Tahiti opens for visitors on Wednesday, July 15. With that in mind I’m re-posting this blog on the tranquil island of Raiatea from earlier this year. RAIATEA – A quick afternoon rainstorm had ended, and it was getting close to the golden hour; that time of day that photographers adore for its soft light. I was staying at a family run lodge/hotel called Fare Vai Nui on the west coast of this beautiful, quiet island, which is about a 40-minute flight from Tahiti island. They have free bikes you can use and I wanted to see a bit of the Read more
Australia has had to close the border between the states of New South Wales and Victoria due to COVID-19 fears. Meanwhile, a new carrier has announced it will fly to southern destinations from Quebec, and the hotel business appears to be picking up nicely. My Future of Travel blog for July 7. Australia Closing Some State Borders Australia lovers have been looking longingly at the country’s success in fighting the COVID-19 virus, hoping that perhaps Oz would soon open its borders to so-called safe countries such as Canada. Don’t look now, but there’s been a flare-up in the state of Read more
Re-openings in Bermuda and the Bahamas, as well as France, the legendary Fairmont Chateau Laurier hotel in Ottawa. I also have news from Toronto, Hawaiian Airlines, Viking Cruises, Booking.Com and PAL Airlines in Eastern Canada. My Future of Travel Blog for July 2. Everybody Sing Along: Bermuda, Bahamas, Come On Pretty Mama…. Great news for lovers of sun and sand: both the Bahamas and Bermuda re-opened for visitors on Canada Day, July 1. The Bahamas today issued a release to say they have a new travel app available. The Bahamas Ministry Of Tourism & Aviation’s new, free mobile app provides Read more
I’m paddling gently through a shallow creek that runs off the south branch of the Muskoka River on a perfect, early summer’s day in Bracebridge. I hear the call of unfamiliar birds echoing through the trees as I skim along the surface of the creek in my brilliant orange kayak. Off to my left, an iridescent, small, blue and black dragonfly comes to rest on a brilliant yellow pond lily. A few feet away, I spot a small turtle sunning itself on a log on a 22 Celsius morning. My wife and I ease our kayaks back out into the Read more
Curated guides to some of the world’s great cities. A map that can show you the next electric charging station on the road for your car. And maps that show elevation changes for that bike ride you’ve been meaning to try for years. Apple Maps has been refining their product for years, with continuous improvements coming at every opportunity. Now comes iOS 14, Apple’s biggest update in history, which takes Apple Maps – and other apps and features – to whole new levels. One of the great new features are the curated maps, which are available now for New York Read more
Taking a tour of Stanley Park with a local First Nations’ guide from Talaysay Tours is a marvellous way to learn about the history of the area and its people. This is a story I wrote a few months ago for the Postmedia travel site and am re-posting here on National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada. VANCOUVER – Wes Nahanee and I are traipsing about Stanley Park in Vancouver on as fine an autumn day as one can legally imagine. Nahanee works with a group called Talaysay Tours, a First Nations-owned company that leads tours in British Columbia and explains the way Read more
Canada and the US are keeping the border closed until July 21. But the good news is two great Niagara experiences open soon; the Hornblower Cruise to the Falls and the Whirlpool Jet rides. I also look at Canada’s rating for adventure travel, the quarantine situation in Hawaii, re-openings in Europe, and LGBTQ travel news in my Future of Travel blog for June 16, 2020. Niagara Falls Re-Opening Starts This Week One of the world’s great destinations – and one that’s easy for many Canadians to reach without leaving their home province – is re-opening its amazing attractions. Read more
