It was a rather limited year of travel due to health concerns in the summer and fall, but I still managed to check out cool motels in southern Ontario, stylish digs in Hawaii, lovely restaurants in Vancouver, and great places in my home state of California. Not to mention fab stops in Montreal and Florida. Here are some 2025 travel highlights. CANADA Coolest Montreal Hotel: Le Petit Hotel Notre Dame in Montreal. Part of the William Gray Collection, this is a small (hence the name), boutique property in Old Montreal with stylish rooms, a check-in desk that doubles as an Read more
Caribbean
I love these year-end look-ahead pieces that talk about great places to visit the following year. Earlier I referenced some top picks by National Geographic. Today I’ll look at top choices from Conde Nast Traveler and BBC Travel. CONDE NAST TRAVELER Among their top picks were several of my fave places in the world, and at least one I hope to visit soon. ROUTE 66 I had hoped to do this trip by car next spring. Alas, health concerns got in the way and I won’t make it. Perhaps I can visit some of it later in 2026. I’d really Read more
I’ve been lucky enough to visit Jamaica a good six or seven times in my life. It’s a stunningly beautiful island with truly spectacular, welcoming people. But Hurricane Melissa wrought far more damage to Jamaica than I think most of us understand. A good friend of mine hails from the island and says the western end of Jamaica was devastated by Hurricane Melissa. Many, many people are still unaccounted for. I asked her about great places where people could donate, and she mentioned Food for the Poor Canada as a place where donations really get to the people who need Read more
National Geographic, one of the biggest names in travel, has issued a list of 26 top places to visit next year, and Canadian destinations scored big. Banff was named Readers Choice destination for next year in the magazine’s 2026 hot spot list, while Nat Geo editors put the province of Quebec and the city of Vancouver on their list. Also making the charts were Maui, Australia’s most famous Outback destination, Manila, Rio de Janeiro, the Caribbean island of Dominica, Route 66 in Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, and the Dolomites and Milan in Italy. Here’s a closer look, with comments from Nat Geo. Read more
Leading global travel platform Skyscanner has unveiled its 2026 travel trends report, highlighting top destinations and insights into Canadian travel behaviour. Drawing from proprietary data, a global survey of more than 20,000 travellers, and trusted industry insights, Skyscanner has released its 2026 Travel Trends report. The findings highlight everything Canadians need to know for the year ahead – from emerging travel behaviours to the top 10 trending and best value destinations. Trending Destinations for Canadians Canadian travel behaviour in 2026 shows a growing appetite for destinations that balance cultural discovery, coastal charm, and vibrant city life. From Portugal’s Azores to the Caribbean’s capital cities and Read more
