DESTINATIONS SPRING CANADA RIGHT:


Black bear FAR RIGHT:


Alaska cruise


BELOW: Rocky


Mountaineer


festival to celebrate it, running from April 4-27 this year, with performances, picnics, Japanese-inspired fairs and plenty more.


Mark Henderson, senior product


ASK THE EXPERT


Lee Rogers, product, commercial and trade director, Canadian Affair Spring in Canada comes late – from around the end of April and into May – but it’s worth the wait. You get the best of both worlds at this time of year. The mountain peaks still have their dramatic, snowy caps, while the lower ground has thawed and rivers flow free. In high alpine regions you could still be treated to the magical sight of a frozen lake as the mountain airs stay crisp into May. And in Canada’s cities, you’ll see a cultural awakening to match nature’s own display.


and commercial manager for touring at Travel 2, suggests adding some warmer-weather skiing in Banff for those wanting to combine it with adventure. “You get longer, sunnier days in the Rockies and in Whistler, making it perfect for skiing,” he says.


◗ TIPTOE THROUGH THE TULIPS The east side of the country is just as colourful on the flower front, and in Ottawa you’ll find the Canadian Tulip Festival, this year running from May 10-20. More than 250,000 tulips fill Commissioners Park, covering


Spring is when Canada’s bears come out of hibernation, emerging with their cubs to feast on grass and berries


the area in a sea of pink, orange and yellow. Their presence dates back to the Second World War, when the Dutch royal family took refuge here and later sent a gift of tulip bulbs as a thank you. Elsewhere in Ottawa, spring is maple season, with sap running in the trees; from late February to early April sugar


shacks offer visitors the chance to watch maple syrup being made and indulge in a host of syrupy treats.


◗ BE AWESTRUCK IN ALASKA With icy glaciers calving into the milky waters, and mountains soaring up from the mirror-flat blue, Alaska can look more like a Pixar creation than real life. The best time to experience its jaw- dropping scenes starts in May, before the summer hordes arrive. Newmarket Holidays offers a Holland America Line cruise taking in the Inside Passage, Skagway, Glacier Bay and beyond with land tours from Calgary to Vancouver, while Canadian Affair combines it with a ride on the Rocky Mountaineer in a 17-day extravaganza taking in the very best of this extraordinary region.


Sample product


Great Rail Journey’s Eastern Canada & the Cabot Trail starts from £2,795, including a whale-watching cruise, excursions, hotel accommodation, transport and one night on the Ocean train, with return flights from London (departures in May and June). greatrail.com


Prestige Holidays can combine a nine- day Rockies Rail Tour with an Alaksa Cruise from £2,844 from May 3, based on twin share and including Air Canada flights from Heathrow, sightseeing and accommodation. presetigecanada.co.uk


56travelweekly.co.uk3 January 2019


PICTURES: CANADIAN AFFAIR; NEWMARKET HOLIDAYS; PRESTIGE HOLIDAYS


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84