Vacay.ca

07/28/2025

The Bar Scene in Quebec City Heats Up This Summer

"Following the lead of Montreal, the trend seems to have come to , where the many potential sites for well hidden bars are finally being exploited," writes Bruce Sach in our latest feature. Read more:

Quebec City, by its very nature, is ripe territory for a speakeasy experience. Why? The city, founded in 1608 has carefully maintained hundreds of buildings with ancient, unused basements, often ensconced in tiny streets, that you might easily pass by without taking notice. Other parts

07/20/2025

How a Former "Dragon's Den" Star Lost $6M and Is Now Rebounding

Vikram Vij has taken the reins at the kitchen of Vij's and is eager to regain the status it earned when it was named the best restaurant in Canada. Read about his roller-coaster ride and the turnaround he has embarked on. Plus get other restaurant news.

The first time I dined at Vij’s was in 2002, lured there by effusive reviews in the New York Times and travel guides. I was living in the Big Apple and was making my first trip to British Columbia to see the scenery, hike the

07/17/2025

Travel Tips for Canadians Heading to Mexico City

What's it like for a first-time visitor to 's capital? Claudia Travels shares her experience of the city that's filled with culture, art and, most enjoyably, extraordinary food.

I was this years old when I learned that the best avocados are from Michoacán. The state, situated on the Pacific coast of Mexico south of tequila-famous Jalisco, is reputed to be the world’s largest producer of the green stone fruit (yes, avocados are fruit). My

07/04/2025

As Canadians Reject U.S. Travel, Mexico's Luxury Destinations are Attracting Their Attention

The Riviera Maya EDITION at Kanai is a stunning new resort that is seeing a growth in Canadian guests for many reasons, including:

- Reasonable room rates compared to luxury properties in America
- Access to outstanding culinary experiences created by three globally renwoned chefs
- Exquisite architecture that connects with Mayan mythology
- A location in Playa del Carmen that is surrounded by nature and set on a lengthy stretch of beach on the Caribbean Sea.

Read our feature article by Adrian Brijbassi:

Canadian travellers — and how to tempt them — were a topic of conversation at the Riviera Maya EDITION at Kanai, a stunningly beautiful, architecturally marvellous property. Leaders of the Marriott International’s Caribbean-Latin America (CALA) division gathered in May to refine their marketin...

07/01/2025

Happy Canada Day! Check our article on Oak Bay, the charming and sophisticated Victoria district that retains its British heritage.

https://vacay.ca/2025/07/how-oak-bay-celebrates-canadas-british-heritage/

Oak Bay Tourism

The old-world gentility that permeates Oak Bay seems to greet you the moment you cross from Victoria proper into its leafy streets. Notable heritage homes, small parks and quaint gardens, and a culture heavily influenced by the British Isles are elements that make the community

06/29/2025

On Vancouver Island, a Spectacular Debut for a World Oceans Day Festival

's The Beach Club Resort wowed guests, including our editor Adrian Brijbassi. He writes:

"Two hours into the first Celebration and I was amazed at what I observed:

- Minimal lineups for food and drink
- Jovial attendees mingling with new acquaintances or getting caught up with a friend
- No one stressed about finding a seat or a table
- Zero mess because the hospitality staff were on top of clean up
- And, most of all, sunshine and the laughter it inspired.

The party that honoured the importance of the waters was an on-shore delight."

Learn more:
https://vacay.ca/2025/06/parksvilles-beach-club-resort-makes-a-splash-with-its-world-oceans-day-party/

06/17/2025

A Chef from a Tiny B.C. Fishing Village Is Rising to Stardom

Nutcha Phanthoupheng, a former cancer researcher, has devoted herself to serving "food as medicine, not pills." Her restaurant, Baan Lao, is recognized as one of the best in British Columbia and she is now inviting internationally renowned chefs to collaborate with her. Read more about the standout dining experience in Steveston, a fishing village south of Vancouver.

https://vacay.ca/2025/06/baan-lao-and-its-transcendent-chef-continue-to-ascend/

Near the end of a three-hour sensory feast, Nutcha Phanthoupheng sends diners a petit fours serving of tiny treats that look like jellybeans and are shaped like fruits or vegetables. A jalapeno pepper, a tiny tomato, and a yellow eggplant are placed in front of

06/04/2025

Best Toronto Bars for Expressing Your Canadian Patriotism

Recently opened Grizzly Bar Canadian Kitchen is a pleasure palace for Canucks. Read Lynn Burshtein's story on why this is a new hot spot in .

“Elbows off the table!” is a lesson in manners taught to children growing up. With origins dating back centuries, keeping ones’ elbows off the table was originally seen as a sign of peace, according to Margaret Visser, author of

06/02/2025

Travel Guide for Oilers Fans Thinking About Travelling
to Florida

What's it like to go to the Miami area to see a Florida
Panthers' game? See our feature article on what to
expect inside and outside of Amerant Bank Arena as
the 2025 Finals nears. The Edmonton
host Games 1 and 2, starting on Wednesday,
before the series switches to South Florida on June 9
for Game 3.

https://vacay.ca/2025/06/debating-whether-to-visit-florida-to-cheer-on-the-oilers-heres-what-canadian-hockey-fans-can-expect/

While the Canadian boycott of U.S. destinations has extended and elbows have stayed up through spring, there is a tempting reason for hockey fans to make a foray across the 49th parallel. The Edmonton Oilers are positioned, again, to bring the Stanley Cup back to

06/02/2025

Travel Guide for Oilers Fans Thinking About Travelling to Florida

What's it like to go to the Miami area to see a Florida Panthers' game? See our feature article on what to expect inside and outside of Amerant Bank Arena as the 2025 Finals nears. The Edmonton host Games 1 and 2, starting on Wednesday, before the series switches to South Florida on June 9 for Game 3.

https://vacay.ca/2025/06/debating-whether-to-visit-florida-to-cheer-on-the-oilers-heres-what-canadian-hockey-fans-can-expect/

While the Canadian boycott of U.S. destinations has extended and elbows have stayed up through spring, there is a tempting reason for hockey fans to make a foray across the 49th parallel. The Edmonton Oilers are positioned, again, to bring the Stanley Cup back to

05/27/2025

Star Chef from U.K. to Collaborate with B.C. Restaurants

Larry Jayasekara, the 2016 U.K. Chef of the Year, is coming to Baan Lao in Steveston, a fishing village near Vancouver, and Phantom Creek Estates in the South Okanagan Valley in August. Jayasekara's The Cocochine is a rising star in Mayfair, the posh neighbourhood of London.

Read Adrian Brijbassi's exclusive article on Jayasekara's first visit to Canada.

https://vacay.ca/2025/05/acclaimed-london-chef-larry-jayasekara-to-collaborate-with-b-c-s-baan-lao-and-phantom-creek/

05/13/2025

This B.C. Course Offers One of the Most Canadian Experiences in Golf

The highest elevation course in is also one of the most stunning, writes Adrian Brijbassi after he played at Sun Peaks Resort.

It’s the last weekend of September and I feel the first snowflake as I set up to tee off on the highest elevation golf course in British Columbia. The snow, having arrived early in fall, is an unusual hazard and as I would learn a