When I started 2016 I decided I needed to get back to the Caribbean, especially since I was so close now that I was in Florida. I wanted to go somewhere new and where I could possibly meet people. I was not in the mood for a solo vacation. So I researched great destinations for solo female travelers and I chose The Body Holiday in St. Lucia.

This was quite possibly the most active vacation I ever had. The slogan reads, “Give us your body for a week and we’ll give you back your mind.” I think they need to extend the week to 10 days and by then you might have your mind back. At 8 days, it was intended for me to return, but I was not relaxed and my mind was not back. So I extended 2 more nights.

Let me be clear, my body prefers hatha yoga and light to moderate hikes. Intense workouts are no longer my thing. My body has indicated this to me several times in the last few years. So, if you need to chill and just spa, this is NOT the place. You will need to ‘work’ for your massage, by climbing approximately 76 stairs to get there.

With that being said, I definitely got a workout and toned my body on this trip. Even if you don’t do any classes and just spa, you will be exercising.

Here’s what The Body Holiday provided:

1. Food – plentiful options with good variety, fresh and well-plated, you can eat a lot or a little – healthy or sweet.

2. Tea Time – one of the few Americans there, and I loved Tea Time. Go for the sunset and to fill your belly before dinner.

3. Fun – There is an abundance of fun things to do. I took a Water Skiing lesson, and stood up on my first attempt! FUN! There’s also sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkeling, diving, etc. And there’s a Games Room with 2 Pool/Billiards tables and lots of board games.

4. Excellent Staff – Friendly, kind, helpful, and almost always smiling, it’s a joy to be there with such great people. Smiling, being happy and joyous – it’s contagious. And this overflows with the guests and how we interact with each other.

5. Friends made – As desired, I met fantastic women traveling solo and friends traveling together, and couples, and had great conversations.

Unfortunately, there were things that didn’t resonate too:

1. No room service. While I enjoy meeting new people and engaging with staff, sometimes I do like to have time alone and to dine alone. This was not really an option. Only if you wanted a quick continental breakfast, for early risers who want to eat before an activity, was this available. Even though a few staff members indicated they would accommodate for other meal times, it didn’t seem they were equipped for the task.

2. Spa environment was not relaxing. First, climb the stairs. Second, this is not your typical Spa set-up where you will get a robe, use the steam or sauna and then relax in the waiting room.
Here’s how it goes: arrive 5-10 minutes before your scheduled time, go into your scheduled room with your belongings, change, get oiled up in your treatment and then put your clothes back on and exit. For some treatments, you’ll be outside on a massage chair, so you want to be discreetly dressed.

Tips for using the Spa:
-There are men’s and women’s locker rooms, and you can get a key for a locker (ask the Spa reception for a key.) In the women’s locker room there are 3 toilets, 1 shower with bath gel and conditioning shampoo, and a changing room. There’s also one of those bathing suit water extractors.
– Robes – They don’t have many, but check locker #6 (top right corner), it should be open and if available, you will find clean robes.
*FYI, the robes are thin and about knee-length.

Instead of oiling up my clothes post-appointment, I would change, put on a robe, leave my stuff in the locker and after my treatment, shower and put on my clothes again.
It defeats the purpose of leaving the oil on your skin, since it is beneficial, however, you don’t want to be in the sun with lots of oil on your skin either. (The sun is strong.)

3. Towels were rough and small – in the rooms and at the spa. I’m 5’10” and the towels just barely covered my behind.

4. Dress code. When I’m on vacation, I like to do as I please and dress how I want. I do not want to be told I can’t dress casually. Jeans are discouraged. I even asked a few staff members if it was okay to wear jeans to dinner and there were long pauses.

5. Beach is small. It can feel a bit crowded when occupancy is high. If you like walks on the beach, you can do laps back and forth to get that in.

6. The treatments you REALLY want, are supplemental. The included treatments are good, even if they are only 50 min. Check the boards at the Spa for Specials/reduced pricing, they offer something new every day!

I know I have more things I disliked than liked. however, if you want an active holiday with great food, nice staff, to meet other friendly travelers, and be in the Caribbean, this is a great choice! Also, I highly recommend the Helicopter transfer if you get car sick or if you just want to get to your holiday quicker. It’s about a 10-15min flight and then a 20min drive to the resort vs 1.5 hr winding, back country road drive.

Until next time, thanks for reading, and Happy Travels!