Sometimes a simple quote or phrase is all that it takes to spark action and change in our lives.

We always welcome inspirational words, so we thought it would be fun to share some quotes that have inspired us in the past. Hopefully one or two of them give you the push you need to plan that next adventure. Enjoy!

28 Quotes That Inspire Travel

1. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain
2. The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - Saint Augustine
3. When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable. - Clifton Fadiman
4. If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home. – James Michener
5. We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey. - John Hope Franklin
6. Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe. – Anatole France
7. Once the travel bug bites there is no known antidote, and I know that I shall be happily infected until the end of my life. - Michael Palin
8. A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. - Lao Tzu
9. Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey. - Barbara Hoffman
10. A wise traveler never despises his own country. - Carlo Goldoni
11. You seldom, if ever, get lucky sitting down. - Zig Ziglar
12. To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries. – Aldous Huxley
13. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. -  Robert Frost
14. Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right! – Henry Ford
15. Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today. - Benjamin Franklin
16. Promise me you’ll always remember: you’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” - A.A. Milne, Winne the Pooh
17. I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it. - Rosalia de Castro
18. The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one. - Elbert Hubbard
19. An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching. – Gandhi
20. Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living. - Miriam Beard
21. Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends. - Maya Angelou
22. To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world. - Freya
23. I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them. - Mark Twain
24. There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it. - Charles Dudley Warner
25. We may run, walk, stumble, drive, or fly, but let us never lose sight of the reason for the journey, or miss a chance to see a rainbow on the way. - Gloria Gaither
26. You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take. - Wayne Gretzy
27. I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move. – Robert Louis Stevenson
28. No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow. - Lin Yutang

What is your favourite travel quote?

Share your favourite in the comments section below, we’d love to read it!

28 Powerful Quotes That Inspire Travel is a post from: Traveling Canucks

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Göreme – The Gateway to Cappadocia

If there is one place that we recommend you visit in Turkey (and the world for that matter), it’s Cappadocia and the Göreme Valley. Its peculiar rock formations, colourful canyons and magical fairy chimney’s make this tourist hotspot unlike any other place on earth – literally.

Check out these photos of Cappadocia to see what we’re talking about.

The historical region of Cappadocia has become famous for it’s hot air balloon tours, eccentric cave hotels, underground cities, ancient cave churches and the extraordinary terrain in the Göreme National Park (proudly added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985).

There are several towns in the Göreme Valley that offer tourist accommodations, but Göreme is the most popular because of its wide variety of hotels, restaurants, tour operators and stores that cater to foreigners. That, and because it’s one of the world’s most unusual cities!

Many travelers that book cheap holidays to Turkey will arrive and depart from Göreme when touring Cappadocia, making it a popular stop on the backpacker trail. Budget travelers can find good deals in Göreme and luxury travelers will find spectacular cave hotels that are truly one of kind.

Here is a photo of the cave hotel that we stayed at.

The town of Göreme, located in the Nevşehir Province of Central Anatolia, is also conveniently situated within walking distance to the Göreme Open-Air Museum (pictured below), one of the top tourist attractions in Cappadocia.

Helpful travel tip: Most people that travel to Cappadocia arrive via bus (typically from Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir or Antakya). Even if you book your ticket directly to Göreme, confirm with the bus driver/tour operator that the bus drops you off directly at the Göreme bus station (even if the bus ticket says Göreme). Like many other travelers, we were dropped off in Nevşehir, which is located about 20 minutes outside of Göreme. It was very confusing but fortunately other passengers guided us to the appropriate transfer bus (which was actually a small tourist bus – not your standard coach).

Read more from our travels to Cappadocia, Turkey:

• Photo Essay: The Magical Landscapes of Cappadocia, Turkey
• Video: Hiking the Goreme Valley in Cappadocia
• Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Tour in Cappadocia, Turkey
• The Cave Churches of Göreme in Cappadocia, Turkey

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Have you visited the town of Göreme in Cappadocia?
Share your experience and travel tips in the comments section below, our readers will thank you!

Göreme – The Gateway to Cappadocia is a post from: Traveling Canucks

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Curious Donkey in Petra, Jordan

When most people think of Petra they see images of the iconic Treasury. Although it’s a clear highlight, there’s much more to Petra than the Treasury. It’s spread out over several kilometres and is made up of hundreds of caves, tombs and monuments carved out of sandstone cliffs and canyons. You can literally spend days hiking and exploring the rocky terrain and never walk the same path twice.

We captured this curious little guy while on a hike to the infamous monastery. He enjoyed the attention we gave him and even posed for this photo opportunity. We got the feeling he was quite comfortable with tourists and cameras!

Check out these other “Photo of the Week” posts:

• Is this the World’s Coolest Cemetery?
• The World’s Busiest Street Crossing
• Is this the World’s Most Impressive Skyline?
• Is this the World’s Most Unusual City?
• Canada’s Most Picturesque Lake

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Have you visited Petra before? What did you think?
Share you experiences in the comments section below, we’d love to read about it!

Photo of the Week: Curious Donkey in Petra, Jordan is a post from: Traveling Canucks

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Memorable Moments Drinking Beer around the World

With summer just around the corner, we can’t think of a better time for the next installment of our popular series about memorable moments drinking beer around the world.

As lovers of beer and travel, we try our best to take a photo of every beer that we sample while on the road, making for an awesome photo collection with over 300 different types and brands of beer.

Because tastes and preferences are so subjective, our goal for this series is not to find the “best beer in the world”, but rather to reflect on memorable beer drinking moments from our travels. Keep in mind, we don’t consider ourselves professional beer connoisseurs and our beer reviews can easily be influenced by how many were consumed that day.

The beer-tastic series continues with its 12th edition, serving up ten more unforgettable moments from around the world.

Cheers!

Stone IPA – Palm Springs, California

We sampled this tasty beer at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway mountain station in Palm Springs, California. This photo was captured on our first family trip with Baby B, so it’s easy to see why this beer drinking moment is memorable for us. That, and the fact that this is one of our favourite pictures of Baby B. Seriously, how priceless is that expression?! It’s like he’s trying to use Jedi mind tricks to pull the beer closer to him.

The beer verdict – Hoppy and aromatic, light tasting yet solid body. Enjoyable. We give it 8 out of 10

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Kapuziner Weissbier – Reil, Germany

We spent the 2009 Christmas holiday season in Europe, exploring Christmas Markets and visiting family in Reil (a small village in the Mosel River Valley of Western Germany). We found this bottle of Weissbier at the local corner store and enjoyed it with family by the warm fire, while playing bowling on the Nintendo Wii. Having spent 11 months on the road at that point, it was great to enjoy some downtime with family in the quaint German countryside.

The beer verdict – Sweet, citrus flavour with hint of banana. Full, cloudy body. Great finish. We give it 9 out of 10

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Kirin Beer – Kyoto, Japan

After a full day of temple exploring and sightseeing in the ancient Japanese city, we found this fantastic restaurant that specializes in Yakitori. Cold pints of Kirin beer were on special during happy hour, so we took full advantage and indulged in a few. Not surprising, this lead to more Yakitori, followed by more pints of Kirin – it was a great day in Kyoto!

The beer verdict – Light and refreshing, but limited on flavour. Above average. We give it 7 out of 10

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Montejo Cerveza – Tulum, Mexico

This refreshing cerveza was enjoyed on the private deck of our fantastic beachfront villa after exploring the ruins of Tulum. With unobstructed views of the sparkling Caribbean Sea, its no surprise that this unforgettable moment made the list. When we think of tropical paradise, images of bright sunshine, turquoise water and cold beer come to mind. This moment had it all!

The beer verdict – Light and refreshing, plenty of carbonation. Smooth, easy drinking. We give it 7 out of 10

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Kronenbourg 1664 – Lyon, France

Traveling around France via train during the Christmas holidays can be stressful. Especially when a massive snowstorm hits, paralyzing the rail network for two days. We had just finished a week of epic snowboarding in the French Alps and were trying to get back to Paris, but it just wasn’t happening. So, we decided to roll with the punches and spend the afternoon in Lyon, which meant lots of eating and drinking!

The beer verdict – Heavily carbonated, smooth and crisp. Good, but not great. We give it 7 out of 10

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Phillips Slipstream Cream Ale – Parksville, British Columbia

We try a lot of local craft beers in British Columbia, so it’s not easy narrowing down the field. In an effort to include more Canadian beer in this series, we’re going to start adding some of our BC favourites. This tasty beer was enjoyed while on a weekend getaway to Parksville, a popular beach community on the east coast of Vancouver Island. Sunny afternoon + large open patio = good times on Vancouver Island!

The beer verdict – Malty, earthy hops, flavourful, solid body with smooth finish. We give it 7.5 out of 10

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Andes Cerveza Blanca – Mendoza, Argentina

If you’ve been following this series, you’ll know that we’re not the biggest fans of South American beer. We’re not too picky when it comes to beer (as long as it’s served cold), but you won’t find us purchasing imported South American beer any time soon. That said, we thoroughly enjoyed these large bottles of Andes at our hostel in Mendoza, Argentina. This moment stands out because we were traveling in Argentina with great friends from Toronto. Nothing beats cold beer on a rooftop patio with longtime friends while traveling in a foreign country!

The beer verdict – Light, crisp and refreshing, but nothing special. We give it 6.5 out of 10

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John Smith’s Original Bitter – London, England

We sampled this can of beer on the last night of our 2009 around the world adventure. It was a surreal moment to know that the 12-month journey was coming to its end. We were happy to be going home to see family and friends, but sad that the life changing adventure was over. The ‘original bitter’ was appropriate for that ‘bitter sweet’ moment.

The beer verdict – Sweet and malty bitter, full body with great colour. Tasty. We give it 7.5 out of 10

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James Squire Golden Ale – Sydney, Australia

While exploring Sydney’s infamous Opera House and neighbouring Royal Botanic Gardens, we were caught in a torrential downpour. Seeking cover from the relentless rain, we found this cute waterfront bistro just outside the gardens. It was the perfect moment to try some Australian craft beer. Fortunately for us, this beer did not disappoint.

The beer verdict – Great amber colour, light malt and balanced floral hops. Delicious. We give it 8.5 out of 10

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Moza Bock – Tikal National Park, Guatemala

Our trip to Guatemala centered around the legendary Mayan Temples and Pyramids found in Tikal National Park. In order to catch both a sunrise and sunset over the pyramids, we decided to spend a couple nights directly in the park at the Jungle Lodge. To our surprise, we appeared to be the only guests in the lodge. As the photo illustrates, we had the entire restaurant (and lodge) to ourselves. Guatemala is not known for its selection of beer, so I was curious (and delighted) to see a beer other than a light lager.

The beer verdict – Dark in colour, but light on body and taste. Not bad. It’s better than its local competition, but I probably wouldn’t order it again. We give it 6 out of 10

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Do you have a memorable beer moment that you’d like to share?
Share your experience in the comments section below!

Check out the other beers in this collection – Memorable Moments Drinking Beer around the World 

Drinking Beer Around the World – Part 12 is a post from: Traveling Canucks

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Confused Turkish Beer Poster? You decide…

While touring Cappadocia in central Turkey, our driver pulled over at a street-side convenience store, ironically to pick up some beer. As I exited the store, I noticed this beer advertisement for Efes, Turkey’s flagship beer.

Normally I would just keep moving along. After all, it’s just another beer poster.

But something about this poster caught my attention.

At first, I didn’t understand why the beer advertisement was calling me. But then it hit me. The mountains and lake in the backdrop are from Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. Moraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks to be exact!

Compare with the photo below (we took this photo in the summer of 2010).

My initial reaction was, “Oh my god, look! It’s Moraine Lake in a Turkish beer poster. How cool is that?!”

But then I thought about it some more. “Why is a Turkish beer displayed in front of the Canadian Rockies?”

It seemed quite strange. Now, I can understand the “cold and refreshing” image that the advertisement is trying to achieve, but why the Canadian Rockies? There are plenty of snow-capped mountains in Turkey.

And, with Efes being a nationally recognized beer that is proudly served at almost every store and restaurant throughout Turkey, one would think that using a Turkish landscape would be more fitting. Am I wrong?

Regardless, it was a proud moment seeing the Canadian Rockies on a Turkish beer poster!

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How about you? Have you seen advertisements while traveling that made you do a double-take?
Share your feedback in the comments section below!

Confused Turkish Beer Poster? You decide… is a post from: Traveling Canucks

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Book Giveaway: 1000 Places to See Before You Die

We’ve got some great news for our readers! We’re giving away 3 copies of the hugely popular travel book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.

The world’s bestselling travel book is back in a more informative, more experiential, more budget-friendly full-color edition. A #1 New York Times bestseller, 1,000 Places reinvented the idea of travel book as both wish list and practical guide.

We are big fans of this book and are excited to offer you the chance to win a free copy!

What’s new in the Second Edition?

• There are 600 full-color photographs and over 200 entirely new entries
• New countries: including Ghana; the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania; Nicaragua; Qatar; Mozambique; Curaçao; the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu—all formerly off the radar, part of the Soviet bloc, or lacking tourism infrastructure—now welcome travelers
• New experiences: Recognizing that travelers don’t visit just Positano or Ravello–they take the breathtaking 30-mile scenic drive down the Amalfi Coast–Patricia merged these two entries into one. Each of the 1,000 places is now a full travel experience, creating room for those 200 additional entries
• Budget-conscious suggestions: Yes, the legendary Alvear Palace Hotel in Buenos Aires is still featured, but if you don’t want to shell out 450-plus dollars a night to stay there, go for brunch—a beloved local tradition—and  hang your hat instead at BoBo, a stylish, playful, and far more affordable hotel. Same goes for restaurants—along with haute cuisine, Patricia offers unbeatable neighborhood restaurants, atmospheric cafés, bistros, beach shacks, and even falafel joints
• An interactive iPad app: The world of 1,000 Places transforms into an interactive experience for today’s tech-savvy traveler. The vistas of the Gobi Desert are now truly only a finger swipe away. A choice between photo and map views creates new and exciting ways to explore. An interactive “bucket list,” the app acts as a travel log of the places you’ve been and the places you want to go

Every entry from the original edition has been readdressed, rewritten, and made fuller, with more suggestions for places to stay, restaurants to visit, festivals to check out.

And throughout, the book is more budget-conscious, starred restaurants and historic hotels such as the Ritz,but also moderately priced gems that don’t compromise on atmosphere or charm.

How can YOU win a FREE copy of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die?

Entering this giveaway is super easy.

Simply tell us what place you want to see before you die by leaving a comment below — use your real name and email in case you’re the lucky winner!

*Increase your chance of winning by leaving a comment on our new travel site – Tips for Baby Travel

Details of the Giveaway

• Only one entry per day (multiple entries are allowed and encouraged)
• Entrants must leave a comment below in order to win (leave your proper name and email so that we can notify you if you win)
• Contest ends on Friday, May 18, 2012
• Book will only be shipped to Canada or US mailing addresses (no PO Boxes allowed)
• Total of 3 books available between both websites (2 winners selected from Traveling Canucks, 1 winner from Tips for Baby Travel)
• Winners will be randomly selected and announced on our facebook page

Click on the video to learn about the Amalfi Coast in Italy

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Having trouble viewing the video – click here to watch on YouTube

About the Author

Patricia Schultz is the author of the international bestsellers 1,000 Places to See Before You Die (now with over 3 million copies in print and translated into 25 languages) and 1,000 Places to See in the United States and Canada Before You Die. A veteran travel journalist with 25 years of experience, she has written for BusinessWeek, Oprah, and Real Simple. She also executive-produced a Travel Channel television show based on her book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. Her home base is New York City.

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Order a copy of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die on Amazon.com or get the Kindle version of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die

Book Giveaway: 1,000 Places to See Before You Die is a post from: Traveling Canucks

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Where to Next? Our Exciting Summer Adventures are Confirmed!

Our travels have been somewhat limited since our trip to Central America last summer. Welcoming Baby B to the world has consumed most of our time and energy. And, quite frankly, travel hasn’t really been a priority for us since his birth.

Thankfully, Baby B is starting to find his routines and we’re finally getting normal sleep again (phew!). So, that means it’s time to start planning our next adventures!

Next month we will be traveling to a place we’ve wanted to visit for a long time – Maui, Hawaii!

Many of our friends and family have travelled to Hawaii, returning with stunning photos and wonderful stories of adventure and relaxation. We’ve often thought of visiting Hawaii but for some reason we’ve never made the trip.

We’ve come close to visiting Hawaii a couple times in the past, but we’ve passed on Hawaii for destinations in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Our thought was, “we can always visit later in life when we have a family because it’s close to Vancouver and it’s ideal for family vacations.”

Well, Baby B has arrived and it’s later in life, so the time has finally come for us to experience Hawaii!

We have been invited by The Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau to join a social media press trip with a few other fun travel bloggers. Baby B is a little young to be partaking in adventure sports and group activities, so Nicole and Baby B will be spending most of their time lounging on the beautiful beaches while Cameron participates in the press trip activities.

Although we took a vacation to Palm Springs a couple months ago, this trip feels more like an adventure. We’re really looking forward to experiencing Hawaiian tropical paradise firsthand (we’ll also be sharing our baby travel tips for Hawaii on our new website).

After Hawaii we’re traveling back to Europe in mid-August!

Last month we wrote a post about how our travel style has changed since becoming newbie parents. In the post, we revealed our new goal of visiting 5 countries per year. We’re excited to announce that this summer we will be hitting that goal by traveling around Europe in August and September.

We spent two months backpacking around Europe in the winter of 2009, but it’s been over 10 years since we’ve visited Europe during the summer months – and we can’t wait!

Thanks to everyone that helped us plan our European adventure by voting. After much debate about destinations, we’ve finally come to a decision.

Here is our general itinerary for Europe:

• Arrive in Frankfurt, Germany
• Train to Zurich, Switzerland for a few days
• Train to Liechtenstein for a few days
• Train to Zermatt, Switzerland to play in the Swiss Alps for a few days
• Train to Strasbourg, France for a few days (first photo is Strasbourg)
• Train to Luxembourg City for a few days
• Train to Reil, Germany – a village in the Mosel River Valley
• Wine festival in Reil for 3 days
• Explore several German towns and villages in the Mosel region, like Cochem, Traben-Trarbach and Bernkastel (pictured above)
• Train to Paris, France for a few days
• Train to Frankfurt, Germany for departure home

Of course, this itinerary will likely change a few times before we actually arrive in Europe. We’ve never been to Switzerland or Liechtenstein, so we’re very excited to experience the Swiss Alps for the first time.

This will also be the first time in our traveling history that we will have the majority of our accommodations and rail passes booked prior to arrival. Normally we just arrive in a new city and start looking for a hotel or hostel, but we can’t imagine that travel style will work well with an infant, baby stroller and excessive luggage.

For this adventure, we’ve partnered with both Rail Europe (international provider of European train passes) and Aeroplan (Canada’s premier travel rewards program). More details about these travel partners will follow in the coming months.

2012 has already been an incredible year, with many life changing experiences. We can’t wait to bring Baby B on these adventures to show him the joy of traveling and experiencing new things. Okay, so he’s probably too young to fully understand what it means to travel, but we’re confident he’ll appreciate these experiences later in life.

Other parents keep telling us to ‘enjoy every minute because time goes by quickly with children’. We are starting to understand this wise advice – these past 6 months have literally disappeared.

Because of this, we can’t think of a better time to take him overseas!

Photo credits: click on the image to find the photographer on Flickr. All images were under Creative Commons license at the time this post was published.

Where to Next? Our Exciting Summer Adventures! is a post from: Traveling Canucks

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Best Destinations in the World – TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2012

TripAdvisor just published the winners of its 2012 Travellers’ Choice Awards for Best Destinations in the World, as awarded by millions of travellers. You can see the full list of top destinations here.

The top 10 travel destinations for 2012 are:

1. London, United Kingdom

2. New York City, New York

3. Rome, Italy

4. Paris, France

5. San Francisco, California

6. Marrakech, Morocco

7. Istanbul, Turkey

8. Barcelona, Spain

9. Siem Reap, Cambodia

10. Berlin, Germany

There doesn’t seem to be any surprises this year, as each of these destinations boast world famous attractions and millions of visitors each year. Because travel is such a personal experience, there’s clearly going to be debate on what destinations belong in the top 10 (or even the top 25).

But we’re curious about what our readers think, so we’re going to ask the question anyways!

Do you agree with this list?  

What destination would you add or remove from this list?

Share your feedback in the comments section below, we’d love to hear what you think!

Top Travel Destinations in the World for 2012 is a post from: Traveling Canucks

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Introducing our new Travel Site: TipsForBabyTravel.com

It’s been a busy couple months! You may have noticed a decline in activity on this blog, but it's not because we're slacking. We've been busy building our second travel website to compliment our change in travel style.

As you can tell by the name, the goal of this new site is to share Tips for Baby Travel that we learn while introducing Baby B to our wonderful world.

It's hard to believe, but Baby B has already reached the 6 month mark! We are absolutely LOVING this age. He’s rolling around and trying hard to pick himself up. It won't be long before he’s crawling and getting himself into trouble (we can't wait!).

In case you missed it, we put together a short video that highlights Baby B's first three months.

Thankfully, he seems pretty happy trying new things. We hope this trend continues and that he embraces traveling because we have some great trips planned for the summer (stayed tuned for a big announcement regarding our upcoming European adventure).

His passport is going to have a lot of stamps by first birthday!

If you follow our facebook page, you may have noticed a few comments and posts about our new project.

We started a new Twitter account for Tips for Baby Travel (we'd love a follow!), but we'll continue to share the Traveling Canucks facebook page to keep things simple.

Why start another travel website you ask?

Great question - I'm glad you asked! The new site is meant to provide practical travel tips that we learn firsthand while traveling with Baby B.

This travel site (TravelingCanucks.com) focuses on world travel, couples travel and outdoor adventure. Its goal is to inspire travel ideas and share our global adventures. But traveling with a baby is a totally different experience. Gone are the days of simply showing up to a backpacking district in Asia and searching for a hostel (at least in the foreseeable future). We now need to plan and get organized.

So, we were inspired to take on this new project to help other traveling parents learn from our experiences and our mistakes.

The site still needs some tweaks, but we're happy with its progress and would like to showcase a couple of our recent articles.

• Part 1: Why We Need To Sleep Train Our 4 Month Old Infant
  Baby B was a great sleeper in the first few months. But when he turned 4 months old, everything changed. He started waking every hour and we couldn't get him down for naps during the day. We knew we needed help, especially with our upcoming travels to Europe. After some research, we thankfully found The Baby Sleep Site. The transformation has been outstanding!
• 5 Tips For Flying With An Infant
  Before Baby B was born, getting on a plane was a regular occurrence. We didn’t need to plan, it was a simple routine. However, now that we have Baby B, flying is a whole new experience. With our first flight to Palm Springs completed, we’ve already learned some valuable lessons that we share in this post.
• Tips for Getting a Child Canadian Passport
  Shortly after Baby B’s birth, we were filling out the forms for his Canadian passport. We dread renewing our Canadian passports because it can be such a hassle at times. We had no idea how to get a passport for an infant in Canada. In this post, we share our experience and tips for getting Baby B his first Canadian passport.

We are very excited about our upcoming travels and giving Baby B the opportunity to see the world. We know he probably won’t remember these trips, but we strongly believe that these travels will have a positive impact on his development.

Hopefully when he gets older he will look back on the pictures and be proud that he was able to travel, even if he can't remember it!

Head over to the new site and let us know what you think - Tips for Baby Travel

Introducing our New Travel Site: TipsForBabyTravel.com is a post from: Traveling Canucks

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Website Review of Travergence.com

We were recently asked to do a review of the website Travergence.com. Having never heard of the travel site before, we were curious to see what it’s all about. We spend a lot of time surfing the web, so we’re always interested in new travel websites.

Travergence helps travellers and adventure seekers find things to do while on vacation by linking them with over 500 activity providers and more than 2,000 activities in over 30 cities across the United States and Canada.

The site provides detailed information and photos about outdoor adventures and activities, and it allows users to connect directly with local tour operators.

The first thing we noticed was that Travergence has loads of detailed information about things to do in British Columbia. As residents of Vancouver, this was a HUGE plus for us. Our travel style has changed since the birth of Baby B, so we’ve made it a priority to explore more of our beautiful backyard.

The timing of this review was great because we’ve been thinking about taking a trip to Tofino this summer. We’ve been on many surfing trips in Tofino but we didn’t know what else to do while there (aside from enjoying a craft beer while watching the sunset over the Pacific Ocean).

After a quick search on Travergence, we found at least 10 different activities to do in Tofino. We’ve been to Tofino countless times but we had no idea there are hot springs nearby – how did we not know this?!

The 3 Day Camping and Kayak Exploration trip caught our attention so we decided to look into the tour further. The site does a good job breaking down the trip and answering a lot of the typical questions that we had.

We like the availability calendar and the departure times, and seeing a variety of photos definitely helped us visualize being on the tour. It was also helpful to have information about the tour operator, which allowed us to do further research.

When we went to book the tour we had to leave our name and email address because it’s actually a third party website that does not deal with transactions. Instead, it connects interested adventure seekers with the local tour operator.

We don’t know why, but we felt more comfortable knowing that we’d be contacted by the actual tour company rather than a travel brand like the ones referenced in our recent post How to Find the Best Travel Deals Online.

We didn’t end up submitting a request because we aren’t ready to book the trip, but the process seems pretty easy and straight forward.

Here are 6 things we like about Travergence.com

1. The website is clean and easy to navigate. It’s easy to find activities for each destination (within 2-3 clicks) since its categorizes activities into Air Activities, Cultural Activities, Food, Beverages & Nightlife, Land Activities, Nature & Wildlife, etc. You can also easily search by destination or keyword.
2. Local tour operators and businesses can list tour and activity offerings for free. We prefer to work with the little guy. In our opinion, it’s the lesser known tour companies that typically offer the best customer experience. Knowing that local tour operators are getting noticed is a big plus for us.
3. It offers activities and information for smaller towns like Osoyoos and Golden BC. When we went on our Canadian Rockies road trip two years ago, we drove right through these towns because we didn’t think there was much to do. This site would have been helpful with our road trip planning.
4. Lots of British Columbia content. We have a goal to visit at least one new place in British Columbia each year. This website is not only a great resource, it has opened our eyes to new adventures that we didn’t know existed – like this one.
5. It shows availability and departure schedules. We really like this feature for activities like Whale Watching. We often take weekend trips to Vancouver Island, which means we have to plan around the BC Ferries schedule. By knowing exact departure times for the tours, we can plan accordingly (this makes Nicole happy!).
6. There are a lot of activities for under $100 (at least there was for Tofino). We rarely book with major travel brokers because we feel like the middle man is making all the money. We didn’t get that vibe with Travergence and feel comfortable knowing that we are connected directly with the tour operator BEFORE a purchase is made.

Some areas for improvement:

1. The site does not have a “Special Offers” or “Last Minute Deals” section. Everyone likes to feel like they’re getting a deal, so we would like to see a section dedicated to special offers or seasonal specials. The site offers pricing, but we have no way to tell if the prices are competitive.
2. Currently the site has about 30 destinations, so it’s limited on selection. That said, we couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or bad thing. We’ll let you decide.

After being introduced to Travergence.com, we will definitely return when we plan our next trip in British Columbia. In fact, we’re now considering a kayaking adventure on Quadra Island and an ATV and Helicopter tour in Osoyoos!

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Disclosure – we were compensated to spend time reviewing this website, however the expressed opinions are entirely our own. The photos used in this post are the property of Travergence.com

Website Review of Travergence.com is a post from: Traveling Canucks

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