Largest nation the west has ever known, and second largest the world has ever known, Canada is a giant that stands out in the atlas. But as the country is huge and we are very tiny, you would have to be a little tricky, and here is how you do it!
Western Canada is the rocky terrain every hiker is looking for, and at the same time the fluffy winter ride every skier is yearning to have. West Canada’s National Parks are famous for their geographical immensity, and the equal immensity of the choice of fun activities. Yoho National Park in British Columbia is renowned for its long stretch of mountains towering over you, decorated here and there with treat spots like the creamy surge of Takkakaw waterfalls. Pacific Rim National Park, likewise its name, is an amazing trail along the West coast. Jasper National Park is one of the world’s best places to watch the night sky. Situated in the West Canadian Rockies, Banff National Park is the place to be if you want many beautiful lakes in one perfect place. Calm down, heart! We cannot go everywhere at once but just remember one thing. Whichever park you choose in West Canada, every single one of them would be equally perfect for hiking, camping, bathing, cycling, fishing and sightseeing. Also, sprinkled with cool Christmas snow in the winter, all of these alpine giants would ski you away to infinite joy!
Vancouver, the largest city in British Columbia, is the main reason why tourists flock to the west of Canada. Through the emerald greenery of the Stanley Park, you can stroll till you feel goosebumps up on High Capilano Bridge, explore some fine arts in the Museum of Anthropology, and cool it all off in a relaxing dip in one of the Vancouver urban beaches. You also have the choice of Haida Gwaii Islands, a cluster of 150 islands where you can book your own little lodge, enjoy a relaxing weekend of fishing and swimming. Whistler is the winter sports expert spot, actually whistling the cool wind over your muffs while you swish down cutting the ice. July of every year, Alberta hosts the Calgary Stampede, the ultimate rodeo and festival that you do not want to miss, trust me.
The central attraction in Eastern Canada is the Canadian face of Niagara Falls. Many have tried to put the beauty of it into words and failed. Though not very high, the waterfalls in a cascade of rainbow waters in the shape of a horseshoe. When East Canada comes up, it is a surprise if Quebec does not come up too. Quebec is a miniature France, with exotic colonial European architecture to give you tastes of Europe in the middle of the North American continent. Speaking of France, Montreal in East Canada is a French-speaking city with the unmistakable European touch. Thousand Islands in the US Canada border looks like a scene from a movie, and this is another place for an exciting getaway. To finish your Eastern tour off with, enjoy a plate of exquisite seafood at the Bay of Fundy, be a Viking in your stay at L’Anse aux Meadows, summer away in one of the beautiful beaches in Toronto.
It is impossible to say what the best choices are out of the unique collection Atlantic Canada has to offer. Halifax in Nova Scotia is a mixture of historical charm, coastal allure and cultural fishing villages. Cape Breton Island, on the other hand, is completely a place from heaven, where the lush greenery mingles with the blue glitter of the sea, as the orange Nova Scotia sunset bounces off Cape Breton Highlands. Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Charlottetown are for your food and shopping fanatics, where you have endless chances to move your excited self through the kiosks, shopping lanes, oyster and lobster restaurants and art galleries. And all you lovers of nature and history, or rather history WITHIN nature, you should set sail to Bathurst Islands, the scenic island where Aborigine culture is still preserved. Lovers of mountains, cliffs, wondrous ponds and rivers would not go unrewarded in Atlantic Canada, because the Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland offers all of this, in more elevated levels of wonder than the other geological marvels in Canada.
There is a reason why the North is on top! Northern Canada is the most unsullied and undiscovered of all Canadian destinations, which only adds up to the fun of it. The North of Canada is the most adventurous region of Canada. You can meet beautiful Virginia, the waterfall: the purest natural creation of all virgins, in the embrace of Nahanni National Park. And that, my folks, is the most remote reserve in Canada that has both options of rowing your way through the Nahanni River or trekking your way through the mountains.
When streetlights go on and off in the rest of Canada, what illuminates the Northern sky is Aurora borealis. If you go North of Canada and miss this, my word you ARE the unluckiest human alive! The sky in North Canada, on any clear day, would bounce off this mystic disco-show in starry sprinkles of purple, green, yellow and red. Your stay at Whitehorse in Yukon would pay off with exciting dips at Takhini hot water pools, canoeing in the Yukon River, time-travel back to the Gold Rush of 1890s, and altogether enjoy the whole Yukon experience! Speaking of North, the polar bear habitat in Churchill is in the bucket list of many travellers. Of course, it should be! Not forgetting that the Aborigine culture richly present in the North, opens up many cultural artifact shops, souvenir shops and craft shops for you to take back home as proud memoirs of North!
If something is not just one dimensional, it is the Canadian experience. Why you should pick Canada, is because it is like picking a combo bonus of all the little portions the world has to offer.
