Canada Trip.co.uk

Today is Canada Day! It’s Canada’s 144th birthday and as with every year, the country celebrates in style with fireworks displays, aerial displays, parties and a whole host of events taking place across the country- and to make sure Canadians get the chance to take part – they also have a national holiday to help make sure everyone has the chance to enjoy the day!

Canada Day is however, for the benefit of those who aren’t entirely familiar with the day, is not an ‘independence day’ – Far from it in fact! It is the birthday of Canada. The commemoration of the 1st July 1867, when the enactment of the Constitution Act 1867 was brought into being – uniting three British colonies into one unified country; Canada. Originally the day was called Dominion Day, but when Canada gained its full independence from the United Kingdom in 1982, its name was changed to Canada Day.

If you’re lucky enough to be in Canada for today, you’ll be witness to patriotism we rarely ever see in the UK, and strangely we never seem to be given the opportunity to express. The Canadian patriotism is something that fills me with a happiness.. A country and its people, proud to be who they are and where they are – and for me at least, i believe the Canadian patriotism is at the perfect level – it’s loud and proud, but not offensive or overly in peoples faces – an example where a country in the world has simply got things right. But then, we are talking about the only country in the western world not to actually go into recession in the most recent financial crisis – so it’s not unfamiliar territory for Canada to be the ones who got it right!

So what if you aren’t in Canada? Well, you may jut be in luck. A couple of months ago you may remember me featuring this, as a heads up towards the event. Canada Day has come to the UK. Canada Day London is the biggest celebration for Canada Day outside of Canada, and like everything Canadian, 110% is put into ensuring the event is filled with a massive schedule of events, and Canadians and tourists who visit Canada will find some familiar logos around the place – one of the biggest being Tim Hortons! – Tim Hortons Coffee and Doughnuts are coming to London, so if you can get yourself there.. Make sure you do! (more…)

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Posted in Airline Travel, Alberta, British Columbia, Canada Trip.co.uk, Destinations, Flights/Car Parking/Hire etc, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Skiing in Canada, Travel Planning | No Comments »

If you want to go to Canada for as little as possible the first thing you’ll need to look for are low cost, but good quality flights. After all, you don’t want to get onto a plane for the trip across the Atlantic and just sit staring at the seat in front of you for 8 hours right?

We have, since we set up almost two years ago, always recommended Canadian Affair for flights, where you can get return tickets to Canada for as little as £318 including taxes.

Canadian Affair charter Thomas Cook flights, as well as Air Transat so you you have the piece of mind when you book that you can choose flights by which ever company you’re most familiar with (though Air Transat is my personal favourite). There’s two reasons for us always recommending Canadian Affair. The first being we ALWAYS book our flights to Canada with them – and have now been on 18 flights over the last 7 years, so we have huge experience with them. The second being – they are simply, the cheapest place to book flights to Canada from the UK. I know.. i search every few weeks, always looking to book my next trip!

Thomas Cook 757 at Toronto

Even if you may have heard of Canadian Affair before, there are deals that many people miss, so I’d always recommend checking out their Special Offers page before you start entering dates – so you can ensure you get the best deal before you book your tickets.

With most people, and understandably, the biggest factor is getting the cheap flights to Canada, but there’s more to Canadian Affair than simply being the cheapest flights to Canada! They strive to give you the best customer service possible, for example in the numerous times i have needed to contact them via email, they have always responded the same day – and on a couple of occasions within 30 minutes of me actually submitting my query!

They also provide you with choice. If your closest airport is Manchester and you want to get flights from Manchester to Toronto or flights from Manchester to Ottawa, you can! Likewise you also have the choice of getting your flights from Gatwick to Toronto and flying back from Toronto to Liverpool if you wanted.

Canadian Affair offer flights from the following UK airports: Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Newcastle and Exeter. Their destinations include Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax, Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal and Edmonton, but they also do package holidays to various resorts around these locations (such as Niagara Falls) in addition to their flights.

Remember to have a look at our full review from last year on Canadian Affair, details in it are for a trip we took in 2009 but service has only got better since then: Travelling to Canada with Canadian Affair in 2010
(more…)

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Posted in Alberta, British Columbia, Canada Trip.co.uk, Flights/Car Parking/Hire etc, Montreal, Niagara Falls, Niagara, ON, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Ottawa, Quebec, Toronto, Vancouver | Comments Off

Back now to Vancouver – and one of the city’s key attractions – The Capilano Suspension Bridge. Not a place to go if you have a fear of heights, but if you’re clear of that – you’ll find the trip out to this attraction to be something special, and something you’ll remember for a long long time.

The Capilano Suspension Bridge is a simple suspension bridge crossing the Capilano River in the District of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The current bridge is 136 metres (446 ft) long and 70 metres (230 ft) above the river. It is part of a private facility, and draws over 800,000 visitors a year.

But crossing the bridge isn’t the only thing to do here. Cross over to towering evergreens, cedar-scented rainforest air, serene trails and the award winning Treetops Adventure – a series of suspended footbridges offering a close encounter with the very heart of the rainforest and stunning views from up to 100 feet above the forest floor. (more…)

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Today i’m going to feature an article – perfect for anyone wanting to go to Vancouver this spring!

Thaw Out with These 7 Ways to Enjoy Spring in Vancouver
by Dana Lynch
(http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/things_to_do/springtime_vancouver_2011)

Spring in Vancouver is the season of rejuvenation. Gardens bloom, whales migrate and the entire city comes alive. In March, April and May, Vancouver’s special mix of cosmopolitan living and outdoor adventure is at its best. From dining and shopping to kayaking, golfing and exploring nature, Vancouver has the ultimate remedy for spring fever.

1. Stroll Through the Gardens
Nowhere is spring more evident — or more beautifully realized — than at Vancouver’s gorgeous public gardens. The roses at the Stanley Park Rose Garden are at peak bloom at the end of March through the beginning of April, while the first two weeks of May are the best times to see the 4,500 hybrid rhododendron and azalea plants at Stanley Park’s Ted & Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden. Spend a day touring gardens by combining trips to Stanley Park with visits to the lush VanDusen Botanical Garden and the free quarry gardens at Queen Elizabeth Park.

2. Watch the Whales
Whale-watching season starts in March, and the spring months are among the best to see these magnificent creatures in action. Experience the thrill of watching migrating orcas and gray whales up-close-and-personal with the professional naturalists onboard one of Vancouver’s whale-watching tour operators. (more…)

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It’s Monday! It’s also March tomorrow, so how about we stop thinking about those post-Christmas diets now hm?

If you haven’t been to Canada yet, you’ll almost certainly walk into restaurants and find something on the menu called Poutine. Now, don’t be scared of its particularly unique name! Poutine is actually something that most people in the UK can relate to.. We have all (well.. most of us) gone to the chip shop and got either Chips with Gravy, OR Chips with Cheese .. Well .. although technically it wouldn’t be technically correct – if you had cheese and gravy on the same tray of chips, that is almost poutine! Now, i say almost because for it to be truly poutine, the cheese needs to be cheese curds, not just your normal cheese.

As you can see from the picture, poutine is definitely not the most elegant looking of foods, but lets face it, it beats the looks of mushy peas now doesn’t it! Besides, Canadians have always been known for their no-nonsence approach, and food in my opinion should always be about flavour, and not looks. (more…)

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Posted in Alberta, British Columbia, Canada Trip.co.uk, Montreal, Muskoka, Niagara, ON, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Places to Eat, Quebec, Toronto, Vancouver | No Comments »

Well, its Monday again – and i thought it was about time i featured somewhere historical once again. My personal thoughts are that if you truly want to get to know somewhere, then you should always go a little bit further to learn about how it came to be this way in the first place, hence my love for history! So, I’m shining the spot light on Fort Langly National Historic Site of Canada in Vancouver, BC.

Once upon a time, back in the 1800s, this was a fur trading post that traded with the First Nations people. Relive the history of the west at this picturesque site that houses the oldest surviving building in BC! The site offers demonstrations of fur trade skills, blacksmithing and coopering by costumed guides in addition to BC history and culture exhibits and interpretive programming for adults and families. You can also try your hand at panning for gold!

Experience the sights and sounds of the fur trade as you explore the Hudson’s Bay Company trading post all year round. Let costumed interpreters introduce you to the lives and loves of the people who lived at Fort Langley. Meet First Nations women and Hudson’s Bay Company workers from places like Quebec, Scotland and Hawaii. See their homes and how they worked. Enjoy guided walks or step into their world through interactive games and activities. (more…)

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Belcarra is a great day trip from Vancouver that takes between 45 minutes to an hour to get to depending on the traffic. It’s actual name is Belcarra Regional Park though people do live in the area.

Belcarra Regional Park is located northeast of the meeting of Burrard Inlet with Indian Arm, beginning near Belcarra Bay and extending to Sasamat Lake. Sasamat is of the warmest lakes in Greater Vancouver, is located in Belcarra Regional Park. The park is northwest of the Village of Anmore and to the southwest of Buntzen Lake.

Included in the park is a First Nations archaeological site, which is operated and maintained by GVRD Parks.
There’s just so much to do in the park that its kind of like all the things to see and do in Vancouver but its all in nature!
In the warmest months the beaches at Belcarra’s Sasamat Lake are very popular for sunbathing and simply relaxing, so if you’re looking for a nice beach to spend some time on while in the park, this will be a great choice! (more…)

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Another skiing article time! Today – Big White in BC!

Once you’ve been to Big White you’ll understand why it earned its name, there is so much snow and whats more it’s fine, dry and perfect for carving turns or getting steep and deep in the abundant powder. Big White is a dedicated winter resort with a picturesque alpine village and has consistently been voted one of the top ski resorts in the world and we believe its one of the best family resorts to ski in Canada.

The resort lies in the picturesque Okanagan Valley and is uniquely blessed with sunny weather and a mild average temperature of -5 degrees celcius. From the minute you arrive at the central resort check in area, you’ll be overwhelmed by charming staff that are always ready to help make your holiday perfect.

At the largest totally ski-in ski-out resort in Canada, you can experience the luxury of stepping straight out onto the slopes from a fantastic range of accommodation. Choose from hotel rooms to one bedroom units, right up to four bedroom cabins and condo’s, which are fantastic if you are travelling with friends or with more than one family and want to share accommodation. (more…)

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Well, its not long now until its Thanksgiving, that being next Monday – but although thanksgiving is everything Autumn, we’re still having a look ahead at the winter skiing season that starts next month for now! This time, its Sun Peaks!
Sun Peaks is one of the best resorts in Canada for families. Having the second largest area to ski in British Columbia (and third in Canada) it’s a very attractive resort for everyone though. With almost 4,000 skiable acres on 3 mountains: Tod Mountain, Sundance Mountain and Mt. Morrisey you’ve got a wealth of terrain (122 runs, 2 alpine bowls and tons of glades) to explore!

A major benefit is that it’s one of North America’s few ski in – ski out resorts, and it enjoys some of the best winter weather conditions in North America – with plenty of fine dry powder snow, blue skies and comfortable average tempretures between -5 to -10 degrees Celcius!

On the slopes, getting around is so easy with no time wasted on shuttles or in queues. Each chairlift gives you access to green, blue and black runs most spilling back into the village. No matter how you like to make your turns – snowploughing, ripping it up in the deep powder, or carving down the terrain park – we are sure you’ll have an amasing time! (more…)

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Time for another skiing article!
Revelstoke Mountain Resort is one of Canada’s up and coming ski resorts, entering its fourth season of operations and with impressive development plans to grow further. People have been coming to Revelstoke for decades to heli ski thanks to the Selkirk Tangiers Helicopter Skiing company, and since the inception of Revelstoke Mountain Resort, the mountain ranges are now more accessible to more people!

Located just 6kms from the town of Revelstoke in the beautiful Columbia Mountains, in Interior BC the resort is an expert skiers paradise and has some jaw dropping mountain credentials – a vertical drop of 5,620 feet, over 3,000 acres of terrain, 15.2kms for the longest run and the resort features the longest lift-serviced vertical in North America – the 8 person Revelation Gondola – with a vertical ride of 3,547 feet!!

Revelstoke Mountain resort is the only worldwide resort to offer lift, cat, heli and backcountry skiing from one village base. Learners and intermediates are still well catered for as there is a magic carpet area for beginners and a good variety of easy runs to build your confidence on. So it’s not all for experts, but there is no doubt, it’s an attractive resort for those looking for adrenaline action. (more…)

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