Category: Canada

It’s almost midnight, you’re somewhere you don’t know from Timbuktu, and all you want to do is check in to this comfortable-looking hotel and get some sleep, before embarking on some adventures tomorrow.  But as you reach into your pocket for your passport you feel a sickening drop of your heart as your fingers close around nothing but empty space…… Read More >

Exploring the East Coast of Canada has always been on my bucket list. So when I got the opportunity this past July to explore Newfoundland and Labrador on an expedition cruise ship, needless to say I was over the moon with excitement. Adding to the excitement was that we would be sailing on the Ocean Endeavor, a 198 passenger expedition vessel with all the comforts you could ask for to explore some of Canada’s most remote places.  Read More >

It can be a minefield to know what you are allowed to bring back into Canada without paying duty (extra taxes) on your goods.  And if you knew in 2015, you may be surprised now in 2016 as some of the allowances have changed!  So, here’s a rundown of the basics so you can make the most of your duty free allowance on your next trip out of Canada.  Read More >

Recently I had the experience of traveling to the east coast of Canada.  It was literally a planes, trains and automobile style trip. We flew to the cost, rented a car, and ended our trip with train rides from Halifax to Montreal and from Montreal to Toronto, and from Toronto to Winnipeg. Read More >

Left Churchill with my first group of the season today. It’s always seems like it should be a sad moment, and many guests do feel a little pang at the idea of departing this unique frontier town. However, normally I find that the final day in Churchill is a blur of activity, laughter, and reflection over the events of the trip so far. As we always say, it’s not over yet! Read More >

Arrival back in Winnipeg at the end of a hectic, wonderful, whirlwind polar bear season means many things: sushi, watching The Hunger Games, getting laughed at by friends for looking back over my shoulder when we walk along city streets in the hours of darkness. And also finally an opportunity to sit down, reflect, and post the stories of this latest polar bear viewing odyssey. Read More >

Why do people choose to travel to see wildlife?  What is it that a nature vacation offers that another type of trip cannot?  I don’t have all the answers to those questions, but I know from personal experience that it is days like today, full of up-close polar bear viewing, that makes Churchill such a spectacular place to view wild polar bears. Read More >

In my experience, all people who travel to Churchill find more than they are looking for.  Ask any group, in Winnipeg, what they have come to Churchill for besides the obvious polar bear viewing, and you’ll find that many would like to see arctic foxes, arctic hares, snowy owls, and northern lights.  Rarely does anyone say that they have come to experience the beauty of the tundra. Read More >

Did I mention that every day out on the tundra round Churchill is different?  Today we checked out a few of the normal hot-spots of bear activity to no avail.  Sometimes there’s just no saying where the polar bears are going to be, and so we search.  Around 10:30am we decided to head out to one of the most beautiful headlands in the Wildlife Management Area for our coffee break.  I’m a bit of a geology nerd and the Precambrian rock visible here is just amazing, so I’m always excited to take a trip here regardless of the wildlife situations! Read More >