Race across to Canada
Inspired by the new BBC One series? Book one of these holidays to the wild, adventurous and culturally fascinating host country, says Sarah Marshall.
Planes, trains and automobiles have made travel easier, but imagine going back to basics and having to plot a journey over long distances day by day.
That’s the premise of Race Across The World, which sees competitors aim to reach a destination with a meagre budget and a lot of help from kind locals.
A new series on BBC One challenges teams to cross
Canada from coast to coast – an epic undertaking that will highlight not only skills of ingenuity but also the beautiful backdrop of a country so vast and varied it spans six time zones.
If you’re inspired to visit, here a few of the holidays to choose.
Canoes, natural pools and fine
food
Fries mixed with cheese curds doesn’t sound like the most appetising dish, but poutine is a guilty pleasure across the Frenchspeaking province of Quebec. Try it at several stands and cafes along the charming, cobbled streets of Quebec City before venturing into the wilds. Adventure activities are high on the agenda; canoe on Lake Sacacomie and bathe sore muscles in its natural pools. Between May and October, observe whales from Tadoussac, the first French settlement in
North America, founded in 1600. Black bears and wolves can be found in the Saguenay Fjord region on a kayaking cruise.
How: Trailfinders (020 7084 6500) offers a 14-night trip from £2,278pp (two sharing), including car hire. Excludes flights.
A blow-out to see bears Bears of all shapes, sizes and species roam Canada – from polar bears on ice floes in the frozen north, to grizzlies catching salmon in temperate rainforests. See three of the most famous on this new tour from Luxtripper. Starting in the Arctic, spot polar bears on the shores of Hudson Bay in Manitoba, while also keeping an eye out for beluga whales. Continue to the Great Bear Rainforest and Tweedsmuir Park Lodge, which is home to one of the world’s largest concentrations of grizzly bears during autumn. Finish with a stay at the Spirit
Bear Lodge, searching for the rare Kermode, or spirit bear, on foot and by boat. Orcas, humpbacks, sea lions and bald eagles are also possibilities.
How: Luxtripper (020 4538 2013) offers a 12-night trip from £34,995 per person, including flights.
A maritime adventure
Only a short seven-hour flight from the UK, the Canadian Atlantic coast is within easy reach. Whalewatching, wine drinking and hiking are all on offer in the offbeat, quirky Maritime Provinces, which can be explored on a two-week tour. In Nova Scotia, drive the Cabot Trail, flanked by highlands scenery. New Brunswick’s rivers, pine forests and mountains provide many sanctuaries for wildlife, including the Bay of
Fundy, known for its extreme tides and whale-watching opportunities. At the Reversing Falls, its possible to watch rapids flowing backwards at high tide. Although better suited to bracing strolls than sunbathing, Prince Edward
Island’s beautiful red sand beaches are the ideal setting for a seafood supper of lobster and mussels.
How: Bon-voyage (0800 316 0194) offers a 14-day Atlantic Canada fly-drive of the Maritime
Provinces from £2,595pp, including car hire and flights from London, Manchester or Glasgow.
The Rockies and great lakes One of the world’s most spectacular train journeys, the Rocky Mountaineer passes through turquoise lakes, steep mountain walls and tumbling waterfalls. Combine the trip with a few days in Banff and Jasper – the two gateway towns to the Rockies – and drive along the Icefields Parkway, a highway lined with glaciers. Take a boat trip to Spirit Island on the Maligne Lake and ride the Jasper Skytram before boarding the luxury train for two days, overnighting in a hotel. After reaching Vancouver, take a ferry to Vancouver Island to visit Butchart Gardens in Victoria and join a whale watching tour.
How: Newmarket Holidays
(0330 160 7700) offers an 11day Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer escorted tour from £3,699 per person, including flights. Departures in September and October.
Venturing off-track up north This year, the northern Yukon territory celebrates the 125th anniversary of the Klondike Gold
Rush. Based on a novel written in 1903 and set in this late 19th century period of prosperity, Call Of The Wild, starring Harrison Ford, was shot in the region. Visit locations featured in the film, such as Dawson and Whitehorse, and try your luck panning for gold. A ‘flightseeing’ trip over the Kluane National Park’s glaciers, the world’s largest nonpolar icefields, gives an insight into an area of the world few people get to see.
How: Original Travel (020 3582 4990) offers a 12-day Call Of The Wild Yukon trip from £3,100pp, including flights.