January: The Pyramids of Meroe – Sudan

So often overlooked in favour of Giza’s better known monuments, the pyramids of Meroe are among Africa’s forgotten treasures. The average temperature during this time of year is 30°C, much better than the scorching 45°C in summer.

February: Salvador Carnival – Salvador, Brazil

The coastal city of Salvador is considered the gateway to Brazil’s northern beaches. Officially the biggest street party in the world, this awesome carnival offers greater participation and much more fun than its more famous counterpart in Rio. Try to stay as close to the action as possible as movement within the city is very difficult during the carnival. Neighbourhoods like Pelhorinho or Barra are a good choice.

March: The Soup Bowl, Bathsheba, Barbados

The Soup Bowl, on the rugged east coast of Barbados, offers warm water, surfing and tube rides with a fraction of the of the crowds from other famous beaches. By going in March, you avoid the crowds who are running away from winter in December, January & February.

April: Cherry blossom Season – Kyoto Japan

The arrival of cherry blossoms brings to life an iconic image of Japan past and present. Each year, the pinkish-white clumps of blossom appear and people gather in parks to celebrate this beautiful moment in time.

May: Bath, England

Bath’s history dates back to 2000 years ago to when Romans built the first baths here. This British univeristy town is a thriving place with fine theatres, cinemas, live music, great restaurants and art galleries.Beat the summer rush by going on the shoulder of tourist season.

June: Montreal Jazz Festival – Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

With over 750 concerts by 3000 artists from more than 30 countries, Montreal’s show stopping, multi-genre music festival whips millions of festival goers into a frenzy each year.

July: Lake Bled, Slovenia

With the majestic Julian Alps as its backdrop, Lake Bled, a vivid turquoise tongue of water ringed by thick forest and stunning snow streaked mountains, is a must -see! In July you will encounter long days and few tourists.

August: Iceland

The country’s awe inspiring terrain features some of Mother Nature’s greatest triumphs, from tremendous ice caps and mammoth spouting geysers to gnarled lava chasms and cascading waterfalls. In August, daylight is almost perpetual – perfect for a late night game at Reykjavik Golf Club!

September: Lecce, Puglia, Italy

In the poor, dry lands of Italy’s “heel”, this stunning Baroque city erupts like a volcano out of the sea. Many facades are enriched with the lace-like patterns which are especially enchanting at night. Enclosed in a city wall, with a lively street life, this Roman town has a 1st Century amphiteatre in its main square!

October: Madagascar

Once linked to Africa and the Indian subcontinent, the landmass became an island some 60 million years ago, and since then its wildlife has evolved in virtual isolation. October is when the area is experiencing its dry season and therefore is the best time for walking and wildlife viewing.

November: The Chilean Lake District – Chile

Discover this fairy-tale region of shimmering blue water, emerald forest, Andean peaks and steaming hot springs that bubble beneath smoldering volcanoes.

December: Christmas Market, Prague – Czech Republic

Each year the sound of carols fill the air, and the Old Town Square and Wencelas Square fill with visitors, who stroll amid bright wooden huts browsing traditional crafts, trailing steams from cups of mulled wine.

What are some of the attractive features of travelling in Canada?

The rest of the world is coming to or wanting to visit Canada in part due to the marketing of our country with sights such as Niagara Falls and the Rockies. There is so much more than those “tourist destinations” to attract travellers. The advertised places are crowded, the others not. Few places in the world can boast of such a huge variety of scenery or activities. The lure of open spaces and nature are Canada’s strongest points. Where else in the world can you play a game of golf with elk strolling through the scenery? Secondly, our larger cities offer culture and entertainment found in the great cities of Europe and Asia, yet much of the culture is Canadian in content.

Canada has a long coastline that attracts many travellers. With wildfowl spotting,kayaking, great fishing or just beachcombing, these sea coasts with their boundless beauty and uniqueness, such as the Bay of Fundy or the Pacific Rim National Park, worldwide travellers see our country filled with absolute delights not found at home. Another increasingly popular Canadian vacation is the opportunity to take Via Rail or the Rocky Mountaineer across the entire country from Halifax to Vancouver with incredible views out of the train windows and no stress of driving or wondering where to stay. The sound of a loon on a northern lake transports you to another world. We as Canadians need to wake up and realize the wonders of where we live.

What are some of the problematic features of travelling in Canada?

Perception of cost and distances. For about $100 more than a flight to Vancouver, you can fly to England! That is one of the most common complaints one hears. However, staying in foreign countries, especially the U.K. or Europe is very expensive. Canadians in particular seem unaware of what is in their backyard, and seldom travel in Canada other than a few kilometers from home to their cottage or favorite campsite. We sometimes do not realize that we have some 42 National Parks, 950 National Historic Sites, 4 National Marine Conservation Areas, thousands of campsites, as well as wild and open country available for us to view scenery, wildlife not found elsewhere and a quality food and wine industry growing very quickly. Canadians need to have conversation with other Canadians about their own country and what there is available to see and do.

Where are the areas in particular that you are noticing growing numbers of travellers within Canada? And why have these locations become so popular?

The three areas that are growing in popularity are the west and east coasts and the north. The beauty of ocean coasts have been fascinating people for hundreds of years, and the growth of facilities has allowed more people to explore from Tofino to Twillingate. In the north, travellers who venture into the lesser known areas, find, for lack of a better word, a mistique like nowhere else. The wild spaces draw you back! Ask anyone who has been to these three areas, and you are in for a long conversation.

From your perspective, as someone who grew up in British Columbia, what is it about that area that attracts Easterners to the West coast?

In my opinion, there is no other province that can give you as much as British Columbia. (no bias, honestly!) Cool rainforest, desert, lakes and mountains, opportunities for skiing, hiking, fishing, canoeing and kayaking, enjoying the big cities and exploring the Native culture, not to mention the growing food and wine industry. Did you notice that Penticton B.C. in the Okanagan Valley was named the number 4 spot to visit in the world by facebook users? One can go on forever talking about the “West Coast” of Canada. For Canadians living east of Calgary, the lure of variety is the key. Where else can you ski in the morning and go sailing in the afternoon? Whatever you want in a vacation, it is there.

You have travelled extensively in the UK and Europe, how does travelling in Canada compare in terms of accommodations, food and wine?

I think we all kind of dream about arriving at a U.K. b&b – a wonderful old English cottage covered in roses with those huge breakfasts. In reality, accommodation in Canada can meet and surpass anything you will find in the UK and Europe. Much of it depends on your style of travel, how much you want to spend and where you want to stay. To stay in convenient downtown large cities, the pricing is comparable in rough numbers. I checked with a major hotel in Toronto at $275 including breakfast and the same brand name in London England at 379 English pounds for similar room. (do the math) Canada has everything from hostels to major 5 star hotels. So you can find whatever you want, and of course it depends if you are travelling in summer high season or not!

Food and wine have become one of the reasons many people travel. Canada is now proudly producing “world class” wines, surprising the judges in Europe with a disbelief of origin. We have come a long way! Wine tourism is growing especially in Ontario and British Columbia. Unfortunately living in one province does not give you much choice of tasting another province’s wines due to provincial protectionism. So – plan a trip to the region you want and enjoy the wine tastings. There are many. Canada has perhaps more diversified food than many places in Europe. As much of Canada’s population is from elsewhere, the food also is from elsewhere. We have less strictly regional food than many places in Europe. For an instance, in the Dordogne in Southern France, every restaurant menu has at least 2/3′s of the menu with duck or goose dishes. Although I personally like French food in France, I can find it here, even in London. And then there is Thai….we truly are blessed.

Terry will be leading the tour “Okanagan: Walking and Wine” in June 2012. For more details Click Here.

The Government of Canada recommends the following for an emergency car kit:

• Food – that won’t spoil, such as energy bars
• Water – in plastic bottles so they won’t break if frozen (change every six months)
• Blanket
• Extra clothing and shoes
• First aid kit – with seatbelt cutter
• Small shovel, scraper and snowbrush
• Candle in a deep can and matches
• Wind–up flashlight
• Whistle – in case you need to attract attention
• Roadmaps
• Copy of your emergency plan and personal documents

CAA for South Central Ontario also adds rags and electrical tape to the list. For the most part, these lists are common sense to carry in your trunk year round as you never know when the contents may come in handy.

While Novack’s doesn’t have an ‘all-in-one’ emergency car kit for sale, we do have some of the items in the above list. In particular, we have the You Can Survive Emergency Survival Kit, and a handy North 49 Emergency Shovel.

The You Can Survive Emergency Survival Kit contains:

• Folding wing stove
• Solid fuel tablets
• Strike anywhere matches
• Poly water bag
• Hard candy
• Instant broth
• High energy drink mix
• Tea bags
• Sugar packets
• Aluminum foil
• Survival instructions
• Resealable top

Despite the lack of larger snacks, the You Can kit packs a lot of essentials into one small can. The best part is that the can can be used as a small pot for melting water, cooking soup, or simply holding candles.

Another item on the Government of Canada recommended car emergency kit is the a windup flashlight. Battery powered flashlights aren’t as effective in emergency situations as batteries can run out rather quickly. The Energizer® Solar™ LED Flashlight is the ideal item for your emergency car kit. Not only can it re-charge through a solar panel on the side, but it also has a hand crank to re-charge the batteries. The Energizer Solar LED Flashlight features:

• Carabiner Clip to hang light where needed
• 5 Hours of full sun powers light for ~2 Hours (solar charging)
• 1 minute of cranking powers light for 4 minutes

As we mentioned, we don’t have a ready made kit to tuck in your trunk this winter in case of emergencies, but we do have some key pieces to any emergency roadside kit. We highly recommend reading the lists of items from CAA, The Red Cross, and Government of Canada to make sure you are prepared for this winter on the road.

Drive safe, and be prepared!

All good things must come to an end, but this end means that it is Christmas tomorrow! I you are one of the desperate few to find gifts today, fear not. We have our complete gift ideas here. Or…simply bypass the rush and get the perfect gift in the form of a Novack’s Gift Certificate.

We want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! And thank-you for shopping local this holiday season. See you for our Boxing Day Sale December 26 from 10AM until 6PM!

We are doing a 12 Days of Gift Ideas blog post each day counting down to Christmas…for those waiting until the last minute for gifts. You can find previous days here. The posts will feature a gift each day for the Camper and Traveller on your Christmas list, as well as a Unique gift for the person who has everything.

Yesterday was all about the feet, while today, Day 11, is all about the hands. There is only one thing worse than cold feet, and that is cold hands.

We will be back tomorrow with with our last day of gift ideas before Christmas! You can also download our 4 page Novack’s Christmas Gift Guide for 100′s of ideas and 1000′s of items.

We are doing a 12 Days of Gift Ideas blog post each day counting down to Christmas…for those waiting until the last minute for gifts. You can find previous days here. The posts will feature a gift each day for the Camper and Traveller on your Christmas list, as well as a Unique gift for the person who has everything.

Day 10 is going to focus on our feet…or your feet…someone’s feet. Today we will showcase the ultimate winter companion for just about anyone’s feet, a warm booty for the camper on your list, and a must have for anyone travelling…great socks.

We will be back tomorrow with 3 more great gift ideas for the Camper, Traveller and ‘person who has everything’ on your list. You can also download our 4 page Novack’s Christmas Gift Guide for 100′s of ideas and 1000′s of items.

We are doing a 12 Days of Gift Ideas blog post each day counting down to Christmas…for those waiting until the last minute for gifts. You can find previous days here. The posts will feature a gift each day for the Camper and Traveller on your Christmas list, as well as a Unique gift for the person who has everything.

Almost everyone has a wine connoisseur, aficionado, or at the very least, drinker, on their Christmas list this year. Today’s Novack’s 12 Days of Gift Ideas is all about finding the right gift for this person. We have the perfect gift for the camper, traveller, or person who has everything; and enjoys wine.

We will be back tomorrow with 3 more great gift ideas for the Camper, Traveller and ‘person who has everything’ on your list. You can also download our 4 page Novack’s Christmas Gift Guide for 100′s of ideas and 1000′s of items.

We are doing a 12 Days of Gift Ideas blog post each day counting down to Christmas…for those waiting until the last minute for gifts. You can find previous days here. The posts will feature a gift each day for the Camper and Traveller on your Christmas list, as well as a Unique gift for the person who has everything.

Lights when camping are often overlooked. LED’s have completely changed the way we light up our tents and campsites. Today we feature a few options from Black Diamond and Kelty, as well as a portable humidifier, and a couple neat items for the those obsessed with the weather…which seems to be everyone in London, ON.

We will be back tomorrow with 3 more great gift ideas for the Camper, Traveller and ‘person who has everything’ on your list. You can also download our 4 page Novack’s Christmas Gift Guide for 100′s of ideas and 1000′s of items.

We are doing a 12 Days of Gift Ideas blog post each day counting down to Christmas…for those waiting until the last minute for gifts. You can find previous days here. The posts will feature a gift each day for the Camper and Traveller on your Christmas list, as well as a Unique gift for the person who has everything.

Today’s gifts are all for the 4 legged best friends in our lives. Christmas isn’t just for kids and in-laws, dogs deserve a little treat too. We have a great selection of fun and unique gift ideas for dogs, these are just a small sample.

We will be back tomorrow with 3 more great gift ideas for the Camper, Traveller and ‘person who has everything’ on your list. You can also download our 4 page Novack’s Christmas Gift Guide for 100′s of ideas and 1000′s of items.