I'm just back from the most wonderful, exciting, fun trip to the Canadian Rockies and Vancouver and it truly was the holiday of a lifetime!  But why did I do a Travelsphere tour when I could have gone with JY?  Well, first of all I decided I didn't want to do the Rocky Mountaineer and JY hadn't launched their new western non-rail tour when I was booking.  Secondly, the TS tour includes two nights in Victoria, rather than the JY option of a day trip and I really wanted to do a whale watching trip, which was only available on the TS tour.  However, apart from that, the itineraries are virtually identical, so I hope what I write will be of value to those doing either of the two JY western Canada trips.

I won't go into too much detail, as there has recently been an excellent series of reviews on the whole east-to-west Canada experience from another traveller.  In summary we saw wonderfully spectacular scenery - turquoise and blue lakes, forested snow-capped mountains, plunging waterfalls and canyons.  Every day was interesting and of value.  We didn't have the best weather and I was initially concerned that this would affect the views we would see and the quality of photos I'd be able to take - I was completely wrong about this.  The lakes and rivers retain their gorgeous colours due to the effects of glaciation, rather than reflection from the sun - and cloudy skies can add much to the drama of photos!!

We enjoyed a fantastic range of fun activities on this tour - from the previously mentioned whale watching (we saw a family of orcas/killer whales and a humpback), white water rafting (which was more exhilarating than I had expected and so enjoyable), a river trip to spot wildlife, a walk through rainforest via suspension bridges, a fun lumberjack show, the stunning Butchart Gardens (you don't have to be a gardener to appreciate their beauty) and so much more.  We saw black and grizzly bears, elk, mule deer, moose, chipmunks, eagles, osprey and other wildlife.  In Victoria some of us saw a stunning IMAX film about British Columbia including the story of a spirit bear and in Vancouver we went to the unbelievably exciting Fly Over Canada experience - you really do feel like you are flying; the views are spectacular and I strongly recommend that anyone visiting Vancouver does this - it really is not to be missed!

The hotels were all very good, with really comfortable beds.  Food was excellent throughout - when you are in Banff, be sure to check out the Rose and Crown pub.  It serves buffaloaf (meat loaf made with bison) - one of the tastiest meals I've ever had!  Food and drink prices are roughly similar to home.  Canada is a beautiful, friendly country and the people are so genuine and helpful.  A number of us agreed that it is the one country we could easily live in!  

Finally, a word about our tour manager, the legendary Patrick Twomey!  This was my second tour with him and I was delighted when I heard that he would be leading it, having previously had him as TM in Chile.  Patrick is superb in every respect - a born communicator and educator; his breath and depth of knowledge is staggering.  We learned so much, in the easiest way possible and he made the whole trip so incredibly enjoyable with his friendly approach and hilarious sense of humour.  At times I was crying with laughter on the coach and at one point he got a round of applause for one particular skit!  As before, his experience shone through as he was able to amend the itinerary to allow for local conditions, to ensure that we saw the very best that this wonderful region of Canada has to offer.  

This was my 25th escorted tour and my 70th country to visit!  I couldn't have had a better time with a marvellous itinerary, great group of fellow travellers and the best tour manager.  This was my fourth TS tour and I wouldn't hesitate to do another - in fact I have just booked Australia with them for 2021!  I found the couples to be most friendly and we all had a wonderful, magical time.  Whether you visit Alberta and British Columbia with TS or JY, the main thing is to make sure you do visit this wonderful country - you won't be disappointed.  As the saying puts it so well, the world needs more Canada....

Any questions, I'd be delighted to answer them!

Cheers,

Bob

Hi everyone,

I'm just back from the most wonderful, exciting, fun trip to the Canadian Rockies and Vancouver and it truly was the holiday of a lifetime!  But why did I do a Travelsphere tour when I could have gone with JY?  Well, first of all I decided I didn't want to do the Rocky Mountaineer and JY hadn't launched their new western non-rail tour when I was booking.  Secondly, the TS tour includes two nights in Victoria, rather than the JY option of a day trip and I really wanted to do a whale watching trip, which was only available on the TS tour.  However, apart from that, the itineraries are virtually identical, so I hope what I write will be of value to those doing either of the two JY western Canada trips.

I won't go into too much detail, as there has recently been an excellent series of reviews on the whole east-to-west Canada experience from another traveller.  In summary we saw wonderfully spectacular scenery - turquoise and blue lakes, forested snow-capped mountains, plunging waterfalls and canyons.  Every day was interesting and of value.  We didn't have the best weather and I was initially concerned that this would affect the views we would see and the quality of photos I'd be able to take - I was completely wrong about this.  The lakes and rivers retain their gorgeous colours due to the effects of glaciation, rather than reflection from the sun - and cloudy skies can add much to the drama of photos!!

We enjoyed a fantastic range of fun activities on this tour - from the previously mentioned whale watching (we saw a family of orcas/killer whales and a humpback), white water rafting (which was more exhilarating than I had expected and so enjoyable), a river trip to spot wildlife, a walk through rainforest via suspension bridges, a fun lumberjack show, the stunning Butchart Gardens (you don't have to be a gardener to appreciate their beauty) and so much more.  We saw black and grizzly bears, elk, mule deer, moose, chipmunks, eagles, osprey and other wildlife.  In Victoria some of us saw a stunning IMAX film about British Columbia including the story of a spirit bear and in Vancouver we went to the unbelievably exciting Fly Over Canada experience - you really do feel like you are flying; the views are spectacular and I strongly recommend that anyone visiting Vancouver does this - it really is not to be missed!

The hotels were all very good, with really comfortable beds.  Food was excellent throughout - when you are in Banff, be sure to check out the Rose and Crown pub.  It serves buffaloaf (meat loaf made with bison) - one of the tastiest meals I've ever had!  Food and drink prices are roughly similar to home.  Canada is a beautiful, friendly country and the people are so genuine and helpful.  A number of us agreed that it is the one country we could easily live in!  

Finally, a word about our tour manager, the legendary Patrick Twomey!  This was my second tour with him and I was delighted when I heard that he would be leading it, having previously had him as TM in Chile.  Patrick is superb in every respect - a born communicator and educator; his breath and depth of knowledge is staggering.  We learned so much, in the easiest way possible and he made the whole trip so incredibly enjoyable with his friendly approach and hilarious sense of humour.  At times I was crying with laughter on the coach and at one point he got a round of applause for one particular skit!  As before, his experience shone through as he was able to amend the itinerary to allow for local conditions, to ensure that we saw the very best that this wonderful region of Canada has to offer.  

This was my 25th escorted tour and my 70th country to visit!  I couldn't have had a better time with a marvellous itinerary, great group of fellow travellers and the best tour manager.  This was my fourth TS tour and I wouldn't hesitate to do another - in fact I have just booked Australia with them for 2021!  I found the couples to be most friendly and we all had a wonderful, magical time.  Whether you visit Alberta and British Columbia with TS or JY, the main thing is to make sure you do visit this wonderful country - you won't be disappointed.  As the saying puts it so well, the world needs more Canada....

Any questions, I'd be delighted to answer them!

Cheers,

Bob

Thanks very much for the review Bob.

Patrick is great, he was the Tour Manager on the Travelsphere San Francisco to Vancouver tour in 2015.

Hi everyone,

I'm just back from the most wonderful, exciting, fun trip to the Canadian Rockies and Vancouver and it truly was the holiday of a lifetime!  But why did I do a Travelsphere tour when I could have gone with JY?  Well, first of all I decided I didn't want to do the Rocky Mountaineer and JY hadn't launched their new western non-rail tour when I was booking.  Secondly, the TS tour includes two nights in Victoria, rather than the JY option of a day trip and I really wanted to do a whale watching trip, which was only available on the TS tour.  However, apart from that, the itineraries are virtually identical, so I hope what I write will be of value to those doing either of the two JY western Canada trips.

I won't go into too much detail, as there has recently been an excellent series of reviews on the whole east-to-west Canada experience from another traveller.  In summary we saw wonderfully spectacular scenery - turquoise and blue lakes, forested snow-capped mountains, plunging waterfalls and canyons.  Every day was interesting and of value.  We didn't have the best weather and I was initially concerned that this would affect the views we would see and the quality of photos I'd be able to take - I was completely wrong about this.  The lakes and rivers retain their gorgeous colours due to the effects of glaciation, rather than reflection from the sun - and cloudy skies can add much to the drama of photos!!

We enjoyed a fantastic range of fun activities on this tour - from the previously mentioned whale watching (we saw a family of orcas/killer whales and a humpback), white water rafting (which was more exhilarating than I had expected and so enjoyable), a river trip to spot wildlife, a walk through rainforest via suspension bridges, a fun lumberjack show, the stunning Butchart Gardens (you don't have to be a gardener to appreciate their beauty) and so much more.  We saw black and grizzly bears, elk, mule deer, moose, chipmunks, eagles, osprey and other wildlife.  In Victoria some of us saw a stunning IMAX film about British Columbia including the story of a spirit bear and in Vancouver we went to the unbelievably exciting Fly Over Canada experience - you really do feel like you are flying; the views are spectacular and I strongly recommend that anyone visiting Vancouver does this - it really is not to be missed!

The hotels were all very good, with really comfortable beds.  Food was excellent throughout - when you are in Banff, be sure to check out the Rose and Crown pub.  It serves buffaloaf (meat loaf made with bison) - one of the tastiest meals I've ever had!  Food and drink prices are roughly similar to home.  Canada is a beautiful, friendly country and the people are so genuine and helpful.  A number of us agreed that it is the one country we could easily live in!  

Finally, a word about our tour manager, the legendary Patrick Twomey!  This was my second tour with him and I was delighted when I heard that he would be leading it, having previously had him as TM in Chile.  Patrick is superb in every respect - a born communicator and educator; his breath and depth of knowledge is staggering.  We learned so much, in the easiest way possible and he made the whole trip so incredibly enjoyable with his friendly approach and hilarious sense of humour.  At times I was crying with laughter on the coach and at one point he got a round of applause for one particular skit!  As before, his experience shone through as he was able to amend the itinerary to allow for local conditions, to ensure that we saw the very best that this wonderful region of Canada has to offer.  

This was my 25th escorted tour and my 70th country to visit!  I couldn't have had a better time with a marvellous itinerary, great group of fellow travellers and the best tour manager.  This was my fourth TS tour and I wouldn't hesitate to do another - in fact I have just booked Australia with them for 2021!  I found the couples to be most friendly and we all had a wonderful, magical time.  Whether you visit Alberta and British Columbia with TS or JY, the main thing is to make sure you do visit this wonderful country - you won't be disappointed.  As the saying puts it so well, the world needs more Canada....

Any questions, I'd be delighted to answer them!

Cheers,

Bob

I always look forward to your reviews Bib.  Brilliant as always.   😃

Cindy

great review Sir !

I couldn’t help but smile as I read about the oh so familiar and memorable moments you experienced.

A shame about the weather (we were very, very lucky), but as you say, the scenery is so stunning it’s just a case of seeing it in another light. And probably often quite dramatic.

I agree a good TM is invaluable and from what I’ve read about Mr. Twomey in other threads it sounds like you struck (Yukon) gold !

Canada without doubt is an awesome place to visit, especially the western side and I too couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

With my November plans now thwarted I might have to consider the Winter Rockies trip instead. Yes, it would be familiar territory, but in the Winter snow and ice wonderland I would be experiencing Canada in a totally different dimension.

... and that moose is still a bugbear !

Thanks again for the review and memory jogger ..

Roger

Great review. I did the JY version of this trip in September 2013 with Brian Croft as TM. Unlike you, we had superb weather, cold in the morning but glorious sunshine throughout. This was described as unseasonably warm by our local driver guide.

The holiday had had a JY shake up and the Rocky Mountaineer was withdrawn. I was disappointed, but in the end travelling across Canada by coach was superb. And I've experienced a train across Alaska since, so not missed out!

After the beauty of this area, I was keen to visit again to see it with it's winter coat on so did the Winter Rockies Spectacular in January 2017. Just as beautiful and magical.

Regards

Sylvia

Many thanks for the replies, I appreciate them!  I'm home six days and the post-holiday glow has yet to dim!  It was a truly memorable and special holiday and one I will never forget.

Best wishes,

Bob

Thank you for the great review. I can't wait to do Canada East to West in 2021 (as long as JY do not put it to rest). I too would like to try white water rafting. I never had a chance to do whale watching trip and even though it is pot luck, I would do it given a chance. I am glad you have booked your Australia trip - you will have a truly amazing time. I loved Australia and given a chance would go back at a drop of a coin!

Best wishes

Jaya

I can only reiterate what Bob has said.  This was an amazing trip and I loved every minute of it and there is nothing really I can add except that you should all visit Canada and especially the Rockies.  You won't be disappointed.

The scenery was stunning and even though it rained on a couple of days it didn't spoil any of the views.  

We had a fabulous tour manager, Patrick Twomey and a lovely coach driver called Dave. Nothing was too much trouble for either of them.  They made a great team!!

Although I mainly travel with Just You I was a bit apprehensive about joining a Travelsphere  group.  There were only three singles on this trip but we had an amazing group and we all seemed to bond and had a lot fun.

I would not hesitate in doing another trip with Travelsphere.

Regards Julie

Thanks for your comments - you will love Canada!  There is something magical about it - a wonderful mixture of stunning scenery, attractive towns and cities, genuine and friendly people, great food and an approach to life that I love.  I can't wait to return!  

I am beyond excited about the Australia tour - it is a long way off but I'm sure the time will fly by.  I have wanted to visit since I was a child and the new TS tour is absolutely perfect - my dream itinerary, including lots of wildlife and scenery!  It will warrant an epic review on the forum when I return!!

All the best,

Bob

Thanks for your reply!  It was an absolute pleasure to have your company on such a brilliant holiday!  I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did.

All the best,

Bob

You’ve got me thinking !

Following your comments I have been having a close look at the TS Australia offerings. In particular the ‘Wonders of Australia’ 30 days trip.

It looks pretty comprehensive and very appealing and while I’ve already done some of the Eastern side attractions back in 2004 (and fabulous they were too), I’ve always been keen to go back and ‘complete the job’. The trip mentioned would do that in spades.

Looking at February 2020 there’s a few things to ponder.

Am I ready for another epic trip (Canada was 29 days).

The listed price would effectively be doubled once single supplement, flight upgrades, optional excursions and lots of meals were factored in.

My Uganda trip in June would be approaching fast.

Decisions, decisions ...

Roger

No harm in thinking and dreaming at all!  I must admit that I never upgrade, as that would be the cost of another holiday for me!  So I just have to suck it up in cattle class.  I'm booked on the TS Wonders of Australia in Sept 2021 and am travelling with three friends.  However, I have booked the direct flight to Perth which is in the lovely Dreamliner, so it shouldn't be too bad.  The real benefit of the direct flight is that it arrives at midday on day two, leaving the rest of the day free to relax and recover, to be fresh for the beginning of the sightseeing on day three (whereas those going via Singapore arrive just after midnight on day three).  

In my view, the TS Wonders tour is the best itinerary for Australia of any I've seen, with any company!  It should be a fantastic tour.  I'm digging deep into my savings, but for me it will be a dream come true as I've wanted to visit Australia since I was a child.

If you do go next year, please write a review!

Best wishes,

Bob

‘Cattle class’ ... I like it !

So you’ve travelled BA too ..

Upgrades wise I only look at the next level up and then only long haul. Business is never an option for me. Just a little bit of extra leg room is all I’m after.

Perhaps Dreamliner out and upgrade back. A good point you make about arrival time going.

Before my 2004 trip I had been advised to make sure not to have a nap when arriving (about 7:30 am. in Sydney) and to try to stay up for as long as possible. When I did arrive the adrenalin was flowing and I was eager to explore and had no problem resisting the bed til past 10 pm. Coming back would be a different matter altogether !

Much like you travelling to Australia was always high on my wish list.

I suddenly found the opportunity to spend two weeks there courtesy of Page & Moy experiencing Sydney, Melbourne (for the Grand Prix) and Port Douglas. Every day was fantastic with so many highlights. Loved Darling Harbour in Sydney especially all lit up at night with great restaurants and the wonderful Aquarium next door. The duck billed platypus moved straight into 3rd place on my favourite creatures list. Koalas no. 1 obviously ! The Blue Mountains trip was excellent and is thoroughly recommended. Up in Cairns/Port Douglas the Daintree visit was good. Kuranda is a must do. A thirty minute gondola ride just above the rainforest canopy with birds singing followed by lots of attractions in the village. Birds, butterflies and the chance to cuddle a koala ! That was a no brainer ! Afterwards you return to Cairns by train on a very picturesque route. Then there was the Great Barrier Reef ... very special even for us non snorkellers. If the helicopter flight is an option take it. A whole new perspective.

So good was my holiday that on my return I was already planning another trip the following year, but the hoped for GP trip featuring the Western side of Oz didn’t feature and plans were dashed.

This TS trip looks action packed and covers North, South, East and West and looks hard to top as you say.

Sounds like I’m talking myself into it ..!

Roger

Go for it, life's too short!

All the best,

Bob

When I did the JY extended Australia trip in February 2018, direct flights to Perth had not yet started but we flew back from Melbourne via Dubai on Quantas dreamliner and it was sheer bliss. I was lucky to be allocated a seat upstairs where it felt as if you were in an upgraded cabin. I had lots of leg room and the seat next to me was empty. Not sure why, but I managed ot sleep during the flight (I usually have problems sleeping on a plane) and did not suffer from any jet lag. In fact I was working from home the very next day! The Quantas crew were really nice and looked after you so well. I would fly with Quantas anytime given a chance! Bob, you are lucky to be able to book the direct flight to Perth and I think it is only 17 hours long.

Regards

Jaya

Best wishes,

Bob 

PS Roger have you booked yet??