I spent a week island hopping in French Polynesia — here's my action-packed itinerary
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When most people think of French Polynesia, an image of Bora Bora's famously crystal clear waters and white sand beaches comes to mind. This island paradise, made up of 121 diverse islands and atolls, spreads across five archipelagos in the South Pacific Ocean, and is much more than sea and sand — though they are certainly top tier.
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Only a short flight away (about one hour from Bora Bora) lie Rangiroa and Fakarava — part of the largest atoll chain in the world known as the Tuamotu Archipelago. Host to extensive coral reefs and teeming with marine life, these islands are a scuba diver's dream.If you've been manifesting a getaway filled with adventure, breathtaking landscapes, rich cultural heritage and a touch of luxury, French Polynesia is for you. With only seven days, I was able to explore three diverse islands and tick off so many items on my bucket list. I'll be returning to explore further west and experience more of the magic these islands offer.
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International flights will take you to Tahiti, the largest and most populous island in French Polynesia. Use this as a jumping-off point for exploring the outer islands, but be sure to give yourself at least one full day in Tahiti.Start in the bustling capital of Papeete and head straight for the local Papeete Market. Grab handmade crafts, fresh tropical fruits and locally-made monoi oils made from soaking Tahitian gardenia petals in coconut oil. Next, hit nearby Notre Dame Cathedral or the Black Pearl Museum — these pearls originate from black-lipped oysters that are found in Tahitian waters — or head south to the Museum of Tahiti and the Islands to dive into the island's culture and history.
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Globe and Mail
3 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
A river cruise with our American frenemies – what could go wrong?
Jane Christmas is a Canadian author. We are on the Rhine, sailing down the lazy river, staring at ancient European castles and pine-covered hills. The occasional barge or river boat passes in the opposite direction. We wave. We lean over the rail and watch the currents and eddies. The river flows, the sun beams. It's life in the slow lane, and boy, do we need it. Away from the noise of an angry, divided world. Away from blaring headlines, from the fearmongers urging us to prepare an emergency kit because the Apocalypse is closing in. Away from the stuff that makes our hearts race and our minds plunge into dark thinking. Look who's sorry now: Americans are an apologetic bunch to this Canadian on vacation Our party of four Canadian couples finds itself to be among a distinct minority on this small cruise ship. The American passengers vastly outnumber us: 135 of them, fewer than 30 of us. It's awkward, given the trade tensions between our two nations. Still, we're pretty sure we can roll with it. We're a friendly, easygoing bunch. Two nights in, the cruise director announces a pub quiz. Hey, that sounds fun. Let's do it. The other passengers form their groups, grab their drinks, and off we go. Team Canada hits a near-perfect score, falling at the question, On which side of her face is Mona Lisa's smile? But it doesn't matter, we've won handily. Our reward is two bottles of champagne, one of which we immediately hand to the American group sitting next to us as thanks for marking our answer sheet. They're simpatico. We think. Walking back to our rooms, I clock another large group of Americans. Their lips are tight, their arms crossed. I can imagine they're the type to start yelling 'U.S.A.! U.S.A.!' at a moment's notice. They glare at us. One of them – male, white, obese, scarfing down an entire tube of complimentary peanuts – gives me the stink eye and calls out, in a MAGA tone, the number 51. 'In your dreams, buddy,' I say with a smile, and walk on. But when I reach the door of our room, the smile is gone and my head is filled with less civil replies, ones that might elicit a punch being thrown. One of our friends asks what that guy had said to me. I confirm what she overheard. The faces on the rest of our group fall. Apparently, there's no escape from bullies, even on a seniors' cruise. Keller: We see your joke about the 51st state, and raise you a reference to sacking the White House As the trip goes on, things do not improve. Aside from two Americans who approach us to apologize for their current President, the rest treat us as if we're COVID carriers. They rarely acknowledge us in the hall, don't meet our eyes or say hello or good morning like normal people do when they're on a pleasure boat together. During the off-board excursions, they huddle with their countrymen and either ignore us or shoot us looks of disdain. More Canadian invisibility arrives via the tour guides, who constantly point out Americanisms to their guests – a U.S. embassy here, a bridge named after JFK there, the former home of the guy who designed the Statue of Liberty. Americans are on a constant drip-feed of their own cultural fodder. That's why we won the quiz – as the saying goes, Canadians know about the world; Americans only know about themselves. Here's the thing: It's not enough for Canadians to buy ABA (anything but American), we need to work on self-belief and entrepreneurship. We haven't promoted our country or culture abroad as vociferously or aggressively as we could, believing that polite and passive would win the day. How's that been working out for us? As a Canadian living in Britain, I've witnessed the fallout. We are a ghost nation beyond our borders. I had to remind an otherwise educated English twentysomething where exactly Canada was on a map. It's humbling given the rhetoric that 'Canada matters on the world stage.' What stage? We can't even get verbal support from the Commonwealth or England when it matters. They snickered when our PM was called 'governor,' and our sovereignty was bullied. They thought it was a joke. Look at them scrambling now. Still, why have we assumed that the world knows who we are? Each week I leaf through the British newspapers and see the same dull tourism ads for Niagara Falls and the Rocky Mountaineer that I've seen for the last two decades. Where's the nightlife of Canada's cities? The picturesque Newfoundland villages? The Inuit arts and awesome Northern landscapes? The architectural and cultural charm of Quebec? Where are the theatres, galleries, literary festivals and vineyards? I'd suggest our tourism ads include shopping as a visitor activity (our dollar being a bargain) but we've shamefully cross-border shopped so much that we've lost our signature department stores, having sold most of them to the highest (often American) bidder. Nice one. Is no one minding our commercial legacy? It's time to step up. We need to be seen as a country on the rise, as well as one that gets involved. Yes to increasing our defence spending, but also to elbowing in to some of the world's ongoing conflicts and helping to mediate their end. Why do we always leave this task to the U.S.? Then there's the lack of overseas trade. Aluminum and steel, sure, but what about wine? There's no end of Australian, New Zealand and American wines on the shelves of British grocery stores, but nothing from Canada. No one in Britain is even aware of Canadian viticulture. Let's get those bottles overseas. It's all very well to wear your 'Never 51' shirt, or to post your Canuck creds on Instagram, or to boycott Netflix and Amazon, but it's time to think bigger, bolder. Time to make a splash. If our efforts are rebuffed south of the border, big deal. There are other countries in this world to woo. Why do we still measure Canadian success against our neighbour's barometer? It's obvious by now that big isn't always best. Back on board our cruise boat, the froideur continues and mystifies my group. Did we belittle their leader on national television, as Donald Trump did ours? Did we threaten their sovereignty? Upend their trade deals? No. They started it. And it sounds like a playground spat until you understand that it's moved into gaslighting territory: We are somehow the enemy. This is the strategy of their leader: Drop the stink bomb and blame the other guy. He's told/signalled/tweeted to his nation that Canadians are lazy, do-nothing freeloaders. Of course it's a lie, but try convincing a boatload of Americans of their country's misguided path, a group who've dined on a century of obsequiousness that the world – including Canada – has fed them. The water might be choppy, but it's time we charted our own course, and make waves that count.
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
U.S. tourism is trying to woo back Canadian travellers. Is it working?
Canada's airports were bustling in April, but fewer passengers were flying to the United States, a sign that efforts by American destinations to win back Canadian tourists may be falling flat. A new Statistics Canada report found that for the third month in a row, the number of travellers screened to fly from Canada to the U.S. dropped compared to the same time last year. Meanwhile, traffic was up for both domestic and international travel. Canadian airlines appear to be pivoting in response. Air Canada recently announced its 'largest winter expansion,' with 13 new routes and 16 per cent more seat capacity to Latin America. The carrier is now offering more than 55 daily flights and over 80,000 weekly seats to the region. WestJet says it's adjusting, too. 'In response to shifting demand, WestJet did recently reallocate aircraft from some routes between Canada and the U.S. toward connectivity and frequency within Canada, internationally between Canada and Europe, and between Canada and popular sun destinations,' the airline said in a written statement to 'WestJet remains engaged with industry partners in conversations focused on lessening long-term impacts on travel and tourism — industries that we know rely on the sustained confidence and movement of people on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border.' 'California Loves Canada' In an effort to stifle the drop in visitors, some U.S. states have rolled out targeted campaigns aimed specifically at Canadians. Visit California, a nonprofit corporation formed to market California as a desirable tourism destination, teamed up with Expedia to launch the 'California Loves Canada' campaign in May. Organizers say it's been 'resonating with Canadians.' 'As of May 31, Canadian travellers have booked rooms at 1,740 California hotels that are offering exclusive deals for Canadians,' Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of Visit California, told in an emailed response. 'With most bookings set for travel this summer, we anticipate seeing a real uptick in Canadian arrivals as the year plays out.' Beteta says the campaign is driven by California-based industry partners offering special discounts to Canadians, adding the feedback has been positive. According to Beteta, saw traffic increase by more than five per cent in May, with engagement up nearly 15 per cent. 'Click-through rates from organic search are a whopping 2,800 per cent higher than what we typically see,' she added. Atlantic Canada seeing tourism spike Despite these efforts, one travel agent told that a portion of the market is still hesitant about travelling to the U.S., due to concerns about the border, politics, or just the general vibe. Jason Sarracini, founder and CEO of Landsby, a Canadian domestic travel website, says there may be some cross-border traffic in upstate New York, but his company isn't 'seeing anything meaningful.' However, Sarracini did say one spot within Canada is getting lots of attention. 'Atlantic Canada is the one that's really stood out this year,' Sarracini said. 'It's that destination, which is pretty intimate, gives you a really good sense of the people and the flavour, and is not as expensive as the West Coast and the Rockies in the summer.' Sarracini also stressed the growing importance of Indigenous tourism, which he says is attracting more interest from both Canadian and American travellers. '(Americans) don't necessarily want it to be their entire trip, but they do want components of that educational side, especially those who have maybe been to Canada before,' he said. Calling for accessible Canadian travel Julie Smigadis, owner of Travel Our World agency, says her U.S.-bound bookings have slowed in recent months, with some would-be clients choosing to cancel outright. 'I had a large anniversary trip to Disney cancelled,' she said in a video interview with 'It was an (LGBTQ2S+) couple and they just felt very unsafe and kind of not very welcome. They ended up rebooking into Mexico, even though they lost a little bit of money on the file.' Instead, Smigadis says more of her clients are opting to explore Canada, especially destinations like Banff, Alta., Vancouver, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island. But affordability is a challenge, even for domestic trips. 'The pricing and the availability is so crazy,' Smigadis said. 'It's unfortunate because, especially as a travel agency, I do want to show off this gorgeous country of ours and especially in this moment where we come together as Canadians.' She says greater cooperation between governments, airlines and hotels is needed to make Canadian travel more accessible. 'I wish the Canadian companies, Canadian airlines, and Canadian hotels would incentivize Canadians to stay within Canada,' she said. 'There has to be some way for us to make it more accessible — for our dollars to be used here as opposed to going abroad.' Data from Expedia supports the broader trend. According to the company's first-quarter earnings call, Canada's inbound travel to the U.S. was down nearly 30 per cent in the first quarter. 'While we've been seeing recent fluctuations in U.S. search activities, Canadians are still eager to travel and have been rediscovering all the beauty Canada has to offer,' said Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group brands public relations in the company's Summer Travel Outlook. 'This is a very emotional thing' Some American tourism operators say they're feeling the downturn directly. 'This isn't something you solve with a few dollars off. This is a very emotional thing,' said Paul Dame, owner of Bluff Point Golf Resort in Plattsburgh, N.Y., in a video interview with 'The stuff that's being said is just downright not nice to Canadians, and unfortunately, that has definitely put a damper on our business.' Dame's resort, just an hour south of Montreal, typically relies on Canadian visitors. But those numbers are down sharply this year. 'The start of the season, April and May, we were 30 per cent behind last year,' Dame said. 'Lodging reservations were 22 per cent down … I would say about 25 per cent of our regular guests have decided not to return.' He said he's personally reached out to dozens of long-time customers, many of whom have visited for more than a decade. 'They said, 'We love you, we love Bluff Point, but we're not going to be coming back to the United States this year,'' he said. 'That was 49 out of about 130 groups.' The resort is still seeing some large group bookings go through, but individual golfers and day trippers have dropped off drastically. 'We would usually see 25 to 30 cars a day in the parking lot. Now we're seeing one, maybe two,' Dame said, adding the daily golfer is second-guessing a trip to the U.S. Despite the challenges, Dame said he's working on a new outreach video to reconnect with Canadians. 'I hope that we at least start to move in the right direction, so that we can rebuild the greatest cross-border relationship anywhere in the world,' he said. 'We've been friends and partners for decades … it would be great for both sides to just move forward, make amends, and hopefully continue a friendship that was a long time made.'
Globe and Mail
9 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
A Family Paradise Awaits at Grand Park Kodhipparu, Maldives
MALÉ, Maldives , June 6, 2025 /CNW/ -- This summer, create cherished memories that last a lifetime as Grand Park Kodhipparu, Maldives invites families to escape the ordinary and embrace a world of tropical luxury enchantment. The resort's Family Summer Getaway Package promises an idyllic blend of relaxation, excitement, and quality time together — all set against the pristine natural beauty of the Indian Ocean. Available for bookings until September 30, 2025 , this limited-time offering is thoughtfully crafted to cater to families seeking a seamless and immersive Maldivian escape. Whether travelers are planning a short three-night retreat or an extended island sojourn of up to thirty nights, Grand Park Kodhipparu ensures every moment is unforgettable. Nestled just a 20-minute speedboat ride from Velana International Airport, the award-winning Grand Park Kodhipparu is renowned for its elegant design, tranquil ambiance, and intuitive service. The Family Summer Getaway Package is a testament to the resort's commitment to curating meaningful experiences for guests of all ages. Highlights of the Package Include: Daily Buffet Breakfast: Begin each day with a lavish buffet breakfast showcasing a medley of global flavors and traditional Maldivian fare. From tropical fruits to freshly baked pastries and live cooking stations, every palate is catered to in the most indulgent way. Complimentary Roundtrip Speedboat Transfers: Travel with ease and comfort as the resort offers complimentary shared speedboat transfers, allowing guests to enjoy a scenic and effortless arrival and departure experience. Kids Stay, Play & Eat Free: The package is perfectly tailored for family fun. Children stay for free and are welcomed with an array of curated activities at the Kids' Club, along with complimentary dining that mirrors the meal plan reserved by parents — a thoughtful touch that enhances convenience while fostering shared enjoyment. Non-Motorized Water Sports: For families seeking a splash of adventure, the package includes one hour of complimentary access to non-motorized water sports. Whether gliding over crystal-clear waters in a canoe, balancing on a paddleboard, or exploring vibrant marine life with snorkeling gear, guests can reconnect with nature and each other. "We understand how important it is for families to spend quality time together, and we have designed this package to ensure that every member of the family feels both pampered and inspired," said Citra Suriah, Marketing Director of Grand Park Kodhipparu, Maldives . "With a harmonious balance of leisure and adventure, our Family Summer Getaway Package embodies the essence of a luxurious yet heartfelt island retreat." Escape the routine and experience a place where turquoise lagoons, swaying palms, and warm hospitality converge to create a true family paradise. Discover the perfect summer getaway at Grand Park Kodhipparu, Maldives — where timeless memories await beneath the Maldivian sun. For reservations and more information, please visit SOURCE Grand Park Kodhipparu, Maldives
