TRAVEL FEATURE
MOVE-OVER ST. BARTHS?
SAINT LUCIA IS THE NEW HAVEN
With the recent wedding of Hollywood A-lister and star of The Bourne
franchise (Identity and Ultimatum), Matt Damon on the beautiful island of Saint Lucia at the luxurious Sugar Beach Resort, this island
is quickly becoming the “IT” spot for the world’s elite trendsetters.
The island which has long been associated with luxury, has been the
private getaway of celebrities like Morgan Freeman, Justin Beiber,
the British Royal family with many others like the former world boxing
champion George Foreman owning homes overlooking the island’s
Marigot Bay marina. Oprah Winfrey described Saint Lucia’s Pitons
(now a world heritage site) as “One of the five places you should see
before you die”.
Every year Saint Lucia is host to the Annual Atlantic Rally for Cruisers
in November, where over 240 yachts race to the island and enjoy its
nightlife and endless nature sites. Don’t be fooled, this is no destination for small sailing boats only! It has two state of the art marinas; the
IGY Marinas in Rodney Bay and the secluded Marigot Bay Marina,
both with the facilities and services to accomodating superyachts.
This island has luxury fashion destination written all over it. But listen, St.
Barths and Saint Lucia offer two different luxury products. To compare
it to the world of fashion Saint Barths is the “glitz and glam luxury” similar to Versace, while Saint Lucia has an understated yet very elegant
esthetic similar Giorgio Armani or Brioni. It is the perfect private vacation seemingly undiscovered by international parazzi. This is not the
island you come to be seen but rather to be sane.
Saint Lucia boast its world famous natural black mud bath, a world
hertiage site “The Twin Pitons”, hot natural springs, a choice of white
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or black sand beaches and serene yet dramatic beauty that is the
ultimate escape from big city life and the often brutal winters. The island is also home to some of the best resorts in the world with friendly
natives who understand the true value hospitality (can be a rareity
in some islands).
Of recent times, there is even more incentive to sail off to Saint Lucia
from Europe, since the local government have recently approved
a number of concessions for yacht travellers to the island including
six months hassle-free stay, 100 per cent waiver on import duty and
consumption tax on yachts imported into St Lucia for pleasure or
commercial use, a 100 per cent waiver of income tax for the first five
years of operations for local charter companies, and a 100 per cent
waiver on import duty and consumption tax on equipment for boat
safety and watercraft activity until 2016. There is also a visa waiver
for Australians and Russians coming to the island. This is all part of the
country’s plan to become the number one yachting destination in
the Southern Caribbean.
While the nightlife options are few, there are many interesting events
to experience while on island including many very good options for
fining dining in t