Mike

We'll be visiting Quebec in August. We've heard about the fjords on the saguenay river as a must-see. Can anybody recommend a hotel in Tadoussak or nearby area ? What is the situation with boat tours of the fjord ? Do they exist ? How often do they run ? Is there a place I can inquire more information about it, Fodors and Quebec travel guides don't give too much. Finally, is it worth the three hour trip from Quebec City ? <BR>

ML

We went to Quebec City in July two years ago during a music festival. It was great. We decided to book a whale watching cruise on the Saguenay river. It does get pretty windy and cold, so bring a warm jacket. We saw so many whales, it was beautiful and well worth the trip. There are various boat tours. We chose the shortest one based on our young children. On the trip back to Quebec we discovered some great towns and chose to eat in a small outdoor cafe. It truly felt as if I was in Europe.

guylaine

Le Saguenay is definitely worth it. There's a big old sprawling lazy hotel painted red and white called Hotel Le Saguenay right on the bay, and if I had money, that's where I'd stay (I did NOT have money when I went, so I stayed in a small functional rooming house type place on the main drag, which was ok too). Try to avoid taking one of the big crowed cruises if you can. I took the Marjolaine and even though I was still awed by the cliffs along the shore, the yelling and sloshing and pushing made me embarassed to be human amongst all that grandeur. Try a smaller boat. Another idea is to take the ferry over to Pointe Noire. There's a lookout there on the shore and some marine biologists who give talks (although it's all in French, if I remember - do you speak French?). Also the marine museum there is good. I envy you your trip. Bon voyage et bonne chance.

guylaine

Oh, I forgot. For info, you should get in touch with the Quebec tourist bureau. Look on the web. They publish very complete tourist guides on each of the dozen or so regions of Quebec, and they're free. Handy to have when you're roaming up without a computer...

Helen

Guylaine, I was able to follow your advice immediately, since my boss conveniently hoards multi copies of those little regional booklets. So I'm looking at one of his three copies of the '94-'95 edition for Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. I can't find a listing for a hotel in Saguenay. In fact, there's a listing for Petit-Saguenay, an auberge with 12 rooms, but the Transports Quebec map index doesn't even list a place called Saguenay. Tadoussac, on the other hand... There's a 1-page ad for Tadoussac, the upper half features various marine scenes, the lower half has a picture of a sprawling, red-roofed, etc. The lodgings section lists a Hotel Tadoussac, 149 rooms, not cheap. Could that be the hotel you remember? I'm suddenly seized with a burning need for blueberries & whales in August. Let the trip planning begin!

guylaine

Hi Helen, <BR>Sorry, you're right, the name is the Hotel Tadoussac (I always get the two names mixed up; I used to live in an apt in Montreal called the Saguenay, right beside another apt called the Tadoussac...). Tadoussac is the town and the Saguenay is the river. <BR>Anyways, yes, The Hotel Tadoussac is pricey, but sometimes they have package deals, which can make it ok. For information on other places to stay and what to do etc., see the region's web site: <BR>http://www.atrsaglac.d4m.com/anglais...formation.html <BR> <BR>It's in English. Bonne chance.

Helen

Thanks for the web info, Guylaine. Since I posted on Friday, it looks like I have to pull back a bit on my ambitions for exploring the St. Lawrence above Quebec. (Yeah, I know, I'm a few centuries too late.) Since our drive to Canada is substantial, we may not want to work our way that far up the river. I'm disappointed, I thought this would make a great excursion. One alternative may be a day cruise out of Quebec. I understand we can even do a package with hotel. The truth is, we haven't made a definite decision between P.Q. & coastal N.B. -- the jury's still out. We visited Montreal & Quebec a few years ago, camping a few days at Mt. Orford before heading home. The combination of city & country is to our liking. Last year we did a similar trip in Maine. (Of course, Portland is nice, but it's no Montreal.) So we have a tough decision to make right now. Each itinerary has its attractions. I started out favoring the N.B. trip, but now that I've taken about a dozen Quebec guidebooks out of the<BR>library, I'm psyched for that. Happy to hear any opinions on the matter. Will post again when I have specific questions.