a beach bar.
Friday night at the Gros Islet street party for street food, music and rum punch.
One dressed-up dinner somewhere special, booked ahead.
A free day with nothing planned at all.
STEP 5: BOOK THE BIG THINGS EARLY
The things that sell out go on the calendar first: the boat tour, the fishing charter and the dinner reservations we really care about. Everything else can stay flexible.
I'll share the full recap after we're back: where we stayed, where we ate and whether the mud baths were worth the sulphur smell (I have a feeling they will be).
WANT A TRIP PLANNED AROUND YOU?
This is exactly how I plan for my clients: start with who's going, pick the home base that fits your style and budget, then build the days around what you'll love most. If you have a trip in mind, tell me about it here. You can also read more about how planning a trip with me works.
Comments