Canadian Winter Wonderland
Have you ever dreamt of experiencing a Winter holiday in Canada and it’s still on your bucket list.
Imagine Snowcapped Mountains, Glaciers, Ice Castles, Sleigh Rides and Dog Sledding. Not forgetting, skiing down the powder slopes surrounded by hundreds of stunning snow covered trees.
I just experienced all this and so much more as I explored British Columbia & Alberta for 3 weeks during the month of March.
My journey started in Vancouver, the gateway to BC. I flew over on Fiji Airways with a short layover in Nadi both ways and experienced the friendly Fijian hospitality onboard. Upon arrival into Vancouver, I boarded the Skytrain for a short trip into downtown Vancouver stopping at Waterfront Station.
My first hotel stay at the Pan Pacific Waterfront was only a short walk across the road from the station. What a fantastic location right above Canada Place Cruise Terminal and walking distance to lots of great restaurants as well as Gastown, famous for the historical steam clock.
Vancouver has so much to offer and really is a year round destination. A great introduction is to join the Vancouver City Highlights tour operated by Landsea Tours. This half day small group tour took us through Downtown Vancouver, Chinatown & Gastown, with stops in Stanley Park to view the Totem Poles or Story Poles as they are now known as well as plenty of time to explore Granville Island Markets.
An extension of this tour takes you to the Vancouver Lookout with 360 degree views of the city, harbour and mountains and up to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park located in North Vancouver. Entry includes the Treetops Adventure and Cliffwalk and of course walking across the Suspension Bridge if you dare with views of the canyon below. There are complimentary shuttle buses to both Capilano and Grose Mountain that depart Canada Place every hour.
After a couple of days exploring the beauty of Vancouver, it was time to begin our Winter Adventure through the Canadian Rockies. We caught the VIA Rail overnight snow train to the Rockies with the first stop in Jasper. What a wonderful surprise to wake up surrounded by snowy scenes around every corner.
I choose to stay in the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge which is located only a short drive from the town centre. With a complimentary hotel pickup from the station, I was soon transported to a peaceful resort in a breathtaking setting between towering peaks, pine forests, and Lake Beauvert. Upon checking in and as part of the Virtuoso Benefits, I was upgraded to a stunning Lakeside Cabin complete with log fire, separate lounge & living area with another outdoor campfire and place to chill by the lake. This natural setting bought deers to our back door and a place to escape and unwind. I could not fault the high standard of service and the food in the resort was delicious. The outdoor heated pool and spa were a great place to relax at the end of the day and admire the stunning views. For the more daring an Ice Plunge in the lake followed by a hot sauna is on offer.
The next day we joined a Winter Wildlife Tour operated by Sundogs which took us deep into Jasper National Park. A lot of Jasper was damaged in the recent wildfires that destroyed a large part of the forest and township of Jasper a few years ago. However, we could see a lot of new tree-life growing throughout the park along with spotting lots of Elk, Big-Horn Sheep & Deer.
Our next stop took us to the stunning Lake Louise which was like a fairytale. The Fairmont Lake Louise is located on the edge of the lake surrounded by stunning mountains. The hotel offers lots of activities to enjoy including ice skating around the spectacular Ice-Castle, a horse drawn sleigh ride around the lake where we watched in awe as Ice-climbers made their way to the top of the frozen waterfalls. Snowshoeing and Cross Country Skiing are also popular activities. Then ending the day with a mulled wine in the Ice-Bar is not to be missed. A truly magical stay.
Heading further into the Rockies we came to the town of Banff, so picturesque and surrounded by towering mountains. The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel is located in Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the world-famous "Castle in the Rockies". Walking through this historic hotel and discovering marvellous ballrooms and knights in shining armour you can only imagine what it was like when it first opened130 years ago.
A ride up the Banff Gondola takes you high in the sky with spectacular views from the boardwalk or chill out in an igloo under a cosy blanket. The town of Banff offers a wide range of cafes, shops and accommodation options with nearby ski fields Sunshine & Lake Louise.
After leaving the Canadian Rockies we continued East via Canmore reaching Calgary before flying to Kelowna in BC. Kelowna is a pretty lakeside town and home to the Kelowna Rockets Ice Hockey team where I got to cheer on the local team win against Victoria, another first experience for me.
An hour away from Kelowna is Big White Mountain, known as Canada’s favourite family ski resort. This friendly village is very popular with Australians being ski in/ski out and offers a great range of snow sports & activities including snow tubing and dog sledding which I would have to say was one of the highlights of our trip. Meeting the friendly Alaskan Huskies all vying for your attention as they absolutely love running through the snow pulling the sleigh through the twist and turns of the forest. We even had the opportunity to drive the sleigh – a once in a lifetime experience not to be forgotten.
Overall, I absolutely loved my time in Canada during the winter and can’t wait to return and do it all over again in the Summertime.