100 things to do in Canada before you die: the judges

We asked some of the best travel journalists in the business to help compile the ultimate list of things to see and do in Canada.

Nikki Bayley

Nikki Bayley is an award-winning freelance journalist and guide book author from the UK, based in Vancouver.

Nikki writes about Canada for a range of international titles including National Geographic Traveller and the Rough Guide to Canada.

Nikki’s Canadian adventures have taken her ice fishing and camping in minus 40 degrees with First Nations in Québec, snorkelling with beluga whales in Manitoba, storm watching in Tofino and mushing with huskies across a frozen lake in the Yukon.

Jim Byers

Jim Byers is a freelance travel writer based in Toronto, Canada.

He served five years as Travel Editor at the Toronto Star, the largest newspaper in Canada. He is now freelancing for the Postmedia and Sun Media chains across Canada, with more than 17 million online readers a day.

He also writes for Zoomer Magazine, Canadian Traveller, Porter Airlines magazine, The Australian, the Houston Chronicle and The Dallas Morning News.

Birgit-Cathrin Duval

Birgit-Cathrin Duval is a freelance journalist and photographer based in the Black Forest, Germany.

She specialises in outdoor activities like hiking, biking, climbing, snowshoeing and adventures off the beaten track.

She won the GoMedia Award of Excellence for her outstanding travel stories about Canada in 2014 and 2013.

Birgit-Cathrin has travelled to all provinces and territories in Canada and has a special interest in the Arctic.

John Lee

British-born John Lee has been a Vancouver-based independent writer for 15 years.

A Lonely Planet guidebook author and travel columnist for Canada’s The Globe and Mail national newspaper, his work has appeared in more than 150 outlets around the world, from the BBC to the Los Angeles Times.

He’s very active on Twitter (@johnleewriter), and you can read more of his stories at johnleewriter.com

Quentin Long

Quentin Long is the cofounder of Australian Traveller Media, publisher of Australia’s largest selling travelling magazines.

Quentin’s wanderlust parents took him and his five siblings around the world from age 2 to 5, then as a 15-year-old sent him to Toronto to stay with family for the winter where he took up the Canadian National game – ice hockey.

He has been back several times but couldn’t hit a puck to save his life.

He is a travel commentator for Channel 9 Mornings, ABC 702 and 2GB.

Steve Madgwick

Steve Madwick is a Digital Editor at Australian Traveller Media.

He got to know the country and its confoundingly friendly people through the 30 or so lifts he accepted while hitchhiking from Newfoundland to Ottawa.

He was ecstatic to forego a week’s sleep for the Calgary Stampede, narrowly avoided a high speed head-on with a brown bear while mountain biking, and loved every minute working as a Christmas tree harvester in the minus-30s of an Albertan winter.

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Craig Tansley

For the past 17 years, Melbourne-based travel journalist Craig Tansley has written for many prestigious titles including The Sydney Morning Herald, Financial Review and The Sunday Times in London, not to mention been a regular contributor to Australian Traveller and International Traveller.

Spending about six months on the road every year, this travel buff’s speciality is high-end adventure and remote travel.

You can find him at craigtansley.com

Rob McFarland

In 2004 Rob McFarland abandoned a sensible career in IT to travel and write.

He’s now a full-time travel writer – dividing his time between Sydney, New York and Europe – and has won six awards including Travel Writer of the Year.

Rob regularly runs travel writing courses, is a member of the Australian Society of Travel Writers and is a regular contributor to The Sydney Morning Herald, Escape, National Geographic Traveller and GQ magazines.

See robmcfarland.org

Katrina Lobley

Katrina Lobley grew up in Queensland in the shadow of two Big Things.

Wondering if there was more to life than pineapples and cows, she headed to Canada on her first overseas jaunt.

She has travelled throughout Canada many times, and writes about travel for national newspapers.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.