On the train from Zurich to Bad Ragaz, a charming mountain town in eastern Switzerland, you pass mirror-like lakes so still that it’s hard to tell the difference between the sky and the water. Jagged Alpine trees are seen twice, their reflection in the water creating a topsy-turvy landscape. Mountain peaks are upside down and the cobalt of autumnal skies merge into the ice-blue of the lake’s surface.
Beth Lewis on how off-grid glamping shaped her love of the Canadian wilderness
08.10.2023 - 11:17 / nationalgeographic.com / Rocky Mountains
I don’t remember when my love of Canada began — it’s something that’s always been there, this connection to a country that feels like a second home even though I haven’t spent longer than a month there in one go. I grew up by the sea in Cornwall and planned to study marine biology and live out on the water, researching whales and sharks. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, my lack of scientific aptitude quickly put paid to that idea, but the love of nature remained and has been an anchor in my life and in my writing.
Canada is a special place. It’s vast, majestic and wild but also friendly, fun and diverse in its landscape — from peaceful hills and lakes in the east through flat golden prairies, rising up to the awe-inspiring Rocky Mountains, then down to the coast, where mountains and rainforests meet the sea. I travelled there by myself at the age of 20, planning to spend my 21st birthday camping, kayaking with killer whales and hiking in the forests.
I woke on my birthday in a tent on the edge of the water. It was quiet, the other campers not yet awake. I watched the sun rise, turning a black sky blue, and the water from gun-metal grey to shining silver. Behind me, the trees of this largely untouched wilderness loomed — cedars and spruce, hemlock and pine. The smell of the dense, ancient forest mingled with the salty tang of the sea. It filled my lungs and gave me a sense of calm I’ve rarely found since.
I was on an island in the middle of the Johnstone Strait, the slice of water between mainland British Columbia and Vancouver Island. It’s a magical area of the world. A narrow sea, just a couple of miles wide, it holds dozens of islands, coves and inlets, and in the summer is home to over 100 orcas, as well as whales, dolphins, eagles and bears. In my time there, I saw them all and in abundance.
Bears combed the beaches, cubs in tow. I watched from the relative safety of a kayak as a mother bear turned over rocks looking for clams and crabs, snuffling peacefully on the shoreline, before disappearing into the forest. Had I arrived a few minutes later, I’d have landed on the beach for a break and not known there was a bear and her cub just beyond the treeline.
That moment of realisation, that I was a few minutes, seconds even, away from potential danger, and that there could be anything hiding in these dense, beautiful forests, made me understand how small I was, and how powerful and how unforgiving Mother Nature could be. Needless to say, I didn’t land on that beach but found another not far away — though who’s to tell what had been roaming the shore before I arrived?
At first glance, the landscape seemed impenetrable. Endless carpets of pointed trees reached right down to a thin sliver of
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Autors
Popular Topics
lonelyplanet.com
24.10.2023 / 23:17
Nairobi, Kenya: Here are the best places to experience this buzzing capital
The sights, sounds, tastes and smells of Nairobi are a full sensory experience. The elaborately decorated Matatu busses painted ornate graffiti, the dynamic array of restaurants, food carts and cafes, and a steady rotation of arts and cultural venues all fuel a distinct coolness only found in Kenya’s capital. Add in its namesake national park teeming with wildlife within easy reach of the city center, and you’ve got yourself an unforgettable trip.
forbes.com
19.10.2023 / 13:09
Witness The Spectacular Beauty Of The Canadian Rockies At Mount Engadine Lodge
While Canada’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts are home to their fair share of spectacular landscapes, those who venture into the vast interior of the country can find towering mountains, verdant forests, and rushing rivers—and for those hoping to explore all three at once, Alberta is the perfect destination. Measuring in at just over 660,000 square kilometers, this sprawling province hosts large tracts of the Rocky Mountains, offering ample opportunity for outdoor adventure aficionados to explore to their hearts’ content. For impending visitors, there’s no shortage of dazzling ecolodges to use as a base, but when it comes to finding the perfect blend of luxury accommodations and rustic charm, there’s no beating Mount Engadine Lodge.
skift.com
16.10.2023 / 19:17
The Top 20 States Where Investors Are Buying More Homes
That investors are buying single-family homes across the country is not new, but how much and where?
insider.com
14.10.2023 / 15:03
How Disney World compares to 14 popular theme parks across the US
I've been exploring theme parks across the country (and the world) for over three decades, and there are so many options beyond Disney and Universal.
insider.com
14.10.2023 / 15:03
I've traveled full-time with my family for years. Here are the 4 best places to visit with kids — and 3 I'd return to with just adults.
I've spent the past three years jetting my family — my wife, daughters (12 and 16), and son (11) — around the world pretty much full-time.
insider.com
12.10.2023 / 13:15
I left my hometown of 20+ years to move to Canada, a place I'd never been. I love the surprises that come with living here.
I never thought I'd leave my hometown in the UK.
travelweekly.com
11.10.2023 / 15:17
Where are they now? Checking in with our Hot 25 Startups of 2019
Between a global pandemic that shut down travel and technological advancements like generative artificial intelligence, travel has experienced an ever-changing landscape over the past half decade.
forbes.com
10.10.2023 / 23:49
Amazing Wild Animals In Photos: 19 Winners Of Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2023
The ‘golden horseshoe’, an otherworldly image of a rare golden tri-spine horseshoe crab accompanied by a trio of golden trevallies fish, has been chosen as the winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023 competition.
travelpulse.com
10.10.2023 / 19:47
Southeast Tourism Society Announces Newly Appointed Executive Committee and Board of Directors
WHY IT RATES: The appointments are noteworthy as the team works to drive visitation to its 13 member states and Washington D.C.—Patrick Clarke, TravelPulse Senior Editor
travelpulse.com
10.10.2023 / 19:47
The Luxury of Time With AmaWaterways’ Grand River Cruises
Longer vacations are trending within the travel industry, not only offering your clients unforgettable getaways to their dream destinations, but also presenting you with an opportunity to increase your commissions. In response to increasing consumer demand for longer vacations, AmaWaterways has introduced a collection of specially curated 14-night Grand River Cruises.
matadornetwork.com
10.10.2023 / 14:02
How To Plan the Perfect Autumn Visit To Jasper National Park
Imagine waking up to gorgeous lake views surrounded by misty mountains and trees lining the horizon as far as the eye can see. That’s the magic of Jasper National Park, the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, where I recently spent a cozy retreat to welcome the fall season. Coming from the scorching heat of Phoenix, Arizona, my lungs craved the crisp morning air, while the desert girl in me relished and autumnal mountain hues — and I soaked it all in from the private balcony of an alpine lodge on the shores of Pyramid Lake.