Destination: Indigenous

There’s never been a better time, and more demand, for meaningful interaction with Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Our Bucket Listed columnist, Robin Esrock, has rounded up a comprehensive list of Indigenous-led experiences that will tick all your boxes, whether your ideal trip involves fine dining and cultural discovery in a luxe setting, or discovering wild nature on a self-powered adventure. Spanning nature, culture, food, adventure and history, these activities around the country will leave you inspired, informed, and joyfully connected to both land and people. This is just the beginning. 

Note: COVID has done a number on all tourism operators, and some of the services listed in the article might be running in a limited capacity.  

You need to know about this foodie destination 

If all you know about Cornwall, Ontario is that it’s an exit off Highway 401 between Toronto and Montreal, it’s time to plan a detour. Ontario’s easternmost city, situated on the St. Lawrence River, has a vibrant and diverse local food scene, mostly centred within its historic — and walkable — downtown. When COVID-19 hit, the community rallied to support their local restaurants, and most independently-owned eateries survived the lockdowns. Some even grew, moving to larger locations during the pandemic. 

Wondering what flavours could inspire such loyalty? Check out one of the five great spots below or, better yet, book a tour with local expert Vanessa Leduc of Cornwall Food Tours, who will share some of the social and industrial history of this small but significant hub as you stroll to your next destination.

Join Can Geo photographer Javier Frutos in Nepal

See the Roof of the World with acclaimed photographer and Canadian Geographic creative director Javier Frutos. This unique photographic expedition with Exodus Travels will show you why Nepal has long attracted active adventurers and fearless explorers. Discover all that Nepal has to offer on this 12 day adventure—the cultural meccas of Bhaktapur and Kathmandu and the tell-tale colourful boats of Pokhara; the charming villages in the Annapurna foothills; and the incredible wildlife of Chitwan. Experience a safari by jeep, foot, and dugout canoe, while you spot tigers, rhinos, crocodiles, and sloth bears. Relax on the shoreline of the peaceful town of Pokhara and watch the sunrise over the dramatic snowcapped Fishtail Mountain; stroll through the streets of Bhaktapur, listening to monks chant while you take in the town’s historic and religious monuments, and stop to admire local artisans weaving cloths and making pottery.

About Javier: From the Alps to Antarctica, penguins to porpoises, Javier Frutos has explored and photographed many of the world's most beautiful and often unseen moments. Javier will share tips on how to truly capture that once in a lifetime moment.

This experience of a lifetime departs April 4, 2022. Click here to learn more.

7 of Canada’s best winter drives

The onset of cold and snow shouldn’t spell the end of road tripping for the coming months. The lines of motorists that would slow your roll through resort towns and on the highways to cottage country in the summer may be in hibernation, but the routes themselves — from Newfoundland’s Viking Trail to the B.C.-Yukon border-traversing Alaska Highway — never quit.

But they are transformed. Rolling white Prairies become almost hypnotically beautiful, mountains are crusted in snow, and the wild seas along the West Coast will drop your jaw. All cold-weather travel takes is a little bit of extra planning and a readiness to brush with the unexpected, so check the long-term forecast, throw a well-stocked safety kit in the trunk, give your winter tires a kick and set out on one of the seven spectacular winter road trips featured here.

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