The Culinary Institute of Canada holds cooking bootcamps
PEI was the setting for Anne of Green Gables
sleepy small-town charm – its hospitality is legendary.
l SELL: LITERARY LANDSCAPES PEI offers beautiful seaside scenery, fresh and local cuisine, and slow-paced, small-scale tourism. Yet certain aspects make the island unique. Among lovers of children’s
fiction, PEI is famous as the home of Anne of Green Gables – heroine of the series of books by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Anne-based tourism plays a major role in the island’s fortunes: there is a long- running Anne of Green Gables musical, a Montgomery festival, an Anne museum, plus Anne shops and plenty of chances to dress up in that famous bonnet with a red pig-tailed wig. The books are hugely popular in Asia and many people from the region make the
pilgrimage to PEI. British visitors may not be quite so committed, but a visit to the Anne museum can provide a nostalgic trip down memory lane for those who read the books as children. Golfers will love the island’s 25 courses – all within 45 minutes of each other. Its world-class greens have made PEI an International Association of Golf Tour Operators award winner, and given it a reputation as Canada’s number-one golf destination. PEI’s 685 miles of coastline boast plenty of pristine beaches. Those on the south shore have the warmest water and signature red-tinged sand. To the north, facing the Gulf of St Lawrence, there is rolling surf and white sand. Beaches in the Provincial Parks have lifeguards on duty in summer, when the sun-warmed waters tempt families to swim or kayak.
The island’s gently rolling hills
make it a paradise for cyclists and hikers. Following a stretch of the 170-mile Confederation Trail, which runs across long- abandoned railway lines, is a great way to explore PEI’s many small communities. Food tourism is another key
draw. The September Fall Flavours Festival features more than 75 events with celebrity chefs, picnics on the beach and plenty of craft beer and oysters. The PEI Flavours website is dedicated to culinary experiences on the island, while the Culinary Institute of Canada is based here and hosts half and full-day cooking bootcamps.
l SEE: EAT & MEET Nothing will give clients an overview of the island like a scenic flight. They will get stunning bird’s-eye view photos of PEI’s
beaches and Confederation Bridge on a pleasure flight in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk. Thirty-five minute flights start at £80.
fdairtours.com Visitors can also take part in a night of traditional entertainment that locals have been enjoying since 1888 at the Red Shores race track. They can experience the thrills of watching harness racing with the additional excitement of becoming the “owner” of one of the beautiful racehorses for a night. The package, which includes a tour of the paddock and buffet dinner in the grandstand, is bookable through Experience PEI.
experiencepei.ca PEI’s seafood is legendary, and visitors can get involved in catching and preparing it – or they can just eat. Lobster appears on the menu year-round, but the two main seasons, when catches on the wharves peak, run from May till the end of June and August to October. Hearty lobster feasts are served at New Glasgow Lobster Suppers from early June to mid- October. This traditional family
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travelweekly.co.uk — 29 January 2015
PICTURES: TOURISMPRINCE EDWARD ISLAND/STEPHEN DESROCHES, JOHN SYLVESTER, YVONNE DUIVENVOORDEN, CLIVE BARBER
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