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As I was doing my research on this company, I was met with some troubling reviews. Most just stated that the place was outdated and could use an upgrade. I thought to myself, “Well, to me, camping is not about where you sleep, but rather about all the experiences and memories that you make while you’re awake.” And, to be honest, as a budget-traveller, I’ve stayed in some pretty janky places and I’m still breathing. I decided to give it a try regardless of the comments.
Upon arrival, my friend Sarah and I were greeted by the kindest people. It turns out that the resort is under new ownership and they have been making the necessary upgrades to provide better hospitality to those coming to visit. I was pleasantly surprised after reading the comments! The owner, Guy, is very approachable and did everything he could to make our stay special. He began by showing us around the resort. He showed us the cabins that still need renovating, the newly renovated ones, and ones that are in progress. I look forward to returning next summer to see the upgrades.
There are a few different cabin options in terms of layout and how many they can sleep, with the largest sleeping up to 9 people. All cabins have either a fully stocked kitchen or a kitchenette to make it easy to enjoy home cooked meals away from home, private washroom with shower, futon, TV, WIFI, outdoor seating area with firepits, AC, etc. We stayed in the Wilderness Loft, which was perfect for our needs. Check out their IG page to see the cabin options and renovations more in-depth: @sejourresort.
After he showed us around, we went down the road to have supper with my parents. I was only in N.B. for work for a few days, so my parents brought their RV to a park 3 minutes down the road to maximize their time with me (hahaha, we refer to my mom as my sMother). I wasn’t complaining though, because I got meals, drinks, and created more memories with my family. After we watched the sunset, we went back to Sejour for an early night so we could be well rested for an adventure-packed day on Saturday.
Saturday morning, I woke up early with a skylight above me to a beautiful blue sky. It was supposed to rain and thunder all weekend long, but somehow we got lucky enough that it didn’t. I got out of bed and enjoyed a coffee and book while listening to the birds outside my window. After Sarah got up, we got ready for the day and decided to hit up Kouchibouguac National Park, which was conveniently located around the corner from Sejour Kouchibouguac Resort. The cost for both Sarah and I to enter was $15 for 24 hours. The park is a stunning place with beaches, hiking trails, and tons of wildlife. We decided to shoot some content here and then headed to the beach to relax and catch some sun. To get to Kellys Beach, it’s about a 10 minute drive into the park, a few minutes walk across this stunning boardwalk that crosses over water, where you reach this sandy beach landscape. After being in isolation for the 2 weeks prior to my visit to Kouchibouguac, it was thrilling to see so many people doing regular people things. The beach was alive! People were tanning, swimming, playing frisbee, having some drinks, and listening to music. This was what I had been craving for the past 5 months and I didn’t know it until it was in front of my eyes.
After the beach, we wanted to do some activity that was a part of the culture in Kouchibouguac. I always think it’s important in every place I visit that I either try to learn about history or I try to do something cultural. I think it is vital to learn about the land and people of the place I’m in. I urge you to do the same while travelling, even if it’s local travel. So, we asked Guy to call up the horseback riding company for us to try that. Unfortunately for us, we were a week early and everything was still closed because of COVID-19. To my knowledge, the activities were planned to open up starting in July, so they should be open by now. Another “unfortunate for us” was that there was a fire ban in N.B. while we were there (which is over now), so we couldn’t have a fire. But we didn’t let that stop us from enjoying ourselves. A great feature of Sejour Kouchibouguac Resort is that it is connected to so many trails. It makes it the ideal place for hikers, cyclists, ATVs, and Snowmobiles in the winter time. And yes, you read that right! Sejour is open all year around. So, Sarah and I took a little walk in the woods before my parents came to us for supper that night. Guy, the owner, had picked up some fresh lobster, which is huge in Kouchibouguac (and all of N.B. but they get it from local fisherman-that’s how fresh!) and was nice enough to share with us! I don’t eat lobster, but I enjoyed a few glasses of wine and some banter with the fam.
When Sunday morning came around, with a little hangover and some goodbyes, we got up and went to Tim’s for a quick breakfast before a day of shooting content. On our way home, we stopped by Sarah’s dad’s for a nice supper and then we said our goodbyes as I was off to Newfoundland the next day.
All in all, I had a lovely experience at Sejour Resort. The people were so kind, the accommodations were lovely, the park was absolutely jaw-dropping, and I got to create some memories with people that I love. I could see this being a great place for hunters, families, friends, wedding parties, and so much more! If you’re in N.B. this summer, you should definitely check them out: www.kouch.com ! [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]