belandben

hi we are looking to travel next year for a holiday with our family with two young children ages 6 & 8. we are used to going on holiday staying at a villa with a pool, eating out going places of fun for the kids like waterparks, ball parks, zoos attractions, anything for them...we did florida disney this year staying in a hotel, nice but too manic for them! please help us with ideas, maybe canada, portugal or greece please can you let me know any ideas on where to go/stay etc thank you

taggie

Where are you coming from? Canada is very different from Portugal or Greece. The activities you've listed are all available in an urban centre... are you interested at all in spending time in a more natural setting, such as beaches, hikes, etc.??

Of course since I live in Vancouver I'm biased, but there really is a lot to offer families here, in the city and its environs. For example, you can view whales at the Vancouver Aquarium, but also take a whale watching trip to see them in their natural habitat.

Maybe you should do a bit of research on Vancouver or Toronto by clicking on the "Destinations" link at the top of this page.

Also, you have marked this post as a "trip report", which it isn't. So you might not get as many tips as you would if people thought it was just a simple query.

belandben

hi thank you for your response. We live in UK England. Sounds great the whale watching, although my little boys are very active, and they love the beaches too. I m not sure if I can change the trip report now i have submited it now. thank you for your help.

garyt22

Niagara Falls is perfect for your family...The Great Wolf Lodge is a Family Lodge/Indoor Waterpark a few miles from Niagara and there are tons of attractions for an active group...

The Falls itself, a Butterfly conservatory, Bird Aviary, Marineland and Game Farm, dozens of kid friendly museums, nature walks, Whirlpool JetBoats, and a tourist area Clifton Hill with dozens of arcades, mini golf, and rides...its the kind of place that fits your age group perfectly...

williams_R

One of my friends has recently accomplished his trip to Vancouver, British Columbia. It is an amazing place located between the mountains and the sea hence full of natural beauty. It has a plenty of attractions like scenic beauty, night life, whale-watching, boating, camping and so on...............

mat54

Canada's various regions are all quite different from each other so you really need to get a Guide Book on Canada and read to pick a region that appeals. Also - the length of time you plan on visiting, and whether you will rent a car are important (many Canadian attractions even within the same general region are spaced out over some distance). A couple of thoughts:
- The Canadian Rocky Mountains National Parks are world famous for their scenery and wildlife. The most popular are Banff and Jasper, but Yoho, Kootenay and Waterton Lakes are also nice. There are a wide range of accommodations which include high end resorts with lots of facilities and planned activities, to rustic cabins. Scenic drives, nature walks, wildlife viewing, hot springs, towns full of tourist services.
- Vancouver is a beautiful city, and I would combine a visit here with some time on Vancouver Island. On Vancouver Island visit the city of Victoria plus the Tofino/Pacific Rim National Park area for unique coastal scenery and old growth temperate rain forest. Whale-watching for Orcas. Out of Vancouver you could spend a few days in the resort area of Whistler.
- Toronto is a large vibrant city with many tourist attractions - world class museums, zoo, art galleries. Very multicultural, interesting neighbourhoods to explore, extensive dining choices, top-notch live theatre. It's a couple hours drive from Toronto to Niagara Falls which would be worth a couple of days visit. To add some "nature" to the trip, drive north a couple of hours to either a resort in "Cottage Country" (e.g. the Muskokas area), or to beautiful Algonquin Park - a huge area of forest and lakes with wonderful nature hikes and wildlife viewing opportunities.
This is getting long-winded - but another option which you can easily research and has often been discussed in these forums is Atlantic Canada - New Brunswick for the Fundy Tides, PEI for extensive beaches, Nova Scotia for the wonderfully scenic Cape Breton Highlands as well as the Lighthouse Route coastal scenery and quaint fishing villages. Excellent whale-watching from several Atlantic locations.

laverendrye

<<The Canadian Rocky Mountains National Parks are world famous for their scenery and wildlife. The most popular are Banff and Jasper, but Yoho, Kootenay and Waterton Lakes are also nice>>

Don't forget the mountain parks in the Selkirks just west of the Rockies--Glacier and Revelstoke.

BCgal

I'd tell you to come to BC in a heartbeat! I think your kids would love the natural attractions we have out here - sure theme parks are fun, but so is taking a gondola to the top of a mountain, watching for whales and dolphins from a ferry boat or playing on a beach strewn with driftwood, shells and other treasures. Plus, Vancouver offers attractions like the Aquarium and Granville Island that are extremely kid-friendly.

I live in Vancouver and have two kids (3 and 6) and our family has found endless adventures all around this province. I'm originally from Toronto and think this is a better place for an adventurous holiday.

WWanderer

I agree Vancouver would be a great option. But I can't imagine coming all the way from wherever you are (UK?) to spend a week in a resort doing nothing but waterparks and zoos. It's not that kind of destination--I agree that Niagara Falls could suit you, but again, why would you want to travel that far and not see some of the country you are visiting?