Canada is enormous, to see it all requires several trips
and a car! While most of it is inaccessible wilderness it
still has plenty of incredible scenery, an intriguing blend
of culture and many historic, cosmopolitan cities.
The rugged east coast of Newfoundland and Labrador
boasts North America's oldest city, St Johns
(1528).Charlottetown, birthplace of Canadian confederation,
has a delightfully colonial atmosphere with its tree-lined
Victorian streets. Nova Scotia's south shore, known as the
lighthouse route, is a jagged coast dotted
with rocky coves, fishing villages and historic towns.
With its cliff-top position and ancient walls, Quebec
is also a world heritage site, situated on the
St Lawrence river and famous for its distinctly European
atmosphere.
Montreal is another French enclave, with
a charming and relaxing character. Magnificent ancient buildings
are found among its cobbled old town.
Ottawa, the capital, has some fine buildings
to match its ‘politicians atmosphere’, and impressive
museums. Toronto is the country’s
principal city, with a multi-cultural, lively and cosmopolitan
atmosphere. It boasts the world’s tallest structure
(CN tower), and plenty of bars and restaurants.
A mere hour away is Niagara Falls, one
of the world’s largest waterfalls. The resort town
overlooks the Horseshoe and American Falls, and caters well
to the masses of tourists.
Calgary, among the prairies, is famous
for its annual summer stampede. The superb Canadian
Rockies are barely contained within two gigantic
national parks - Banff to the south and
Jasper to the north.
The hilly terrain, back drop of mountains, convoluted bays
and stunning views makes Vancouver one
of the world’s most picturesque cities. The downtown
area is pleasant, and has a distinct Asian influence.
British Columbia arguably has some of North America’s
prettiest scenery, an outdoor lover’s paradise with
endless sounds, bays, islands and mountains to explore.
Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver are all busy long-haul
international routes and there are numerous connections
to other centres. Distances make train and bus travel less
popular, but the road network is well developed along the
populated southern belt.
Canada is very much an outdoor lovers’ country, with
excellent facilities, and the tourism network throughout
the country is well developed with many budget options are
available.
The locals are immensely proud to be Canadian, hate being
confused with Americans and can’t make up their mind
whether the country should be French or English-speaking
in character. Native culture is also a highlight.
