St. Lucia Villa Rental - Mustique now in reach from your St Lucia Vacation

St Lucia vacations recently got better – if that was possible.  Not only can you enjoy all that this paradise offers but you now can get to another super island – Mustique.

The Mustique Company launched a nonstop 25-minute flight between St. Lucia’s Hewanorra Airport and Mustique in July. The new flights are expected to improve access to Mustique from key U.S. gateways. The 18-passenger flights depart daily on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and complement existing flights between Barbados and Mustique, which operate twice daily, seven days a week.

If you want to take advantage of this opening up of the Caribbean area then we can book the flights for you when you decide to make Akasha part of your St Lucia vacation.

The Caribbean tourist market needs more initiatives like this to expand the total tourist market and this will help each island grow, create new jobs for the local communities and show the world what it has to offer.

Many of us who live in St Lucia know this is like paradise on earth and want to preserve it. So we need to make sure that we educate tourist to take nothing but happy memories and leave nothing but footprints in the sand.  That way, future generations can enjoy and see what we have seen.

The St. Lucia Tourist Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has announced changes which will greatly improve and support yachting for private and charter yachts wishing to cruise St. Lucian waters as well as those wishing to conduct yachting business in the country. Some of the changes include the following:

- Yachtsmen will now be permitted to stay in St. Lucia waters for 6 months
- Yachts with owners temporarily on island will be allowed to remain in the state free of duties and taxes for up to 3 years, after which they will become payable on current value
- 100% waiver of import duty and tax on yachts imported into Saint Lucia
- 100% waiver on income tax from operations for the first 5 years for local charter companies with a minimum of 1 captain and 3 crew members, and has a fleet of 3 or more power or sailing vessels
- Approval has been given for the formation of a Yachting Committee, that falls under the purview of the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation and will incorporate all relevant institutions that function to regulate the yachting sector in St. Lucia
- 100% waiver of import duty and consumption tax on boat safety equipment and watercraft activity equipment, which includes sport fishing, SCUBA diving, kite surfing and other water sports, subject to verification of the Bill of Quantities by the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation for 5 years from date of cabinet conclusion
- 100% waiver of import duty and consumption tax on all equipment and materials imported or purchased locally for use in the establishment of infrastructure to service yachts over period of 5 years, subject to verification and approval of the Bill of Quantities by the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation
- The Government of Saint Lucia has waived the visa requirements for Russian and Australian nationals so that Russian and Australian nationals no longer require visas to enter Saint Lucia

Sailing in the Caribbean is one of life’s pleasures and enjoyed by many – young and old.  Here the pirates may have long gone but their stories live on.  Visit Pigeon Island and you will see what we mean.  This national park is only seven minutes away from your villa when you stay at St Lucia’s best villa rental.

Akasha is a great supporter of the yachting industry and the sailors who visit these shores.  Every year you can watch all of the competitors in the ARC race sail around the north of the island and into Rodney Bay.  Its a great site.

Its interesting to note the architect of the villa sailed in the ARC race to view the plot so he could visualize the setting for himself – we think he didn’t believe us when we told him what a great location it was.  It didn’t take long for him to realize what a gem it was.   It inspired him to create the most exclusive villa rental in St Lucia.

Akasha luxury villa rental is pleased to hear that the ARC race is about to start very soon.

The ARC 2010 fleet leave Las Palmas, Canaries (Spanish island) for Rodney Bay in Saint Lucia, crews from the 205 yachts, of all shapes and sizes are berthed in the marina and took part in the official ARC 2010 Opening Ceremony.  The final 34 yachts are expected to arrive in Las Palmas over the next few days, bringing the fleet total to 239 yachts, an all-time ARC record and that should make the race an all time success.  All of these will sail past Akasha luxury villa rental as they cross the finish line and into Rodney Bay.

At midday Sunday 14 November hundreds of ARC participants took part in the Official Opening Ceremony for ARC 2010.  Flag bearers from 28 different nations representing the countries of the yachts in this year’s event led the procession as it made its way around the marina. The grand parade had a real festival atmosphere as crews gathered at the northern end of the marina and were led by an enthusiastic brass band cheered on by local spectators.  This sounds great and Akasha villa rental in St Lucia hopes the start of things to come when they get to St Lucia, West Indies.

Andrew Bishop, Managing Director of World Cruising Club declared ARC 2010 officially “open” and the country flags were proudly hoisted on flagpoles around the marina as fireworks were launched in celebration.  High Commissioner of Saint Lucia, Eldridge Stephens, gave a rousing speech thanking ARC participants for visiting Saint Lucia after the devastation caused hurricane Tomas 10 days ago.

The fiesta atmosphere continued with ARC participants and local people taking part in Don Pedro’s famous International Dinghy Race.  Water bombs and flour missiles were commonplace! A prizegiving for the dinghy race and Don Pedro’s dockside BBQ went on late into the evening.  So St Lucia will, I know, create even a bigger party atmosphere once the race is under-way and when they finish in Rodney Marina. When you stay at Akasha Villa Rental you get to enjoy that atmosphere as the Marina is only a few minutes drive from your luxury retreat.

Akasha St Lucia luxury villa is pleased to inform you:

* ARC 2010 will depart from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on Sunday 21 November.
* The finish destination is Rodney Bay Marina in St Lucia, a distance of 2,700 nautical miles from Las Palmas and it’s a passage that will take most of the yachts between 18 and 21 days.
* Whilst fundamentally a fun rally for cruising yachts, the ARC does have a more serious Racing Division, run under the auspices of the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC). Yachts in the Racing Division are not permitted to use their engines for propulsion (unlike the cruisers), although use of autopilots is allowed.
* ARC Official Entry list – ARC yachts
* ARC 2010 is sponsored by the Tourist Board of Gran Canaria, the Port Authority of Las Palmas, the Saint Lucia Tourist Board, Rolnautic, and is run in association with Yachting World magazine.

So our guests who will be in residence at Akasha – the luxury villa rental, get a great view of the boats as they sail around the north of the island, past the finishing line and into Rodney Bay – all visible from the terraces, and every one of the bedroom suites.