Newfoundland Adventure Retreat

This “off-the-beaten-path” retreat is packed with unbelievable adventures – hiking spectacular trails, jigging for cod from a local working fishing boat, practicing yoga, kayaking the scenic shorelines, visiting charming seaside villages, enjoying the star filled sky from our remote island, visiting lighthouses, and oh so much more. We are fortunate to be led by Jacqueline Stanford, who has been running Women’s Quest Camps for the last 30 years, and local Newfoundland guides.

The beautiful island of Newfoundland is the most easterly part of Canada. Its varied landscape was shaped by the ice ages, leaving a rugged coastline of deep fjords and high coastal cliffs that plunge into the sea. Inland are miles and miles of moorland and forests studded by lakes and inhabited by moose and herds of caribou. Because of its proximity to the “Grand Banks,” some of the world’s richest fishing grounds,  we will have the opportunity to catch some cod!

Many Newfoundlanders are of Irish origin — a big reason why the Newfoundland accent has Irish undertones and the pub scene of St. John’s has folk music filling the air. This is not an act put on for visitors — it is a true part of the cultural fabric of the society. We will be fully embraced by “the cousins” when we partake in the Irish music and dance. If you get a chance, please view this to realize the real hospitality of the Newfoundlanders – “Come from Away”.  www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYjtD-SBpFw

From the quaint capital city of St. John’s to the working seaside village of Petty Harbor, we will spend our first days hiking, fishing, singing, dancing, and going to the Lantern Festival. But our journey to Newfoundland would not be complete until we are all “screeched in” and become honorary members of this community. One of our favorite parts of the trip is the boat ride to a remote and historic island located at the headlands of the Bay of Exploits on the rugged North East Coast of Newfoundland. We will visit Exploits Island where we will hike, kayak, enjoy the company of our local guide Paul, and gaze at the wide open starry night sky. Here, we will stay at the newly refurbished lighthouse. 

Onward to the spectacular Gros Morne National Park in all its wonder. A UNESCO World Heritage Site covering 1,805 square kilometers, the park is a never-ending series of wonders and delights and a demonstration of the spectacularly raw and enigmatic beauty of the physical world. You can hike the amazing landscape along the earth’s mantle or climb to life-changing summits. We will be staying in the quaint little town of Woody Point at Aunt Jane’s Place and participate in the local activities. Newfoundland is FANTASTIC!

What to Expect:
Most mornings we will wake and start the day with gentle yoga. This will be followed by homemade breakfasts with my favorite – scones and local jams. Our days are filled with exciting activities for every level that will vary with the terrain and the area of the province. We will be driving East to West and a side stop to the North and Exploits Island. At the end of each day we will have inspirational talks, heartfelt discussions, sharing our words of the day.

Highlights:

• 6 nights – 2 nights in B&B in St. John’s , 2 nights in the light keeper’s residence, and 2 nights in a B&B and hotel in Woody Point
• Private Tour St John’s and Exploits Island
• Lantern festival in St John’s
• Hikes around Eastern, Northern and Western Newfoundland
• Philanthropic project to be announced
• Transportation throughout the retreat
• Lifelong friendships and memorable experience
• Screech – in Ceremony and really getting to know the Newfoundlanders

Included in the Price:

• Lodging for 6 nights
• Delicious homemade food at most meals with sack lunches for our hikes.
• Professional guides each day
• Tour of Exploits Island and St. John’s
• Hiking Gros Morne National Park
• Screeched In Ceremony
• Irish song and dance with the locals
• Hikes with local guides
• Whale watching adventure and jigging for cod
• Cooking class – the fresh cod that you just caught.

Not Included:

• Tips for the guides
• One dinner in St John’s and one lunch
• International travel
• Taxi from airport to hotel

What are the accommodations?
The Roses Heritage House is where we will be staying when in St. John’s. Some guests described it as “An incredible time was had at The Roses! Top notch accommodations and care. The rooms were welcoming and comfortable, the location so central that we were able to reach downtown St. John’s in a few minutes’ walk, the breakfasts were delicious and made with local fare, but it was the entertaining and thoughtful hostesses that really cinched our stay. Such a lovely group of women. Thank you, ladies,” https://www.therosesnl.com   From there we will be staying one night on Exploits Island www.theescapenl.ca Our last nights will be in the Gros Morne area. At the B&B and the boutique hotel there will be double occupancy with 2 beds. Exploits Island will be a little cozier. Aunt Jane’s Place and hotel at Woody Point. 

Single occupancy – $700 additional cost

What will the food be like?
We will offer healthy meals at the retreat with locally caught seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables. Please let us know if you have dietary restrictions.

Do I Have to Be Experienced At Yoga?
We will try to have yoga everyday depending on the weather and our accommodations. The retreat is open to all levels of yoga experience, from fresh beginner to the practiced yogini, as each will practice according to individual need. Please bring your mat.

How Many participants will the Retreat include?
This Retreat is cozy. It is limited to 10 Women plus our 2 staff

What will a typical day be like at this Retreat?
There is no typical day – every day will be unique and loaded with adventure. Yoga for every skill level, great food, hiking, exploring, and kayaking are all part of the agenda.

What Will the Weather Be Like?
Average Weather in July in Newfoundland, Canada. Daily high temperatures from 69°F to 65°F, rarely falling below 56°F or exceeding 78°F. Last year had an exceptionally hot summer with temperatures hitting 82 degrees F. But be prepared for wind, rain, fog and great weather…

Travel
Please fly into Deer Lake (YDF)  and arrive  a day early. You will fly out of St. John’s NL (YYT) in the afternoon.  Women’s Quest will take you to the airport for your departing flight. The multi trip ticket should be around the same price as the round trip. You may opt for a round trip ticket to St John’s and enjoy a 7 hour drive back to St John’s from Deer Lake. If you need any help with flights, just give me a call Jacqueline 818-331-9955

Am I in good enough shape to do the retreat?

We adapt to all levels of fitness. Groups are formed according to each woman’s level of fitness, experience, and desire to challenge themselves. We do suggest that you start a training or workout program before you come so that you can get the most out of the retreat. Your training does not need to be a hard-core program…just get out and PLAY and BE ACTIVE several days a week.

Do I need to be an athlete to attend this retreat?
We feel the definition of an athlete is one who enjoys being active on a regular basis – not a competitive warrior. We have a wonderful supporting staff to help you every step of the way and all sessions will be made accessible for all participants.

Do I have to participate in everything on the schedule?
You do not need to participate in everything; you can pace yourself so that it is the perfect amount of activity for you. We fully support you in doing as much or as little as is right for you in the moment. The schedule gives you a sense of the flow of each day. It is subject to change, depending upon the needs of the group, weather, etc. We will go over the schedule each day at breakfast.

What is the average age on this retreat?
We have a wide range of women who attend our retreats, from 15-75 years young.

What if I am coming alone?
The majority of the women who attend our retreats come by themselves. Canada is a safe and easy country to travel as a single female… Although you may come alone, you will leave the retreat with new, lifelong friends!

Tell me about the staff
Women’s Quest staff are inspiring and spirited women!!! You will have the chance to play with women who are both phenomenal athletes and articulate teachers. The high staff-to-participant ratio allows opportunity for individual guidance, safe supervision for all activities and personal attention to your needs.

When does the retreat begin and end?
The Retreat begins on Saturday noon July 23th The Retreat ends on Friday at noon July 29th.

Payment Policy
A deposit is required to hold your reservation at a retreat. Deposits are $500 for domestic and $1,000 for international retreats. Additional deposits may be required to reserve a single room. All deposits are non-refundable.

We cannot hold your reservation until we have received your deposit. If you would like to reserve an available spot in a retreat 90 or fewer days prior to the retreat date, we require payment in full for the retreat to hold the spot. This is in accordance with our payment policy below.

Payment in full for all retreats is due 90 days prior to the retreat date. If you do not provide payment in full by 90 days prior to the retreat you risk losing your reservation.

A 4% payment processing fee will be added to all payments made using PayPal, Stripe or Venmo. 

You are welcome to send in a check or pay by Zelle to avoid this fee.

Cancellation Policy
If you must cancel a reservation, a full refund, less your deposit which is non-refundable, will be provided for any cancellation we receive in writing at least 91 days prior to the commencement date of the retreat. We are sorry but we cannot refund any payments for cancellations made 90 or fewer days prior to the commencement of the retreat.

We reserve the right to cancel retreats with inadequate participant interest. Women’s Quest IS NOT responsible for any personal expenses, such as airline tickets due to changes in schedules or tour cancellations.

Covid-19 Policy
Cancellations by Women’s Quest: Women’s Quest reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel or reschedule any retreat due to concerns over Covid-19. As a small company Women’s Quest is unfortunately not able to provide refunds of payments for retreats cancelled by Women’s Quest due to the Covid pandemic. This is primarily due to our financial commitments with the various retreat venues. As a result, in the event Women’s Quest cancels or reschedules a retreat due to Covid-19 Women’s Quest will apply all payments to the rescheduled or following year’s retreat, or to any other Women’s Quest retreat of your choosing through the end of the next year after the year in which the retreat was cancelled by Women’s Quest.  Because of the unforeseen and unprecedented circumstances of the outbreak, this policy supersedes earlier policies.

Cancellations by You: If you need or desire to cancel your reservation due to Covid-19, or failure to comply with the requirements of a negative test and being symptom free, this cancellation is subject to the Cancellation Policy above.  This is why we urge everyone to purchase travel insurance when signing up. 

Covid Waiver and Release
This waiver, release and acknowledgement of responsibilities is unfortunately necessary during this unique time of the Covid 19 pandemic. By signing up for and or attending any Women’s Quest retreat you agree to be bound by the terms of this document. We understand these times are challenging, however, these provisions are necessary to protect all attendees and staff members of Women’s Quest.

Testing For and Symptoms of Covid 19.  Irrespective of vaccination status you are required to provide a negative test for Covid 19 taken within 3 days of the commencement of the retreat. This test can be either a PCR test or a home antigen test. Also, irrespective of your vaccination status, you agree you will not attend the retreat if you have any symptoms of Covid 19 immediately prior to the beginning of the trip. These symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea (these, along with symptoms outline in the following link and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control shall be collectively referred to as the “Symptoms”.) More information on symptoms of Covid 19 can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html

Symptoms During the Retreat. In the event you develop any Symptoms during the retreat you must immediately leave the retreat and follow protocols outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and all local regulations. We understand this may result in you incurring significant expenses associated with separate accommodation and travel, however, you understand these expenses are not the responsibility of Women’s Quest and must be incurred by you. You agree to be fully honest with Women’s Quest staff in regard to any Symptoms you may develop and agree to comply with a request by Women’s Quest staff to depart as determined by Women’s Quest staff in their sole discretion. As provided below, this is why we strongly urge everyone to get travel insurance covering these and other expenses prior to departure.

Procedures During the Retreat. During the retreat Women’s Quest may, but need not, endeavor to practice social distancing and wearing of masks when traveling in close proximity. You agree to comply with all requests of Women’s Quest staff during the retreat related to these procedures. Any such procedures implemented by Women’s Quest are not a guaranty you will not be exposed to Covid 19 and you understand you are responsible for taking any precautions you deem necessary and providing your own personal protective equipment during the retreat. You also agree to comply with any reasonable requests by other attendees to respect their social distancing and other protective measures (“Participant Requests”.) Notwithstanding the foregoing, you are responsible to comply with all laws and regulations of the locality visited relating to protections against Covid 19.

Waiver of Coronavirus Related Illness; Indemnification. You understand that irrespective of protective measures that Women’s Quest or you may or may not take, you may be exposed to Covid 19 by another retreat attendee, a Women’s Quest staff member and or an individual to whom you may be exposed during, or traveling to or from the retreat. You agree to waive and release Women’s Quest, its officers, directors, staff, employees, contractors, and partners from any claims, liabilities or damages you may incur in the event you contract Covid 19 at any time during travel to, attending or after attending the retreat. You further agree to indemnify and hold harmless Women’s Quest, its officers, directors, staff, employees, contractors, and partners from any loss, liability or damages it or they may incur as a result of your failure to receive a negative test for Covid 19 prior to the retreat as provided above, attending the retreat with any Symptoms, not respecting Participant Requests, and not immediately departing the retreat if you develop any Symptoms.

Cancellation. In the unfortunate event you need to cancel your trip, cannot attend due to contracting Covid 19 or developing Symptoms prior to the retreat, or must leave the retreat due to contracting Covid 19 or developing Symptoms, Women’s Quest cannot provide any refund of any amounts you paid.

Travel Insurance. As provided in this document you could incur significant personal expense in the event you contract Covid 19 or develop any Symptoms during the retreat. As such, you are strongly urged to obtain travel insurance that provides adequate protections against these risks.

Additional Waiver. This waiver is incorporated into and made a part of other waivers you agreed to in connection with signing up for the retreat. In the event of a conflict between these terms and the terms of any other waiver, this waiver shall govern.

Purchasing Travel Insurance
We highly, highly recommend you get travel insurance to cover your expenses and losses in the event you test positive or come down with Symptoms prior to the retreat, develop Symptoms during the retreat, or cannot return home due to Covid related issues.  We recommend getting insurance that covers the cost of your trip, medical care while at the retreat, and coverage to pay for the necessary quarantine period if you test positive or come down with Covid.  Please remember, if you have to cancel your trip in the unfortunate event you come down with Covid, test positive, or suffer Symptoms prior to or during the retreat and need to leave, Women’s Quest cannot provide a refund since we have to pay your trip expenses well ahead of time.

If you are concerned about travel and the changing environment in which we are living irrespective of your Covid status, we recommend getting travel insurance that allows you to cancel for any reason. This coverage is more expensive, however, may provide you with the coverage and flexibility you desire.

We spoke with Allianz Travel Insurance about travel insurance primarily for Covid issues – trip cancellation, medical treatment and delay in coming home due to catching Covid. From our understanding, Allianz does offer policies providing for trip cancellation due to Covid and extended trip interruption coverage for Covid quarantine periods, however, you should talk to them via the phone to ensure you have the coverage you need. Irrespective of the travel insurance you get, please make sure you talk to a travel insurance agent prior to buying any insurance and make sure you have the coverage you desire and that the policy will cover trip cancellation, medical expenses and trip interruption due to Covid. We are providing this only as our understanding after talking to Allianz and not as a representation of what Allianz will cover.  You should do your own investigation including directly calling Allianz or any insurance provider you choose, and not rely on this overview to ensure you get the coverage that is right for you.