I was incredibly lucky to be selected for the ‘trip of a lifetime’ to Canada with Titan Travel. Having sold lots of trips with Titan and advertising their ‘door to door’ pick up, to finally be able to experience this was more than I expected to be honest. My driver was so friendly, the car fabulous and he even offered to stop at services on the way to make sure I had all I needed. Not having to drive early in the morning to Heathrow and being dropped off right outside the terminal was the best start to an even more incredible trip to come. No stress whatsoever! After meeting my ‘new travel friends’ we checked in with Air Canada and headed to the airport lounge before the flight.
I love starting a trip in the lounge as it’s quite and calm not to mention a great breakfast buffet spread and all drinks included (coffee all the way for me of course) what more could I ask for!? The 8-hour flight to Calgary was a daytime departure and to be honest, it went quickly. Lots of movies and tv shows will always help keep me occupied. We had been given bulkhead seats with plenty of leg room which I can highly recommend paying that bit extra for stretching and moving around on a longer flight.
Arriving in Calgary, we headed straight to hotel in Banff. Check in at the Caribou Lodge was the quickest I have ever experienced and before I knew it, I was in my room which had access to a private roof terrace! Bit chilly but would become my morning ritual to sit out with a coffee whilst the rest of Canada slept.
Dinner was booked for our first evening, so we decided to walk to downtown Banff to stay awake, it only took 20 minutes. Being 7 hours behind the UK meant it should have been 1am UK time so powering through was tricky we had a great dinner in a local restaurant which reminded me of being in a ski lodge, all wooden beams and roaring fires places, just gorgeous.
Deciding to also walk back to the hotel to see Banff lit up at night was an experience I will never forget. It must have the jet lag as what should have been a simple walk down one street turned into us taking a wrong turn, getting very lost and almost walking into a heard of ELK that had wandered down from the mountain! Fear and excitement mixed but wow, how many times will you ever see wild animals in a town? Rangers luckily were on hand to move the heard along but just incredible to see.
Our first full day in Banff was one I had reservations about as I’m afraid of heights. We took the short trip to the Banff Gondola through some incredible scenery and boarded the cable car heading 7.5k feet to the top of mountain. Make sure you sit backwards looking up, it’s helps not seeing the drop. The views were out of this world! It is absolutely stunning at the top looking out over the Rockies and down to Banff below though just remember a good coat and gloves as it was freezing with the wind chill!
Having taken about 1000 photos and a hot chocolate to warm up, we headed back down for a scenic drive back to Banff through lesser-known lakes and parks and near the Fairmount hotel which looks like something out of a fairytale. The afternoon was to be free time to explore Banff, but the local tourist board had other ideas. They informed us that they had booked us onto the Alpine Helicopter experience! Of course, free time doesn’t not compare to this so excitedly, we headed off 15 minutes away to Canmore and given our safety briefing.
We then headed to our helicopter and boarded. Head set and comms check all good, so our pilot started his accent. I had to sing the A-Team theme tune as we started. All that was missing was a cigar! I cannot explain the feeling if you have never been in a helicopter other than wow! There isn’t much that will keep me quiet, but I was completely awe stuck. Flying over the snow-capped Rockies and into the valleys of the most beautiful lakes I have ever seen is something I really will never forget. It was really quite emotional seeing just what can happen when nature is just left alone to its own devises and thrives. Simply stunning!
Back down to earth for another dinner out in Banff. The town really is so beautiful especially as the sun sets. It has a lovely calmness about it sitting the shadow of the Rockies. Our final full day in the area and an early start was needed for the longer trip to Lake Louise. On route the skies turned from lovely sunshine to white…it was snowing!!! I couldn’t believe the weather could change so drastically and it was just perfect for the day. Pulling up to Lake Louise we were greeted by another, more impressive Fairmont Hotel. With the snow, the photos were like ready Christmas cards. The lake itself was eerie due to the low-lying mist and the snow fall but just beautiful. I felt like I was in a snow globe where everywhere I turned was another stunning photo opportunity. Whilst I didn’t get the full view of the lake with the mountains reflected, I feel very lucky that I witnessed the first snow fall of the season.
Onwards and upwards from Lake Louise to the Columbia Icefields Parkway through Banff and Jasper National Parks. We enjoyed some time taking in the views before we boarded our ice explorer. The journey to the Glacier is something else. The ice explorers are purpose built to navigate the terrain which was dicey to say the least though the drivers are great fun and so knowledgeable about the area. At the Glacier we were able to get out and walk around, if you could stay on your feet!
It was approx. -15 degrees with high winds and snow. I had been told it could be slippery and so the best purchase I made before the trip were ice cleats (ice and snow grips) which I popped onto my boots and away I went. I think I was the only one standing and able to walk and see the edge of the Glacier itself. It took a long time to warm up after this but before I knew it, we were at the Icefield Skywalk. This is a glass viewing platform hovering 280 meters above the valley below, again, not for the faint hearted but an experience people seemed to love. Luckily, due to the weather, there was a lot of fog and mist below the glass and so I managed to get over this as I couldn’t see down, success!
Our final night in Banff ended with a bit of shopping and another delicious dinner. Leaving Banff behind very early was tough but everyone was so excited as we were about to board the world-famous Rocky Mountaineer! Sitting next to a picture of the train at work and then to be next to in the flesh was very surreal. We were given a royal welcome from our fabulous hosts and boarded the lap of luxury. We travelled in Gold Leaf and so had the most comfortable, heated reclining seats I have ever sat in. Lots of legroom and enough for your handbag.
Drinks and food seemed to be the theme of the next 2 days. We had been served our first plate before we even left the station! Talking of which, the departure team and flag bearers all stand to wave you off on the platform, we all felt like royalty! The onboard team were amazing. They knew everything about the area and during the journey they tell you everything you could want to know about the history of the train and tracks and so much more. They keep things interesting, and all have a great sense of humour.
For me, the best part of the train was the outside viewing platform. As were in Gold Leaf, this area is quite large and you could spend as much time as you wanted out there, enjoying the crisp mountain air and feeling closer to nature. As the train never travels more than 30 mph you are never too wind swept either! The journey from Banff to Kamloops was all mountains and forests, amazing!
Our overnight stay in Kamloops seemed to go by in a flash and after a sound night’s sleep in our hotel, we again boarded the train for day 2 of our journey to Vancouver. More delicious food and drinks as well as stories, games and so much laughter ensured that day 2 was just as great as day 1. The scenery changed dramatically from mountains to bridges and tunnels but still just as interesting. We saw our fair share of eagles on the journey but no bears unfortunately, maybe next time? They say, ‘all good things must come to an end’ and after 2 days of total relaxation and too much food and drink, it was time to depart the Rocky Mountaineer and head to our hotel, the Pinnacle Waterfront in Vancouver.
Vancouver is all high-rise buildings, what a change from past few days. We headed straight for our hotel and found I was on the 9th floor of the hotel with views right out over the waterfront and could watch the sea planes taking off heading to Whistler. Vancouver is vibrant at night, and you will find anything from laid back cafes to more lively night spots. A nightcap to toast the past 2 days and then a lovely early night.
For our first day in Vancouver, we had a tour of Stanley Park and Granville Island. I had no idea quite how big Stanley Park was and that it even had 3 beaches! It’s over 1000 acres of park close to the city but a feel of further away where you can cycle and walk in peace by the waterfront, hike through the forest or be more adventurous and go roller blading, certainly not for me!
Granville Island was again totally different and is renowned for its huge food market. The market has everything you can and cannot imagine and saw they were offering the famous Poutine so I couldn’t resist. Chips covered in gravy and cheese curds, what’s not to love? There is a very artsy vibe here with local boutique shops and cafes all painted differently showing off the areas character. Driving back toward the city we passed Gas Town. A town powered by underground gas pipes with a clock that express gas and tunes every 10 minutes.
Back to the Waterfront and cruise port which seems to be the main focal point of the city we saw a Silversea and Holland America ship in port ready to sail off to Alaska, lucky them! Just off the port side is one of the best experiences in Vancouver, Vancouver Flyover Experience. This is a simulated flight ride over all of Canada and was honestly amazing. You must make sure you do this on a visit to the city. You can buy a city pass and this will be included as well as many more attractions like the Capilano Suspension Bridge which I just couldn’t face – enough with the heights for me!
Our final day had arrived and not leaving until 3pm I decided to spend the day in Downtown Vancouver. I headed to Robson Street, which is famous for shopping as well as bars and eateries, not that I needed anymore food! The city feels so safe and is so clean and I could just enjoy the atmosphere and pick up my souvenirs at my own pace without the normal pushing and shoving of a big city. Soon it was time to bid Vancouver and Canada, and we made our way to the airport. Checked in and again treated the Maple Airport lounge before our flight. It was the perfectly relaxed way to end my fast paced but incredible trip.
Bucket list well and truly ticked! There really are not enough words to express the experiences that I have had in Canada, but I can honestly say it was really one of the best countries I have ever visited for so many reasons. I feel so lucky to have been able to experience this fantastic country and I hope to be able to help you plan your next ‘Bucket List trip’ too!
