Palm trees and calypso beats on paradise island
10:18, 02 June 2010
updated: 15:37, 23 January 2020
by James Scott
"Is this for real?"
That was my initial reaction to being told I was off to St Lucia to cover the annual jazz festival. Who wouldn't want to go to one of the world's most popular honeymoon destinations?
Although I could hardly describe myself as a massive jazz fan, as it turned out, the festival isn't at all dominated by the genre of music I know so little about. In the past it has been headlined by household names including reggae legends Bob Marley, soul star Luther Vandross, and troubled singer Amy Winehouse. Indeed it was her lengthy stay on the island and her disastrous comeback gig last year that first brought the island's festival to my attention.
From the plane it was clear to see why the British and the French fought over the little island for nearly 200 years, a tug-of-war which earned it the nickname Helen of the West Indies. Unlike its flat neighbour Barbados, the lush volcanic island is beautifully rugged and hilly with two magnificent mountains, the Pitons, jutting out of the turquoise sea. The stunning landmarks, which sit in a World Heritage Site, are so well respected on the island they feature on the label of the most popular rum, Chairman's Reserve, and even lend their name to the local beer, Piton, a nice cold bottle of which greeted me on my arrival.
Each year the St Lucia Jazz Festival is held on the historic Pigeon Island, a peninsula dotted with the ruins of British colonial and Second World War American fortifications. It attracts around 20,000 visitors to the island annually, 800 of whom come from the UK. Stepping through the gates, I was immediately hit by an amazing array of sights, smells and sounds with steel pan drummers in floral shirts playing calypso, the brightly-coloured costumes of a carnival parade and stall-holders cooking up Caribbean rotis and patties. Inside, the natives and tourists alike sit about on the grass enjoying some rum, having picnics and falling asleep in the last of the day's sunshine. The relaxed and intimate atmosphere made it the perfect setting for British songbird Corinne Bailey Rae to play soulful lullabies from her aptly-named new album The Sea. Other highlights included veterans Steel Pulse playing Caribbean reggae with a Brummie accent, and Jamaican r'n'b singer Shaggy closing the show with 90s classics such as Oh Carolina and Mr Boombastic.
If music isn't your thing the island has plenty of other activities to offer. Sports fan may have a chance to watch some international cricket at the Beausjour Stadium which staged matches from the recent Twenty20 World Cup. Although I didn't get to watch England, the eventual winners, it was great to soak up the atmosphere as Pakistan beat South Africa.
In the rainforest you can zip-wire through the trees, which was both fun and petrifying, or for those keener on water sports, the island boasts some fantastic scuba diving sites. Even the snorkeling close to the shore is great and it is possible to see an incredible range of fish and coral just metres from the beach. To the south of the island, there is an active volcano where, if you don't mind the sulphurous rotten egg smell, you can bath in the baking hot springs and cake yourself in skin-cleansing mud.
After all the music and dancing, I found my favourite way to spend time in St Lucia was sat under a palm tree on the beach with a book, whiling the hours away in peaceful bliss. It really was paradise.
Accommodation:
Sandals Grande - very American but it has lovely rooms, a picturesque beach and great service. The company has three resorts on the island.
Jalousie Plantation - in an amazing setting between the two Pitons, chalets overlooking the Caribbean come with butler service, infinity pool and walk in shower.
Food:
The Cliff restaurant at the Cap Maison resort is a must visit with breathtaking views of Pigeon Island and a stunning menu created by Welsh chef Craig Jones. The pan-fried sea bass fillet with lobster tortellini was phenomenal.
