Travel ideas to recharge your batteries
Float on water
Floating like on the Dead Sea, carried on the water like on a cloud, it’s possible at the new Källa basin at Spa Nordik, in Gatineau. Very spacious, this floating pool contains 12 tons of salt and can accommodate several bathers at the same time. As the water is kept at body temperature, you can stay there for about thirty minutes without feeling hot or cold. This treatment would purify the body, improve blood circulation and promote restful sleep, while also doing a lot of good for pregnant women. In addition, you can relax in the infinity pool, Nordic pools and saunas, or treat yourself to a comforting massage with volcanic stones.
Info: Access to the baths: starting at $48, Källa only: $60 ($30, if combined with access to the other baths); volcanic stone massage: $145 (90 min.); 1-866-575-3700, lenordik.com .
Couple outing in the Estérel
A suite where you can relax quietly with our lover in a whirlpool bath… That’s part of what L’Estérel offers, 20 minutes from Saint-Sauveur, in the Laurentians. The hotel, bordered by three lakes and miles of forest, has had a major makeover in recent years and a brand new section, recently inaugurated, whose suites are equipped with fireplaces and private whirlpool baths. What pleasantly occupy our evenings and our lazy mornings! Also on the menu: canoeing, kayaking, golf, unless you prefer to treat yourself to a treatment in the Nordic spa. The hotel also has a gourmet restaurant, which offers the possibility of eating at the chef’s table, watching him prepare his dishes ($125/pers.).
Info: Suites: starting at $249/night, without breakfast; info: 1-888-378-3735, esterel.com .
Camping on the water
There are still a few places where you feel at the end of the world or almost. This is the case with the charming yurts that await us in the middle of Chaleur Bay, in Gaspésie. The adventure begins on the shore of Carleton-sur-Mer, since you reach the yurts by kayak, canoe or pedal boat. Three or four hundred meters to paddle, and we have arrived at our little haven of peace: comfortable tents (for 2 or 6) well camped on rafts between two arms of sand. Held up by large anchors, they float in 3 to 7 feet of water, depending on the tide. (You don’t feel the waves there, because the arm of the sea is protected from the big currents.) Inside, a good bed, a compost toilet, a propane burner, a satellite radio and some furniture and decorations inspired by Mongolian yurts. With no neighbors nearby, you can spend hours relaxing, admiring the bay in peace or taking a few canoe trips.
Info: Starting at $130/night, plus $40/day for the canoe; 418-364-3885, aux4vents.ca .
We dream big: India, fascinating and mystical
Many say that India is a country from which one returns transformed. One thing is certain, its fascinating culture and traditions can upset us and make us reflect on our own values and beliefs. This is why it is better to discover this country within the well-organized and supervised framework of a circuit like “Fascinating and mystical India”, proposed by Traditours, a 23-day circuit which includes the main essentials but also a host of unique experiences that plunge us into the heart of Indian culture (yoga sessions, local cooking demonstrations, dinner with an Indian family, temple visits, etc.). The whole trip takes place in coaches and hotels of great comfort, including former palaces of maharajas, which have become luxury hotels.
Info: From Oct. 13 to Nov. 4, and from Nov. 8 to 30. Starting at $6,695/pers. (double occupancy), including international flight, many domestic flights, 4 and 5 star hotels, all meals and visits; 1-888-907-7712, traditours.com .
Travel ideas to develop a passion
outdoor yoga
Although it is associated with a festive image, the Laurentians region also has a few oases of calm, such as Camp de yoga Sivananda, in Val-Morin, where daily yoga classes are offered as well as workshops and sessions. of meditation. As it is an ashram, one can choose to stay there for a few days, but this is not necessary, since the camp welcomes day visitors. Nothing prevents us from staying for the vegetarian meal, served after class. If you want to spend the day there, a package gives access to all the activities: satsang (silent morning meditation), yoga classes, meals and daily workshops, plus access to the sauna and swimming pool.
Info: Package: $48, yoga class only: $10; vegetarian meal: $10; 819-322-3226, sivananda.org/camp (reservations suggested).
Summer kitchen
With all the good products on the shelves, isn’t summer the season that makes you want to cook the most? That’s what we believe at The Urban Element culinary workshop in Ottawa. It offers introductions to world cuisines (Thai, Italian, etc.), but it also teaches how to prepare delicious grilled meats or summer bites to receive friends, for example. In general, the workshops, offered in the evening, last three hours each, and everyone collaborates in the preparation of the meal while the professor circulates from one to the other, lavishing his advice. Afterwards, we taste the dishes we have prepared, before leaving with lots of new recipes.
Info: Cost: approx. $115/pers., including meal and wine; info: 613-722-0885, theurbanelement.ca
On a motorbike along the river
For motorcycle enthusiasts, summer rhymes with long exhilarating rides. Several regions offer pleasant views, but the Chaudière-Appalaches region has set up several services and four circuits of approximately 200 km specially designed for motorcyclists. One of them follows the route des Navigateurs (the 132), along the river, and crosses beautiful coastal landscapes and five picturesque villages (including Saint-Antoine-de-Tilly, Saint-Michel de Bellechasse and Saint- Jean-Port-Joli) ranked among the most beautiful in Quebec. The route is also punctuated by interesting stops at the Seigneurie des Aulnaies, at the Domaine Joly-De Lotbinière and at the Épopée de la moto, at Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, a museum which presents documentaries and an impressive collection of motorcycles of all eras and origins (1930s,
Info: 1-888-831-4411, ChaudiereAppalaches.com .
We dream big: total immersion
Have you wanted to learn Spanish for a long time? Why not take a crash course in the charming colonial town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico? The Casa en el Arbol school welcomes students from everywhere, of all ages and all levels. We spend our mornings in class, after which we can join the many activities organized by the school (local cooking classes and excursions). In the evening, we are free to continue our immersion or not, since we can choose to stay in an apartment or with a family. We then have a private room, usually with our own bathroom.
Info: For 1 or 2 weeks of lessons: 120 to 200$US/week; family stays: approx. US$125/ week; apartment: from US$260/week