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Before You Go
Entry Requirements for UK Citizens: UK
Passport holders do not need visas to enter St Lucia for visits up to 42 days.
Overstaying without permission from the authorities is an offence, as is taking
any form of paid employment without a work permit.
Entry Requirements for US Citizens:
Stays of up to 6 months, no passport, but carry original
document of US citizenship (passport, Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship
or certified copy of birth certificate), photo ID, & return/onward ticket.
Contact: Embassy of St. Lucia, 3216 New Mexico Ave., NW. Washington, DC. 20016.
(202) 364-6792, or Mission
to UN in NYC.
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth
Office updated travel advisory for visitors to St. Lucia. Updated 18th
December 2002.
SAFETY AND SECURITY
Visitors should take common sense precautions and exercise vigilance at all
times. Isolated areas including beaches should be avoided particularly after
dark. Do not carry large amounts of cash and avoid wearing expensive jewellery.
Valuables and travel documents should be left in safety deposit boxes or hotel
safes wherever possible.
It is common for pedestrians to flag down vehicles
in an attempt to get a lift. Visitors should not stop to give a lift to people
at the side of the road.
Road Safety
Motorists drive on the left in St Lucia. By
UK standards, most roads are narrow and many are in need of repair. In mountainous
areas the roads can be extremely steep and have sharp hairpin bends, many of
which are not clearly marked. Automatic four-wheel drive vehicles are popular,
and in some areas essential. Given these circumstances, it is much safer to
drive slowly and remain vigilant. The standard of driving is not up to that
of the UK though St Lucians have a more relaxed attitude to the rules of the
road and visitors should be tolerant of this. There are few fatal accidents.
Do not be unduly alarmed if you see a vehicle coming towards you on your side
of the road; the driver may simply be avoiding a pothole.
LOCAL TRAVEL
There are regular mini bus services, which provide relatively cheap and fast
travel within St Lucia. Standard taxi fares exist for most destinations but
it is sensible to clarify the fare with the driver before the beginning of the
journey. Self-drive cars can be hired locally. Visitors will require their full
UK licence in order to purchase a local driving permit.
LOCAL LAWS AND CUSTOMS
Visitors should not purchase, consume or have
any other connection with illegal drugs, including Marijuana. Possession of
even small quantities of drugs could lead to a large fine or imprisonment and
prison conditions are grim. Drug trafficking is a serious offence. Pack all
luggage yourself and do not carry items that do not belong to you.
It is an offence for anyone outside the police
force to dress in camouflage clothes.
Topless bathing is illegal.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
UK Passport holders do not need visas to enter St Lucia for visits up to 42
days. Overstaying without permission from the authorities is an offence, as
is taking any form of paid employment without a work permit.
HEALTH
Visitors should ensure they have comprehensive
medical insurance as Medical treatment can be very expensive and serious cases
are referred overseas (usually to Miami or Martinique) incurring air ambulance
costs.
The dengue fever mosquito is found in St Lucia.
Visitors should therefore take precautions against mosquito bites, including
using repellent during daylight hours.
Travellers should be aware that there is a
high prevalence of the HIV/AIDS virus in St Lucia.
NATURAL DISASTERS
The hurricane season runs from June to November.
Visitors should consult their tour operators for advice on hurricane preparation.
GENERAL
We strongly recommend that all travellers abroad take out adequate comprehensive
insurance.
Visitors on package holidays must travel on
the specified return date. Failure to do so would incur the additional costs
of accommodation and a replacement air ticket.
There is an EC$54 departure tax (per person)
payable on leaving St Lucia.
The British High Commission in St Lucia will
assist UK nationals in need wherever possible, but is not able to issue replacement
passports. The nearest passport office is at the British High Commission in
Barbados and replacing lost or stolen passports can take a minimum of five working
days and involve courier costs over and above the passport fee.
For current updates visit
The UK Foreign
and Commonwealth Office website
Health: Medical care limited. Doctors &
hospitals often expect immediate cash payment. US medical insurance not always
valid outside USA. Supplementary medical insurance
with specific overseas coverage, including medical evacuation, useful.
Crime& Security: Petty
street crime occurs. Valuables left unattended on beaches subject to theft.
Money: Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$) = 100
cents. Notes of EC$ 100, 20, 10, 5 & 1. Coins of EC$1, & 50, 25, 10,
5, 2 & 1 cents. US $ accepted as legal tender. Official rate US$1 = EC2.70.
US $ ensure better exchange. MasterCard, Amexco, Diners & Visa all widely
accepted. Travellers checks accepted. US $ checks preferred. List of banks
in St. Lucia
Weather: Hot, tropical climate tempered by trade winds throughout
most of year. Driest period Jan to April with increased rainfall in summer &
towards end of year. Temps: Dec-May 65-85F. June-Nov 75-95F.
Advice & Tips for St
Lucia:
Traffic Safety: Drive on right. Roads narrow with steep
inclines & declines throughout island. Road conditions vary from fair to
poor with few guardrails in areas that have precipitous drop-offs from road.
Driver's permit required; 3-month permit obtained from immigration department
at airport or seaport.
Customs: Duty free allowance: 200 cigarettes
or 250g tobacco products; 1 litre of alcoholic beverage.
Electricity & Voltage:
220 volts AC, 50Hz.
Most hotels have ground floor
accommodations, but some built on hillsides & not practical for wheelchairs.
Royal St. Lucian Hotel has spacious rooms with wider doorways & wider baths
with rails. Rex St. Lucian has rooms designed for handicapped visitors.
Public Holidays: Jan 1-2; Feb 22; Mar 28 & 31; May
& 27; Jun 4 & 6; Aug 1; Oct 3; Dec 13; Dec 25-26.
St Lucia Tourist Board
PO Box 221, Pointe Seraphine, Castries,
St Lucia 452 4094. Fax: 453 1121.
9th Floor, 820 2nd Avenue,
New York, NY 10017 (212) 867 2950/1. Fax: (212) 867 2795.
St Lucia Tourist Board, 421A
Finchley Road, London NW3 6HJ, UK. Tel: (020) 7431 3675 or 7431 4045. Fax: (020)
7431 7920. E-mail: stlucia@axissm.com Website: http://www.stlucia.org
Airports
SLU: George F.I.Charles Airport (Vigie)
3 miles from northeast capital of Castries.
UVF: Hewanorra International
Airport
on other side of island,
37 miles drive from Castries.
Duty-free shopping available to all visitors provided
they present passport or airline ticket when purchasing goods.
Customs: Duty free allowance: 200 cigarettes
or 250g tobacco products; 1 litre of alcoholic beverage.
Taxis from Airports: Rates
are fixed but best to agree in advance. Hewanorra to Castries $40. Vigie to
downtown Castries $6.
Tipping: US$1.00 per bag for airport porters
Now You’re There
Regions & Resorts of St.Lucia
St. Lucia
- one of Windward Islands of Lesser Antilles, midway
down Eastern Caribbean chain, between Martinique & St. Vincent, &
north of Barbados. Only 27 miles long & 14 miles wide. Atlantic Ocean
on east shore, while beaches of west coast owe beauty to Caribbean Sea.
Only main road circles island - so difficult to get lost.
In natural beauty, St. Lucia
seems plucked from South Pacific & set down in Caribbean. Dramatic twin
coastal peaks, Pitons, soar 2,000 ft up from sea, sheltering rain forests
where wild orchids, giant ferns, & birds of paradise flourish. Brilliantly
plumed tropical birds abound, including endangered species like indigenous St.
Lucia parrot. Rainforest broken only by verdant fields & orchards of banana,
coconut, mango, & papaya trees.
Entertainment
Wednesday nights, The Lime restaurant
comes alive with music and dancing well into the night.
Live entertainment and theme
nights at Indies and The Late Lime, two of St. Lucia's most popular
night cubs at Rodney Bay.
Variety of clubs in the Castries
area feature entertainment, including Derek Walcott Centre for The Arts
at Great House Restaurant.
Eating Out in St. Lucia
St. Lucia’s hotels
have restaurants, in addition to wide range in major towns serving many different
types of food. Local dishes include langouste (local lobster) cooked in
variety of ways, lambi (conch) and other fresh seafood, breadfruit and other
local fruit and vegetables. Pepper pot & fried plantain are 2 local specialities
worth trying. In general food is combination of Creole with West Indian &
French influence.
Tipping: A tip is not automatically added &
usually about 10% to 12% of bill. Tips generally accepted by bellhops in hotels,
taxi drivers and other persons providing service
Shopping on St. Lucia
St. Lucian
'Good Buys’ include unique batik & silkscreen designs, sports shirts,
tablemats, & shopping bags. Other craft outlets sell locally made bowls,
beads, straw hats, flour-sack shirts, sisal rugs, bags, sandals & woodwork.
Duty-free shopping available to all visitors, with passport or airline ticket
when purchasing goods.
Hours: Most
open from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm & 1:30 to 4:30 pm, Monday - Friday; &
from 8 am to 12:30 pm on Saturdays. Most shops in malls open late.
Shopping mainly done in Castries
at small boutiques, stores & galleries. For local crafts & selection
of spices & herbs, go to market at Castries.
Bagshaws: finest silk-screened fabrics & clothing: 2 miles
from Castries.
Caribelle Batik: Sightseeing & shopping spectacularly combined.
100-year-old hilltop house: watch batik & screen-printing craftsmen, shop
& relax at terrace bar overlooking Castries.
Castries Market: open daily for fresh fruits & vegetables, spices
& local crafts. Very lively on Saturday mornings.
Pointe Seraphine: new harbour-front shopping complex open 7 days a week:
duty-free designer perfumes, crystal, china, jewellery & clothing, plus
wood carvings & local arts & handicrafts, in more than 20 shops.
Have you been to St Lucia and know about some more great highlights worth a mention? Add details for other visitors to read about.
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