FAM Trip St. Lucia April 23-28, 2016 (Part 1)

(54 Reviews)
100% Recommended

Lola Stoker

Mississauga, ON

Cruise Holidays | Luxury Travel Boutique

I was born in The Netherlands and moved to Canada in my early twenties. I started my career in travel and hospitality in Ottawa and later moved to Toronto where I have lived and worked ever since. My home is in Etobicoke, a quiet neighbourhood i...

My background includes a Degree in Hotel Management from the University of Maastrict, The Netherlands. A veteran of the hospitality industry, I spent my early years working in catering, restaurant management and sales. Later, an opportunity arose in Corporate Travel Sales where I represented some of the larger corporate travel companies in Canada. Although I enjoyed this career, I was always envious of the leisure travel specialists that I met; they seemed to be having so much fun researching and booking dream vacations for their clients.

In 2012, I decided to pursue a career in leisure travel and started a boutique travel agency with my husband, specializing in cruises and custom vacations. I've learned more about myself and the world than I ever imagined. I am truly grateful to have this opportunity to help clients, who have been bitten by the travel bug, plan their trips and cruises.

Many of my clients have spent most of their lives in North America and are eager to see more of the world. Canada is an absolutely gorgeous country, but I believe that it is important for people to travel, experience different destinations and cultures to broaden their horizons and enrich their lives. This could mean an escorted tour in Asia, an expedition trip to Antarctica or a relaxing river cruise in Europe.

My background gives me a unique perspective when booking cruises and other travel experiences for my clients. Born in The Netherlands, I traveled extensively throughout Europe. After moving to Canada as a young adult, I continued to travel extensively to Asia, the Caribbean and Mexico. Eventually, opening my own travel agency will allow me to use my unique expertise to help a variety of valued clients.

I love connecting with my clients, hearing their stories and seeing their pictures of their travel experiences after they return. This was particularly true with a client who booked a trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. The client had the opportunity to stay in a jungle resort with an amazing view of a volcano, visit the city of Quito, cruise the Galapagos Islands and get close to the extraordinary wildlife there. The pictures I received after this trip were absolutely breathtaking!

While I travel quite a bit with my agency, I make sure I am available for my clients. While my clients are abroad, I make it a point of being reachable so that I can quickly respond to any questions they may have. After my clients have returned, I'm always eager to discuss their trip, not only to learn about their experiences but to find ways to improve my service to them.

My number one mission is to deliver a once in a lifetime, worry free travel experience through superior service, excellent value and relevant expertise - and I will do whatever it takes to achieve that goal!

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On April 23rd I travelled to St. Lucia. The flight is approx. 5 hours in length. Upon arriving, you walk down the steps out of the plane and are welcomed by tropical sun and warm air. The airport in Vieux Fort in the South end of the island, was busy when I landed, most likely due to it being a Saturday. We had a little wait (30-45 min) to go through customs. After customs, you once again step outside to be welcomed by transportation companies who work with the various hotels and resorts. My first night I stayed at the Coconut Bay Resort & Spa so our transfer drove us there. It was a nice surprise to discover that the ride was only about 5-10 minutes, especially after a long flight! The hotel is located on the East (Atlantic) coast on the South end of the island and is one of the few hotels situated there. The seas are a bit rougher however it is still fine for swimming on most days. There is also a stone barrier built a little way out in the sea to prevent the bigger waves to hit the shore line.The resort is set up in a wide V formation with all rooms facing the ocean. One side of the V is dedicated to adults only. There are pools dedicated to adults only as well as a stretch of beach and some bars. The spa is also located in the adults only section. The family portion of the resort offers water slides, a lazy river, family designated pools and even has a swim up bar just for kids. There is also a kids club catering to ages 0-12. It is a wonderful part of the resort with a petting zoo, a wading pool, and plenty of activities offered throughout the day to keep the little ones busy. There is also a nurse onsite 24 hours a day for any scrapes and bruises.In terms of restaurants, there are plenty of options, from Italian, to Asian, to Caribbean style. The main restaurants offers a fabulous breakfast and lunch buffet and is also open for dinner. There is no adult only restaurant however the later seatings are a good option for a quiet meal. For a quiet and adult only breakfast, there is a lovely outdoor option. A couple of times a week, the resort puts on a show with an outdoor BBQ and live music. There are some great seafood options to enjoy!!The resort also offers a large gym and plenty of other activities to keep everyone busy. They also offer wind and kit surfing lessons, which are recommended even for the serious learners. For destinations weddings, there are 2-3 locations where weddings can take place. One is located in the adult section of the resort near the spa. The other one is located a 5 min walk down the beach – this location is a bit more ‘rugged’ and bamboo poles and palm fronds will be set up to create a walkway-boardwalk, and an arc for the wedding couple. There is also an outdoor covered area where meals can be served if the couple so wishes. The beach is very quiet and is prefect for a long romantic walk. The following morning, after some free time, a little yoga stretch on the beach, and a quick dip in the ocean, we headed to our next resort, The Royal St. Lucia. This resort is located in the Rodney Bay area of the island, located in the North West part of the island. The drive is approx. 1.5 hours with some of it along the East and Atlantic coast with wonderful views from the top of the cliffs. You then cross the island from East to West along a 2 lane highway through the rain forest. I have never seen ferns this tall! They are as tall as trees and their leaves are probably at least 3-4 meters long! In addition to the ferns, there are plenty of bamboo trees, and of course palms, banana trees, many other fruit trees. Something I found out while I was there that will make me appreciate a banana a bit more: a banana tree only grows one bunch of bananas and this process takes about 9 months. After the bananas are ripe, the tree is cut down and a new tree has to be planted to bare more fruits. The other fruits that grow on the island include mangoes, papayas, passion fruit, cocoa, coconuts, all citrus fruits, love apple (red and shaped like a little heart), as well as wax apple (small and red and tastes like our apples here). We learned a lot about the native plants on a plantation tour call St. Lucian Country Life. In addition to the various fruit trees, they also showed us cinnamon trees (it’s the bark that turns into the cinnamon sticks we know!) and bay leaf trees.Regarding animal life on the island, there are no monkeys which you do see on neighbouring islands such as St. Kitts and Barbados. Instead there are some snakes (even boa’s – although they are quite rare) and mongoos.The road across the island takes you to Castries, the capital city. This is also the city where the cruise ships dock in St. Lucia. The hotel booked for the coming night, the Royal St. Lucia, is located in the Rodney Bay area, which is just North of Castries.