Balance May 2018 - 51
C A R I B B E A N C R AV I N G
Jade Moutain was the first
resort in the Caribbean to
win LEED (Leadership in
Energy and Environmental
Design) Gold certification
JADE MOUNTAIN
Having fallen in love with the island's
thumping heart in the north, it was time
to travel south-west to fall in love with its
soul. Home to the Pitons, Soufriere is less
populated and more difficult to access, but
with that comes tranquility and wild beauty.
Designed by world-famous architect Nick
Troubetzkoy, Jade Mountain is as magical
and otherworldly as a Star Wars creation -
and costing from $1200 per night,
it's a once-in-a-lifetime
destination.
Jade Mountain
certainly caters to
romance, be it with
your companion or
reinvigorating your
romantic relationship
with Mother Earth.
The hotel has been
designed around its vista,
the Pitons, and without
a fourth wall, every room
(referred to as a 'sanctuary') is open
to the elements and frequent avian visitors.
All 29 sanctuaries are green certified, with
24 boasting private infinity pools, ideal for
skinny dipping, as the open-plan structure
has been designed to guarantee discretion.
A private butler (or Major Domo) caters to
your every whim, and is contactable 24/7 via
your personal mobile phone. For example,
our particular requests included playing
cards (the only source of arguments during
the trip), antihistamines and aloe vera gel
for an excess of Caribbean sun (delivered
with a consultation by a spa therapist, who
recommended a bespoke aloe vera and
rosehip body wrap to further soothe).
EXCITE THE SENSES
If finding your wellness includes external
stimuli, the hotel organises trips to explore
52
the area, be it the
beautiful botanical
gardens, trekking the
Pitons, or the sulphur
springs and mud baths. If
you can get over the smell, it's
quite an experience.
Somewhat daunted by the magnitude of
the Pitons, we settled for the Tet Paul hike
- a gentle 2km excursion with spectacular
views of the volcanoes and island, providing
charming insight into local agricultural life.
St Lucians naturally espouse the virtues
of wellness and everyone you meet is quick
to point out the benefits of the island's many
indigenous plants and tell you about their
relative, who happens to be a Bush Doctor.
"Living on the island, it's not very loud, so
you get to train your senses," our delightful
major Domo, Davidson, says.
LUXURY LOWER DOWN
The Jade Mountain Club, the resort's skyhigh restaurant, is worthy of a Michelin
star. Modern fusion dishes feature seasonal
ingredients and exotic flavours, beautifully
BA LA N CE May 2018
paired with fine wines. However, if you
prefer to enjoy meals in the comfort and
privacy of your Sanctuary, you can still
experience silver service there.
No stay in St Lucia is complete without
a trip to the Emerald Farm where the veg,
microgreens, fruits, spices, nuts and herbs
used in resort kitchens are produced. They
even grow the Bean to Bar experience cocoa
beans, ready for use in the Chocolate Lab.
When the hillside Eden becomes too
much, sister resort Anse Chastanet - which
shares the site - is the perfect antidote. Set
in lush tropical vegetation, it offers a slightly
more grounded 4-star escape. Sharing two
golden beaches, Jade Mountain guests are
able to use all the facilities of its little sister.
It's the little touches at Jade Mountain
that mean so much: the impeccable and
personal service, daily snack box left
in your fridge, and turn down service,
consisting of lit candles, lanterns and
burning mosquito incense.
MORE THAN A VACATION
We arrived expecting a decadent beach
holiday, but left with much more, feeling
truly connected to the earth and our part in
the carbon cycle.
St Lucia disappointed on only one front:
a freak Atlantic current collided with the
warm Caribbean Sea, creating nine-foot
waves and cancelling our whale watching
trip. But, as we took a winding coastal road
to the airport - watching the sun sink into
the ocean - a whale breached the surface,
casting a perfect silhouette against the sky.
That's St Lucia: the island that delivered
right to the end, leaving us ready to face real
life once more. B
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