“Better and significantly less expensive than the best-known bespoke holiday company" - Steve and Sue

We discussed and planned our holiday of a lifetime for a few years, and after having to postpone due to the Jasper wildfires, finally set off for Canada in May 2025.

We flew to Calgary and stayed in Banff and then Jasper before taking the Rocky Mountaineer train to Vancouver, and then on to Tofino and Victoria on Vancouver Island.

Our expectations were high - this was twice as much as we had ever spent on a holiday before - but they were exceeded.

Highlights? The Rocky Mountains are just breathtaking, whether it's the showpiece views in Banff or Lake Louise, or the extraordinary wildlife; Tofino on Vancouver Island is a wonderful place, and so is Victoria, the state capital. Seeing bears, a moose, elk and dozens of different birds was a treat.

We gave a fairly clear brief to Jenny: no rushing, four-star foodie hotels (independents rather than chains), Rocky Mountaineer and wildlife watching.

Jenny put together a full programme which was better and significantly less expensive than the largest and best-known bespoke holiday company.

We'd been delighted with a trip she had planned to Sardinia, and we were delighted with this too.

If I had to pick one highlight of the whole holiday it was the trip from Banff to Jasper with Sundog. Dave, our driver, was personable and very knowledgeable and passionate about his hometown of Jasper, which was damaged horribly by a wildfire in 2024.

We walked on a glacier and on a glass platform 880 feet over a valley, heard about history and geology, and found out about the best coffee in Jasper. We had to get from Banff to Jasper in any case, and combining the transit with a tour was a brilliant idea of Jenny's.

The other absolute highlights were Tofino - a lovely seaside town with stunning beaches, trails and boat trips - and Victoria, including the magical Butchart Gardens.

We really enjoyed our conversations with the people we met. People were calm, kind and passionate about their country, particularly given the statements made recently by the head of their southern neighbour. We found good food and endless scenery.

Negatives? Not many. The city of Vancouver didn't live up to our high expectations - the traffic was very busy and the very liberal attitude to drugs seems to have led to a great many people behaving erratically as you walk around the city. But there's also a lot to love in the city, including Granville Island Market and some amazing food experiences.

We're already talking with Jenny about our next trips - possibly Nova Scotia, right on the other side of Canada, and possibly Montenegro and the Antrim Coast Road.

Steve & Sue