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This was to be my first visit to Mexico and I was really pleased to be given the opportunity to go.  There were just seven of us on the trip and none had been to Mexico before so we were all able to learn together.  The 7 of us met up at Gatwick for our British Airways flight to Cancun.  We took off on time and I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of legroom we had – we were sitting in Economy.  There were quite a few spare seats at the back of the plane so we spread out and relaxed. The choice of films was huge, and the service on board was attentive and friendly.

Secrets Capri

We arrived in Cancun just after lunch, Mexican time and once we had cleared immigration and customs we were whisked off to the Secrets Capri, around a 25 minute journey away. Upon arrival we were greeted with a glass of champagne, a cold towel and a ‘welcome home’.

The Secrets Capri is an adults only, all ‘Preferred Club’ hotel so we were seated in a comfortable, cool lounge where the check in was carried out.  We then went off to our rooms to find that our cases had already arrived.  The rooms themselves were tastefully decorated in shades of blue and white and the whirlpool bath was a nice touch.

We met in the lobby for our hotel visit and had a good look around.  Secrets Capri is a smallish, intimate hotel with a lovely atmosphere. The choice of restaurants is plentiful including the usual buffet offering, together with a la carte restaurants including amongst others an Asian, Italian, Mexican, each with their own theme and no reservations required.  We were treated to a candlelit barbecue supper on the beach.  The sand was soft and cool beneath our feet and the sound of the ocean in the background was the perfect backdrop.  I could see this being a good option for a private wedding supper.  The food was delicious, I particularly enjoyed the vegetable skewers, and the fillet steak was cooked to perfection.  By this time the long flight and jet lag had taken their toll and an early night was on the cards for everyone.

Now Jade

The following morning I was up at 5.30 am ( jet lag!) and after sampling a plentiful breakfast buffet we set off on a short drive to Now Jade in Puerto Morelos.  Our guide pointed out an alligator in a lake not far from the hotel but not surprisingly no one expressed much desire to get out and take a closer look.

Now Jade is a very modern, contemporary hotel set right on the beach.  We first went to look at the rooms.  The first room we saw was large and beautifully decorated, with twin double beds and a couple of steps down to a spacious seating area.  Then, best of all, the hotel manager pulled up the blind and there it was, right in front of our eyes, the beautiful white sand and turquoise Caribbean sea. The bathrooms were vast, with twin washbasins, a massive jacuzzi bath right under the window so, if the mood grabbed you, it would be possible to lounge in the jacuzzi looking out of the window at the lovely clear turquoise sea and no, no one could see in!

Another great feature of Now Jade was the restaurants, each themed to within an inch of its life and guaranteed to make the diner believe they were in a different place, if not continent, every night.  The choices of buffet, Asian with tepanyaki tables, French, Mexican etc.  – it would be very hard to get bored with the food.  I particularly liked the coffee shop where you can get a proper cup of coffee and a beautiful muffin, all part of the all inclusive programme, naturally.  A contemporary hotel with great facilities which is also welcoming for families.

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Day 1

Dancers greeting us at the airport

I met the Beachcomber Representatives and the rest of the group at 1800 at Heathrow and checked in with Air Mauritius for our 2100 departure to Mauritius.

Some 12 hours later we arrived at our destination, collected our bags and were given a very special welcome to the island by a band and dancers, all in traditional dress, who gave us all flower garlands.

We were then transferred to our 1st hotel, the Shandrani Resort and Spa, which is located on the South East of the island, and takes approximately 10 minutes to reach from the airport, where we were checked into our Superior rooms for a quick change before meeting for a superb hosted lunch in the Sirius restaurant. We were then able to enjoy some relaxation with a 30 minutemassage in the sumptuous Spa.

In the evening we enjoyed a special a la carté dinner at Le Boucanier Restaurant, followed by drinks in the bar.

Me with a giant tortoise at the Vanille Crocodile Park (I'm the one on the right)

Day 2

We enjoyed a magnificent buffet breakfast in Le Grand Port restaurant, which was followed by a guided tour of the Shandrani Resort and Spa, and all its facilities including the Gym, 6 hole Pitch and Put, Spa and Tennis courts.

Our 1st surprise of the trip was then revealed – we were to participate in a Hells Kitchen competition! We were divided into 3 teams and had to cook our own lunch, of Octopus salad, Chicken Curry and Banana Flambé. We were assisted by hotel chefs and our results were judged by the Shandrani Head Chef and Hotel Manager, with extreme pleasure I can announce that my team won!

After our home made lunch, we were transferred to Vanille Crocodile park, about 1 hour south of the Shandrani, this was a fantastic ½ day trip where we were able to see an assortment of animals including: Giant Tortoises, Monkeys and Alligators.

Back at the Shandrani we once again enjoyed the delights of Le Boucanier restaurant, feasting on the a la carté fish menu, which contained more courses than you can shake a stick at, once again the evening finished with a few drinks at the bar.

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Naomi (center) at The Bordeaux at Dreams La Romana

I travelled down to London the day before my AM Resorts Fam Trip to the Dominican Republic and decided to stay overnight at the Sofitel at Gatwick airport. In the morning I literally just had to walk down a corridor and I was in the North Terminal and ready to go.

We flew with BA to Punta Cana International and our flight had a touch down in Antigua, which I was not looking forward to. Surprisingly it did not bother me at all, we were on the ground for less than an hour, passengers who were staying in Antigua got off, they switched the flight crew and we were off again.

Now Larimar

Our first stay was at Now Larimar, a property that is new to the AM resorts chain. The transfer took around 35 minutes and when we arrived we were taken to the Preferred Club lounge which is just to the right of the main entrance. We checked in whilst in the lounge and were shown to our Deluxe Tropical View rooms.  I was very impressed; they were extremely specious and the décor was quite modern.

The fountain at Now Larimar

We met before dinner in the Moments Lobby Bar. All of the bars and restaurants are set around a square courtyard which makes everything easily accessible and if there is a wait in one of the restaurant you can simply cross over to one of the bars and wait.

The evening meal was a hosted dinner at Mercure, the French Restaurant. After dinner we went up to the resorts night club, Eclipse, which is open from 10:30 to 1:30 every evening.

The next day we had a buffet breakfast in International Café followed by a site inspection of Now Larimar and Secrets Royal Beach.

Now Larimar

We started off with Now Larimar and had a look at all of the restaurants and a few room categories. We had a look in Scores, which is the resorts sports bar complete with a bowling alley. We saw the kids club, which has two sections, one for children aged 4 to 7 and one for children aged 8 to 12. They do not yet have a teen area, but we were told that this is something that they are looking to put into place.

My favourite feature of the resort was the long water fountain which could be used as a Wedding location. I though it was fantastic, there is a path on either side and couples can get married at the head of the fountain. We were told that one couple had actually had the water turn on just as they had their first kiss, I though that this was an amazing idea.

Secrets Royal Beach

We walked across to Secrets Royal Beach which is literally next door to Now Larimar; there is just a little path and raised grass section separating them. They share the same stretch of beach and guests staying at Secrets are able to use the facilities at Now, but not the other way around as Secrets is the Adults Only property. The resort is relatively small and has just five bars and three restaurants: a buffet, a grill and a sea food restaurant. However, guests are not short of choice as they can dine in all of the restaurants at Now Larimar.

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The South Ari Atoll from the Seaplane window

Having heard my colleagues talking so passionately about the Maldives and not travelled there before, I was really looking forward to this trip! There was going to be so much to see and do, it wasn’t going to be a relaxing break but one which I knew both me and my clients would benefit from…

Sunday 15^th May

After a very easy train journey down to London, I met up with the rest of the agents at Heathrow Terminal 4 ready for our Sri Lankan Airlines flight to Male. The flight was relatively quiet so as soon as the plane took off we were able to move seats and I had a row of 4 in the middle of the plane to myself. Add the fantastic Sri Lankan food to this and it amounted to a very pleasant overnight flight!

Monday 16^th May

I arrived into Male at just gone midday after an uneventful but very comfortable flight. We were met in the arrivals hall by the rep and shown to the speedboat for our 90 minute transfer to Kuramathi.

What a place! After a look round the various Villas we walked up to the Sand Bar at the top end of the island for sunset.

Sunset on the Sandbank at Kuramathi Island Resort

Definitely a great way to spend the first evening in the Maldives! We walked back from the sandbank (via the jetty to watch the Stingray feeding) back down to the main part of the resort to enjoy a very relaxing meal in the Malaafaiy Restaurant. After dinner there was time to relax on the beach at one of the Islands 6 bars before well and truly breaking the peace and quiet on the Karaoke in the Havana Club.

Tuesday 17^th May

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Wednesday 4th May 2011

Leighton (and the girls) in St Lucia

I find myself travelling down to London on Virgin Trains the night before my trip to St Lucia. I stopped at the Sofitel which is connected to the North terminal at Gatwick airport the night before to catch my early flight. The Sofitel hotel was very nice, my room was a decent size and my bed very comfortable; it’s very convenient as it is a few minutes walk to the British airways check in desk inside the north terminal. Click here for more information regarding booking airport hotels.

Thursday 5th May 2011

I woke up before my early morning wake up call as I was excited about my trip. Up at 6:00am… I have not been up this early for a long time!

We meet Chelcie Lewis from the St Lucia Tourist Board, who where hosting our trip, at the BA sales desk. The St Lucia Tourist board had invited its top 10 agents on the trip. Chelcie handed out our boarding passes and we were treated to Club World (business class). Our flight was at 10:10am so we had a few hours to spare as we went through fast track security. We had use of the BA lounge which was very comfortable and relaxing, away from the hustle and bustle of the airport. I would recommend a lounge before you travel as you can sit back and relax and enjoy the refreshments. Click here for more information regarding booking airport lounges.

Boat Trip

At 13.10pm we arrive at St Lucia ahead of schedule. The weather outside looks delightful. I was feeling very relaxed and raring to go after my first experience in Business Class.  We collect our luggage and meet up for our complimentary transfer to the Landings Hotel where we will be staying for two nights. The driver was very good, telling us all about St Lucia and its history.

The journey to the North of the Island takes 90 minutes through the hills. The views of the island are stunning and the most spectacular I have seen. If you are not the best traveller by road, there is the opportunity to travel by helicopter and I have been told that this is the way to travel as the views are amazing. You will also fly over the famous Pitons.

We arrived and checked in at The Landings. The resort is stunning and very luxurious. I shared a 3 bedroom suite with two others, it was like a mini apartment and it is a great location for families, friends and groups. I had the bedroom which had the Jacuzzi straight outside my room… result!

We then all meet for a few drinks in the lobby to get acquainted before we head of to ’Blues at the Beach’ for our evening meal. The evening was great, the food was very nice and the local drink, ‘Piton’, went down very nicely. After the meal we listened and danced to some Blues music, the entertainment was very very good. I tried to stay up late to get myself used to the time zone.

Friday 6th May 2011

I awoke early so I decided to get up and have a jog… only kidding; I took stroll along the beach instead. The sky was clear and the sun was rising. What a beautiful day we are going to have.

Breakfast & then Site Inspection at ‘The Landings’

The Landings

Situated on Rodney bay, in the northwest of the island overlooking Saint Lucia’s most breathtaking beach and with the islands only private harbour. The resort is ideally located for all the superb restaurants and shops in the Rodney bay area. The Landings offers a great self catered holiday with the convenience and facilities of a modern luxury resort. Great location for water-sports plus you can also enjoy the complimentary membership of the St Lucia Golf & Country Club.

The resort has two & three bedroom villa suites with a few one bedroom suites. Each suite is beautifully furnished and finished to a high quality. All bedrooms feature an en suite. Many suites offer a private plunge pool which I was lucky enough to get.

What you need to know…

• Quality Accommodation, prime location on St Lucia’s best beach.
• Accommodation: 122 rooms.
• Luxurious suites are great for families or even small groups.
• Complimentary shuttle to Rodney Bay where you will be able to sample some great local restaurants.

We meet the driver and then transfer to Rendezvous for a site inspection accompanied by cocktails and canapés.

Rendezvous Site Inspection – All Inclusive

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