Canada

Well guys, our favourite place we’ve travelled to really would have to be Africa… but you’ve already been there. So second on the list would have to be Canada! Canada is just beautiful. Especially the west coast which we explored the most. We spent 3 weeks over there in September and loved it. So much to see and do. Postcard perfect pictures everywhere you look. Here’s what we loved and what we think you guys should check out on your next Canadian adventure.

Have a quick stay in Vancouver first (as you can fly direct to Vancouver from Brisbane) and cruise the city on a couple of hire bikes. You can ride on the city paths for hours, checking out the local markets on Granville Island and the beautiful Stanley Park. Buy the berries…boxes and boxes of fresh and cheap raspberries, blueberries, mulberries…YUM! Don’t worry, you will slowly get used to the smell of marijuana in the air…slowly…hahah! Try and check out a baseball game if you can time it while you are there.

It might seem a bit of a mission to get to, but Vancouver Island is a must. Catch the ferry over from Tsawwassen. The best place we visited on the island on was Tofino. This place is magic – wild natural scenery including lakes, inlets and ancient rainforests and is part of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. The highlight is the sandy beaches with all year round surfing! (Don’t worry, you can hire boards and a hooded wet suit with booties!). This place is a very hipster place to be, and make sure you have a craft beer tasting session at Tofino Brewing Company. You must go black bear spotting by boat with one of the local tour providers. Insanely cool!

Victoria on the island is a cool place too. A quiet sea side city, easy to ride a bike around, with a popular craft beer brewing uprising – you

could spend a whole day tasting beer! Everybody’s doing it! Pick up a homemade berry pie from a side-of-the-road farm stall too. Tooooo good.

After you’ve finished gallivanting around the island, hire a car and get yourself to Whistler! Hire some downhill mountain bikes, get some lift passes and hit the trails. These trails range from green to double black diamond. The green trails are super easy. The downhill bikes make them even easier. Machine groomed, smooth as a babies bottom. It is a total must! If you are not so keen to brave the trails yourself first time, you can get lessons, which include bike hire and body armour hire. You won’t be able to wipe the smile of your faces!

Whistler is one of the coolest places in the world. Endless hiking, climbing, and riding options available. As well as the usual adventure seeker activities (bungy jump, zip lining etc). Make sure you get to El Furniture Warehouse for a feed - $5 meals and endless alcohol with a great chilled out party vibe, packed with thrill seekers frothing after big days of adrenaline packednactivities.

After you’ve lived the dream at Whistler, get back in the car or hop a bus to Jasper National Park. Get in touch with nature, with some seriously good hiking on offer, or head out for a spot of kayaking. Edith Cavell Trail is just unreal. Look out for the bears…especially if

you go in September! There are lots in bear season. Get some bear spray…it seems like overkill but I sure am glad we didn’t have to use ours. Those bears are huuuuuggge! Same goes again for the bears, when you continue on to Banff National Park. This place is the prettiest of them all in my opinion. Although it’s a tough call!

Hike your little hearts out…the Sulphur Mountain Trail rocks and is close to town with epic photo ops at the top. Larch Valley trail was my favourite…you switchback peacefully up the mountain, going from rainforest to snow covered alpine mountain summits with views for dayyzz. The options are endless though.

Do as many trails as you can squeeze in… and then join the tourists for a bit of shopping in Banff Town. Head to Lake Louise and do the ‘Tea House’ hike (make sure you get a hot chocolate and some cake), drive the Icefields Parkway spotting elk, mouse, coyote,

grizzly and black bears, big horn sheep... just to name a few.

Get to the Lake Louise Gondola as well – you get a free brekky with your gondola ticket and it’s a great place to spot Grizzlies! You’ll feel like you are on safari in Africa again when you head to these amazing Canadian national parks.

Well that is the highlights…so much more to do though. Hope you guys get there soon and hope you get to put this ‘rough guide’ to use.