Situated in the Caribbean, this mountainous island, dominated by the towering peaks of the Petit and Gros Pitons, has fascinated visitors from all over the globe. With several outstanding beaches, a wide range of land and water activities and the world’s only drive-in volcano, it is no surprise that Saint Lucia has established itself as one of the leading luxury holiday destinations in the world. A little planning will ensure that visitors will be able to use their own appliances with Saint Lucia's electricity service and guarantee that your trip of a lifetime will be as stress free – and safe – as possible. Originally, a British colony, Saint Lucia's electricity service is remarkably similar to its past-masters. Saint Lucia's electricity current is 220 volts 50Hz, although a few hotels are 100 volts 60Hz. The majority of Saint Lucia's electricity outlets take the three-pin square plugs. This means that visitors from the United Kingdom will not have any problems using their own appliances. However, visitors from other parts of Europe or the United States will need to bring their own transformers or adapters. There are a few instances in which Saint Lucia's electricity sockets use flat American plugs or the two-pin rounds plugs, but these are relatively uncommon. As a general rule, most hotels do provide its guests will adapters and transformers, but, for the sake of a few dollars or euros, it is probably more beneficial to be prepared and bring your own.
Saint Lucia's electricity service means that travellers that do need adapters will need to invest in either WA-7 or #5 adapters. The ground plug adapter WA-7 is only suitable for plugs that have three-pins, while the ungrounded plug adapter #5 is required for appliances with two-pins. However, visitors should be aware that while travel plug adapters make your appliances plug compatible with Saint Lucia's electricity sockets, they do not change the voltage. This is particularly noteworthy for visitors from the United States as their appliances are typically built for 100-120 volts.
Remember, using low voltage appliances in the high voltage sockets found in Saint Lucia's electricity service, can either destroy the appliances, or worse, start a fire. The safest way to identify your electrical input specifications is to check the label on the back of the appliances. The majority of appliances, such as hairdryers, curling irons, camcorders, cameras and laptops, use the inputs 100-240V 50/60 Hz or 115-230V 50/60 Hz. As long as you have the appropriate travel adapter, then you’ll be able to use Saint Lucia’s electricity services without any issue. However, if your appliance electrical input is 120V 60Hz, then this means that it is only compatible with a single voltage. In order to use these appliances safely with Saint Lucia's electricity service, you will also need to acquire a transformer or voltage converter. There are no standardised inputs in any electrical appliances, therefore, two similar looking cameras may use two different inputs. It is crucial that owners understand the difference between the two inputs, prior to reaching the destination, to avoid destroying the appliance, or worse, starting a fire. You don’t want to spend two-glorious-weeks in paradise without any photographic record! As with any foreign adventure, a little forward planning can go a long way. And while Saint Lucia's electricity service is one of the most reliable in the Caribbean, visitors should still err on the side of caution. Visitors are advised to contact their prospective hotel or resort in advance to ensure that they have all the required adapters or transformers that they need for an unforgettable – and incident-free – holiday in the sun.
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