Honeymoon Venue: Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort - St Lucia
When considering an overseas honeymoon (or even a destination wedding), the venue selection can be rather harrowing with an entire world to consider. As part of our #honeymoonhumpday series, we're going to be bringing you a variety of venue profiles, honeymoon styles and tips every Wednesday to help you narrow your options down to somewhere truly amazing.
Today's venue is Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort in St Lucia, the gateway to the Caribbean Sea.
While each of the resort's rooms, villas, bungalows and residences afford spectacular views of the Pitons or the Caribbean Sea, our favourite has to be the Luxury Cottages - quaint little tastes of idyllic New England and Southern American Plantation style homes, yet front and centre on one of the world's most beautiful beaches.
For those seeking seclusion and tranquility, the luxury cottages are the perfect escape. Nestled amidst lush vegetation and fruit trees, the cottages offer enclaves of privacy as well as spectacular views of the Pitons or the Anse des Pitons below. Speaking to the resort's plantation history, the high-beamed ceilings and romatntic viole-draped four poster bed welcomes you to the bedroom whike a private terrace and plunge pool are an added bonus, allowing you to enjoy a private dip, away from the prying eyes of tourists.
With over 100 acres of tropical rainforest and welcoming white sand beach on its doorstep, Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort offers a host of St Lucia activities to satisfy adventure-seekers and sun-soaking visitors alike. For those who seek out action, there’s no end to activities in St Lucia at Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort: the sports and fitness facilities are among the best in the Caribbean, and the resort’s activities coordinators make the most of the mountain surroundings.
You certainly won't be at a loss for things to do with a whole host of activities at your feet: Play a round of tennis, pool or beach volleyball, take one of the scheduled fitness classes. Learn to dive at the PADI Dive Centre or take to the water with a myriad of water sports such as windsurfing, sailing, kayaking, pedalos, snorkelling, paddle boarding or jet skiing.
For the more adventurous, the resort also offers ATVs, ziplining and guided tours such as a 2 hour kayak trip to Coral Garden Reef, where sargassum trigger fish can be spotted in the deeper area or take a signature tour to learn how coconut is processed into copra, cocoa into cocoa sticks or how sugar cane juice is extracted from an 18th century sugar mill. Go back in time and visit the 18th century Morne Coubaril Estate to discover how the island's first settlers lived and learn the history of the village of Choiseul.
Hike the Gros Piton and afterwards, enjoy a local meal with Chef Esnard's specialty BBQ and ice cold drinks or shadow Chef Daniel Hurtado for the day as he visits the farms to choose his organic produce and make your own selection of herbs, vegetables and crispy greens before heading to the fish market and returning to the resort for a side-by-side cooking lesson.
Visit the drive-in volcano, Soufriere where an official guide will give you a brief history and then spend some time exploring on your own before setting off to the Botanical Gardens and Diamond waterfall and the spectacular rainforest waterfall at Toraille where swimming can be enjoyed. Finally you are taken to a restaurant with a fantastic view of the pitons and the town where refreshments are served.
At the end of the day, treat your love to a romantic sunset cruise where you'll sip champagne and nibble canapes as the sun slips down into the sparkling waters of the Caribbean.
Back at the resort, prepare your senses to be tantalised with a whole host of dining options. A specialty rum bar calls to the menfolk with its professional "rummelier" to aid in the selection of the expertly chosen native and international rums as well as offering a range of decadent dishes to perfectly accompany your chosen libation. Enjoy a fresh-caught sashimi or sushi platter, try the slider trio featuring fish, chicken and beef topped with caramelized onions and organic arugula, or feast on freshly grilled chicken, beef or vegetarian satay served with traditional satay sauce and bok choy kimchi.
Every Thursday night, guests can enjoy Black & White Party night with free rum punch, wine and beer in addition to sweet temptations such as chocolate truffles and handmade candies.
Take your cocktails and snacks on the beach with the resort's Beach Concierge team who cater to the needs of guests while they soak up the sun poolside or on the white sands of this Caribbean beach resort. Cooling cocktails, wholesome fruit punch, and a full bar service are available to provide the perfect accompaniment to the well devised beach menu selections. Choices include fresh pizza from the wood-fired oven, tempting wraps, and New York style burgers. Guests are invited to simply raise the red flag next to their beach or pool lounge and a member of the beach team will be there to provide personalized service.
If beachside isn't fancy enough, you can even choose a location and the resort will cater to your every whim - guests choose the time and place, and ther chef will devise a personalised menu to suit their occasion, tastes and location. Whether it is an intimate dinner in barefoot elegance on a private stretch of Sugar Beach, a celebration dinner on the Sunset Deck, a romantic Champagne soiree on the pier surrounded by the crystal waters of the Caribbean, or a simple meal under the stars on the terrace of your private villa, the culinary team can turn the most challenging request into an opportunity to shine.
For the most discerning diners, the Great Room evokes Old World colonial charm while serving up Caribbean-influenced delicacies in candlelit, air-conditioned surroundings. Beautifully presented personalised tasting menus are also available nightly and reflect the cultural influences of Sugar Beach’s expert culinary team.
When you're looking to slow it down, head to the resort's spa to wile away the wedding day stresses.