St. Lucia

St Lucia Honeymoon Review to Sandals and Ladera Resorts

How did the trip turn out in general?   Our St Lucia Honeymoon trip with Unforgettable Honeymoons was absolutely amazing. The people of st. Lucia are so friendly and welcoming. We are so happy we got to experience two different resorts because they both brought very different experiences! Everything down to housekeeping was superb.

What did you like best about the resorts you stayed at?

Ladera –The view, romantic feel of the suite, and staff!

Sandals –All inclusive, the view, the relaxing vibe

Highlights? ( please tell us about any excursions/day trips?)

We did 3 different excursions during our trip.

The first one was pretty much an all-day excursion and we went on a boat, got some awesome pictures in front of the piton, got lunch at a restaurant in downtown Soufriere with authentic Creole food, and had rum punch for the first time (yum), snorkeled at sugar beach, and went to the waterfall and sulfur spring.

We loved the horseback riding where we rode our horses through parts of town to get to a beach and got to experience the horses riding in the water!

Our last excursion was zip-lining which was so awesome.

Thank you Unforgettable Honeymoons for an amazing St Lucia Honeymoon!

Our experience was phenomenal! We had a great time experiencing both the mountains with Ladera and the beach with the Sandals Resort. Both were fabulous!

We enjoyed that Ladera was seclusive, and it really gave us time to relax and take in our surroundings after the busyness surrounding the wedding. The mountains were astonishing, and it was fantastic to wake up to a view like that. Sandals was wonderful, because we were around other honeymooners who became friends. It was also nice to have the all-inclusive experience!

St. Lucia was beautiful. On our first night at Ladera, a singer at dinner sang that it was considered the Helen of the West Indies, and we couldn’t agree more. It was breathtaking everywhere you looked, and this honeymoon package gave us the best of both worlds between the mountain and the beach.

The highlight of the honeymoon was by far the Joe Knows tour at Sandals. It allowed us to see a majority of the island, and coming from Ladera, we were already familiar with some of the tour, so it was nice to have a history and background to places we had been.

Anything that you wish you knew beforehand that you could pass on to us for future clients?
It would be nice to have a brief warning about the differences in driving between St. Lucia and the United States (no stop signs, lots of honking, hairpin turns on the sides of mountains, driving on the opposite side of the road from the US), just as a quick preface to what is experienced going to and from the resorts. Otherwise, we were well prepared!
Thank you for making our honeymoon so special! We couldn’t have asked for a better experience!
The service was exactly what we expected and wanted. It was exceptional, and we appreciated that so much of it was taken care of for us.

Your service was more than we expected. It was so nice not to have to lift a finger to book our honeymoon. Kelley really listened to what we wanted and found us the perfect trip. She was great about getting back to us promptly and answering all of our questions.

Ladera Resort & Sandals La Toc review

the honeymoon: It was incredible. The views of the Pitons and surrounding areas near Ladera every day were unmatched. The numerous amount of excursions, the food, and the most accommodating culture of people made St Lucia a great experience.

We loved…
The Views, the people, and the excursions. Also, the food was very good, and had options for even the pickiest of eaters!

In St. Lucia every person we met from the townspeople to the taxi drivers, to the resort workers: They were some of the nicest and welcoming people we have ever been around. For example, our first taxi driver from the airport to Ladera’s name was Edmond. He gave us the rundown on every possible thing to do, place to eat, culture question, all with a massive smile on his face. He made a quick pit stop at his aunt’s house and gave us some fresh fruits. He then paid a visit to our resort twice to drop of more fruit and St. Lucian delicacies at the front desk. This was a perfect example of the people here.

The only complaint I have for the entire trip was that Ladera was a tiny bit hot (but was expected due to the open room concept. Still soooo worth it.) Also, the scuba diving is only included in the all-inclusive package at Sandals IF you are certified.

Highlight of the honeymoon was – The hike of the gros pitons as well as the view and taste of breakfast from Dashene at Ladera. The food in general was very good nearly everywhere we went.
Anything that you wish you knew beforehand that you could pass on to us for future clients?

Get scuba certified before going to Sandals! Just know that Ladera can be a little hot. Keep your lights off at Ladera at night, and you won’t have any bug problems. You absolutely must eat desert at the Boucan at Hotel Chocolate! It was incredible. Hiking to the mud baths from Ladera is pretty intense (only do so if you love a challenge). Don’t just stay at the resort at Sandals if you want the real experience of St Lucia, BOOK EXCURSIONS. You won’t regret it.

St. Lucia is a beautiful place perfect for adventurous couples. The weather is very cool in that it changes from mini rainstorms to sunshine many times throughout each day.

“The Honeymoon was amazing. Memories and scenic views we will never forget.”

Ladera: “We loved the extremely romantic setting, amazing views, and the great service. The people were very friendly and though it was a quiet setting it was very easy to find things to do (Climb the Piton, Zipline). Coming from someone who travels a lot, I find it hard to find a more beautiful place.”

Sandals: “Sandals helped us get the best of both worlds. We went from a romantic setting to a more vibrant atmosphere with a lot more going on. Sandals made our Honeymoon more active and involved. One thing we liked most was a romantic candlelight dinner for two out on their pier where we had our own personal waiter. A perfect ending to a perfect honeymoon.”

“St. Lucia is a magnificent island. The people are friendly and the pitons are absolutely beautiful.”

“The highlight of our honeymoon was waking up at Ladera to the beautiful view of the pitons in our open suite. Then walking down to breakfast together to continue to enjoy that same wonderful view. Absolutely breathtaking.”

“If you are an experienced snorkeler, make sure you do it on the Ladera side of the island.”

“Unforgettable Honeymoons service was great and exceeded my expectations.”

St Lucia Honeymoon was absolutely amazing- Exceeded our expectations 

In general, the honeymoon was absolutely amazing! It exceeded our expectations and we had the time of our lives. Right when we got to Saint Lucia, everyone was friendly and helped us out in any way possible.

Since we went during COVID, we had to participate in a health screening. This was very organized but did take quite a while due to the fact that there were many people entering the country. Thanks to our travel agent, we made sure we had all of our documents ready to go. She sent several emails reminding us what to bring in order to enter Saint Lucia. She also sent a detailed list of things we might need for our trip. After we left customs, there were people waiting to take us to our first resort, Ladera. We took a private taxi and our taxi driver was extremely friendly. He gave us the history of Saint Lucia and pointed out landmarks that were beautiful.

Ladera was about 45 minutes from the airport. Once we arrived, we were immediately treated with the utmost respect. They greeted us with a cold towel soaked in peppermint and a yummy drink. A staff member escorted us to our room and we were absolutely blown away. The open concept of Ladera is out of this world.  Ladera is the perfect St Lucia Honeymoon,  the view from our balcony was breathtaking and we could stare out at the Pitons for hours on end. We had our own dining area, lounge chairs, and pool on the bottom floor of our room.

When you walked upstairs we had a bed and bathroom with a rain shower. The carvings on the wood panels were amazing. It felt like we were the only ones on the island in our room. The service was impeccable and everyone was always willing to help. Everything that was needed was done very quickly.

Our next stop was Sandal’s La Toc, which was on the other side of the island.  The staff was amazing and asked us for drink orders right when we got there. Our room was an Oceanview room and it has this name for a reason! We had a beautiful view of the ocean. Every morning we would open our balcony doors to get the ocean breeze. It was such a sight!

There are several excursions and things to do at Sandals, but the beach was so beautiful we stayed there all day long. The ocean is crystal clear and you can float in the water because it is so calm. Staff members come around to take any orders that you need throughout the day. The HUGE pool has a swim up bar which has quick service. All of the restaurants we ate at had AMAZING food.

What did you like best about the resorts you stayed at?

Ladera resort St Lucia  – The views were magical. It was definitely the highlight of our trip. Waking up the greenery and sites of the Pitons felt like a dream. The rooms in Ladera are extremely unique and there is no other resort like this one. It was so peaceful and we were able to enjoy nature in a way that we have never done before. One morning it poured at 5:00 am and the sound of the rain was zen like. By the time the sun came up there was a beautiful rainbow crossing through the Pitons. It is a site we will never forget. Probably the most romantic thing we have seen, along with the sunsets!

Sandals La Toc- We really enjoyed spending our time at the beach and pool. The weather was perfect. Waking up to the view of our room made it easy to get up early. We were able to get great lounge chairs spots every morning. It was very relaxing and we soaked up the sun all day! Since we bought a raft, we floated in the ocean for hours. It was so peaceful we almost fell asleep! On the contrary, if we needed a little pick me up, we went to the pool where they had music playing and some entertainment! The swim up bar was very convenient when we wanted a drink and we could sing along to our favorite songs and watch people play games. It was the best of both worlds.

Could we have done more to make your trip smoother?

NOTHING 🙂 We will definitely be using you again!

At Ladera we enjoyed the personal service and the ease of going on additional tours and activities. It was really hard to beat the location overlooking the Pitons with the open 4th wall. We also liked that there was a bit more of a local flair at Ladera with the Dasheene restaurant and the local guides available on the tours. At Sandals it was nice to be right on the beach and have meals, drinks, and activities already paid for. There was a great variety of things to do at both resorts.

Ladera Resort/ Sandals Grand St Lucia

The honeymoon was amazing! St. Lucia is the most beautiful island I can imagine and to see it in person was priceless. Our first few days were serene and breathtaking at Ladera, directly located between the two Pitons. Our last few days were tons of fun at Sandals on the opposite side of the island. Between pool parties, water/beach activities, and fancy dinners, it was very fulfilling!

The thing we liked best about Ladera was the view! Waking up to such a gorgeous sight every day was like living in a dream. The whole property has an open concept so whether you were in your suite, by the pool, or at dinner you always had an open view of the best sight in St. Lucia!

The thing we liked best about Sandals Grand were the people! Every Sandals employee we spoke with was so kind, welcoming and helpful! It is customer service like that which really makes or breaks a hotel and Sandals Grand has a staff full of valuable employees! My husband and I shared so many smiles and laugh while chatting it up with the bartenders and they truly made us feel as if we were old friends!

Overall, St. Lucia won our hearts with its spectacular scenery, kind-hearted people and delightful cuisine! There are many exciting things to do such as: take a tour of the beautiful botanical gardens, visit the volcano, enjoy a mud bath, or even just relax by one of their many clear blue water beaches. Whether you want to explore or relax, St. Lucia simply has whatever you are looking for.

The highlight of the honeymoon?
Waking up every morning to the view at the Ladera Resort. Coming from Texas, you just don’t see those views often and to be in the perfect placement at Ladera to see both Pitons on either side of my gaze was in one word magical.To me it was like living in a postcard.

Overall it was the best honeymoon we could have imagined. Everything met/exceeded our expectations and we would highly recommend traveling to St. Lucia/working with Unforgettable Honeymoons to anyone!

Ladera was magical with it’s open air rooms, we truly felt part of the island, especially during the breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.
The staff at Ladera was extremely welcoming and accommodating – The best part of Sandals La Toc was the food, hands down! Each restaurant at the resort was amazing.

Sandals and Ladera
I can’t begin to say how happy I am that I chose this company to book my honeymoon with. So many people told me that there’s no point in using a travel company, but with everything that went into planning the wedding, it was so nice to just fill out a questionnaire, give a budget, and let someone else figure out where we should go. Maryann was dead on the money when she suggested St. Lucia for us – splitting our stay between Sandals La Toc, where we could relax on the beach with an all-inclusive plan, and Ladera, where we could get a luxury experience and have lots of adventures, was the absolute perfect combination for our styles. We hit a slight snag getting there due to a mechanical issue on American Airlines, and I did have trouble getting though to Gogo’s 24/7 answering service, but the minute Maryann was in the office, she was on the phone with both hotels and the airline, and had the whole trip shifted and re-booked within a few hours. Coming off of the days leading up to the wedding with so much excitement and so little sleep, then coupled with airline trouble, the last thing I would have wanted to do was spend the day on the phone frantically trying to re-book myself. We were upgraded at both hotels, and greeted by a handwritten welcome note from Maryann at Ladera, which was such a nice, personal touch. True to their name, our honeymoon really was unforgettable, this company was wonderful, and Maryann is a superstar!