Canada – 5 cool places in the colossal country is written by Sascha Meineche
That's why you should travel to Canada
As the very first, I just want to state that it is improbably difficult to choose only five highlights in Canada. About as hard as it is to stay away from cola, click-mix and cheeseburgers if you are on a diet. Or as hard as it is to limit yourself in a buffet; something near impossible. Canada is formidable, insane and utterly amazing.
I am, if others have to describe me, a little bit schizophrenic when I travel. At least I've heard that quite a few times. For as much as I love my 'big-city-Carrie-Bradshaw-like' life in Sex and the City - which I myself feel I am a part of, I love nature.
Maybe I even love nature and that kind of travels a little higher than I love New York, the city breaks and my 'Sex and the City feeling'. But that part I'm still in dialogue with myself about, so it must remain a maybe'er for now.
That's why I also throw an absolutely crazy amount of love at Canada. There are so many reasons why you should travel to Canada that we cannot go through them in this decade. I will try to highlight a few anyway. I'm sure they are enough for you to know where your next trip should go.
1. Vancouver
I loved Vancouver at the first second. And that despite the fact that we stayed there for four days as baggage because ours suitcases had been sent to Toronto instead - but they should also experience a little beard on the trip… I think there is an insanely good vibe in Vancouver that I have not quite found in other cities. It's a big city - but still not a big city.
Vancouver is surrounded by wildlife and you should not move far outside until you reach one of the world's longest suspension bridges. Exactly that part I was not very fussy about, but I did it of course: both look and walk on it - and of course also just push my boundaries once in a while.
Vancouver is great because you have both one of the nicest cities I've ever visited and nature right around the corner with the opportunity to cycle around – my sister and I came on a tandem bike and it was a success. You can also go to the beach, eat fantastic food and meet thoroughly welcoming people.
Vancouver in Canada has up to several times been voted the world's best city to live in. You can benefit from going over to Vancouver Island, which is clearly also worth a visit. Here you can go whale watching, where we were lucky enough to see a huge herd of killer whales and a humpback whale.
2. Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a small ski town north of Vancouver, where you can immediately feel a very specific and special vibe. You have no doubt that it is a place for snow-crazy people in the winter. However, it is definitely also worth a visit in the summer.
A cozy little town, which is of course again surrounded by nature like almost everything else in western Canada. In 2010, the city co-hosted the Winter Olympics with Vancouver, and you can try some of the disciplines contested at the Olympics – and of course see how many of them were held. You can try your hand at biathlon and see if it is a qualification worthy of next winter's Olympics.
If you're not as scared of yourself in terms of altitude as I sometimes am, then take the cable car between Whistler and Blackcomb, which stretches over 4,5 km, where the whole 3 km. is free-hanging. Yep, the only thing that keeps you up is a cable. But the ride is superb and if you are lucky enough you can see grizzly bears in the woods below you.
Whistler is a small oasis with not very many inhabitants, and the trip here from Vancouver is insanely beautiful. But it is also the rest of the way to the next destination.
3. Banff and Jasper National Park
Here I just allow myself to do what I would call a stroke of genius by merging two places. The two stunning national parks are adjacent to each other west of the major cities of Calgary and Edmonton.
Yeah Al that sounds pretty crap to me, Looks like BT aint for me either, Looks like BT aint for me either, Looks like BT aint for me either. used to at home. Nevertheless, I can not choose one of the parks over the other - it will almost feel like infidelity.
The nature here is fantastic, and you'd be almost unlucky if you didn't see an insane amount of wildlife in this part of Canada. You can hike, climb, drive, sail, trek, cycle and everything in between through nature in the national parks.
There are glaciers you can visit, rivers you can river-raft in, mountains you can hike to (or take a cable car if you are the same kind as me). The imagination, time - and perhaps the economy - are the only things that set limits.
My sister and I left our parents in the town of Banff for a while and went on a day trip to the White Water River where we were on river rafting. It was utterly ingenious and the giant laugh. Of course we also drove the parks thin to see it all.
Did you know: Here are the top-7 best nature destinations in Asia according to Booking.com's millions of users!
7: Pai in northern Thailand
6: Kota Kinabalu on Borneo in Malaysia
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4. Peyto Lake
You think you've seen shades of blue and water in a crazy light blue-turquoise color, but you haven't until you've been to Lake Peyto in Canada. That water has a color so blue that you can't quite define its name.
It's perfectly postcard- and 'photoshop-like' at the same time, and you hardly think it can be reality until you've seen it with your own eyes. It’s one of those images that people don’t believe in is not photoshopped. But ladies and gentlemen; it's the real deal. If you don't give yourself that sight on your trip to Canada, you're a whole new level of crazy…
5. Niagara Falls - most beautiful from the Canada side
We have so far only moved around western Canada, but I can hardly get around this wonder. One of the world's largest waterfalls will have to have a place here.
The city itself is not worth writing home about. A small, Las Vegas-like neon city that can do little more than suck money out of tourists, but now let it lie. The waterfall - that's what we're talking about. And it's terrific. It is nicest from the Canadian side, here you have a better and greater view of the giant masses of water that throw themselves over the edge.
It's a little bit anxiety-provoking to stand so close to the edge and see how wild the forces of nature are, but luckily the fascination is greater. You can go on various different trips both behind and under the waterfall, and of course you can also sail very close to the water masses.
Yes, it's a giant tourist trap, but if you get a little out of season, you might actually get a Selfie without 1793 other people in the background - so you also avoid Chinese queuing conditions.
It is definitely worth an experience - and do yourself the favor of booking a room overlooking the water. It is both nice in the evening, night and morning with disco lights, sunlight, yes even when it is cloudy.
In addition, Canadians are just fucking sweet and nice people. And if that's not enough to visit the country, I'm not sure soon.
Have a good trip to Canada!
This is what you must experience on your trip to Canada
- Niagara Falls
- Peyto Lake
- Banff National Park
- Jasper National Park
- Lake Louise
- Vancouver
- Whistler
Did you know: Here's an expert from USA Rejser Nicolai Bach Hjorth's top 7 overlooked destinations in the USA
7: Apostle Island, unique islands off Wisconsin
6: Finger Lakes, scenic lakes in New York
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