Finding the reset button before you (officially, finally) lose your shit…
I was unhappy at work. I was in a mental rut.
Like many of you, I dealt with the challenges of navigating through working remotely and isolated from human beings. I recalled days where I wouldn’t smile or laugh at any point because I went from meeting to meeting, straight into business, with zero time to decompress. There were no passing moments with colleagues to share a funny story or talk about personal life. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t bullshit around at work, but I am human. Finally, the volume of last minute projects that were thrown on my lap made the last 12+ months felt like a mental bootcamp. Without getting into the details, it took every ounce of my sanity to power through it and come out on top.
I accepted a new role at my company and took some time off before it started. I decided to take a solo trip to reset. A friend of mine recently came back from this wellness trip in Saint Lucia and I had to give this place a visit. It sounded like exactly what I needed.
bodyholiday. Their motto is “Give us your body for a week and we’ll give you back your mind.” Okay, sign me up! Whether you are the type who wants to literally do nothing on vacation or one who wants to do something every single minute, I think you’ll love it at bodyholiday. I’m in the second camp; I don’t know how to relax. And relaxing makes me a bit anxious that I’m not out there actively doing something. If I can take an afternoon to relax on a trip and be active the rest of the time, I’m happy.
Activities
See below for the listing of activities during the week I visited.
These activities were included in the all-inclusive rate. I didn’t have to book in advance, but there are capacity limits. Given the resort’s occupancy during my stay, I didn’t have to worry about getting there early. In fact, I was probably on time or a few minutes late to each activity since I was rushing over from the last one.
There are definitely some supplemental activities for an additional charge such as scuba diving and golf, but trust me, there’s already enough to do!
Wellness
Boasting over 170 treatments, bodyholiday’s daily spa treatment was an amazing bonus to end the day after all of the activities. Once you’ve confirmed your treatments upon arrival, there’s no need to check in and you go straight to the spa treatment room. There are a few massages that are included in the all-inclusive rate and are 50 minutes long, but you can pay for upgrades or additional treatments. On their site, they tell you that you cannot get an inclusive treatment on the day you check-in or check-out, but I was able to get one the day I left.
Food & Drink
There were six restaurants, three of which require a reservation in advance (Tao (Asian fusion), Windows (chef’s special menu with paired tasting menu), and I-TAL (vegetarian dining experience). There is one option for breakfast and two lunch options plus a wellness bar with juices and smoothies. Depending on the evening, there were 1-3 restaurants available for dinner. There’s a wine bar and two other bars and nightly entertainment. On Wednesday, the general manager hosted a welcome cocktail party which was great to mingle with the other new guests.
The resort hosts a “communal table” each night (ask the concierge which restaurant depending on the night) to mix/mingle with other guests and someone from the resort hosting the table.
Room
My room was a Luxury Ocean View room which had a pretty amazing view. But, I was hardly in my room. I was out the door no later than 7am and passed out from the day’s activities by 9:30/10pm. Sleeping in was not an option, partially due to the uncomfortable bed and partially due to wanting to get the most from the day. There’s a pillow menu so you can at least enjoy your pillow of choice. Also, there’s no TV in any of the rooms to help the guests totally unplug and unwind (but there’s wifi in the rooms).
COVID-19
The guidelines are pretty fluid, but the website is very informative. During my stay in August 2021, a negative PCR test was required within 5 days of travel (whether or not you are vaccinated). Saint Lucia did not require fully vaccinated guests, but you cannot go outside of your hotel/resort if unvaccinated. For fully vaccinated guests, they provide you with a wristband upon entering the country and you are free to explore outside of the resort. Honestly, book a different trip to Saint Lucia if you’re that interested in going off site!
Generally, you don’t need a mask anywhere except entering a restaurant, walking around any food buffet areas, or during the COVID-19 test. The resort offers a free antigen test for re-entry to home or entry to another country. A PCR test costs $200. Book your test upon arrival with the concierge. The test takes less than 5 minutes.
Next time
If I could do it all over again, there’s really only two things I would change. First, I would stay for at least eight days. While I definitely got to do pretty much everything, my body hurt so good each morning because I pushed my body to its limit with the number of activities.
Second, I would take the helicopter ride for $175pp each way to and from the airport. This would double as a perfect tour to see amazing views of the island from the top. Travel by private car is 90+ minutes each way and was somewhat nauseating for me.
Traveling solo
There were plenty of families, couples, and groups of friends visiting bodyholiday. But there were also a large number of solo travelers. There’s plenty of planned opportunities to mingle with other guests (communal table at the restaurants, welcome cocktail hour, through the different activities). But there’s also an incredible opportunity to enjoy the time by yourself to rest, reflect, and rediscover the excitement of doing things on your own. I know I started this post by saying how being isolated in a remote work environment contributed to my rut. But that was forced on me. Traveling alone was my choice and having the freedom to choose makes all of the difference. Being there alone meant I got to choose my own adventure and not cater my activities to anyone but myself. It’s not weird, I promise. I remember a post I made back in 2015 about traveling alone and these myths still hold true today.
I observed that the majority of groups traveling together did not pursue the same activities together anyway. It was a perfect time for me to start this blog post, journal, refresh my goals, and just bask in what this resort has to offer.
It was the perfect reset. I got my mind back. I’m ready to take on the next chapters of my life.
Other travel tips
Must Pack
- More workout clothes than days you’re there. 🙂
- Grip socks (if planning to do barre). They are optional, but makes the workout just a tad bit easier.
- Collapsable beach/workout bag that’s easy to roll up in your suitcase. Definitely came in handy at the beach and all of the different activities.
- Wide-brim hat.
- Loose dress/cover-up for the spa.
- Sandals to shower in the spa prior to the wellness treatments.
- Sunblock.
- Waterproof bag for phone. I took my phone with me on the kayak and paddle board for photos.
- Bug spray.
- Ear plugs for light sleepers. The locusts or birds at night are pretty loud outside of the rooms.
They provide each guest with a water bottle and plenty of filling stations around the resort.
Other
- Prior to departure, complete the travel authorization form two different times (stlucia.org/covid-19). The first time needs to be completed prior to seven days of travel and then a second one needs to be completed when uploading the negative PCR test within five days of travel. Once the authorization is reviewed and approved, there is a Travel Authorization Letter with a QR code granting access to Saint Lucia. Print out and provide at check-in at the airport.
- Print the negative PCR and provide at check-in at the airport.
- There is a health assessment that needs to be completed on the day of departure. They suggest printing out a copy to provide to the airport upon arrival, but they had some on the plane. I think they ran out before they could distribute to the entire flight though.
- Use the Bodyholiday webroom login to book your spa treatments ahead of time. The resort already had my massages booked and ready to go upon check-in. Make sure to get a massage on the day you check-out. If not, ask to double up on a previous day.
- Use the webroom to book for certain activities (optional). You can simply show up. My suggestion is not to book anything in advance (except for supplemental activities) in case you decide you want to do something else at the last minute.
- Kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding are first come, first serve all day. The Hobie cat sailing, water-skiing, and wakeboarding are first come, first serve in the afternoons starting at 2pm.
- 9 holes of golf are included for free if you pay for the first 9 holes.
- If you’d like to visit Tao, Windows, or the I-TAL experience, book those reservations in advance (even before arrival).
- There’s a welcome tour each day at 10am to tour the facilities.
- Take advantage of the wellness cafe after your workouts! They offer smoothies, juices, and different juice shots.
Happy travels!
