This was published 5 years ago
How to see Canada and Alaska's most spectacular sights in comfort
Fairmont Chateau on Lake Louise.
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This is an adventure, but not as you know it. This is an experience of the wild, a brush with some of the most remote and naturally beautiful lands on Earth, but not as you might have been picturing.
Because in Canada and Alaska you can take to the wilderness, you can appreciate the vastness and the grandeur of this spectacular land, and you can do it in style. In luxury. You can explore some of the most pristine and exotic natural attractions that the world has to offer, and you can do it without sacrificing any creature comforts.
We're talking seeing British Columbia by a lavish train; exploring the Rocky Mountains wilderness from a base of iconic accommodation; cruising through Alaska's Inside Passage aboard a Premier Cruise Ship. There's a powerful sense of the wild throughout Canada and Alaska, but it can still be embraced from a place of contentment and ease. That's what sets these places apart, and what makes them so ripe for exploration.
Experience Banff at the Fairmont Banff Springs
Banff is beautiful no matter which angle you view it from. This amiable resort town nestles among forested hills and snow-capped peaks in central Alberta, and though it boasts plenty of boutiques and modern restaurants, it also has an old-world charm that's perfectly encapsulated by its most famous hotel, the Fairmont Banff Springs. First opened in 1888, this iconic property has the look of a Scottish castle, with luxurious features to match. It also commands spectacular views of the surrounding Banff National Park.
DON'T MISS While enjoying a stay at the Fairmont Banff Springs, APT guests also have the chance to interact with another cherished icon of this part of the world: a Canadian Mountie. Gather around to hear tales from the frontline of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, as one of these famous characters holds court.
View the Rocky Mountains aboard the Rocky Mountaineer
There's incredible beauty to view outside this famous train, a series of alpine vistas each more impressive than the last, from the rivers that idle through the foothills just outside Vancouver, to the high-altitude
lakes and snow-capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains proper. However, aboard the Rocky Mountaineer, which travels from Vancouver, via a stop in Kamloops and on to Alberta, there's just as much to love on the
inside. There's the five-star service and the exclusive outdoor viewing platform from which to breathe in that Rocky Mountain air. And there's the everyday comfort of a luxury train with all the modern facilities.
DON'T MISS APT guests travel on the Rocky Mountaineer in guaranteed GoldLeaf Service, which means experiencing the train's bi-level glass-domed carriages.
Enjoy Lake Louise from the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Few hotels around the world enjoy a location as spectacularly beautiful as the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. This stunning property is built on the shores of the lake from which it takes its name, and is surrounded by the natural beauty of heritage-listed Banff National Park. The 550-room Chateau first opened in 1911 and has since become one of Canada's most in-demand hotels. Fortunately, APT guests stay here in a guaranteed Lakeview Room when they visit Lake Louise.
DON'T MISS While staying at Lake Louise, join one of the Chateau's Mountain Heritage Guides – a tradition that has been in place since 1899 – to explore the area on foot, taking the time to learn more about its natural history from an expert.
Explore Blue River on a wildlife safari
There are few wildlife encounters as memorable as seeing grizzly bears in their natural habitat. These are wild animals in wild country, bears of almost unbelievable size, visible on the banks of Blue River, deep in
central British Columbia. You might think you would need to rough it to experience this, to get way outside your comfort zone – but you don't. Blue River Wildlife Safaris runs its trips aboard custom-designed boats which only take a few minutes to zip passengers from the departure point to a place where grizzly bear sightings are common.
DON'T MISS The Blue River Wildlife Safaris guides know this area back to front, and a journey into Grizzly Bear Valley, as it's known, is a must. The itinerary of this one-hour boating adventure is very much up to the bears: the more you see, the more often you'll be stopping to take photos and gasp at the raw beauty of these famous creatures.
Cruise Alaska by Premier Cruise Ship
There are few wilderness areas as pristine and remote as Alaska, and in particular the region visible from the famed Inside Passage. You'll witness the full gamut of what Alaska has to offer during a cruise here, including Glacier Bay National Park, fjords, small islands and rugged, rocky peaks. One of the surprises, however, is that you get to view all of this wilderness from the comfort of a premier cruise ship, enjoying
supreme comfort on board while watching this spectacular part of the world glide by outside.
DON'T MISS There's excitement in the air as travellers board their cruise in Vancouver, and the best way to settle in and enjoy that feeling is with one of APT's Signature Experiences: the "Sail Away" dinner on board the ship's Pinnacle Grill. Meet your fellow adventurers and prepare for the journey of a lifetime.
Experience Whistler at the Westin
DON'T MISS APT's Signature Experience in Whistler is a visit to the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre. Guests enjoy breakfast on site before taking a tour of the museum and then discovering their First Nations "spirit animal" with the help of a local guide.
Unforgettable Person - Georgina Dan
Cultural Ambassador, Squamish Lil'wat Centre
APT guests who take a breakfast tour at the Squamist Lil'wat Cultural Centre in Whistler, British Columbia – one of APT's Signature Experiences – have a very good chance of running into Georgina Dan. Georgina is a cultural ambassador and a member of the performance team at the centre, and also hosts many of the breakfast tours. It's on these tours, as well as during her regular work at Squamish Lil'wat, that Georgina is able to put her skills as a guide and a cultural performer to use. "The best part of my job is being able to showcase the Squamish and Lil'wat Nations' cultures to guests from all over the world," she says. Georgina is trained as a hand drummer and a singer, and also demonstrates traditional First Nations cedar weaving and stone carving techniques as part of her work.
This article has been produced in association with APT.
This is an adventure, but not as you know it. This is an experience of the wild, a brush with some of the most remote and naturally beautiful lands on Earth, but not as you might have been picturing. Everything is taken care of in an unforgettable luxury journey with APT. For more information visit www.aptouring.com.au/traveller, call 1300 290 669 or contact your local travel agent.
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