A holiday in Montreal is a real experience, old world charm, French style and a modern mode all of its own. It’s a modern city; the downtown bristles with skyscrapers, but many of them are playful, cheeky, with unexpected shapes and bright, un-corporate colours. The city above ground is mirrored by a world below, where Montreal works and shops in comfort during an unfriendly winter.
Downtown Montreal is a safe city to walk in and shop in. On the streets you’ll find people out strolling late into the night; Montreal is a city that doesn't sleep and if it’s happening, you can be sure it’s happening in Montreal. Check out Notre dame de Montreal, the old port and Mount Royal for fantastic city views.
Montreal is crammed with theatre and stage events that would amaze the toughest critic. Art flourishes in prestigious museums and top-notch local galleries and Montréal hosts dozens of festivals ranging from the traditional to the wildly avant-garde. Music, laughter, food and sport are four more drivers to get Montrealers out and about. It’s a vibrant, happening city and visitors never have a chance to be bored.
You really must check out downtown's famous alter ego: the underground pedestrian network. Under the heart of the city lie 33km of brightly lit, scrupulously clean passageways, linking thousands of boutiques, hotels, restaurants, universities, office buildings and attractions. This is definitely the Montréal of Montrealers. Every day hundreds of thousands traverse the network to work, shop, dine or spend a night—or day—on the town.
Head out to Parc Jean-Drapeau, a unique mix of green space, architecture and history; Montreal’s cherished four-season playground. It encompasses two islands and is Montréal’s most visited park for good reason. Complete with a filtered-water beach, outdoor pools, museums, acres of flower gardens, an amusement park, walking and cycling trails, an outdoor art gallery, avant-garde architecture and a casino, it’s a Mecca for outdoor enthusiasts and fun-lovers of all ages.
Montreal fun facts
Montreal is the second largest French-speaking city in the world (after Paris)
Montreal’s favourite dish is poutine: a luscious concoction of meat pie, cheese curd, chips and gravy
Montreal is the sister city of Hiroshima
Honolulu Break
Monday 4th August 2008
Travel Counsellor: Jacy Richards
It was our first grand adventure: a trip back to Canada with our three little boys. We chose to stop in Honolulu both ways in order to recuperate. It proved to be a wise decision as Honolulu is approximately 9 hours from Sydney and 6 hours from Vancouver and was an ideal stop along our journey to refresh.
Upon arrival into Honolulu, we were met with grey clouds, threatening rain, high humidity, heat and a relaxing sensation that we were now on “island time”. What a wonderful way to start your trip: an easy-going pace and friendly smiles from the welcoming locals.
Waikiki has on offer a multitude of hotels ranging in price and we decided that we would stay a couple of blocks away from Waikiki beach in order to save money. We found that, as everything was so close, we only had a ten minute walk to the beach, the grocery store, the Zoo and many more sights. We opted for an apartment style room in order to cook our own meals and found the cost of food (both bought from a grocery store... view full story
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