wow! a little gem, we loved the guesthouse. faithful to the comments I read, very clean. The owner is super friendly and Lorraine cares greatly about our well being. The guesthouse is in a fabulous setting just 25 minutes by bus from the old fort. The house is open concept, one hears birds and other sounds of the forest, for those who do not like mosquitoes, bring your repellent. The first night we ate a dish prepared by sheila (a neighbor), very good and inexpensive. Notice the big appetite: the portions are huge. We loved the hiking. Melvin guide, which besides being very nice is very knowledgeable plants, fruits and herbs. Melvin not to be missed. Well, we loved and are eager to return!

I was so glad I have chosen this place, its clean, cozy, lorraine really knows how to take care of it..... and its also value for money.... its close to vieux fort and easy to get around by bus..... the rooms are very well kept and with a touch of love.... you really feel you're at home.... or you feel like moving to the caribbean... thank you very much lorraine, hope to stay with you once again!

This is our third time staying with Lorraine, an American expat. Her warmth, generosity and knowledge of St. Lucia keeps us coming back. A Peace of Paradise is on the eastern Atlantic edge of St Lucia's central rain forest. The babbling Mamiku River flows just fifty meters from the house and has pools deep enough to take a dip in.

Once you settle in the hammock on her big veranda you are doomed to relax and exorcise the stresses of wherever you came from. I even found it hard to concentrate on reading.

Her place is something between B&B and self-catering. Her special pricing encourages a minimum of 4 night stays but apparently many extend for much longer, depending on availability. We did. Lorraine serves your first breakfast (on the veranda) but after that you are on your own. There are two good options nearby for meals. One is the Fox Grove Inn with its Swiss/St Lucian ownership which, by our three meals there, we can confirm TA's consensus is one of the best tables on the island. They are a 15 minute walk. The other is Sheila, a local lady who makes terrific carry-out with mouth-watering island sauces that you order in the morning and pick up on return home. She is a ten minute walk.

Otherwise Lorraine's large kitchen is shared between guests. She stocks some staples but you might want to shop at the well equipped Super-J in Vieux Fort, 30 minutes south. We pigged out on their gallon buckets of Hagen-Daz ice cream. (What's a holiday for!) Sharing also goes for the one bathroom with shower. While I would have expected this might cause congestion when all three rooms were taken but in fact it didn't. We did not come here for the Hilton or Super 8 experience.

The rooms are comfortable. The one we had was small with a traditional double bed, mosquito net and fan. In fact we never used the net because the windows were screened too. A queen bed room next door and a twins-making-a-king bed (when pushed together) are the two other options.

What to do around there? You'll need to use cheap and frequent local mini-buses to reach the beach or towns. Other option is rent a car. Lorraine can get you 10 per cent off National from her friend Mariana in Vieux Port. We paid about US$55 a day. Just down the beach from National is an IKO certified Kite and Surfing Center (see Clarissa Hempel gallery at cerfdotbookdotfr). The Hewanarra International Airport is opposite the Center. A Virgin Air 747 flies in every day from the States but the passengers seem to be swallowed by the island. We never saw them. Other flights arrive at Castries Intl, an hour north of Lorraine's. I should mention the option we took was the ferry from Fort de France, Martinique. Advice? Don't, unless you love waiting in lines. Fly direct.

Without transport you might want to visit Mamiku Gardens, remains of a old plantation, a 10 minute walk, but it took quite a hit during last year's hurricane. Highly recommended are walks in the forest and to the water falls with Melvin, a local guide with profound botanical knowledge of the island.

Nearly forgot. Lorraine has fast wi-fi so if those damned jungle sounds get to you clamp on the head phones and zone out! LOL

I have being in St.Lucia probably ten or eleven times, trying different hotels and resorts, from top rated to underrated. It happened that the last trip I travelled solo, and wanted to try something inexpensive and simple, just a quiet place to sleep on East coast.
I felt in Love with this place from the first minute I saw it. My room was clean, simple but cozy. For only those unforetable relaxing sounds from near by river and night crickets I would pay extra. In the morning I was so energised that, after breakfast, I took a two hours hike, passing by banana plantations, grapefruit, orange, coconut and cocoa trees. Views are there just unforgetable...On my way hiking I met some farmers working, we had a friendly chat. I also noticed lots of birds surround, ..one was a wild parrot.
I plan to bring my kids, 6 and 3., and grandparents next time on my winter trip.
I think this place is great for people who like hikes, who prefer real luxury of nature to manicured and man-made "luxury" resorts, who prefer being away from crowds, and closer to Mother Nature.
This place is really underpriced.
I would not recomend this place for window shoppers, luxury spa seekers, and night disco bar holics.