Destinations · Head-to-head
South Africa vs St. Lucia
South Africa and St. Lucia, side by side: live travel advisories, our resort catalog's real guest data, and each destination's honest weather picture. Everything you need to break the tie.
By the numbers
| South Africa | Measure | St. Lucia |
|---|---|---|
| Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution | U.S. travel advisory | Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution |
| 0 | Resorts in our catalog | 17 (better) |
| – | Average guest rating | ★ 4.5 |
| – | Nightly rates | $87–$810/night pp |
| 0 of 0 | Adults-only resorts | 8 of 17 |
| No hurricane season (better) | Hurricane exposure | In the hurricane belt |
| November–March (southern-hemisphere summer thunderstorms) | Rainy season | June–November, heaviest September–October |
| April–September for dry, mild weather; also prime safari season inland | Sweet spot | December–April |
| 11 official languages – English widely spoken | Language | English |
| South African rand (ZAR) | Currency | East Caribbean dollar; USD widely accepted |
| 230V, large Type M/N plugs (special adapter needed) | Power | 240V, UK-style Type G plugs |
| On the left | Driving | On the left |
| Durban (DUR) or Johannesburg (JNB) | Main airport | Hewanorra (UVF) |
| ~15–17h from the US East Coast (often via Europe or the Gulf) | Flight time | ~4.5–5h from the US East Coast |
Advisory levels sync from travel.state.gov; catalog figures reflect the resorts we've researched, not every hotel in the country. A marked row is one we are willing to call; rows without a mark are a matter of taste, or we have no comparable figure for both sides.
On the map
South Africa
St. Lucia
Weather, month by month
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa · high °F | 82 | 83 | 82 | 79 | 77 | 74 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 77 | 79 | 81 |
| St. Lucia · high °F | 84 | 84 | 85 | 87 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 87 | 86 | 84 |
| South Africa · rain (in) | 5.3 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 2.9 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.0 |
| St. Lucia · rain (in) | 3.7 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 7.5 | 8.1 | 8.9 | 8.4 | 9.2 | 7.7 | 5.2 |
Approximate climate normals for KwaZulu-Natal coast (Durban) and Northwest coast (Rodney Bay–Soufrière): planning guidance, not a forecast. A deeper tint is a higher number, read within its own row.
Where you'd actually stay
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