Tell us about Aikens – where are you located and how does an international traveller get to you?
Aikens Lake is located in Manitoba, in the heart of Canada. We are in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Pimachiowin Aki.
Guests fly into Winnipeg, and from there we take care of the rest of the travel details.
Our lodge is “off the grid”, so once in Winnipeg our van brings them the 90 minutes to Adventure Air, and then the last leg of the journey is a 30-minute float plane ride to Aikens. Arriving guests land directly on the water, which is a remarkably smooth experience.
What type(s) of experiences do you offer and what is your target audience, in terms of clients?
As I mentioned, Aikens Lake is accessible only by float plane. But even though we are remote, we don’t cut back on creature comforts!
I like to call the “Aikens Experience” a soft-wilderness experience.
Our staff always outnumbers our guests; we centre everything around customer service and make the stay unique and memorable for all our guests.
Our ideal customers are those that have an interest in fishing, and we deliver this to them in style.
We can’t control the weather or the fishing, but we strive to make sure that everything in our control is done to the best of our abilities.
You are known mostly as a luxury fishing lodge, but what do you offer besides this?
Yes, fishing is the core activity at Aikens, but there are other ways to enjoy Aikens Lake and the boreal forest that surrounds us.
There are over 80 species of birds around the lake, and a nature walk on one of our five kilometres of trails near the camp is a productive way to see many of them.
We have a beautiful big white-sand beach, and swimming from late June to late August is fun.
There are paddleboards, kayaks, and canoes on the beach for guest use. And going on a drive down the Gammon River to try and spot a moose, black bear, or woodland caribou can ay big dividends!
In the river is where you wiIl find the ancient pictographs too.
And on hot days, some guests love jumping off some of the cliffs around the lake, the biggest one being 10 metres high.
Could you give an example of how a day at Aikens pans out?
Guests stay in our modern two-person suites or one of our luxurious chalets. Their day starts with coffee or tea delivered to their room at 06.30, and breakfast is served from 07.00 to 8.00 am. Then their guide is ready to take them out for the day.
They will need to catch fish for their shore lunch, which is a huge part of the experience. Eating freshly caught walleye and pike at one of our 14 shore lunch sites is a highlight of the experience.
Guests are with their guide until 17.00 and can go sightseeing or wildlife viewing in the afternoon, if they want to switch things up from fishing.
After returning to the lodge, Big Molly’s Bar is open for happy hour, which runs through dinner service. They are treated by our chef and baker, with our signature three-course dinners.
Evenings can be spent relaxing around a campfire on the beach, walking the trails, or going back out on the lake to explore on their own.
Then, when the sun has gone down, Big Molly’s Bar is a great gathering spot to hang out with other guests, chat with the staff, or play some billiards or shuffleboard.
What are three of your own most memorable and/or inspiring experiences at Aikens?
Aikens is a place that makes you feel connected.
So much so, that we have had some pretty emotional moments when family members have brought with them their loved one’s ashes to spread on the shores or right in the water.
I had that happen with the three kids of one of our longtime guests this past July.
Secondly, and just a few days before I am penning this, we had a guest have three moose walk right up to the shore lunch site whilst they were – that was a cool experience!
And, finally, we do get some nights with great Northern Lights – however this only happens once-in-a-while, so I don’t sell trips on the promise of seeing any.
Finally, if a travel agent wants to (a) find out more information (b) book in their clients, who should they contact?
They can check with a UK Canada specialist tour operator or reach out to me directly, by emailing: pit@aikenslake.com.
