News that has caught Chris' eye in the Travel World

Reasons to Visit Uganda! (2 May, 2017)


There is a country in East Africa that is inviting Canadians to explore its many wonders. The tourism team from Uganda was in Toronto recently to highlight the country’s unique offerings. Winston Churchill called it “the Pearl of Africa”.

While the destination is most often associated with gorillas and spotting the Big Five, Stephen Asiimwe, CEO of the Uganda Tourism Board, says it offers much more.  “There is wildlife, nature, birds, primates, culture, history, heritage, the weather is great all year around – and the people are fantastic, we’ve been voted the friendliest people on earth,” he told me. “The experiences are pretty much a cocktail. And Uganda is a very accessible country, with over 18 international airlines. We speak English, so there’s no problem with the language either.”

Uganda is right at the equator, yet at the same time it has mountains that are snowcapped: the wonderfully named Mountains of the Moon. Uganda is the source of the river Nile, the longest river in the world. Murchison National Park, which features Murchison Falls on the Nile, has over 70 species of mammals and is the country’s oldest conservation area. Uganda is also rich in African culture, with 50 ethnic groups, 40 kingdoms and over 60 languages spoken within its borders.

Canadian visitors will also appreciate that Uganda has affordable prices, thanks to budget-friendly park permits to see the wildlife and fewer tourists than other safari hot spots. Tours are operated by a range of well-known names in Canada, such as Lion World Travel, Abercrombie & Kent and G Adventures .

So there are lots of good reasons to consider Uganda as a potential bucket list destination…and as a future Travel Show perhaps!”


Self-Drive Boats come to the Rideau Canal (25 April, 2017)
 

Le Boat, Europe’s largest self-drive boating company, is poised to launch the company’s first North American base of operations in 2018 on Ontario’s historic Rideau Canal. It will open in the picturesque town of Smiths Falls, “Heart of the Rideau Canal,” with a fleet of 16 specially designed Horizon cruisers.

As captain of your canal boat you live in, and drive, your own personal cruiser. These boats are very easy to operate - you don't need any license or experience!

The Rideau Canal, which opened in 1832, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Canadian National Historic Site as well as a Canadian Heritage river. It is 202kms long with 47 locks and is the oldest continuously operating canal in North America.

Booking will begin in spring 2017, with the boating season officially launching in May 2018 and running through October every year. For more information visit www.leboat.ca.


Icefields Parkway Bicycle Trail (18 April, 2017)


Parks Canada often promotes the Icefields Parkway between Jasper and Banff, Alberta as one of the most scenic drives in the world, but a plan to build a bike path along the route has hit some bumps in the road. Public consultations began in January on a proposed 107 kilometre bike trail from Jasper to the Columbia Icefields. But there has been much concern expressed by environmental agencies that the process is being rushed through without full impact analyses being made. Apparently, the $66 million that Parks Canada received in the 2016 budget is only available for two years and there's a big push to spend the money before it's too late. If done properly, the bike route is destined to become one of the great scenic rides anywhere in the world. The final decision will be made by Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, so watch this space for updates. 



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