We all know about TPOL’s trepidation for airport taxis (see “Taxi my friend?” The Worst Places to Hail a Cab). Imagine my surprise when I landed in St. Lucia and was told that a taxi to my hotel, the Hilton Harbor Club St. Lucia, was $120.
Looking at the map, the price is not that crazy. It can take 1-2 hours to get there as the driver has to navigate through one-way roads, the rainforest, and abysmal traffic.
On the way to the hotel, I had my driver stop at a gas station. I bought two beers for the road. The beer was so bad that I could only finish one of them, despite the arduous journey.
Returning
Returning to the airport, I only paid $90. The reason for the discount is that I randomly found a taxi on the second day of Carnival, who rescued me from the arduous march (see Day 2: Enough Is Enough) and took me back to the Hilton. He promised to pick me up on my day of departure and to do so at a discounted fare. Not only was he on time, but he also took the back roads to get me to the airport. Otherwise, the journey would’ve taken twice the time.
TPOL’s TIP: If you’re flying inter-Caribbean, use the local airport, which is far closer to the city center and hotels than the international UVF airport.
Overall
In theory, I would return to St. Lucia. In reality, the airport is too inconvenient to justify going back. And that has nothing to do with the taxi’s price.
Alternative headline: TPOL Leaves Beer Unfinished; World Stunned
Jk. Keep them coming!
Lol good suggestion.