For the travellers in your life, some Christmas giving ideas
From trips to gadgets, 10 gifts to fill an adventurer’s bucket list to overflowing
Admit it: All you really want to find under the tree this year is a plane ticket to somewhere exotic. We bet the people you love feel the same way. Here are 10 great gifts for the travellers in your life:
1. New Year’s Eve at the Wickaninnish Inn
Why not give your partner a weekend getaway that doesn’t involve crossing borders — the low Canadian dollar is one good reason — and is all about comfort. Try the Wickaninnish Inn just south of Tofino. This Relais & Chateaux property is all about rustic elegance and cozy luxury, fine cuisine and dramatic ocean views. One of the best times to visit is New Year’s Eve — each year, the owners host an intimate gathering with live music, gourmet food and, if you’re lucky, a storm to watch from the comfort of your room. Check out the Inn’s special ‘Stormy Weather New
Year’ packages at wickinn.com.
2. Weekend getaway to Whistler
There’s so much going on in Whistler these days, they’ll never be able to cover it all in one weekend. A season’s ski pass makes a great gift. Aside from all the action on the slopes, Whistler offers several new things to see, taste and do, including: the just-opened tapas eatery Bar Oso; the casual fine-dining resto Legs Diamond; fat biking in Whistler Olympic Park; Escape! Whistler, a game that involves solving a series of clues to get out of a locked room; and the Audain Art Gallery, set to open early in 2016, which will showcase a remarkable collection of B.C. artworks. Visit whistler.com.
3. Lobster love in Cape Breton
The Cabot Trail that circles Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island is without a doubt one of the most beautiful drives on the planet. Dotted along this winding seaside route are quaint villages that are home to fiddlers, artisans and friendly folks who just want to feed you lots and lots of delicious local lobster. Go for the glorious views, the foot-stomping tunes and the epic golf. Stay for the lobster rolls, lobster poutine, lobster potato chips, lobster chowder and, of course, the lobster dinner. Visit www. cbisland.com
4. Travel accessories
Any traveller would love the gift of a chic Coach x Baseman cosmetic case ($145, coach.com); Indigo’s handy passport cover ($18, www.chapters.indigo.ca); a lightweight silk and cashmere wrap from Nordstrom ($137.28, shop.nordstrom.com); a Hunter Original rubberized leather backpack ($395, ca.hunterboots.com); or Indigo’s Maple Leaf reading socks, a perfectly patriotic way to stay warm on chilly flights ($34.50,
chapters.indigo.ca).
5. Great gardens of Great Britain
As the TV series Downton Abbey winds to a close, our thoughts turn to England. Indeed, they turn to England’s glorious gardens: 2016 is the 300th anniversary of the birth of Capability Brown, the landscape architect responsible for creating the distinctively British garden with its smooth lawns, undulating lakes and naturalistic clusters of trees. He designed some 170 gardens in his lifetime and many are still well maintained and open to visitors today. For info, go to visitbritain. com or capabilitybrown.org.
6. Fitness on the road
For the frequent traveller on your list who wants to stay in shape, take a look at the Microsoft Band 2. It not only will help them stay on top of their fitness goals by monitoring heart rate, calories and sleep quality, it also lets them keep track of email, texts and social feeds while hitting the treadmill. It retails for a suggested price of $329.99. For info, go to microsoftstore.com.
7. euro 2016 in France
Zut alors! The 2016 UEFA European Championship — better known as Euro 2016 —— returns to France next summer. From June 10 to July 10, the quadrennial men’s soccer championship will be played out in cities all over France, including the gastronomic capital Lyon, sundrenched Marseille, wine-soaked Bordeaux and the final game in Paris. With Air France’s direct flights from Vancouver to Paris (airfrance. com), it’s the perfect gift for a soccer fan. For tickets and info go to uefa. com.
8. Olympic Games in rio
Send them to the ultimate party. No one knows how to throw a party like the Brazilians. So you can only imagine the good times in store when the Summer Olympic Games come to Rio de Janeiro Aug. 5-21, 2016, followed by the Paralympics Sept. 7-18. Aside from the events, Brazil has plenty to offer, including endless beaches, glamorous cities, thrilling outdoor adventures and a sophisticated gourmet culture. Note that Brazil has made it easier for Canadians to visit in 2016 by waiving visa requirements. For Olympic tickets and info, visit rio2016. com/en.
9. the do-everything gadget
Wouldn’t it be great to have one gadget that did it all? Well, the new iPad Pro won’t cook your dinner or do your laundry, but will take care of just about everything else. Apple’s largest iPad has a 12.9-inch (33-cm) diagonal display, powerful processor, super slim design and fourspeaker audio system, with Wi-Fi and cellular capability, plus optional smart keyboard and Apple pencil. And it only weighs 723 grams (1.59 pounds). The iPad Pro stars at $1,049, apple.com
10. the ultimate bucket list trip
For the adventurer on your list, One Ocean Expeditions will whisk them away on the Christmas cruise of a lifetime: 10 nights and 11 days in Antarctica. They’ll see towering glaciers, exotic wildlife and massive icebergs while enjoying activities such as photography, hiking, sea kayaking and visits to a working research station. Travel is aboard a purposebuilt ship with superb amenities and first-class safety features. The One Ocean Expeditions Christmas in Antarctica cruise travels Dec. 18-28, with rates starting from $10,095 US. For information on other Arctic and Antarctic cruises, visit oneoceanexpeditions.com.