Forget the Hurricane or Rum Runner. A cup of hot cocoa may not be the first drink you hanker for on a Caribbean vacation, but you might change your mind in St. Lucia.

St. Lucians began drinking cocoa tea, a traditional spiced breakfast treat, shortly after the British abolished slavery on Saint Lucia in 1833. The island’s west coast town of Soufriere, near the iconic pair of Piton mountains, was home of a number of small, productive sugar, coffee, and cocoa estates. Tea leaves were hard to come by, but cocoa tea, technically more like a porridge than a tea, was a cheap and accessible snack. It’s been a local delicacy ever since.

Though the drink is not steeped, it falls into the St. Lucian classification of tea as a hot drink. Cocoa pods grow rampant on the island and all-natural cocoa is found at open air markets, plantations, and hotels. The rainy season in the fall is the most popular time to enjoy the hot drink.

To learn more about the drink’s rich history on the island, we spoke with Cornelia Felix, a tour guide at Fond Doux Holiday Plantation, a 250 year-old hotel and working cocoa estate in Soufriere.

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Many of the treatments are based on local knowledge of plants and berries that have been handed down through the generations. Cocoa Scrubs and the Vitamin enriching Guava Wrap sit seamlessly alongside traditional favourites, Swedish and Deep Tissue massage.

“We wanted our Spa menu to be like other traditional food menus, in the sense that we choose what is on offer depending on the season. Why use something bottled when it can be grown, picked and used within the hour.”

So from now on in it may not be from Ground to Plate but Ground to Back.

Links to all segments http://www.thebostonchannel.com/chronicle/26733024/detail.html

Video Teaser

Segment 1 (Allen Chastanet, Marigot Bay, Ladera)
Segment 2 (Sulphur Springs, Anse Chastanet, biking)
Segment 3 (Fond Doux, Diamond Botanical Gardens and Waterfall, mineral baths, Castries, Coal Pot)
Segment 4 (Ladera, Cap Maison, Rodney Bay, Castries Market)

Daily Guide – (VPM: 4,305,725) http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2011/02/07/daily_guide/
Photo slide show – http://www.thebostonchannel.com/slideshow/chronicle/26531137/detail.html

This prestigious position gives the plantation, and by extension St. Lucia, greater visibility on the international market place, and makes it a recognized leader in environmental conservation in the island that businesses in tourism and other sectors can follow.

Green Globe is based upon the Agenda 21 plan which was originally endorsed by 182 heads of state at the Rio Summit of 1992 and provided a set of environmentally sustainable principles for the travel and tourism industry.

“We are pleased to achieve Green Globe certification, and this will certainly help us in continuing the conservation work we have been doing,” Said Eroline Lamontagne of the Fond Doux Holiday Plantation.

Some Green Globe Certification areas the plantation will be implementing are – the re-use, recycling and minimization of waste; energy efficiency, conservation, and management; waste water management; land use and management plans; involvement of staff members, customers and the community in environmental conservation programs; partnerships for sustainable development and corporate social responsibility.

Located amid the lush, tropical foliage in the heart of St Lucia’s World Heritage Site, Fond Doux is one of the oldest working plantations in the Caribbean. It is one of three original estates established in 1742 by three Devaux brothers, who came from Martinique to work a 2000 acre area of Soufriere lands granted to their father, Guillaume Devaux, by King Louis XIV in 1713 in honor of service to crown and country.

The Fond Doux plantation went through periods of inactivity and several changes of ownership. It was in a state of dereliction for 40 years before it was purchased in the late 1970’s by Kirby Lamontagne, the deceased father of Lyton Lamontagne, the present owner.

Lyton and his wife Eroline, who are natives of Soufriere, moved in about 19 years ago and began remodeling and refurbishing the plantation buildings. They also attempted to purge the soil of powerful chemicals used in the cultivation of bananas in the 80’s, by using organic farming methods in the systematic planting of cocoa which is now the main crop, as well as a vast variety of fruits and flowers.

Sustainable tourism activities at Fond Doux are guided by an environmental policy which was drafted when the plantation joined HERITAS, and the policy is also consistent with the Green Globe Certification requirements.

The Lamontagnes are also on a mission of preserving St Lucia’s architectural heritage: they purchase abandoned colonial buildings throughout the island and rebuild and restore them in the gardens of Fond Doux as holiday accommodations.

Prince Charles and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, two of many celebrities who have visited the plantation, gave their nod of approval to the Lamontagnes for the conservation work they have been doing, particularly in the practice of organic farming and the restoration of St Lucia’s colonial buildings.

Story by the Voice

Soufrière, St Lucia

Derek Walcott, the St Lucian poet, vividly described the landscape of his home as “furious with vegetation”. Its mountainous heart is wrapped in the kind of luscious rainforest depicted by painter Henri “Le Douanier” Rousseau; its west-coast beaches are fringed with coconut palms while the cliffs of its wild Atlantic east coast are host to spiky cacti. There is no lovelier island in the Caribbean and no better time to see it than early summer when the vivid orange flamboyant trees are in bloom.

But what makes holidays here memorable is not just the sights but the conversations, most of which come down to politics – “our national soap opera”, as one waiter remarked. On a trek through the forests of the Edmund Reserve, in the heart of the island, with a forester-cum-guide, our talk segued from parasitic strangler figs to local corruption scandals; the forester, it turned out, was a former senator.

Such delights may elude those holidaymakers who don’t stray from their resorts – St Lucia has a reputation for mid-market all-inclusives and is home to some fairly unlovely resorts. But these are not the only blights on the island. Earlier this year, unchecked development in the area near the fabled Pitons, the conical twin lava spikes, prompted Unesco to warn that they may be placed on the World Heritage in Danger list.

Certainly we were surprised by the look of the first hotel we stayed at. Cap Maison, which opened last year, is a 49-suite hotel on a clifftop in the north, within sight of Pigeon Island, St Lucia’s national historic park. Until recently, the island has lacked properly luxurious places to stay and, positioning itself as a “fashionable new boutique”, Cap Maison sounded alluring.

It’s extremely comfortable. The staff are attentive. The refined French-Caribbean cooking is great (is there a better breakfast than its saltfish, bakes and cucumber salad?). And, but for a shortage of shade and sunloungers on the beach and the lack of a swimming pool big enough to swim in, the facilities are fine too.

But the look of the place – a crowded Spanish-style enclave of terracotta tiles, fancy wrought ironwork, bright white render and bougainvillea – seems inappropriate. Christopher Columbus may have claimed St Lucia for Spain when he happened on it in 1502 but the Spanish never settled here. And it’s not as if there’s a shortage of existing cultural influences to find inspiration in: Amerindian, African, French, British and even Indian, thanks to the 6,000 indentured workers shipped here from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in the 1880s.

Jade Mountain hotel

I discovered something of St Lucia’s history in the next hotel I stayed at, Jade Mountain, where I attended its weekly Creole-history lecture and signed up for a walking tour of an abandoned plantation. “They should call this the colonial guilt trip,” whispered my husband, as our guide spoke of the cruelty of St Lucia’s colonisers.

Just north of the Pitons, Jade Mountain consists of 29 expansive “sanctuaries” (no mere rooms here), most with infinity plunge pools. All have breathtaking views and a completely open fourth wall, so the only thing between you and the Pitons is a fragile hip-height fence of high-tensile wire (they make you sign all sorts of indemnity documents at check-in). No phones, televisions or music are allowed lest you disturb other guests – but you are given a Firefly, a tiny mobile-phone-like gadget through which to communicate with your “major domo” (no mere butlers).

On paper, it shouldn’t work. It is hilariously precious (at turndown they write “love” in petals on your bed and leave you a difficult poem by Derek Walcott) and eye-wateringly expensive. From the outside, it is an eyesore and looks like a concrete multi-storey car park. But just as Guy de Maupassant, the 19th-century French writer, ate lunch at the Eiffel Tower whenever he could on the grounds that it was the one place in Paris from which it couldn’t be seen, so Jade Mountain’s guests are spared the sight of the building. It’s mad but it’s heaven, and I long to go back.

Fortunately it is not visible from the Jalousie Plantation, which lies just south on a 192-acre estate. This resort, one of the oldest in St Lucia, is midway through a $100m makeover, which will see it rebranded next year as The Tides Sugar Beach, as well as the creation of 85 new villas.

The new villas, some of which are already open, are gorgeous: clapboard “gingerbread” cottages painted in pale pastels, with wrap-around verandas, louvred sliding shutters, finials shaped like pineapples and attractive understated blanched interiors, all-white upholstery and dark wood floors. In these respects, it is close on perfect, as was the service. Each cluster of villas is attended to by a butler, and ours, Tyson, seemed almost telepathic.

That said, Jalousie is very much a work in progress. The hotel has been kept open during the renovation process in order that its 250-odd staff should not be laid off, for jobs are scarce in the town of Soufrière. So, the new five-star villas, for which rates start at $720 (£475) a night, are several times the price of the unmodernised bungalows. But the swimming pool, beach set-up (old sunloungers and not enough shade) and existing spa speak more of a three-star.

For the moment then, Jalousie is something of a mixed bag. Plans for the forthcoming spa, a cluster of coconut-thatched treatment pavilions set amid rainforest on a private trail, look wonderful. And I liked the new animated Bayside beach bar and restaurant, which features delicious goat and fish. I was less taken with the more formal Great Room in the old plantation house, a gloomy space where they showily decant Wolf Blass, presumably to justify the staggering mark-up on the workaday wine list. I’m hopeful that with the imminent appointment of a food and beverage director things will improve.

The Fond Doux organic plantation

Overall I have high hopes for Jalousie, not least because, for all its artifice, it feels essentially Caribbean. For genuine authenticity, however, it’s worth considering Fond Doux, an organic cocoa plantation. In addition to supplying cocoa beans to Hershey’s and the Chicago company World’s Finest Chocolate, Lyton Lamontagne and his wife, Eroline, collect old colonial wooden houses, some dating back to the early 19th century, which they restore and reconstruct on their 130-acre estate and let as holiday cottages. It’s a charmed and atmospheric place, at one with the island’s heritage, at one with nature and just the sort of model I bet Unesco wishes more developers would adopt.

A mountainous spine, uninhabited but accessible, wends through the centre of the island from north to south. The Ministry of Forestry oversees several maintained trails along the way. Hikers can drive to the appointed access points and follow well-marked trails which offer up options for moderate to challenging hikes. Within minutes of leaving the main road, civilisation recedes and there are only the calls of the dynamic bird life, and the rustle of the wind through the trees. Alternatively, the island’s rugged east coast lends itself to relatively easy exploring, particularly along the northern most part. Dry and scrubby, and lashed by animated Atlantic waves. Coastal walks offer an inspiring, breezy option to the rain forest hike.

Mt Gimie is a challenging but rewarding climb. At just over 3100 feet the multi-peaked landmark is the island’s highest point and often blanketed by clouds. Its mystical appearance also means it is enshrouded by lore and history. The climb is not for the faint of heart; it requires good fitness and a healthy respect for the hazards. At the summit, the climber is afforded spectacular island wide views.

The spectre of the twin volcanic peaks that emerges dramatically from the ocean provokes excitement in the serious climber. Though Gros Piton is the higher of the two peaks, it is the easier climb. The approach before the final summit is a gradual incline with a well-marked path and lots to hold on to for support. The climber is presented with incrementally impressive views to motivate. The last half hour of the climb is the most challenging; there is a lot of scrambling and grabbing on of vegetation. With Petit Piton the persistent and hardy are rewarded, but this is no climb for the novice. Much of it is rock face and there are occasions where some experience climbing with ropes is needed.

Some of the island’s larger resort properties offer opportunities for relatively low impact hiking in beautiful environs, and yet others offer organised excursions out and about from the properties into the vicinity. Fond Doux Holiday Plantation in Soufriere for example, offers a short hiking trail along the Rabot Ridge, the site of a tremendous defeat for the British at the hands of the French and the Brigands. Balenbouche Estate has a relaxing plantation walk along the canal which once fed the plantation’s water wheel.

For all but the more challenging mountain climbs, a pair of good athletic shoes will suffice. Most local guides manage amazingly either barefoot or with the scant support of the all-terrain ‘jelly’ shoe. The forest hikes are accompanied by the nuisance of mosquitoes who love the damp of the rain forest, so light-weight but long sleeved shirts and full length pants are recommended and a liberal dose of your preferred repellent. Carry water because dehydration happens quickly and some energy boosting snacks for the trip. Of course the more demanding Mt Gimie hike will call for a bit more careful planning and more supplies.

Always secure the expertise of a local guide before starting out on any excursion. Contact the Ministry of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture at (758) 450 2231 or The St Lucia National Trust at (758) 452 5005 to arrange for guides.

We are seeking to restore and conserve our natural resources through various eco-conscious practices. We have begun the systematic replanting of trees and we are soliciting your much needed assistance in aiding the recovery of our planet’s resources by ensuring that water and electricity are turned off when not in use. It would be greatly appreciated if you participated in the recovery process of our planet by playing your part, as a little goes a long way in bringing our planet back to its legendary standard.

Fonddoux Holiday Plantation is a 250 year old working cocoa plantation and we have outlined some of our eco-policies which enable us to maintain an environmentally friendly establishment with the emphasis on the following.

• The soil on the plantation is certified by the BCG in England as 100% organic. Our cocoa is still harvested and grown in the traditional way, from the cutting, to the drying and fermentation to the cocoa dancing process and roasting. We do not use any chemicals on the plantation. Our cottages are constructed in wood and are set among the trees without destroying the existing vegetation.
• We maintain and preserve threatened wooden buildings which are down for demolition.
• We have donated a piece of land to the community to serve as a community playing field.
• We protect an archaeological site on the plantation.
• We use energy saving bulbs in order to achieve minimum wastage of non renewable resources.
• We are a member of HERITAS. HERITAS is a tourism association and the members are committed to maintain and continuously improving our natural resources, environment, culture and archeological and historical sites, on which we depend . They are committed to the health, safety and security of visitors and the prevention of pollution and protection of the environment.
• We use solar water heaters in our cottages. Our cottages are constructed in wood and are set among the trees. We have a program in place where we have planted an additional 1000 cocoa trees and additional fruit trees to replace those that have aged and died.
• All the crops which are cultivated on the plantation are used in the food preparation at pour restaurants. We buy local enabling our local communities to benefit from tourism.
• To this end we maintain an environmental management system.
• We work with and participate actively in our community of Soufriere and Chateau Belair, where we now employ persons from this rural community.
• We educate our tour guides and employees in their responsibility of protecting the environment by emphasizing on the use of water, electricity and energy.
• We attend conferences held on a regular basis with all associations based on fostering responsible tourism which includes numerous precautionary measures towards the ecosystems.

Regards,
Eroline & Lyton Lamontagne
LOOK OUT FOR OUR ECO GREEN SPECIALS!

On average, the 14th season of ‘The Bachelor’ generated the biggest overall audience for the franchise since fall 2003, with approximately 15 million viewers. ‘After The Final Rose’ was not far behind with approximately 14.3 million viewers.

Saint Lucia has undoubtedly received tremendous exposure during this crucial time. The Director of Tourism (Saint Lucia) reported that average daily visits to www.stlucianow.com and destination e-books have more than doubled since the February 15 episode which initially featured Saint Lucia. Nearly 40,000 visits or total sessions were registered, while the request for e-books increased from 175 to more than 400.  The 15 second ads which ran during the final episode contributed significantly to the increases. The Director predicts that the increase in airline seats to Saint Lucia from North America will have a positive impact on the market.

The famed Jade Mountain became a sanctuary for the lovers with its picturesque backdrop of the majestic Pitons. However, just minutes away from the Sulphur Springs, where Jake romanced Vienna in the therapeutic waters lay a clandestine gem, Fond Doux Holiday Plantation.

Whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway, family retreat or simply an escape from it all, Fond Doux is perfectly suited for your every desire. An authentic Saint Lucian experience, the holiday haven plays host to an assortment of uniquely crafted cottages which were recently featured in ‘Tropical Homes of the Eastern Caribbean’ by Derek Galon and Margaret Gajek as well as two onsite restaurants and a collage of outdoor swimming pools.

Follow The Bachelor and let the ‘Wings of Love’ take you to Saint Lucia…. ‘There is no better place to fall in love”

The French Revolution which reverberated throughout the French territories worldwide had brought an end to the institution of slavery, returning freedom to the thousands of Blacks who then populated the island of St Lucia. The British, who had been engaged in an ongoing struggle to wrest control of the strategically and economically important colony back from the French, attempted to intervene. A British victory would have condemned this newly liberated population to slavery. Much was at stake.

The battle deciding this fate was centred in the French stronghold and seat of power, Soufriere, and Fond Doux and Rabot Estates, prosperous sugar and cocoa producing plantations became the stage for the conflict. Fond Doux ridge, a strategic barrier and look out point over the basin of Soufriere, played an important role in determining the outcome of the battle.The revolutionary forces, known as Laree Françoise dams le Bois, used the strategic vantage of the ridge to ambush and beat back the advancing forces led by Brigadier General Stewart. Legend purports that Rabot Lake, a marshy, bushy death-trap played an integral part in thwarting the attempts of the British. Mired in the sludge and seemingly attacked by the vegetation, the British stood little chance.

After the musket fire died down, victory was declared and the tricolour once more flew over the town of Soufriere. The town subsequently became the seat of the revolutionary tribunals and a guillotine was set up in the town square where the trials and executions of the Royalists took place. The cells which held the defeated British soldiers are still intact and along with a hike along the famous Fond Doux ridge form part of the historical odyssey through Fond Doux Estate today.