Atiniv Manoo, Trinidad & Tobago

I had a wonderful day on the ‘Full-Day Small Group Lavender Tour to Valensole, Moustiers Sainte Marie and Verdon’ lead by our superb guide Nathalie. Upon arrival at the designated meeting place at the Aix en Provence tourism office, I was cheerfully greeted by Nathalie, who explained our departure process. We were then escorted to a spotless, comfortable, and well air-conditioned Mercedes van and set out for our first destination – the lavender and sunflower fields of the Plateau de Valensole.

En route, Nathalie (French, and a great English speaker) provided local facts at a nice relaxed pace and with a healthy dose of humor. Nathalie explained that the field were in the process of harvest, providing thorough details on the process as she pointed out the harvested and soon-to-be harvested fields. She knew just where to take us to avoid a glut of tourist photographers, and our multiple photo stops afforded wide cinematic landscapes free of other photographers. We also stopped at a local vendor’s shop for olive oil tasting, and a plethora of irresistible lavender products, (I can’t wait to use my lavender syrup in a martini!). This stop also provided a restroom and had a full coffee and snack area for a welcomed espresso. Nathalie remained present during the entire tasting presentation, while I simultaneously saw other guides seated outside on their phones not focused on their guests. Her engagement was impressive, and she answered several questions during this stop.
En route to Moustiers Sainte Marie, we made a photo stop to capture the mountainside village from afar, as well as to catch our first glimpse of the village of Les Salles sur Verdon. We continued on to a bridge for photo opps of amazing water sports below, including paddle boats, kayaks, and even a cliff-diver well-aware of our cameras. We then continued in the van to climb to the medieval village of Moustiers Sainte Marie for a solo-lunch and walkabout.

After leaving the village, Nathalie then took us to the lavender fields of the Verdon Canyon, and the panoramic view of the fields framed by the mountains was a unparalleled photo opp. In the late afternoon, we visited the L'Occitane factory store. This site also has a museum and production facility, which were closed due the day of the week we visited.

Nathalie was an amazing guide. She was engaging, energetic, interactive, and very knowledgeable about all the locations she took us too. Also her driving skills were impressive – she drove the large van as if it was a sedan! The overall pacing of the day was ideal for my taste, and the time at each stop was neither too brief nor too excessive. Thank you, Nathalie for making this tour such a memorable day.