Travel
Tips
Arrival and Entry Formalities:
Valid passports are required for
all visitors, except US and Canadian citizens who possess valid
return tickets and I.D. and stay for less than six months. Visas
are not required for citizens of the US or Commonwealth countries,
or where there is agreement for exemption between the home country
and St. Lucia.
Camping:
While on the island, camping can be
arranged through the St. Lucia Naturalist Society, the St. Lucia
National Trust, and The Forestry Division. The Anse La Liberte
camp site is currently under construction.
Churches:
Almost 80% of St. Lucians are Roman
Catholic. Other denominations include Anglican, Methodist,
Baptist, Seventh Day Adventists, Church of the Nazarene, and
Christian Science. Times of services at individual churches vary,
and it is best to check at the hotel reception.
Climate & Clothes
St. Lucia's temperature ranges from
65-85 degrees (Fahrenheit) from December to May and 75-95 degrees
from June to November. The winter is relatively more dry as well.
Visitors should bring cool, comfortable clothing. While jacket and
tie are rarely requisite, overly casual beachwear is rarely
appreciated off the beach.
Credit Cards:
Major international credit cards
are widely accepted at all large shopping centers, restaurants,
hotels, etc.
Crime:
Crime is not prevalent. However,
common sense should prevail when traveling abroad not to make
large displays of wealth (by wearing expensive jewelry, producing
large wads of cash, etc.). Crimes of any sort should be reported
to the hotel, the Tourist Board, and/or the Police.
Customs Regulations:
The duty-free allowance into St.
Lucia is 200 cigarettes (or 250 grams of tobacco or 50 cigars) and
one liter of spirits or wine.
Currency:
The currency of St. Lucia is the
Eastern Caribbean Dollar. US Dollars are readily accepted
throughout the island. Most hotels will exchange reasonable
amounts of foreign currency, and there are change bureaus in
Castries. The National Commercial Bank (NCB) has a branch at
Hewanorra International Airport where EC Dollars can be exchanged
for foreign currency. It is open daily from 12:30pm until the last
flight departs. A passport and ticket are required as proof of
returning visitor status.
Departure Tax:
There is a Departure Tax of EC$35
for all passengers leaving the island.
Electricity:
Electric current is 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. Adapters are
generally available at the hotels.
Embassies & Consulates:
British High Commission
24 Micoud St., Castries
Tel: (758) 452-2484
Embassy of the Republic of
China
Cap Estate, Gros Islet
Tel: (758) 450-0643
Embassy of France
Vigie, Castries
Tel: (758) 452-2462
Italian Consulate
Reduit, P.O. Box GM848
Tel: (758) 452-0865
Organization of American
States
Vigie, Castries
Tel: (758) 452-4330
Venezuelan Embassy
Casa Vigie, Castries
Tel: (758) 452-4033
Caribbean
Weddings, Honeymoons, Anniversaries. Romance.
St. Lucia is the perfect destination for Caribbean weddings and
honeymoons. The natural beauty of beautiful Caribbean tropical
island seems to have been created for romantics. Palm fringed
beaches, elegant old plantation houses, the soft tropical air,
hypnotic steel band music, the tantalizing aroma of the cuisine
combined all make weddings, honeymoons and anniversaries popular
on St. Lucia. Wonderful climate, astounding beauty and friendly
islanders makes St. Lucia simply perfect for your special
wedding day.
St. Lucia offers you the freedom of doing your wedding the way
you want.
Marriage:
It's easy to get married in St Lucia. All you
need to bring is the following documentation:
- Passport
- Birth Certificate
- Decree Absolute (if one of the parties
is divorced)
- In the case of a widow/widower a Death
Certificate of first spouse is required
- If a name has been changed, a Deed Poll
is required
- If one of the parties is under the age
of 18, evidence of a consent of parents is
required in the form of a sworn affidavit
stamped by a Notary Public
- If any required documents are not in
English, an authenticated translation must
be available
 .
The license fees are as follows:
- $335 if clients are staying on island
for 3 days or more
- $540 for a SPECIAL LICENSE if the
clients will be on island for less than 24
hours.
Application to be married in St. Lucia must be
made by a local solicitor to the Attorney
General or notary who prepares and signs the
license.
Fees
|
Special Marriage License |
EC$540.00 |
|
Notorial Fees & Marriage License |
EC$335.00 |
|
Registrar Fees |
EC$100.00 |
|
Marriage Certificate |
EC$8.00 |
All of these details are taken care of by your
hotel from whom a variety of Wedding packages
are available. However you may wish to speak to
your Reps or Tour Operator about getting married
in St. Lucia.
The hotels can also usually arrange any other
requirements ? bridal bouquet, button holes and
other floral arrangements, photos, video, steel
band music, wedding cake etc. Prices vary.
Catholic
Church Weddings
In the case of Catholic Church weddings, your
local parish priest would need to liaise with a
priest on island to ensure that you have
undertaken the necessary counseling period prior
to the marriage and that you have met all the
necessary criteria to enable you to be married
in a Catholic Church.
|
|
Health:
- Immunization is not required
unless coming from an infected area within six days of
arrival.
- Drinking water is safe from the
tap and bottled mineral/distilled water is also available.
- All hotels have doctors, either
resident or available on call. A resident doctor's visit costs
approximately EC$40-50. A "call out" visit may cost
more.
- There are several pharmacies in
Castries, one on the Gros Islet Highway and one in Gablewoods
Shopping Mall. Most hotels have "over the counter"
medication, such as Aspirin, and first aid facilities.
Hospitals:
There are four medical facilities:
- Victoria Hospital - Tel:
453-7059
- St. Jude's Vieux Fort -
Tel: 454-6041
- Soufriere - Tel:
459-7258/5001
- Dennery - Tel: 453-3310
Language:
St. Lucia's principal language is
English, but a French-based patois is widely spoken.
Local Time
Greenwich Mean Time minus four
hours; Eastern Standard Time plus one hour.
Lost Property:
Lost property should be report to
the hotel, who will inform the nearest police station. The Tourist
Board is also available to assist in such matters.
Media:
- The main newspaper is "The
Voice," which is issued three times a week. There are
five weekly papers: "The Star," "The
Crusader," "The Vanguard," "The
Mirror," and "One Caribbean."
- There are two St. Lucian
television stations: HTS and DBS. Both broadcast nightly news
and current affairs. There are also several American channels
available.
- There are two radio stations,
Radio St. Lucia and Radio Caribbean International, both
providing music, local news and current affairs.
Post Office:
There are Post Offices in most
towns. Hours are 8:30am-4:30pm, Monday to Friday.
Telephones
International direct dial service
is widely available throughout the island. Credit card calls can
be made through local operators or through AT&T, and phone
cards can be purchased through Cable & Wireless offices
throughout the islands.
Tipping
A tip is not automatically
added and is usually about 10% to 12% of the bill unless you are
staying at an all-inclusive. Tips are
generally accepted by bellhops in hotels, taxi drivers and other
persons providing service.
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