Family fun in the Caribbean

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Trip start
May 21, 2026
Family fun in the Caribbean Traveler
Arrival
May 22 in Saint Lucia ⋅ 🌬 27 °C
The 8 and a half hour flight was less tedious than expected due to copious use of seat back screens to watch movies and play games. However the private transfer to the hotel at the opposite end of the island took 2 hours mainly due to a slow traffic jam for half of it. This meant we arrived at the hotel at 6pm, just before sunset, preventing a quick swim.
But the hotel more than made up for the disappointment. It is gorgeous. We have 3 bedroom apartment on the beachfront, each room en-suite, a living room, kitchen and enormous terraces. Probably the most luxurious place any of us have stayed in. Despite it being midnight UK time we managed a light supper at the beach restaurant in temperature of 25C with a lovely breeze.Read more
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Family fun in the Caribbean Traveler
First day in st lucia
May 22 in Saint Lucia ⋅ 🌬 27 °C
After a long LONG day yesterday we were all shattered last night, but up bright and very early for a swim in the ocean before breakfast - a huge buffet breakfast, I don't think I'll eat for a week!

The hotel is magnificent and just perfect. The weather is hot and sunny but with patchy clouds - also perfect! Finlay and Emily have been swimming in the carribean all morning, when they weren't in the pool!. So far it's just what we all wanted!Read more
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Family fun in the Caribbean Traveler
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Party night and the weather
May 23 in Saint Lucia ⋅ 🌬 27 °C
Friday night in Gros Islet is Jump up street party night which has been happening every week for over 50 years. We wondered if it was something put on for the tourists but clearly not. Locals come from all over the island and party until the small hours with lots of stalls of street food, loud music and dancing in the streets. We walked into town just before sunset and had a look around. It's a poor town with mostly wooden shacks but plenty of life.

Unfortunately soon after we got there the heavens opened and sauntering around the stalls was less attractive. So we went into a local restaurant and had a tasty meal of fried catch of the day ( marlin and king fish) and fried chicken - and some excellent margaritas! We were all still tired so got a taxi back to the hotel.

The weather is typically tropical for this time of year - long sunny spells with frequent clouds providing relief from the heat - and occasional downpours. This afternoon I was swimming in the sea when a downpour came and soaked my stuff on the sunbed as well as me!Read more
Like your shirt Tim 😍 x [Davina]
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Family fun in the Caribbean Traveler
Contrasts
May 24 in Saint Lucia ⋅ 🌬 27 °C
Last night the hotel put on entertainment in the restaurant area. The steel band was good but only on for a short time. It was followed by pyrotechnic limbo dancers who were spectacular. The kids loved it. Later it descended into noisy French pop - there are a lot of French tourists from Martinique which is the nearest island only 20 miles away. Thankfully the noise all stops at 9.30 whe the restaurant closes.

This morning after Nat and Andy did circuits in the gym the Armstrongs went to church in the nearby town - and sat through an hour long sermon. The weather had been pleasant and sunny all morning but as we walked along the beach to a nearby restaurant it started raining and it has hardly stopped all afternoon, often really torrential. So we got soaked on the way there and the way back, warm rain but still wet. Thankfully the meal was really good so worth it. All this when we hear there are heatwaves at home!Read more
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Family fun in the Caribbean Traveler
Bank holiday Monday
May 25 in Saint Lucia ⋅ 🌬 27 °C
It's a bank holiday here too, which we didn't realise until we walked to the bakery and found it closed. Luckily the owner was there doing some alterations and she baked us some croissants and baguettes - so kind. And they were delicious. The kids went to kids club for the first time and particularly enjoyed a lesson in the Creole patois spoken in St Lucia. This afternoon Nat and Emily went to the spa and had massages.
Thankfully the noisy French teens went home to Guadelupe. Apparently they were all here for some powerboat event where their dad's were showing off their noisy fast boats, thankfully not in our bay.
Today we got a beautsunset, such a contrast to the same view in the rain.
We went into town hoping to go to a local restaurant for dinner but they were all closed for the bank holiday but our taxi driver took us to a local food court where there were several food shacks and we had a really tasty meal.Read more
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Family fun in the Caribbean Traveler
Two busy days
May 27 in Saint Lucia ⋅ 🌬 28 °C
Yesterday, after we had a swim before breakfast, the Armstrongs went to a nearby water park where they did a circuit of inflatables - like bouncy castles in the water. They had good fun. Meanwhile we went to a Massy supermarket to restock and were shocked to find the shelves has lots of Waitrose own brand stuff. Home from home.
Later the kids went to kids club and produced great tie-dye T shirts before going kayaking and messing about in the water.
In the evening Nat and Andy had a romantic dinner at the sushi restaurant to celebtheir wedding anniversary this week - 16 years!
We and the kids stayed in and had room service.
Today the Armstrongs went on a full day trip to the Hotel Chocolat estate to learn about and make chocolate. This included boat there and back with snorkeling and party on the way back.
We had a much more sedate historical tour of the north half of the island which ended with a hike up to Fort Rodney at the tip of Pigeon Island.Read more
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Family fun in the Caribbean Traveler
The trip to Hotel Chocolat
May 27 in Saint Lucia ⋅ 🌬 28 °C
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Family fun in the Caribbean Traveler
Beach morning
May 28 in Saint Lucia ⋅ 🌬 28 °C
After we all had a busy day yesterday we spent the morning just on the beach, building a sandcastle, which was finally built in time for lunch, just as the tide came in!
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Family fun in the Caribbean Traveler
Snorkeling and street party
May 30 in Saint Lucia ⋅ 🌬 28 °C
Yesterday morning we took a tour to the local dive centre at pigeon point to go snorkeling. They provided all the gear and two guides and we spent an hour in the water. At first it was quite murky then it cleared and we got to see plenty of fish and coral. parrot fish, trigger fish, lots of sergeant major fish , even a squid. After we moved on round the end of the point it got choppy and very murky again so less easy to see the fish.

In the evening it was the friday night street party again, so we walked into town and ate at some on the stalls. It's Andy and Natalie's wedding anniversary and when we got back we found that some of the staff had decorated the room, put up balloons and delivered rich chocolate truffles. Really nice!Read more
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Family fun in the Caribbean Traveler
Last days
June 1 in England ⋅ 🌧 19 °C
Saturday centred around watching Arsenal play in the Champions league final against PSG which here was on tv at 12.00 midday. Before that the Armstrongs managed to climb both hills on Pigeon Island- an impressive feat especially in this heat. Sadly Arsenal didn't manage to make everyone happy. We dressed up and stayed in the hotel to eat for our last night and had the worst meal of the week - slow service and cold food.

On Sunday, our last day, we had to check out at 12.00 but spent the rest of the time on the beach with a delicious lunch at the Callalou restaurant- only open till 5pm so not available in the evening. It's puzzling how two restaurants in the same rest can be so different. It was difficult dragging the kids out of the sea to change for our transfer to the airport at 4.30.

The flight was delayed an hour but took off at 9.45pm and landed at Gatwick at 10.15 am. Most of us managed to sleep a bit but we're glad to reach home about 1.00pm.

A wonderful trip with some very happy memories.Read more
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Trip end
June 1, 2026