Palm trees and calypso beats on paradise island
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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.
www.sandals.com
Jalousie Plantation - in an amazing
setting between the two Pitons, chalets overlooking the Caribbean
come with butler service, infinity pool and walk in shower.
www.thejalousieplantation.com
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.
www.capmaison.com
Wednesday, June 02 2010
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