Exotic luxury adventures await in Canada
Vacationing in Canada can still take you on a journey far from everyday life
With international travel still limited due to the pandemic, it’s reassuring to know that, when you’re ready to vacation, you don’t have to traverse the Atlantic to sail among sun-drenched Mediterranean-style islands, cruise down magnificent fjords or encounter ancient cultures.
Nor do you need to travel to Africa, Asia or far-flung destinations such as Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands for the safari of a lifetime.
Amazingly, we have it all right here in Canada — hidden, off the beaten track, so you might not have noticed.
As the world looked to luxury cycling tours and safaris in faraway places in the past decade, Canadian guides began transforming those travel options. They’ve combined Canada’s enviable landscapes and wildlife with luxuries such as lodges and yachts that showcase local gourmet cuisine while tapping into a region’s diverse human cultures.
One such group of guides is British Columbia’s Maple Leaf Adventures.
Rated one of the “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth’’ by National Geographic, Maple Leaf Adventures has pioneered boutique coastal cruising for 35 years. Back when they started, suntanning around a pool in Palm Springs was deemed the perfect holiday for Canadians.
But like the other visionaries that developed the rich offerings we have today, the company’s leaders looked at the beauty and wonder of the B.C. coastline and envisioned a better way. One that competes with any region in the world as the best travel experience.
And fortunately, when we start to travel again, we are blessed with many ‘exotic’ holidays close to home.
Maple Leaf’s ecotourism-based voyages foster connections with nature, promote ecological discovery, offer authentic interactions with Indigenous coastal cultures, and leave participants with a newfound appreciation for Canada’s fragile marine environments. A few of them even rival Italian foodie holidays, featuring B.C.’S five wine regions, local food and beer.
Signature voyages range from epic journeys among the fjords and bears of Alaska and the Great Bear Rainforest — the largest intact temperate rainforest on the planet — to island-hopping Haida Gwaii’s mystical archipelago or taking leisurely culinary trips that meander through pastoral Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. And although the trips are luxurious, they are also good for the planet.
“We’re part of a conservation economy here on the coast, so conservation informs all of our plans and decisions,” says co-owner and expedition leader Kevin Smith.
The conservation comes in many forms, one of them being direct action. When COVID-19 disrupted the 2020 season, the team redirected its efforts to tackle marine debris.
Collaborating with five fellow companies, they designed an unprecedented six-week expedition that removed 127 tonnes of ocean plastic from 1,000 kilometres of coastline in B.C.’S Great Bear Rainforest, where debris had accumulated under logs and trees for decades.
Now, with expeditions set to soon resume under strict pandemic safety protocols, guests can choose to explore on Cascadia, a 138-foot luxury catamaran, a classic 90-foot tugboat Swell, or the heritage 92-foot schooner Maple Leaf. With only eight to 24 guests, many family and friend groups choose to explore with their cohort by chartering an entire trip.
Onboard each sailing will be naturalists such as Jeff Reynolds, a wildlife photographer and biologist from Victoria, who will introduce guests to the natural wonders they encounter.
“Being able to explore this rugged, almost supernatural, coastline full of fjords and rugged outer coastal islands that are sculpted by massive waves and winds into an insanely wild place, with nothing but you, and a ship, and your fellow guests, is what makes Maple Leaf Adventures’ voyages so unique,” says Reynolds.
“Our trips don’t have rigid itineraries for a reason — because opportunity and guest interests can dictate where we go and what we do at any given time in this unimaginably wild environment.”
One of those guests in 2021 may be Sharron Kavanagh, a retired business owner from Ottawa, who has taken five trips with Maple Leaf Adventures since 2007. She can’t wait to sign on for another voyage.
“What an incredible experience to be aboard the Maple Leaf, which Captain Smith has maintained in such a beautiful state,” she recalls.
“To bear witness to such spectacular geography and learn about the region’s rich history, all in such a pleasant setting on such an impressive vessel.
“My friends joke that I haven’t been the same since ... and it’s true!”
For more info or to book your voyage, visit mapleleaf adventures.com.