We stayed for 6 nights over Christmas at La Dauphine Estate in St. Lucia. It was a hidden paradise. The staff were fantastic with my children (aged 3 and 5) and were very helpful to us. The accommodation is not a resort type place, so if you are interested in that, don't book here. The house was extremely clean. It was secure. We were interested in spending time as a family together, exploring the island and meeting St. Lucian's. We asked for a local experience (local foods, etc.) and we were thrilled to receive just that! There was an abundance of food, prepared in the local tradition (creole). I felt safe and secure, I never felt like my children were unsafe. They could play and run, and explore. Some nights we spent sitting on the wraparound veranda just looking at fireflies. There is no television, which we loved. The kids loved the mosquito netting over the beds as well. We ate fresh fruit from the plantation and learned all about cocoa beans from the manager. We travelled around the area, exploring the Soufriere volcano, some beaches and many beautiful waterfalls. The St. Lucian people loved our children and treated them with great joy! Just a note, a car rental is probably very important here!

La Dauphine Estate is an amazing place to stay. Antonia the housekeeper is fantastic, will cook you up loads of yummy local creole food for a very reasonable price, and make sure you know where all of the local attractions are. The estate house itself is nestled into a bit of rain forest on a working plantation in the mountains above Soufriere and has quaint Caribbean charm, lovely hard wood floors and the most amazing veranda views with a comfy hammock to relax in. If you are looking to escape from the tourist crowds and to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of modern life, this is definitely the place for you. Also would be great for families since you can fit 12 in the main house (6 in the bedrooms downstairs and 6 in the attic) and for that many people the price is an absolute bargain.

We stayed there for only 3 days since we couldn't get into the sister resort, Villa Beach Cottages, in Castries, and we ended up enjoying La Dauphine more in the end. The owner upgraded us to the larger of the 2 homes on the estate since it was available, so we had an enormous home just to ourselves. The housekeeper, Antonia, is also a cook and prepared some excellent breakfasts and dinners with local flavors at reasonable prices ($10/person for breakfast and $20/person for dinner plus tip). The home was set on a hill covered in lush tropical plants. Higher up on the estate, there was a farm worked by the nightime security guard, Gerard, and his mule, Spackel. From the farm, there was a clear view of the Pitons, two mountains listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The nearby Ladera resort offered a spectacular view of the sunset between the Pitons, and the equally close Hilton Jalousie Plantation had a calm, beautiful sand (albeit imported sand) beach right at the base of the Petit Piton (all beaches in St. Lucia are public and Jalousie allowed us to use their beach chairs without being hassled, unlike Anse Chastenet). The beach at Jalouise beach was by far the most breathtaking setting we enjoyed on our trip. La Dauphine offered us a prime location and quality accomodations for a great price--I'd recommend the experience to anyone.

We stayed at La Dauphine Estate Great House for 5 days in early April, following 9 days at the Villa Beach Cottages. A very special experience in a unique private Estate setting. Tropical fruit trees within reach of the porch. Estate Manager Francis visits each day to chat. Resident housekeeper Antonia is an excellent cook and can prepare great local meals. A great complement to our stay at Villa Beach. Lots of local attractions a short drive away. Roads are a challenge for a North American - but hey, we were on vacation and needed to slow down! Take lots of reading materials for "hammock time".