In July I was invited to attend a Specialist trip to Atlantic Canada in conjunction with the New Brunswick & Nova Scotian tourist boards.
My journey started from Heathrow Airport on the direct Air Canada service to Halifax, Nova Scotia. With an outbound flight departure at lunchtime, I was able to take the train from York the same day. An added bonus was that the flight was just 6 hours 20 outbound and 5 hours 31 back! This is the only direct flight service from Europe to the Maritimes.
On arrival, myself and fellow agents hired 2 cars which meant we were able to self-drive our 8-night itinerary and see just how easy it is to get around with relatively short drive times, open roads and barely any traffic.
It was around a 30-minute drive from the airport to our city-centre hotel and after checking in, we then headed out for a short city tour followed by dinner at the ‘Five Fisherman Restaurant’ with the lovely team from the tourist board where we all enjoyed a traditional lobster dinner. Halifax is steeped in history; the city played an instrumental role caring for victims of the Titanic disaster in 1912 before suffering a tragedy of its own only five years later during the December 1917 Halifax explosion. A morning walk along the Halifax boardwalk is highly recommended!
Next on our itinerary was the South Shore of Nova Scotia where we called at the famous Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse. On arrival the sea mist had rolled in, but as we walked through the village to the lighthouse it burned away, leaving us with a beautiful view.
We continued our drive through Nova Scotia visiting Annapolis Royal. This historic town was originally inhabited by the Mi’kmaq tribal nation before it became home to some of North America’s earliest European settlers. One of my personal favourites in Nova Scotia was the seafaring town of Lunenburg with its colourful waterfront & narrow streets. Our time in Nova Scotia came to an end and we then drove to the ferry terminal in Digby and took the ferry to Saint John, New Brunswick. After a short crossing of just over 2 hours, there was a lounge available to use and refreshments available to purchase.
After an overnight stay in Saint John, we drove to the coastal town of St Andrews-by-the-Sea. We were visiting during the whale watching season so of course we couldn’t miss this opportunity! After a 10-minute drive, we arrived at the Algonquin resort — to spend a couple of nights relaxing. While there, I recommend you take a walk into town or visit the Kingsbrae Garden.
I spent the next few days along the Fundy Trail Parkway & Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick, an area many will recognise from this year’s ‘Race Across the World’. The Bay of Fundy is known for its extremely high tides. It really is amazing to see just how quickly the tide moves.
The Maritimes restaurant is a great choice if you enjoy dining locally — they serve local produce alongside a selection of provincial wines and craft beers. Together with the amazing scenery and very hospitable people, I would definitely love to revisit!
If you would like to know more about my trip or to discuss a possible itinerary for your future travel plans, please get in touch by calling 01904 623444 or visiting us at 88 Main Street, Fulford.
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