Testimonials

I was referred to Janelle by a close friend when the task of planning my destination wedding called.  Overwhelmed with planning, I decided to take a chance with Janelle and it was a miracle from heaven! I provided Janelle with my details and budget and she found the perfect package for myself and guests at Couples Swept Away Resort in Negril, Jamaica.  With a guest list of thirty, Janelle took care of all our travel needs in an organized and timely manner and in the event she was unavailable, Cathy was attentive, helpful and a problem solver!

Couples Swept Away is not only a great deal, but their service and property is unparalleled.  Upon arrival, we were instantly “Swept Away.” We were greeted with a cool hand towel and a glass of sparkling champagne.  After checking in, our luggage was picked up and we were escorted to our suite.  As soon as the door swung open, we were introduced to impeccably spotless accommodations that smelled pleasantly of lemongrass.  Every need was met and if it was not readily available, concierge was happy to assist.  Our wedding was more than we could ever ask for.  Alicea was our coordinator and she went out of her way to make every detail run smoothly and beautifully.  We were treated like King and Queen and our guests were treated with the same sentiment.  Every one of our guests left saying “We are definitely coming back next year!”  This location is truly a gem.  Thank you Janelle for suggesting this location and for all of your help : )

Janelle,

We had a very early flight on the day we left. Both flights were on time, however, the second plane was SMALL! (American Airlines is going to be flying to St. Lucia direct SOON!) When we arrived in St. Lucia, our transfer was waiting for us. The airport in St. Lucia is tiny. I have been on several vacations when the transfer had to make several stops at various hotels to let other people off, so it was great that we were the only ones in the van. This saved so much time and we were excited to get to our cottage. The driver was friendly and answered many of our questions as we headed to our hotel (or should I say paradise?) By the time we arrived at Ti Kaye Village, it was about three o’ clock and we were hungry! We were greeted with a complimentary rum punch (yummy, but I prefer mine without the nutmeg.) As we sat down for a delicious lunch in their beautiful, open (no walls), relaxing restaurant, instrumental music was playing. We looked at each other because it was not just any music. The song that we heard was our wedding song!!!! Needless to say, we knew that we chose the perfect destination for our honeymoon.

When we were escorted to our oceanfront cottage, we were amazed. There were flowers on the king sized four-post bed, as well as on the two robes that were neatly folded on the bed. The deck with rocking chairs, table, and hammock overlooked the water. The outdoor shower was one of the highlights. What freedom! The best part was definitely the plunge pool! Nine of the cottages at Ti Kaye have private plunge pools. The cost of the cottage increases, but it is so worth it!!! It was the best, especially during the sunset or after lunch to cool off instead of having to hike down 161 steps to get to the beach. The steps are steep and windy and a little bit tough walking back up in the sun, but it’s a way to get some exercise. Rarely do you see a location advertised where the pictures are breathtaking, but when you arrive there, you are even more pleased. The plunge pool was right over the water! The first time I saw it, I opened the door to the outdoor shower and I said “You have to be kidding me!” It was truly unbelievable.

The cottage, along with the restaurant and beach bar, was very clean. One day the filter on the plunge pool was not turned on, and it was not as clean as it was the day before. We called the front desk and they immediately sent Santis to rectify the problem. The staff was very friendly. They were accommodating, funny, and eager to please. The two ladies in the lobby, Giselle and Lita, were wonderful and professional. George and Gus were always kidding around and were really nice guys. I loved the fruit punch at breakfast and I asked for it at lunch one day and the waitress made me a blended drink from the fruit punch. The day we went to Castries, we bought passion fruit and the staff made me juice.

We read about not missing the fish fry on Friday night. It was a lot of fun and after a few drinks (and a few more), it was really an ice breaker and a great way to get to know the other couples and vacationers. The only other evening we chose not to eat at Ti Kaye was when we went to the Rainforest Café. It was good, but I didn’t feel it was worth the $70 water taxi. Even if you go with other couples, it is still $70 a couple just for the water taxi. We loved all of the meals at Ti Kaye. We loved the ambiance of the restaurant at night. We were sorry we did not try the St. Lucian breakfast until our last morning there, because it was delicious.

My husband rented snorkeling gear and tried scuba diving, but I did nothing but what I intended on doing – relaxing! We took a half day trip to Castries for shopping and lunch. Our honeymoon was perfect. When anyone asks me, I say that our travel agent, Janelle, really listened to what we wanted. If you are looking for a secluded, relaxing, beautiful honeymoon, I strongly recommend Ti Kaye Village. We will definitely return. We booked about ten months ahead of time, and because we did, we were given the best cottage (M – Mele). The reason I feel this way is because it was all the way on the end with nobody to our left, the ocean in front of us and with the private plunge pool. The sunsets were wonderful, as were the wine and fruit basket and the couples massage (they came right to our cottage and gave us the massages right on our deck.) We could not ask for anything more but to have stayed longer!!! We loved Ti Kaye Village, the food, the staff, the beach, and the cottage. One day, we hope to visit again.

Carla

Janelle,

We just wanted to thank you again for planning such a great honeymoon for us. Everything went so well with the transfers, hotel arrangements, and the advice you gave. It will forever be a trip that we will remember, and one that we will hopefully be able to take again on an anniversary.

I apologize for the delay in this e-mail, but upon returning we both became very busy and had several adjustments to make. As a note, we will definitely be recommending you as Sharon did for us for any friends that are thinking of going to French Polynesia.

Thanks,

Ashley and Nate Whitley

Hey Janelle,

Just wanted to say thank you for all your help and suggestions with the honeymoon. We had a terrific time at the One and Only Pamilla. The transportation worked out perfect as well. Overall we could not have been happier and can definitely see ourselves going back to that resort in the future.

Thanks again Janelle.

Very Best Regards,

Neil Kelly

Good Afternoon Janelle,

WOW!! What a fabulous recommendation you had for the Amanyara. Things here have been awesome. The staff and the amenities have been great. Thanks again for all of your help!

Chris & Amanda

Janelle,

Air Tahiti Nui flight from LAX to Papeete: Our flight from NYC arrived on time which meant we had about 3 hours until our ATN flight left. Luckily, since we flew American, we were able to check our bags through to Papeete with no problems. Our flight was probably half full or less and we were in 2 seats next to each other (in the 2-4-2 configuration). We didn’t move to spread out in the center rows, but we could have if we wanted to. We thought the food was relatively good, considering it was airline food. It was nice to have the movies and games, but we mostly slept on the way over. Overall, flight was fine. I was glad we didn’t urpgrade with cash to business or first. Would have if we had the miles, but probably not for cash as it was expensive.

Radisson Papeete: We got to Papeete, grabbed our luggage, and found Marama tours. It was all easy, no problems there. We thought the Radisson was very nice, although it was quite far from the airport. Didn’t spend much time there but we did get an oceanview room with a jacuzzi. Our transfer arrived a little early the next morning and we left shortly after 7:00 am for our 9:00 flight. We were glad we did because it took us about an hour to get to the airport with all the traffic, very congested. Originally we were a little nervous about making it in time to check into our flight, etc, but once we saw the domestic terminal we just smiled and knew we would be fine. We really liked leaving early that day so we had the full day on Moorea.

We met our Albert’s transfer at the Moorea airport and he brought us to the IC. Bit of a ride (and boy could Ramon talk) but it was nice to get a tour of the island. We were happy when we got to the hotel that our beach bungalow was ready for us, but we did not get our request. I was a little disappointed at first, but honestly, you really can’t be disappointed there for long 🙂 We got #307, which I think was one of the better ones, and would suggest it to other people. Our only complaint with the bungalow was that we saw lots of tiny ants crawling around, but quickly figured out that they were coming from the flowers that housekeeping brought to the room. So we killed the ones we saw with the spray they leave you and then asked them not to bring the flowers anymore, so problem solved 🙂

When we arrived I have to admit I was a little nervous about the food and drink prices since everyone talks about how expensive it is, etc etc. Honestly, we didn’t think it was bad at all. Maybe since we live near Boston and are used to city prices, we really weren’t shocked, and I was actually a little relieved. Yes, if you’re going to drink pina coladas all day you will pay dearly for them, but beer and wine was close to what you would pay here, esp at a hotel. Overall, we really liked the food at the IC and loved having the beach bungalow, definitely the way to go. The only excursion we did on Moorea was the 4×4 tour with Tom from Albert’s, and that was a lot of fun. Our bungalow was across from the dolphin center so we could watch the dolphins when we wanted, but we mostly relaxed on the beach or our deck and snorkled.

The only drawback to the IC I think is that it’s a little far removed from other resorts and restaurants, which we liked because it was so quiet, but if you want to go shopping and out to dinner a lot it would be a bit of a drawback. We went to the Petit Village twice and bought a bracelet at Tahia Collins (fun :)). Our only dinner out was at Alfredos on Thursday night. We both liked our meals, and Ron for the entertainment. We had to wait quite a while to get the shuttle back to the IC because they only wanted to make one trip, so we had to wait for a large party who arrived at 8 to finish, while we had arrived at 7 and were ready to go by 9:30. we ended up waiting an extra hour, which wasn’t bad since we had Ron but did increase our bill 🙂

Now while we liked Moorea and really enjoyed ourselves, we had no idea what we were in for on BB. We got our Albert’s transfer to the airport for our flight to BB and checked in. Our bags were overweight, which we knew, so we paid up front for the round trip flight since they offered a 30% discount (we did the math- even with what we weren’t bringing back, it’s worth it). There was a little bit of confusion when we arrived in BB as they didn’t seem to have our confirmation sheet, but they showed us to the shuttle boat and off we went. I think the best moment of the trip is when we were going by the new Four Seasons, St. Regis and finally arrived at the Thalasso. We were stunned, as were the 3 other couples on the boat with us. Unfortunately, they were all at the Moana, so while we got off (wondering if we were at the right place since no one else seemed to be moving) they were sitting in awe. I knew it would be beautiful, but nothing can prepare you for that.

We were brought in one of the cart to the reception area, where we sat ourside enjoung our juice and chocolate mousse by the ocean (how can you beat that!). We filled out our paperwork and off we went for our tour and to the bungalow. Again, we did not get our request, and we were fairly close to the beach which was a little disappointing at first, but I think in the end it was nice to not be so far out. We were in #240. It was ok, probably not one of “the best” ones but we’re not really complainers 🙂

It was nice knowing that we had the meal plan on BB and I would probably look into doing it again if (when :)) we went again. We ate at the restaurant 3 of the 4 nights, as we tried to get a reservation at Bloody Marys when we arrived but were told they were booked for our entire stay for dinner. Our one dinner on the island was at Villa Mahana, which was amazing. We each got the tasting menu, not the Royal but the other one. We ate every bite and were stuffed, of course, but we saw some other people sharing one meal and I have to say, I wanted my own 🙂 Expensive- yes, but not moreso than we would pay for that kind of meal in a French restaurant in Boston, and it was 10 times better. We did make it to Bloody Mary’s for lunch which was fine, at least we got to see it and have a couple drinks at the bar. Wasn’t the same experience as dinner I’m sure but we still got the effect.

We did the shark and stingray feeding tour and booked through the hotel. I’m not going to lie, I was scared. I had never snorkled before so Moorea was good practice, but the guides were definitely pretty nonchalant about the whole thing. It was a cool experience, I’m glad we did it, but I don’t think I’d feel the need to go again 🙂 I did book the spa for a couple of treatments and they were wonderful. I had a body scrub and a facial. The facial was the best one ever, so relaxing. The esthetician even gave me a foot massage while she had a mask on my face- heaven!! I would definietly suggest booking the treatments you want before you go as I went to book the first morning I was there and had a tough time getting in during our stay. People who book the honeymoon packages, which are very extensive, book up a lot of the available time and have first pick, obviously. So my recommendation to other people going (at least this time of year) would be to book restaurants and the spa before if they can.

Our flight from BB to Papeete was delayed for a while, 1 1/2 hrs or so, which made everyone scramble to catch their connecting flights. it was definitely chaos. we had several people on the direct flight to NYC who were freaking out because their flight was supposed to leave PPT at 9:00 pm and we landed around 8:50. we had to scramble to catch our 10:00 pm flight but made it ok. Flight back was fine, a little more full than the way over, but comfortable enough.

Overall, the trip was amazing. I’m glad we did the length of time we did, the islands we chose, and the order. we liked Moorea, but after going to BB, don’t think we would go back. I just liked the BB atmosphere better, as did Kevin, which I think would lead us to do Tahaa and BB next time. I’m really hoping for a return trip for our 2 yr anniversary 🙂 We didn’t really felt like we overpacked much on clothes, but we did bring dvds, books, a portable ipod player, stuff like that. We LOVED having the ipod speakers, the best thing we brought. we used it every day. we brought floats and used them a few times, probably wouldn’t bring them again. definitely liked having a couple of bottles of liquor just to have drinks and relax in our rooms without having to go to the bar. All the advice we got was wonderful.

So again, can’t thank you enough for all of your help along the way. It was definietly the trip of a lifetime!!

Thank you,

Katie Tully

Hi Janelle –

We had an amazing time, everything was very orderly and professional – your help is was much appreciated. Dinner at La Villa Mahana was exceptional and the weather early on was spectacular. We ran into a little rain/wind while in Bora Bora for a few days, but it was a great experience.

Much appreciated, will be sure to recommend you to others.

Thanks,

Eric

Janelle,

Here is our review of our Thanksgiving stay at the Four Seasons Costa Rica.

Airport:  Although several hotels have shuttle service, we arranged to have Swiss Travel transport us between the airport and the hotel.  I think we were scheduled/paid for shared van service, but ended up having a private ride in both directions.  This company was terrific, the drivers were very friendly and knowledgeable, and they even stopped along the way for us to take pictures of wildlife, etc.

Hotel: Upon arrival to the hotel, as with any 4S trip, we were greeted by name and offered fruit juice and a cold towel.  The staff remembered our names throughout the duration of the trip and were some of the most friendly and knowledgeable people we encountered. We did not have to check in at the front desk, but instead we were immediately transported to our room.  We were even given an upgraded premium room!  Although we stayed on an upper level with an oceanview, we heard that the gardenview rooms (first floor) had a better view since they did not have the thick foliage from the trees outside which the upper level rooms had.  In terms of location, I think all of the rooms are great.  Unlike the 4S Maui which is much larger, this 4S is more intimate and pretty much all of the hotel rooms had a fantastic view.   While here, we also took advantage of the spa and the golf course.  Both were fantastic and we highly recommend them!  Although we brought our own clubs, we were told that club/shoe rental is free during the twilight (i.e. after 2pm) golf.  There are 3 pools and 2 beach areas.  One of the pools was for adults only and was right near the quieter beach.  The staff came around frequently to offer complimentary frozen smoothies, popsicles, water, cold towels, face mist, and even cleaned our sunglasses!  Although we were told the beaches are public and various people may wander around selling things, we saw very few vendors and they were very nice and quick to walk away if you said you were not interested in their products.

Activities: Upon arrival, we immediately signed up for the free activities offered at the hotel and I recommend signing up early, especially since they can only accommodate 6 people.  We did not do any of the hiking trips, but we really enjoyed the kayaking/snorkeling.  In addition to the hotel activities, we pre-arranged a tour with Mainor Lara (Tours Your Way) who we highly recommend.  We first heard about him from Trip Advisor and decided to book the Hacienda Guachipelin tour.  This tour was a full-day adventure of horseback riding, whitewater tubing, ziplining, rock climbing, rappelling, swinging, and visiting the mud bath/natural springs.  We were also provided with an excellent Costa Rican lunch (at a local restaurant) and Mainor took us on a few detours- we stopped at a pineapple stand, the supermarket, and a waterfall that was a hidden paradise.  Although a full day may seem exhausting, it is nice to get everything done all at once, especially when you are staying at a hotel that is far away.  One thing to mention is that although the hotels offer similar tours, those tours do not include the whitewater tubing (which was an incredible part of the trip!) and are more costly.  Mainor is very knowledgeable, speaks excellent English, and will pretty much accommodate your needs on each tour.  You will also learn to appreciate early on that having a tour with only a few people and traveling in the air conditioned van is much more luxurious than the large school buses and the large number of people in the other tour groups.  If you plan this kind of a tour, definitely bring a thin pair of hiking pants (for the horseback riding and the zipline) and a dark bathing suit that will not get stained from the volcanic mud bath.  Bugspray is also important (and much cheaper if you buy it in the US and bring it with you) as is calamine lotion.

Food:  Since we did not have a rental car during our stay in Costa Rica, we ate all of our meals at the Four Seasons.  As expected, the food was fantastic, though quite pricey.  There are 5 restaurants affiliated with the hotel and another one at the Beach club, so you can get about 6 days of different food experiences.  However, you may want to plan your meal locations for each day at the beginning of the trip since not all of the restaurants are open each day.  Two things to note:  First, there is a “juice of the day” offered for breakfast each day that is fantastic!  I do not regret ordering it each day, however, you may find yourself surprised at how much they charge for one glass of this juice; it is as expensive as one beer.  Second, we highly recommend room service, especially for breakfast.  They offer a more expansive menu than the restaurant and they set up a beautiful table for you on your private balcony.  Also, some of the room service food options were cheaper than the same options in the restaurant.  Water:  Unlike some hotels, the 4S provides a couple of free bottles of water in the room which are constantly replenished.  There are also water dispensers throughout the hotel, so I recommend bringing a water bottle with you.  At dinner, you will notice that they ask you if you would like (expensive) bottled water with your meals (e.g. Evian and Fiji), it took us a few days to realize that you can also order plain, filtered water at no charge.

Additional things:  Definitely bring a waterproof camera, particularly for the kayaking trips and the adventure tours since you will get wet.  Also, it is helpful to bring some extra zip lock bags for wet bathing suits, camera, etc. on the adventure tours.  It was also helpful to have a small backpack for keeping stuff together while on the tour.  One thing to note that a few people were confused about is that a 10% service charge is automatically added to all food/drink purchases (the reason for this is described in a book in the hotel room).  We were told that this is for gratuity and for those of us who prefer to give a larger tip (~20%), you simply have to add on an additional 10% (not an additional 20%).

Catherine and Matthew