A-Life BC Travel Blog

By Michael McCarthy

It’s known as one of the great wonders of the world, but chances are you have never heard of it, and certainly most people in North America have never visited the place. Buried deep in the jungles of northern Cambodia lie the remains of the fabulous 12th century temple complex of Angkor Wat, slowly emerging from the sleep of centuries as archeologists carefully dig through the remains of what was once the world’s largest city.

Located just outside the rapidly growing town of Siem Riep, Angkor can easily be reached these days via international flights that touch down briefly in the capital of Phnom Penh, itself an architectural delight well worth an extended visit. From Phnom Penh there are one-hour flights onward to Siem Riep.

"Wat" means temple, and Angkor actually refers to a vast complex of temples that stretches for more than 50 miles throughout the steamy jungles, many still in a state of disrepair. Touring all of the temples in one visit is literally impossible; the heat and humidity, crowds and touts are quite draining. While Angkor may not be well known to the west, certainly Chinese and Japanese tourists have discovered it by the busload. Temples can be crowded on any day of the year.

By Michael McCarthy

Those rare visitors to Gwaii Hanaas National Park (formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands) who want to paddle or sail all the way around the island chain face an arduous and often dangerous adventure through open waters. Luckily, there is an alternative. Moresby Island Explorers, based in the tiny town of Sandspit, offer adventurous travellers an exciting excursion: a four-day trip via zodiac boat. Whereas experienced kayakers who know how to read the tides, currents, winds and weather can take a few weeks to paddle the islands, those with less time or skill are best served by riding these high-speed crafts.

By Michael McCarthy

The low moan of a foghorn cuts through the deep mist like the call of a humpback whale. Here on Quirpon Island, off the far northern tip of Newfoundland, humpbacks are often found feeding right underneath your window at one of the world’s most unusual settings for a bed and breakfast. The whales may have an easier time getting here than you will.

The Quirpon Island Inn is a difficult b&b inn to access, but Newfoundland itself is pretty far off the beaten track anyway. At the far end of the Viking Trail, a highway built to attract tourists to the New World’s first settlement by Vikings (approx. 1000AD), eager travellers access Quirpon by climbing into a fishing boat and travelling through surging seas to the small island buffeted by high winds.

By Michael McCarthy

Big Sur is Spanish for “the big south.” This wild and remote region, a three-hour drive south of San Francisco, boasts one of the most dramatic coastlines in the world. Steep cliffs tower high above crashing surf, and atop the highest cliff on the entire coast you’ll find the Post Ranch Inn. Hailed by many surveys as the best small hotel in all of the Americas, the ranch is truly a special destination for life’s most romantic liaisons.

Perched like a bird’s nest on a cliff almost 500 metres above the Pacific Ocean, the Inn has views to die for. The overall feeling of floating above the clouds is so hypnotic even the most dedicated gourmand might forget about the exquisite meals that drift out of the Sierra del Mar kitchen like a dream. Whether sitting on a cliffside patio or lounging in a warm infinity pool watching a blazing sunset, relaxing high above the clouds feels like flying first class in an airplane.

By Michael McCarthy

There are many tourist districts in many cities around the world that do not live up to their hype. The so-called French Quarter of New Orleans is not one of them. While the Quarter most certainly is indeed an obvious tourist destination, the entire neighbourhood has so many good things going for it that no one on a quick visit to New Orleans should ever pass it by. If you are looking for a party, this is certainly the place.

The most famous name in the French Quarter is Bourbon Street. Here you will obviously find many bars and nightclubs, and many stores selling tourist souvenirs, but you will also find stores and bars all over the entire French Quarter catering mainly to tourists. It’s just that Bourbon Street is just a little more loud and blatant than most streets.

By Michael McCarthy

It’s hard to imagine that any country that was “discovered” and then colonized back in 1640 could somehow find itself falling off the beaten track, but apparently that’s what has happened to the lovely island of Bermuda.

This small island, north of the Caribbean and east of Georgia and Carolina in the continental USA, has somehow conspired to find itself slipping into obscurity. The tiny garden island, only 20 miles long and about two miles wide, has been a tourist destination longer than just about any other place in the world.

By Michael McCarthy

The Red Triangle, a small portion of the Pacific Ocean located north of Monterey and west of San Francisco in California, boasts one of the largest concentrations of great white sharks on the planet.

The chance to meet face to face with these formidable creatures is just a quick boat trip away from the big city.

Jump aboard a boat at Pier 49 in the harbour and ride out to the nearby Farallons Islands, where huge elephant seals provide tasty little snacks for the truly gigantic sharks that cruise these waters.

By Michael McCarthy

My first memories of China were rice paper scrolls hanging on the wall in a local library. Two fire-breathing dragons flanked some bizarrely shaped mountains, a little stream ran through the hills, and there was a curved stone bridge over a lazy little stream; it was all very dreamy, and I assumed it was just pure fantasy.

It was only recently on a trip to Yangshuo that I discovered to my amazement that such a romantic landscape could actually be real.

By Michael McCarthy

Everywhere you look these days there seem to be new wineries popping up. Washington County, located just west of Portland, Oregon is the latest region to register a big hit on the wine radar.

The secret of Washington County lies in the soil, rich red clay, combined with just the right amount of sunlight and rain.

Easily the best way to enjoy this new wine region is by following the Vineyard and Valley Scenic Tour Route, a 50-mile drive or cycle tour that showcases much of the county’s agricultural bounty, including many of the county’s 21 wineries, farms, pioneer and historic sites, wildlife refuges and scenic viewpoints.

By Michael McCarthy

In the award-winning film The Quiet American, a Graham Greene spy thriller starring Michael Caine set in 1950s Saigon, filmmakers were able to find certain sections of Saigon that actually looked like they hadn't changed since the French occupied what was then known as Indo-China.

These days you can travel all over Asia and you won't find many cities that still boast such quaint colonial charm. However, on the south side of the Cambodia capital of Phnom Penh, in what both locals and ex-pats refer to as the Foreigner's Quarter, the lovely walled villas, relaxed cafés, quaint tree-lined boulevards, art galleries, bars and parks reminiscent of a 1930s Paris can still be enjoyed by visitors who know just where to look.