As I announced in this thread here my daughter will be traveling to Canada next year as part of a NZ contingent to attend a jamboree in Guleph.
We have been fundraising hard ( cheeck out our blog here very amateurish but you get the idea ;) )and now some ideas have been thrown around amongst the group as to where to travel within Canada before and after.
What do you think are some good attractions anywhere in Canada for a bunch of teenage girls from NZ?
In particular I am keen for them to travel to PEI,Nova Scotia and the Arctic Circle but dont really have any suggestions as to what would be good to go to, any ideas?
Links would be helpful :)
That's a pretty tall order. Canada is the second largest country in the world and there is more than anyone can see in a life time. I guess the question is: are you limited to the eastern half of Canada? What time of year will they be going?
eta: Oops! July you say in the other thread. I guess that just leaves the other question I posed.
There is no limits at this point as to where in Canada, just want ideas initially so they can decide on an itinerary but remember this is a bunch of teenage girls!
I'd recommend the Canadian rockies. They could fly to Calgary and then head out to Banff then head north to Jasper. Once there they would head to Edmonton to fly to their next destination. (of course they could do the reverse loop too) There are tours that can accommodate such a trip. What do you get to see? Mountains, beautiful landscapes, wild life.
One thing to note about Banff and to a lesser extent Jasper: A lot of people from Australia and New Zealand work in the parks. Sometimes I wonder if they almost outnumber the actual residents. :)
What do you think are some good attractions anywhere in Canada for a bunch of teenage girls from NZ?
...Teenage girls eh... well shopping malls come to mind. :O)
Ray
West Edmonton Mall was the largest mall in the world for a number of years...until that REALLY big one in China was built. I think West Ed might even be number 3 now
I suggest you get out a map to get an idea of just how BIG Canada is. Unless they have a private jet, they'll be spending 24 hours sitting in a vehicle on the mostly boring highway to travel to the closer east coast.
IMNSHO, there are plenty of things they'd enjoy within a 120km radius, rather than sitting in a car for 1,500km. Guelph is surrounded by The Great Lakes. Beautiful beach are to be had on Lake Huron, such as Sauble Beach and The Pinery. The Niagara Escarpment winds through the area for hundreds of kilometres, and is hike-able via the Bruce Trail. Toronto is worthy of a day trip, and teens will love it for the shopping and sights. Niagara Falls is worthy of a day trip. Niagara-on-the-Lake is nice if you like old-folks' style shopping. Port Dover has a nice beach on Lake Erie, and Long Point is even nicer.
ETA, there's a nude beach on Toronto Island...
Tons of stuff to do nearby, and make the most of their time!
I suggest you get out a map to get an idea of just how BIG Canada is. Unless they have a private jet, they'll be spending 24 hours sitting in a vehicle on the mostly boring highway to travel to the closer east coast.
IMNSHO, there are plenty of things they'd enjoy within a 120km radius, rather than sitting in a car for 1,500km. Guelph is surrounded by The Great Lakes. Beautiful beach are to be had on Lake Huron, such as Sauble Beach and The Pinery. The Niagara Escarpment winds through the area for hundreds of kilometres, and is hike-able via the Bruce Trail. Toronto is worthy of a day trip, and teens will love it for the shopping and sights. Niagara Falls is worthy of a day trip. Niagara-on-the-Lake is nice if you like old-folks' style shopping. Port Dover has a nice beach on Lake Erie, and Long Point is even nicer.
Tons of stuff to do nearby, and make the most of their time!
Yeah I'd have to agree with Slippy. There is so much to see in Canada but you're best to try to focus on one part of it. The part they are going to has a lot to offer anyways. After all...they have Slippy! :)
Places close to Guelph (sorry if they were already mentioned):
Niagara Falls
Sauble Beach
Wasaga Beach
Blue Mountain (especially in the winter)
Collingwood Caves
Canada's Wonderland (especially in the summer)
Algonquin Park (if they like camping)
Manitoulin Island
Toronto Island
Montreal (6 hour drive from guelph, but worth it if you have a few days to spare)
Quebec City (2 hours from Montreal)
New York City (not too long a flight from Toronto/Buffalo airports)
Chicago (again, not too long a flight)
Thanks for suggestions so far :)
I can see Canada is big ( I wonder how many NZ's can fit in there! ) but they will be away for about a month. 10 days at jamboree and a few days in California-Disneyland etc so they will have about 2 weeks spare to travel around Canada.
They are likely to be billeted alot of the time so accommodation costs will be low, west edmonton mall is definitely on the list! What are the good water parks? Any other ideas?
Of to check the links provided :)
ETA Niagara falls and other attractions close to the area will likely be visited as part of the jamboree
Cut out California Disneyland. Oh wait, you'll be arriving on the West coast, but I was going to suggest concentrating on the East coast and including a trip to Quebec City. Yes, Montreal is old Canada, but QC is older, more French, and all the food is fantastic. Although I love my West coast paradise, QC is where I would head for civilization and history refreshment. You don't have to know the history or the culture, you just soak it up from the old stone buildings and the people there. Thinking that would work for lucky New Zealanders?
Cut out California Disneyland. Oh wait, you'll be arriving on the West coast, but I was going to suggest concentrating on the East coast and including a trip to Quebec City. Yes, Montreal is old Canada, but QC is older, more French, and all the food is fantastic. Although I love my West coast paradise, QC is where I would head for civilization and history refreshment. You don't have to know the history or the culture, you just soak it up from the old stone buildings and the people there. Thinking that would work for lucky New Zealanders?
