Travel Bug
By Susan Campbell
The hills are alive with the sound of safety
A getaway to Quebec’s Mt. Tremblant is like going to a Swiss mountain village without flying to the alps. And it’s not just for leaf peepers and ski buffs, there’s lots to do for all ages, and now new safety measures are in place. Though large group events aren’t planned right now, there will be lots of entertainment in the pedestrian village, and outdoor terrace options have been redesigned with social distancing in mind. The mountaintop casino has reopened, but reservations are mandatory to control crowd limit. You can check lineup lengths for activities like the famous Panoramic Gondola in real time via their online webcams, and view all the new health measures the entire village has put in place including hotels and resorts at: tremblant.ca
Maybe it’s time to try glamping?
If rough and tumble camping without creature comforts is not your cup of tea, yet you’d rather enjoy glorious natural settings without other travellers in a hotel or resort right now, “glamping”(glamorous camping) might be for you. Canada has scads of unique glamping options in stunning settings. How about a treehouse
in Ontario or a stylish yurt in BC? Or you can snuggle into an upcycled shipping container in Quebec or experience an authentic tipi in Cape Breton. From coast-to-coast there are all kinds of unique off-radar options, and though the exteriors might appear rustic at first glance, the interiors are often outfitted with plush amenities and enticing luxuries like private hot tubs. For close to 2,000 choices of glamping stays, visit: glampinghub.com/Canada/
Celebrate Dante’s 700th anniversary in Italy next year
Bookmark for better times has been the adage lately, but this festival will last the entire year, so you can plan ahead now for a visit right up to next fall 2021, if you want to enjoy anniversary celebrations of Italy’s most famous poet, in the region where he produced his best works. Emilia Romagna is the place, and the events will encompass special tour itineraries with live actors, cycle and hiking explorations of the historical cities, readings, concerts, cultural exhibits and much more. Dante Alighieri, though born in Florence, was exiled for his beliefs so made Ravenna his home until his death and his well-preserved tomb is still there. For a virtual preview visit: vivadante.it/visitavirtuale. For more on the region, visit: ravennaexperience.it/it.
Travel pods are trending
Sometimes a holiday is better enjoyed with your tribe, especially if you’ve been travelling with the same group of friends for years. So how does that work now? Travel pods. There are specific guidelines to follow to assemble your group to rent a big villa or condo together, charter a boat or even buyout an entire small resort safely. It’s simply a matter of setting-up the rules that everyone will follow, agree on mask use, social distancing, quarantining before if necessary — especially if you have people joining you from other regions — taking a COVID test before travelling, etc. If everyone is on the same page about taking protocols seriously, then you can have a wonderful holiday with a small gang of travel buddies. Anguilla is calling Canadians this winter One of the Caribbean’s most beautiful and least developed islands is an ideal retreat for winter weary northerners, and now it is open for tourism from Canada. Direct flights to St. Maarten from major Canadian airports can transport you to their paradise quickly via a very short ferry directly from Princess Juliana airport to Anguilla’s shores. It’s a perennial favourite for the rich and famous, but also has many accommodations for the more budget-minded, with many
stand-alone villas ideal for small groups or big families. Its beaches are among the highest rated on the planet, and it’s the kind of escape where you can walk for miles along pristine white sands without worrying about social distancing, as you’ll rarely encounter another soul. Visit: ivisitanguilla.com
Susan Campbell is an award winning travel writer originally from Ottawa, but now based in Montreal. Her work has appeared in hundreds of major print and web
publications throughout North America. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @suectravel.
