St. Lucia Villa Rental - 2012 Jazz Line up Announced

The line up for the annual Jazz Festival has been announced and it promises to be another winner.  Star billing goes to Lionel Richie on the Sunday evening at Pigeon Island.

Other stars in the line up include, so far;

• Hugh Masekela, again on Sunday at Pigeon Island
• Kirk Franklin, Keri Hilson  and Alison Marquis Nonet on Saturday again at Pigeon Island
• Gipsy Kings and Ziggy Marley on Friday night again at Pigeon Island
• Joshua Redman, Ronald “Boo” Hinkson, Mario Canonge and Luther François at the Gaiety on the Wednesday and Thursday nights

We expect this line up will be added to in the coming months.

For those of you who do not recall Lionel Richie co-wrote  ”We are the World” with Michael Jackson back in 1985.  Music to move the world and in May the man will be moving St Lucia. Get your tickets before they sell out.  If you want hear something to move you then follow these links to hear this wonder tune which sold over 20million copies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcwblvqir-s&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne7fPpxAnuM

It was awarded numerous honors—including three Grammy Award, one American Music Award and a People’s Choice Award.  If only for this achievement its worth coming to see St Lucia to see this legend.

If you book Akasha, St Lucia’s best villa rental for your vacation and to indulge in this music fest don’t forget the villa is only a 5 minute drive from Pigeon Island, where all the main artists will be performing.  When you sit in the audience you can see Akasha on the hill behind the main stage

The event has also signed a deal with Digicel who will be the main sponsors for the next three years.  The year of the Dragon has certainly got of to great start! So book your St Lucia Vacation the Akasha way and get to enjoy this music fest on your doorstep.

St Lucia has so much more than just beaches and sunshine – its where so many people want to vacation or move to.  Think about all that sunshine and constant vitamin D – no winter syndrome here.

Living Abroad approached Akasha last year and asked if we would be happy to feature in their magazine – as ever we are always happy to be featured in quality publications. Check out the magazine on Page 51.

So if you have ever dreamed about vacationing or living in paradise then this publication is for you.

Here, in St Lucia you can enjoy the rain forest, mountains, volcano and waterfalls – plus your normal paradise features like clear blue sea, golden sunsets and sunshine every day.  Oh don’t forget the local wildlife – truly amazing.

Here the climate is so good anyone can grow everything, mother nature gives it all to you on a plate.  No wonder the Arawak tribes came here.

So as you can see your Caribbean vacation in St Lucia can lead to a new way of life – what you might find in paradise.

Just announced that State-owned Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL),  is moving to widen its airlift influence on Caricom travel when it launches a daily service to St Lucia out of Port of Spain in two weeks.

This is great as this is a direct flight and will therefore mean no flying to Barbados to switch flights.  The flights are scheduled to start from Friday February 10, will be operated by the airline’s new state-of-the-art ATR-72-600 turbo prop aircraft with a 68-seat capacity.

The flight will depart Piarco International at 1.45 pm arriving at the George F Charles airport in Castries at 2.50 pm.

Following a half-hour turnaround, the return flight (BW 435) will depart St Lucia at 3.25 pm arriving in Trinidad at 4.30 pm.

Now that’s what you call a win for all concerned.  So now folks from Trinidad will find it easier to come on vacation in St Lucia and of course St Lucian folk get to visit their friends for the weekend without wasting time in the terminal in Barbados.  What is not clear is what the fares will be but lets hope that they are reasonable.

For guests from further a field this means that they can now enjoy more of the Caribbean as it improves their ability to move around when they visit the Caribbean – many tourists like to visit more than one location on their vacation.

The yearly ARC race starts on the 20th November this year and after the crew endure some grueling conditions they will hit the calmer  Caribbean sea and pass the finishing line just north of Akasha.

This annual transatlantic rally starting each November in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, has now become the most popular way to cross the Atlantic. The largest transocean sailing event in the world, every year the ARC brings together over 200 yachts from all over the world. The Caribbean destination is Rodney Bay in Saint Lucia, one of the most beautiful islands in the Lesser Antilles. The 2700 nautical mile passage on the NE tradewind route takes on average between 14 and 21 days.

The crews will then dock in Rodney Bay Marina.  A full programme of social activities, safety seminars and demonstrations will be organised by World Cruising Club in Las Palmas prior to the start, and after the finish in St.Lucia.

We invite all racers and observers of the race to finish this race in style and spend a few days at Akasha – at a special rate.  With this St Lucia vacation you will be able kick those crocs off, take a dip in the cool pool, watch your favorite movie while Juliette cooks her special local dishes for you.

Drop us an email by filling in the Contact form to learn more about our special prices for ARC participants.

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St Lucia is slowly gaining a reputation for smart and savvy investors.  If you are in the market for a luxury second home in paradise then why not consider St Lucia.

Andrew Strauss, the England cricket captain is the latest to open his wallet according to media reports.  In the Daily Telegraph he is quoted as saying ” I could have gone for Barbados, it is certainly an island I love. But St Lucia is more unspoilt and offers greater privacy. I want somewhere I can go and relax in peace with my family.”  He goes on to say “The setting could hardly be better, while the people are among the friendliest in the Caribbean.  I simply want a place where I can chill with my family from time to time. This secluded corner of St Lucia seemed the perfect place to do that.”

The Daily telegraph reports – The days when the St Lucia sector was dominated by three-star resorts, with little to offer high-rollers, are firmly in the past.  Remember there are no bars on non-residents buying property in St Lucia, but you will need to budget for the cost of an Alien’s Landholding Licence, at approximately £1,500 or 2250US$.

The St Lucia government is actively encouraging investors and there is currently no VAT or capital gains tax on the island. Make sure you get up-to-date tax advice before signing on the dotted line.

If you are looking for a ready made luxury villa then why not consider Akasha – the most luxurious villa on the island.  It has caught the imagination of many celebrities, including Justin Bieber, who have vacationed there.  You could rent it to the stars when you are not in residence, how cool is to have stars vacation in your home.

So if you want to invest in the Caribbean and Barbados in not for you then St Lucia might be perfect for you.

The villa offers more than any other villa or resort especially for those who want privacy and be away from the crowds.

St Lucia has many things to offer which keep guests staying at the best Villa Rental entertained. We do our best to encourage them to understand St Lucia’s beauty.

The island has the only drive-in volcano in the world….the Sulphur Springs has many hot springs, mud pools and fumaroles, and is a major tourist attraction in the town of Soufriere. Guided tours are conducted daily, with visitors staying a safe distance on a viewing platform. Previously, it was possible to get much closer to the open calderas, that is until one day a Guide was jumping on the edge of an open caldera to express a point, and fell in and was severely burnt. The Caldera has since been named after the Guide, and is called Gabriel’s Caldera.

The hot springs that flow from the volcano are thought to contain healing properties for ailments such as arthritis, acne and other skin blemishes, and many come to bathe in the hot springs and to have a free mud scrub. Some say this would cost a fortune back home! The waters of the hot springs are black, and is said to be caused by a chemical reaction between the sulphur and iron.

Additionally, there are other warm sulphuric pools for bathing, located a short way from the geothermal fields. A strong smell of sulphur is continuously emitted into the atmosphere…a smell very much like rotten eggs. Yes it can be that bad.

St. Lucia as the Sulphur Springs is a dormant volcano, and it is believed that the last minor steam explosion from the Sulphur Springs occurred in about 1766. So its not expected to erupt any time soon.

When you stay at Akasha – the best Villa Rental in the Caribbean, we are able to organise a day out on a boat trip and combine this with a trip to see the Sulphur Springs and if you want some beauty treatment – we think its like a mud bath. Great fun which the whole family can enjoy.

Our aim at Akasha is to make your stay here one you remember – Luxury, Quality and Service is what we offer. Three reasons why you should stay at the Best Caribbean Villa Rental.

Akasha has only been available for luxury villa rental for the last 10 months and has done well but like the rest of global economy St Lucia tourism has suffered from the recession over the last few years.   However, according to some experts things are looking up and will help St Lucia recover.   This is the message from leading lights in the industry.  Below is an article sent out by Caribbean 360.  Italics are our comments.

LONDON, United Kingdom, Monday November 8, 2010 – Three experts on tourism trends in the United Kingdom and Europe have painted an optimistic picture of the British market for the Caribbean tourism sector in 2011, despite challenges such as the Air Passenger Duty (APD) which saw another increase take effect this month.  APD is such an imposition on holiday makers and has a negative impact for small businesses like Akasha luxury villa rentals.

A panel of media and industry practitioners concluded that the worst is over for the global economy and that the Caribbean region can look forward to an improved performance next year.

“The global recovery has begun,” John Taker, the purchasing director for Virgin Holidays told dozens of Caribbean tourism ministers, directors and private and public sector officials gathered at the London offices of the Daily Telegraph for the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) European Marketing Forum.  Many of our high end clientèle fly Virgin who have increased flight to St Lucia.

Taker added that there was a clear opportunity to grow the family travel market for the Caribbean, pointing out that price was a more important consideration for consumers booking a Caribbean holiday than it was for holidays to destinations like the United States.  Families are well come to Akasha St Lucia’s most exclusive villa rental with so much to do at Akasha.

While admitting that the APD “is a punishment that the Caribbean will have to live with for a very long time”, Graham Boynton, the Daily Telegraph’s travel editor, said there was hope for the region.

“While ultra long-haul is still suffering from the effects of the recession, medium long-haul is seeing recovery (and) the Caribbean is doing relatively well when compared to (other regions). The Caribbean is doing better than Australia…it is doing better than South Africa,” Boynton told delegates.  By adding to the quality of the St Lucia product Akasha villa rental is doing its bit to increase the appeal of St Lucia to a bigger market.  We believe that St Lucia will over take Barbados in the long term as a destination of choice.

However, he advised, there was a need for Caribbean destinations, individually and collectively, to communicate the realities of the region in a more dynamic manner.

Meanwhile, Daniel Pearce, editor of the travel trade magazine, TTG, unveiled exclusive research which painted a confident picture from British travel agents. The research revealed that two out three agents felt the reputation of the Caribbean had increased in the past year, and half the travel agents surveyed said they expected sales to the Caribbean to increase in 2011.  We at Akasha villa rental are seeing more and more interest from our UK agents.

This year’s CTO European Marketing Forum has as its theme: “2011, A Year of Opportunity or Threat?” The annual event is held as a precursor to the tourism trade show, World Travel Market (WTM).

If you check out the rest of our website you will see a lot of information about the island and how we work with our local contacts to personalise your holiday in paradise when you stay at Akasha St Lucia luxury villa rental.

In today’s global village we are all aware and mindful of man’s impact on the nature all around us. We at Akasha St Lucia luxury villa rentals are no different. Bearing in mind that any development has a negative impact we were determined from day one of the project to minimise our carbon footprint and the damage to our natural beauty here in St Lucia.

Our approach included designing and building in features to Akasha St Lucia villa rental which would reduce on-going energy usage. This included:

• installing solar panels to generate hot water
• building large overhangs on terraces to keep rooms cooler
• placing opening windows so the breeze would blow through the house
• creating a stairwell so the hot air escapes naturally
• installing low voltage lighting and energy saving bulbs inside and outside in the garden
• installing energy saving appliances
• installing a central water chilled AC system which is a market leader for low energy usage
• installing fans which use less energy than AC
• using computers to control the pool pump and other pumps
• installing insulation in the roof to conserve energy
• installing energy efficient windows to reduce heat from the sun

In addition to this we;
• are capturing rain water from the roof to use in the flushing of toilets and water the local vegetation
• are directing rain water from the driveway to water the garden
• direct water away from the slopes to reduce soil erosion
• installed two sceptic tanks to remove the need to install mains drain

To replace the vegetation lost as the result of our development we planted over 1000 local plants. These included; Coffee, mangoes, bamboo, melon, coconut, okra, sweet potatoes, avocado, mangoes, sweet corn, bay trees, apple trees, limes, hibiscus, bougainvillea, allemandes, jasmine, dwarf hostas, sunflowers, variety of palm tree including Royal and Palmis, and more.

Richard, our gardener, grows local vegetables without the use of pesticides. Akasha St Lucia villa rental is happy to share these organic vegetables with our guests. So when you come and stay at Akasha St Lucia villa rental you can enjoy this wonderful produce for free and at the same time reduce your carbon offset by using these vegetables.

We believe we are the only villa in St Lucia to make use of all these features to reduce our carbon footprint. If during your stay have any ideas of how Akasha St Lucia Villa Rental can further reduce its carbon footprint feel free to contact us. So if you like luxury on your vacation and want to help future generations then Akasha St Lucia’s most luxurious villa is for you.