Despite going to the Caribbean several times, I missed several islands. As a person that hates to leave things unfinished, I knew I’d have to return to some of those islands I missed. St Lucia had been on my list of places to go for years, but I never had the opportunity- that is, until last spring. One of my dear friends planned a self care getaway, and the location she chose was The Body Holiday in St Lucia. As a self care proponent, I happily booked my own room and made my plans to journey with her.

The Body Holiday is a luxurious, all inclusive hotel and spa. The biggest perk of going here is probably the location: the island was sunny and beautiful almost each day while I was there. Aside from the location, there were many fantastic reasons to stay there. With every booked stay, The Body Holiday offers daily spa treatments, such as massages, facials, and the like.* You can choose one treatment per day or, if you want to splurge, you can add on as many treatments as your schedule will allow. In addition to the treatments, there are numerous fitness classes, all taught by excellent instructors.

*The spa is located on a path that cannot be accessed if you are wheelchair bound or if you use mobility aids. So if you cannot maneuver easily, then you may need to see if you can have the masseuse or estheticians come to your room to complete your treatments. I’m not sure if this is available, but it’s certainly worth asking about.

Here are some pictures of my room:

Now, you may be more like me: you want self care but sweating it out in an aerobic class isn’t it. Fortunately, The Body Holiday is a great option if you want to lounge and luxuriate only: the resort has a pristine private beach where you can relax and forget all of your troubles. Now, here’s where I bring up the first (of only two) drawback: sand fleas nearly ate me alive. Of course, I laid on the beach like the sun bum I am. However, I’ve never been bitten by mites before (most of the beaches I’ve enjoyed were more temperate climates: these insects live in more tropical locales), so I didn’t realize how much bug repellant was necessary. Also, I saw plenty of birds, lizards and frogs: you’d think the insect population would be kept in check. But I guess the critters are no match for the bugs. The mosquitoes had a field day with me as well, but those were somewhat expected and the effect of those bites were much briefer. It took a couple of weeks for the itching to subside and a while longer for the discoloration to fade. This isn’t the resort’s fault: I should have done more research on which insects are the most prevalent and how to counteract them (pro traveler tip: definitely research local pests before traveling!)

Now onto one of the most fun parts of the trip: the food! Delicious, freshly prepared food was available every day. While I couldn’t eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted (I always seemed to want a smoothie about 10 minutes after the smoothie stand closed), there were always some incredible dining options daily. I loved that the resort focuses on healthy food, but if you want to indulge with something more, well, indulgent, that was also available. I had some incredible desserts, exquisite entrees, and tasty, nourishing snacks. I ate well and felt amazing. There are time limits on when you can enjoy the resort’s cuisine: most of the options were closed before midnight. The nighttime cutoff only applied to food: the bars stayed open later. Since the resort was all inclusive, there were many wines, whiskeys and cocktails available to guests. I got to enjoy many Old Fashioneds, as well as some good wine, and a few of the resort’s special frozen fruit cocktails.

There was live music and entertainment every night, though it pretty much all wrapped up around 1 AM. I spent quite a few hours at the piano bar, flipping through sheet music books and chatting up the people around me. If you wanted to enjoy more of the island, the resort was a brief distance from some of the major social areas, including an area known for fantastic street parties. Also, there was a nearby rainforest where visitors can zipline or do whatever else people do in rainforests (clearly, I didn’t go).

I saw the rainforest, as well as some of the neighborhoods, on my way to and from the resort. My ride to and from The Body Holiday is my second (sort of) drawback to mention: the resort is nowhere near the airport. It’s roughly one hour between these two points, assuming that there are no traffic delays. You can arrange your transportation before you arrive, which is what I did. Also, it’s possible to get a cab once you land, but I’d caution against that. I can’t think of anything more dreadful than assuming you can just grab a taxi and finding out that every one of them is occupied and that you’ll have to wait more than 30 minutes for a ride. It’s unlikely, but certainly not impossible.

Although the resort is all inclusive, this does not include a gratuity, so remeber to budget for that. Otherwise, everything was indeed included, and the only thing better than the value you get for this trip is the service. Everyone was friendly, accommodating and professional. I truly enjoyed interacting with the staff and getting to know some of them better. The concierge’s desk is open 24 hours, so it’s easy to resolve whatever issues may come up. Each room is equipped with wi-fi, and the turn down service is such a treat!

My Body Holiday experience was dreamy: I can’t wait to return!