Amazing views of the Petit Piton and the jungle from the private patio, plunge pool, glass paned dining room and window wall in the bedroom - high on the North ridge overlooking the town of Soufriere below.
Lovely, light, high ceiling suite (dining room, kitchen, living room, bathroom and master bedroom) carefully decorated with large tropical furnishings - providing complete privacy and comfort.
Fun and inviting tree-house like wooden bar and dining area for drinks with the handful of other guests most evenings starting at 6:30 and haut cuisine dinners once or twice each week. Tasty local breakfast of pancakes, eggs, fruit and breads brought to your room each morning at your desired time between 8 and 10 AM.
Monica and Martin Charles greet you upon arrival, touch base each day, and send you off with a warm hug and smile.
$250 per night for the Sugarcane room (one of about four total). No charge for breakfast or evening drinks. $45 per person for dinner.
Note that there is no Internet connectivity at Crystals right now (planning for new service in March 2012) but you can pickup Wi-Fi at a few nearby spots (like the Hummingbird at the bottom of the hill) if you want it at all, and that the driveway/road at the end is very rough/washed out (Jeep only) but there are plans to smooth this out in the coming months.
Alternatives:
There are several beach side hotel resorts on the West coast between the South end of Soufriere and the North end of Rodney Bay 15 miles to the North, such as Jalousie, Ladera, Anse Chastanet, Jade Mountain, Ti Kaye, Marigot Bay, Sandals, and a few others until you get to The Body Holiday at the North end of the island. Most of these look very nice, and can be visited regardless of where you stay (all beaches are public, and at most places - other than Sandals visitors - are also welcome at the resort restaurants and bars). Prices at these places are up to 4 times higher than Crystals, such as $1,200 to $1,400 per night for an ocean view suite with plunge pool at Jalousie and $200 for dinner and drinks for two at Boucan. You do get a high level of polish, planned group activities, and isolation from the rest of the island at these places, if that is what you want.
Activities:
Many beaches for sunning, swimming and snorkeling, as well as mountain hiking and more are all within an hour drive. The nearby resorts will keep you well fed, for a high price, if you don't want to pickup food from the many small local shops that sell standard local fare (curried chicken/fish/goat/turkey - with seasoned rice, chow mien noodles, bread fruit and lentils with beans), or the handful of large grocery stores. Note that many places close by 5 PM, often a little earlier if they have sold most of the food they have on hand for that day.
Hiking - The two walks in the national forests are not really worth it right now - long drives, $10 US entry fee for 30 minutes of trail each way ($20 each for 3 hours) - due to landslides from Hurricane Tomas in October 2010.
Gros Piton - Sounds like a great but strenuous 4 plus hour hike/climb on a well maintained trail with a paid government guide (cost?),that others have already written about with gusto.
Petit Piton - An extremely strenuous vertical climb that takes 4 to 5 hours depending on rain (just a little makes it slippery) and your descent speed. This is hand over hand vertical bouldering until you get very near the top, then a hanging rope assisted face climb. There are no official guides but there will be a handful of locals at the parking area at the base (just up from Martha's table on the Jalousie road), who will ask for $50 US per person for their services. The path is clear once you are on it but there are no markers and the entrance is down the road and through a field. If making it all the way to the top, versus a private hike with friends/family, is your priority then you should hire a guide to find the path, stay on it, and help you scale the vertical wall(s) near the top.
- Crystals Hotel Soufrière
