I admit, I was getting excited. I couldn't wait for my first glimpse of this verdant, mountainous island from the air. I was traveling with my friend, Carol, for a first-time visit to St. Lucia (pronounced Saint LOO-sha) with a slightly frenetic schedule of hotel visits to make. At last, having spotted the turquoise-ringed island, we landed at the international airport in Vieux Fort, on the island's southern tip.

First, let me say that renting a car really is a must on St. Lucia if you're going to see anything of this small West Indies isle--and I really do recommend that you not just hole up at your resort. That said, let me warn you about driving along the coastline. It isn't easy! Driving is on the left, a throwback to when the island was under British colonization. And the roads are horrendous on the southern half of the island--which I soon discovered as we set off from Vieux Fort for our first stop at Mago Estate Hotel, on the southwest shore near Soufriere. The roads are "paved," but many are in bad repair, and signage was terrible. Heaven forbid you should meet an oncoming car; I had to squeeze past several with barely a few inches to spare! Plus, we were driving steep uphill and downhill grades, and we never knew what was at the bottom of the next hill. I also discovered that anyone with a tendency toward car sickness will want to do the driving between Soufriere and Marigot Bay; the narrow and windy hairpin turns are something you wouldn't believe!