Ever wanted to visit one of the beautiful lakes in Canada, try snowboarding in the Rocky Mountains or walk on a Glacier? I packed up my bags and spent two weeks backpacking around the West of Canada and it was friggin’ glorious.
Ticked off the bucket list
Vancouver
Banff
Jasper
Whistler
Top songs on the playlist
Can’t stop the feeling – Justin Timberlake
Want you back – Haim
This is how we do it – Montell Jordan
Starships – Nicki Minaj
What to do
Vancouver
- Bike around Stanley Park
- Visit the steaming clock in Gastown
- Visit Grizzly bears up Grouse Mountain
- Capilano Suspension Bridge
- Granville Island markets
Banff
- Visit the Icefields Parkway
- Take a snowcoach up Athabasca Glacier
- Visit the lakes – Bow, Louise and Moraine
- Kayak on Two Jack Lake
- Hike up Sulphur Mountain
Vancouver – Stanley Park walkway
Icefields parkway – Bow lake
Jasper
- Hike around Jasper National Park
- Athabasca Falls
- Glacier skywalk
- Take the sightseeing Skytram
- Kayak on Maligne Lake
Whistler
- Shopping in Whistler village
- Bar crawl
- Peak-to-peak Gondola
- ATV or RZR driving through mountains
- Zip-lining
Travel hacks
- You will need a visa to get in to Canada if travelling on a New Zealand passport. Ask your travel agent for more information
- Best time to travel: May – October
- Tipping is customary in Canada. Be sure to carry some small change with you for taxis and restaurants
- Restaurant waitstaff 15% to 20%
- Bar staff $1 per drink
- Taxis 10% to 15%
- Tax is not included in the retail price of some products so be prepared to spend a little bit extra on items (anywhere from a few cents to a few dollars)
- Order poutine (fries, gravy and cheese) – trust us!
- Hunt down a restaurant called The Warehouse – the whole menu is $5 so if you are strapped for cash after all your activities, it is a great place to eat
- Have fun. Canada is full of lovely people who are willing to lend a hand if you get lost or need recommendations on where to eat, drink and sight-see
Rocky mountains – Mount Robson
Yoho national park – Emerald lake
Is Canada on your bucket list?
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Written by Monique Renee
Usually barefoot and deep in wanderlust mode, Mon loves binging Netflix, cuddling babies and stalking through Instagram looking for boho decor inspo and hotties with man buns. You’ll usually find her on holiday, planning a holiday or thinking about holidays.
Favourite Instagram to follow: @hotdudesreading
Wow, never even heard of Jasper before. Canada seems like a really friendly place to visit, and great for great views and getting back to Nature but still overseas too.