Recommend July 2013 - (Page 73)

Jade Mountain, on Saint Lucia's western coast. soaring to new heights in saint lucia onsitereview M A R C H 2 0 13 lane nieset Saint Lucia has been compared to Peter Pan’s Never Land, and it’s no wonder since the island almost seems like a real-life version of the fairy tale, with an abundance of natural beauty: from the bright-blue water to the lush rainforests and twin pitons looming in the distance. This paradise in the Caribbean, nestled between the islands of St. Vincent and Martinique, is the ultimate playground for adventureseekers. While it’s entirely possible (and encouraged) to lounge on one of the beaches for hours with a cocktail, there is a whole world to explore, from hiking the pitons—a UNESCO World Heritage site— to ziplining in the rainforest or scuba diving in one of the world’s top dive sites. adventures at anse chastanet It’s not hard to lose track of time in Saint Lucia. It is a Caribbean island, and everyone seems to be running on island time. Phones? Forget about it. WiFi? Spotty. Wake-up calls? Anse Chastanet’s guests are awakened with the sun’s natural light, which is invited into the guestrooms (no light-blocking window treatments here). Although, for those who do need help waking up for an early morning hike or bike ride, the resort can arrange for a wake-up knock. We spent the ﬁrst portion of our visit on the western coast of the island, at this 49-room resort on the beach in Soufriere, where technology seems a world away. Set on a 600-acre estate framed by two bays, the resort offers prime views of the pitons and the sea below. In fact, the owner and architect Nick Troubetzkoy designed the resort (and Jade Mountain, a resort within a resort at Anse Chastanet) around the island’s natural beauty. “Jade Mountain has been designed to celebrate not only Saint Lucia’s scenic beauty but life, love and the universe at large. Jade Mountain’s open-walled sanctuaries make you feel like part of the landscape and give our guests time for pause,” says Karolin Troubetzkoy, the executive director of marketing and operations at the resorts, and president of the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association. “Don’t look at your BlackBerry, look at the view and breathe in and out.” While Jade Mountain features the famed 3-walled rooms on the hillside, with the fourth wall open to frame the pitons with a private inﬁnity pool extending over the edge, Anse Chastanet features 12 rooms on the beach in a tropical garden and 37 hillside accommodations, complete with original artwork on the walls and handmade furniture. Since Jade Mountain is within Anse Chastanet, guests have access to all of its amenities, but it does not work the other way around for Anse Chastanet’s guests with Jade Mountain’s private amenities, such as its spa, Kai en Ciel; restaurant, Jade Mountain Club featuring James Beard Award-winning chef Allen Susser; and ﬁtness studio. “Anse Chastanet is in an equally scenic panorama [as Jade Mountain] and some of the rooms here, especially those high on the hillside, enjoy the same views as Jade Mountain,” Karolin Troubetzkoy says. “Here the experience is focused on authenticity—one of the last remaining ‘Classic Caribbean Beach Resort Hideaways.’ An amazing range of soft adventure facilities give our visitors the opportunity to not only be romantic, but also be very active and celebrate nature, whether they will be hiking, biking, birdwatching, scuba diving, snorkeling or paddle boarding.” Walking down to the beach, guests can take part in complimentary watersports like snorkeling, windsurﬁng or kayaking, or take a guided hike around the estate learning about the history and botany. Or, guests can take a water taxi or shuttle boat over to the resort’s july 2013 73 68-75 CB T&T StLucia.indd 73 6/19/13 3:14 PM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend July 2013

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Eleven Experience
Tour Talk: DuVine Cycling + Adventure
Expedition Cruising: Explore the Unexplored
Eleven Experience's Chalet Pelerin
Brazil Travel Planner
Grand Solmar Land's End Resort & Spa
Guatemala Travel Planner
Latin America Specialist Courses
The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs
5 Ways to Adventure in North America
Swain Tours Shines in the Land Down Under
Seeing African Wonders Through a Viewfinder
Trinidad & Tobago
Soaring to New Heights in Saint Lucia

Recommend July 2013