Erika Coyes Travel

31/01/2025

Important 🇲🇽 if you are staying in the Cancun area or the Mayan Riviera, you need to pay the Visitax before you go. This is a tourist tax. This tax was introduced a while go but hasn’t really been enforced. However, are now starting to check for confirmation at the Cancun airports. This is a mandatory tax for all visitors.

You pay online. There are many third party sites that pop up on a google search, but they charge high service fees. I’m sharing a link to the official website below, use this link to pay, and I recommend that you take a screen shot of your payment confirmation:

https://www.visitax.gob.mx/sitio/

08/01/2025

Headed to Europe? It’s always important to stay up to date on travel requirements. 🌎 Here’s an update on UK’s ETA and EU’s ETIAS.

As of today (January 8), Canadian citizens will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to visit or transit through the United Kingdom. The digital application process costs £10 ($18 CAD). Each authorization is valid for multiple trips over two years (or until the traveller’s passport expir...

04/01/2025

Sailing on an authentic tall ship is on my bucket list...

Star Clippers proudly carries on the tradition of the tall ships with three magnificent clippers combining all the modern comforts of today with the grace an...

31/12/2024

2024 Travel Recap ✨ Sailed with 4 fantastic cruise lines this year, each ship provided very different styles of cruising:

Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Princess
Cunard
Paul Gauguin Cruises

We also had the opportunity to tour & dine on one of Uniworld River Cruises’ elegant ships in Venice.

When we cruise, we always build a land component in, before or after we sail, allowing more time to explore a destination.

Not all of our travel has been cruising, we took our first coach tour, and even went on a motor bike trip.

Countries visited in 2024:

Portugal
Mexico
Italy
Malta
Croatia
French Polynesia (Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora)
United States

Grateful for each adventure, as this year has provided invaluable experience and an abundance of professional development.

Thank you to all of you who have trusted me with your travels, and thank you to those that I will be working with in 2025.

Happy New Year!

23/12/2024

Reflecting on this past year, I am especially grateful for the relationships in my life. Family, friends, clients, industry partners & colleagues - you have made this year unforgettable! Thank you ✨ May this Christmas bring you all that you wish for. Looking forward to more adventures in 2025!

20/12/2024

Who’s dreaming of Christmas Markets in Europe? A river cruise on the Rhine or Danube will bring you to the heart of the action. The sights, sounds, and smells create a magical festive experience. Traditional food and drink, live music, lights, and shopping all bring history and culture together during this magical season.

Fantastic promotions coming January 2nd, including complimentary land packages with select itineraries.

📸 AmaWaterways

18/12/2024

Explora Journeys launched in 2023 with the vision of transforming luxury cruises in to ocean journeys. With two stunning ships in fleet, and another one on the way, Explora’s expansion has demonstrated substantial success. An all-inclusive cruise, timeless elegance, with elevated culinary & wellness experiences.

Explora is top of our list for 2025, we will be sailing in March.

It’s an excellent time to book, Explora Journeys is running a Unique Oceans Offer until February 28th.

17/12/2024

It’s been a busy holiday season, helping people find their perfect cruise vacation. So many choices! Wondering what people are booking? Here’s the last four cruises that were booked for clients:

Scenic River Cruise - Bordeaux 🇫🇷🍷

A Mediterranean cruise on Princess’ newest ship, Sun Princess 🇮🇹🇬🇷🇪🇸 Italy, Greece & Spain.

Paul Gauguin Cruise - small ship sailing French Polynesia: Bora Bora, Moorea and Tahiti 🇵🇫

Holland America - Western Caribbean Islands🌴

Each cruise company, ship design, passenger demographics, and itinerary is unique. Working with a cruise expert ensures you’re reviewing your best options, with the best value.

Need some travel inspiration? Reach out!

12/12/2024

Making memories, that’s what it’s all about. Celebrating a milestone birthday in style! Thank you for your kind words Kathy, it truly was a pleasure to help you plan your big trip. I’m so happy you loved your first cruise!

08/12/2024

This fantastic couple had an incredible adventure. Thank you J & S for the kind review. It’s always great to work with you!

03/12/2024

What a trip! November 23-30, 7 night sailing with Paul Gauguin Cruises. I partnered with my friend and colleague Tricia, together we hosted 60 guests onboard this stunning ship! As a Travel Agent and business owner, it brings me so much joy to see people having fun…. and fun was had!

Tricia and I started working on this trip two years ago… it was hard to believe time went by so quickly. We kicked off the week with a private cocktail party on the sun deck, while the colours of the sunset danced across the ocean. It was another ‘pinch me’ moment. Looking around at all the happy people was a bit surreal. My heart was bursting with gratitude. I truly love working with all of my clients, this trip felt extra special because I had the opportunity to see them experience their bucketlist destination.

Many people have been curious about our cruise experience with Paul Gauguin. Here’s some highlights:

Award winning small luxury ship, feels very spacious with only 330 guests onboard.

The service is absolutely outstanding with a crew-to-guest ratio of 1:1.5 In addition to the energetic, warm & friendly crew, there are a group of local Tahitians called Les Gauguin & Les Gauguines who serve as local hosts, entertainers & storytellers, sharing the authentic rich cultural heritage of the islands.

Designed specifically for French Polynesia, Paul Gauguin visits islands that aren’t available to bigger ships. Daily port stops each day brought new adventures. We spent time on the islands of Tahiti, Huahine, Taha’a, Moorea and Bora Bora. On this cruise, you can disembark the ship and explore on your own or you can take one of the many optional excursions. Paul Gauguin even has a private island (I’ll share more about our port stops in another post).

Truly an all-inclusive experience with unlimited drinks, food, and wifi. Gratuities are also included.

3 restaurants for dinner, as well as options for breakfast & lunch. You can also enjoy complimentary room service. Food was fantastic!

The massages at the spa were heavenly. The gym was small, but worked will enough to squeeze in some work outs.

Although a small ship does not have all of the entertainment options that a larger ship offers, there was always fun to be found at the piano bar, or at the theatre for local performances or the disco. One of our favourite evenings during our week was Polynesian night, everyone dressed up and enjoyed traditional music, food & activities. Local performers came onboard to perform traditional dancing.

After great days of exploring, our favourite place to sit and have a pre-dinner cocktail was the pool deck - the views looked like a postcard!

We stayed in a Category D balcony cabin, it was well laid out with excellent storage. There are also higher room categories available with more space, larger terraces and even personal butlers.

One of our favourite parts about a cruise is only having to unpack once. We had a fantastic time exploring the week before we started our cruise, but there was lots of unpacking & repacking and we had lug our bags around on the ferries when we explored different places. Once we boarded the ship, we were pampered! It was such a treat to hand over our luggage, we even had laundry services available to press our wrinkly clothes.

This cruise was a 10/10 ⭐️ If French Polynesia is on your bucket list, a cruise with Paul Gauguin will provide luxury, value and ease to explore.

As a cruise expert affiliated with Virtuoso, I have strategic partnerships with various cruise lines, including Paul Gauguin, which provides me access to exclusive pricing & amenities.

I’m here to help you plan your next cruise vacation.

www.erikacoyes.com
[email protected]

28/11/2024

2 days in Bora Bora, our highlight was snorkelling and swimming with the rays & sharks. The coral gardens were so beautiful. On our second day, we rented electric scooters and a mini electric car to explore. The landscape and contrast of colours make this island very unique.

26/11/2024

We have spent 3 nights onboard our 7 night cruise with Paul Gauguin. There is so much to share, we are loving every minute!

Out first stop was the island of Huahine. We took an ATV tour of the island and spent some time snorkeling. Our ATV guide was proud to share the strong history and strength of his people. Huahine is said to be one of the most authentic islands in French Polynesia. There are less than 7000 people living on the island with many restrictions preventing expansion.

We spent the day yesterday in Taha’a on Paul Gauguin’s private island (Motu Mahana). Mesmerized by the incredible water as our tender approached the dock, we were greeted by singing Gaugins & Gaugines. We sipped cocktails from the floating bar, snorkelled, and enjoyed an amazing bbq.

We are arriving in Bora Bora this morning. Our cruise itinerary includes an overnight on Bora Bora, allowing us two days to explore this iconic island. More pics to come!

21/11/2024

Exceptional stay at Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort! Every detail, perfection! Our overwater bungalow was truly magical, an experience that will not be forgotten. Although the Sofitel in Moorea is a large property, it feels secluded and intimate. Winding pathways lined with palm trees, stunning views & lush landscaping.

In addition to bungalows over the water, they also offer beach front bungalows, ocean view bungalows and garden bungalows. The property has a gorgeous white sand beach with lounging chairs, as well as a small infinity pool.

In addition to their regular restaurant (which is fantastic), they showcase K, a gourmet restaurant where you can enjoy the world class cuisine or Chef Frederic. We indulged in a five course tasting menu with wine pairing, it was a beautiful evening. The breakfast buffet was delicious, and there is also a fantastic beach bar open during the day. Our bartender made the best tropical cocktails and we enjoyed fresh coconut water.

We experienced Polynesian massages at Le Jardin Spa, pampering at its finest. This style of massage concentrates on the lines of energy in your body, the therapist uses monoi oil while using fluid techniques, in a rhythmic pattern.

The Sofitel collection is part of Marriot, so it’s an excellent opportunity to use or earn your Marriot rewards. This property is perfect for a pre or post cruise experience in French Polynesia.

Next up, we will be exploring Moorea island and staying in a charming guest house, up in the mountains. We have a rental car, excited to check out the sites!

19/11/2024

19/11/2024

First accommodation of this trip: Te Moana Tahiti Resort. We checked in yesterday and have one more night to go. When looking at options for Tahiti, I had very specific criteria in mind. I wanted a smaller property on the ocean, with a good pool & gym. Prices for hotels always fluctuate based on demand. We booked Te Moana over a year ago and secured an excellent price.

Te Moana has 120 rooms, with a variety of room categories. We selected a suite which included a living area, small kitchenette, large bathroom with a walk in shower and soaker tub. The property is beautifuly landscaped, featuring an infinity pool that overlooks the ocean with views of Moorea in the distance.

This resort in not all-inclusive. They have fantastic restaurants for breakfast and dinner onsite. The food we ate was excellent. The beach bar is located ocean front, perfect for sunsets. I had the best pina colada of my life - it was made with coconut ice cream and then topped with shaved coconut. A dream! Available in alcohol free as well.

Their activity centre is open daily, you can rent kayaks, paddle boards or sign up for different tours. You can also snorkel right from the resort. Lots of cool fish!

This resort is a little dated, the rooms could use a refresh. The gym was very small, but it will work for 2 days. The views and the warm, friendly staff made up for the little things that weren’t perfect. It’s important to me that I share an honest review… but seriously, who can complain in paradise?! Very grateful to be here.

We rented a car for our two days in Tahiti and drove the parimeter of the island. So fun! I’ll share more pictures and info about Tahiti in another post. (You can also follow my Instagram account , I’m posting stories).

Tomorrow we will leave this island, taking a ferry to the island of Moorea to stay in an overwater bungalow. For now, I’m going to soak up the rest of our Tahitian moments ☀️