Dive Services/Accommodations
Bay Gardens Inn Rodney Bay Village PO. Box 1892 Castries St. Lucia Tel.: 758 452 8200 Fax.: 758 452 8002 baygardensinn@candw.lc www.baygardensinn.com This small but intimate property is conveniently nestled in the hub of St. Lucia’s heartbeat Rodney Bay, where you will bask with comfort from the sheer hospitality delivered by our amicable and qualified team members.   La Haut Resort Po.Box 304 Soufriere, St.Lucia West Indies Tel. +1 758 4597008 Fax. +1 758 4595975 Number of Rooms: 15 Check In Time: 14:00 Check Out Time: 11:00 Email Address: lahaut@candw.lc Web Address: http://www.lahaut.com Amenities: - Boutique Shop - Plantation Tour - Cashew Nut Roasting Demonstration - Complimentary shuttle service to Soufriere Town, the Beach, diving centre - Complimentary beach towels - Snooker Table, sports bar - Antique Piano - Games & Books - Fully-equipped Gym - Laundry Service - Two Swimming Pools - Bar - Own tour department Property: Enjoy peace and tranquility at this sun kissed resort overlooking St.Lucia’s most photographed vista: the majestic Pitons rising out of the blue Caribbean sea. The quiet, guesthouse is perfect for weddings, groups, family get-together and nature lovers. The Resort is part of a 80-acre former coconut and cocoa estate. Diving: Our resort offer a free shuttle to the best diving and water sport centre in the Island. The distance from the resort is only 3 miles. Besides, we are linked to other companies for special diving experiences.   P.O. Box MG 7182 Marigot Bay, St.Lucia West Indies Tel: Ph. 785 451-4974 Fax: 758 451-4973 mbc@candw.lc www.marigotdiveresort.com 25 self contained villas, perched on the hill over looking the gem of the Island Marigot Bay. Day and night dives arranged from the property. Dive pick ups arranged daily. We offer dive packages on our site. Dive shop on property.   Scuba Steve's Diving Rodney Bay PO Box CP6289 Castries St. Lucia West Indies Tel. (758) 450 9433 or (758) 489 0411 Fax. (758) 450 9433 PADI 5* Resort Dive Center, British owned and operated. PADI courses and guided dives. Top quality service at an affordable price. See us on TripAdvisor.com » Number of Dive Boats: 2 » Maximum Number of Divers per Boat: 9 and 16 » Gear Provided: Mask, Snorkel, Fins, Tanks & Weights » Rental Gear Available: Scuba Pro BCD's, Regulators, Procella 3mm shorty wetsuits » Nitrox Available: Yes » Type of Diving Available: Reefs, wrecks, walls, drift, boat » Total Dive Sites: » Minimum Time to Dive Sites: 5 minutes (northern sites) 30 minutes (southern sites) » Maximum Time to Dive Sites: 50 minutes » Certification Agencies: PADI, DSAT, EFR » Courses Offered: PADI courses from Bubblemaker up to Assistant Instructor including specialities info@scubastevesdiving.com http://www.scubastevesdiving.com
Visitor Information
Getting Around Auto Rentals If you enjoy exploring on your own, or just want to take things in your own time why not rent an automobile. There are several reputable rental companies on island. Cars, 4-wheel drive vehicles and scooters can be booked in advance through your travel agent or at the airports, hotels or car rental offices on island. Regular weekly rates range from US$300 to US$400 depending on the type of vehicle. Driving is on the left and the use of seat belts is compulsory. Observe the speed limits and no parking zones. Drivers License Visitors to St. Lucia who do not possess an international driving permit must purchase a temporary permit in order to drive in St. Lucia. The permit is good for three months and costs $54 EC or $20 US. Permits can be obtained from the immigration department at either airport or at any police department . You must present your drivers license. They are also available at most major car rental compa- nies. International drivers must have their permit stamped at immigration. There is no charge for this. Taxis Taxis operate at the two airports; the cruise ports in Castries and at all the major hotels, tourist spots and shopping malls throughout St. Lucia. Some guideline fares are from Castries to Hewanorra Airport (EC $120 up to 4 persons), Castries to Rodney Bay (EC $40 up to 4 persons). Bus Service Buses serve the north of the Island around Castries and Gros Islet very well and run until around 10.00pm: (longer on Friday night when the weekly "jump-up" takes place at Gros Islet). However, there is no scheduled bus timetable. Bus fares: Castries - North end of the island EC $2.00, Castries - South end of the island (Vieux Fort) EC $8.00. Car travel via the new West Coast Road from Castries to Soufriere takes about an hour. From Hewanorra Airport to Castries takes around an hour. Money A full range of banking and foreign currency services are available at banks on St. Lucia. Cash in local currency can be obtained by credit cards or bank cards through the ATM machines located at most banks. Normal banking hours are from 8: 00 a. m. to 3: 00 p. m. and some banks are open until 5: 00 p. m. on Friday. Banks at the Rodney Bay Marina are also open from 8: 00 a. m. until 12: 00 noon on Saturday. Shops Most shops are open from 8:30AM to 12:30PM and 1:30PM to 4:30PM Monday to Friday. The Castries Market is very popular on Saturdays, especially during St. Lucia Jazz and Carnival. Most shops are open Saturdays regularly from 8:30AM to 12:30PM, while the major shopping centers are open in the afternoon as well. With the exception of the marina-based shops, shopping is generally closed on Sundays. Duty-free shopping is available at the following shopping centers in St. Lucia: - La Place Carenage, Castries - Pointe Seraphine, Castries - J.Q. Mall, Rodney Bay - Hawanorra Airport Duty-Free Electricity 220 volts, 50 cycles AC (a few hotels are 110 volts, 60 cycles). Most sockets take 3 pin square plugs (UK standard) but some take 2 pin round plugs or flat American plugs, which are more rare. Adaptors are generally available at the hotels. Health Information Immunization is not required unless coming from an infected area within six days of arrival, however Hepatitis A, Polio and Typhoid are recommended. Drinking water is safe from the tap and bottled mineral/distilled water is also available. There are several pharmacies in Castries, one on the Gros Islet Highway and one in Gablewoods Shopping Mall and in JQ Charles Mall Rodney Bay. Most hotels have "over the counter" medication, such as aspirin and first aid supplies. All hotels have doctors either resident or available on call. A resident doctor’s visit costs approx. US$ 15 (approx. EC$40- EC$50). For a "call-out" visit it may cost more. Credit Cards Major international credit cards are widely accepted at all large shopping centres, restaurants, hotels, etc. Service Charges & Tax On hotel and restaurant bills there is a Government tax of 8%. A service charge of 10% is also applicable. In some instances these charges are included in prices quoted, so it is best to clarify. The prices on labels in shops are what you pay. Tipping Tipping is not automatically added and is customary at about 10% to 12% of bills. Tips are generally accepted by bell hops in hotels, taxis and other persons providing service. Telephones Telephones and Mobile Phones are operated by Cable & Wireless, AT&T Wireless and Digicel St. Lucia. Many card and coin public phone boxes are available around the island. Cards can be purchased at Cable & Wireless offices, St. Lucia Tourist Board Information Centres and many other outlets including Airports, Rodney Bay Marina etc. Cellular phones are available for rent from the Cable and Wireless Caribbean Cellular offices at the Gablewoods Mall, Rodney Bay and the Castries Waterfront.   Getting There St. Lucia is served by scheduled international and regional airline services. There are 2 airports: International services from North America and Europe operate to and from Hewanorra International Airport in the South of the island. Regional services (for the most part) operate to and from George Charles Airport in Castries in the northwest of the island. These two airports are about 45 minutes to 1 hour apart so if you are making connections between them, please allow for your transfer time. St. Lucia Helicopters offers a charter transfer service between the two airports, significantly cutting transfer times. Airline Information If you're coming from the United States, US Airways offers a nonstop weekend service from Philadelphia and BWIA flies weekly from Miami and New York. American Eagle flies daily to and from Puerto Rico into George Charles Airport. Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and BWIA fly direct between London and St Lucia. Air Canada offers a nonstop weekly service from Toronto, Canada. Air Jamaica offers weekly services to and from New York. Connecting services to at least seven other American destinations are also part of the itinerary. This Carrier also flies to the United Kingdom via its Montego Bay Hub. During the peak season, between mid-November and mid-March, a number of tour companies operate charters from London, Toronto and various Caribbean destinations. Airports There are 2 airports on the island: Hewanorra International Airport at Vieux Fort is located 40 miles south of Castries. George Charles Inter Island Airport is just outside Castries. Flying times from major cities * 31/2 hours from Miami * 4 hours from New York * 5 hours from Toronto * 8 hours from London Airport departure tax Departure Tax of EC $68 (US $26) for all passengers over 12 years is applied to ticket prices at the time of purchase. Airport Transfers Taxis are readily available from the Hewanorra airport to Castries and the north of the island and should cost in the region of (EC $120 up to 4 persons). Public transport is another option, however you must walk your luggage to the main road. The trip to Castries will cost approximately $8.00 EC, but it will take twice as long to get there than by taxi. Inter-island services Offered by LIAT, BWIA, Caribbean Star and Helenair plus a number of small charter operators. LIAT and Helenair operate out of George Charles Airport, whereas BWIA operates out of Hewanorra. By sea Caribbean Express operates a hydrofoil service between St. Lucia and Martinique. Cruise ships arrive daily at Port Castries and Soufriere. If you are arriving by in your own boat or by charter boat there are two main moorings available: Rodney Bay Marina and Castries Yacht Centre. Entry Requirements Visitors must carry valid passports. Visas are not required where the visitor is a citizen of the USA or certain Commonwealth countries, or where there is agreement for exemption between the home country and St. Lucia.