Quebec’s very unique sugar shack pig out

Make like a maple-forest worker and dive into a hearty sugar shack maple syrup feast, writes Katrina Lobley.

As I slip-slide up an icy track towards the nightly maple-syrup bacchanal in a Quebec ‘sugar shack’, owner Pierre Faucher drives in alongside me.

“You staying here tonight?" he asks. “There’s deer, there’s wolves. Are you scared?"

Monsieur says it all with a glint in his eye but he’s right – there is a wolf roaming around Sucrerie de la Montagne, a sugar shack tucked within a maple forest an hour’s drive west of Montreal.

It doesn’t take long before I meet his pet Louploup, part wolf/part husky. Like her owner, the she-wolf has a naughty streak.

A box of bonbonnières has arrived ahead of a wedding scheduled for the next day. Louploup sticks her snout in the box and runs away with something, prompting immediate banishment from all public areas.

A weekday lunch isn’t the busiest time at the sugar shack, which really comes alive on weekends when diners assemble in a high-ceilinged hall to feast on the traditional meal as live fiddle music is played.

I settle into the cosier Salle Castor, lit only by oil lamps, firelight and weak winter daylight to find out what the feast is all about.

The hearty meal, originally designed to refuel half-frozen maple-sap collectors, comprises a set of well-known dishes.

The spread usually includes pea soup, maple-smoked ham, omelette soufflé, crispy-fried pork rinds, baked beans, mashed potato, sausages, meatball stew and a flaky meat pie anointed with fruit ketchup, with sugar pie and syrup-doused pancakes to finish.

Big bottles of maple syrup adorn each table. I’m surprised to see diners add generous slugs of syrup to their food but they’re right – everything tastes better with maple syrup.

I order a glass of the house caribou – a mix of red, white and blueberry wines, whisky and maple syrup. I think of it as a wintry French-Canadian sangria – it’s delicious too.

Most sugar shacks are open only seasonally during the ‘sugaring off’ period when snow starts to thaw and sap circulates through the maples.

Sucrerie de la Montagne is open year-round and offers accommodation in four cosy log cabins that seem like a throwback to bygone times.

I spend the night in the quaint Maisonnette du Sous-Bois (Undergrowth Cabin).

There are no mod cons such as television – just a roaring fire in the fieldstone fireplace, a rocking chair, rustic furniture and a claw-foot bathtub behind the bed upstairs.

As I climb the stairs ready for bed, I glance out the window. A full moon illuminates the bare-branched maples and, just for a moment, I imagine a wolf roams among the trees.

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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.

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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.

Quebec’s very unique sugar shack pig out

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