Did anyone see that trilogy of films, The Lord of the Rings? All that gorgeous New Zealand scenery - that was Queenstown. Ski resort, birthplace of the bungee jump, and film set, this town is a tourist Mecca and deservedly so. Situated on the edge of Lake Wakatipu, at the base of The Remarkable Mountains, this place is gorgeous. Beware though, it will tear through your backpacker budget in a matter of minutes because there are so many appealing options - everythi...

Each corner of France has its own distinct character. If you only see Paris you are missing a huge part of what makes France special. Being a proud Canadian and a bit of a history buff, one of my priorities in France was to visit a few sites from World War I and II. Visiting the D-Day beaches outside Bayeux and the Vimy Ridge Memorial near Arras were two highlights of my trip. I've never felt so proud to be Canadian and it was fun to share that feeling with stran...

It's more fun in the south! With cities like Nice, Cannes and Monaco famous for their weather, beaches, parties and money, Southern France is an experience. But I was sure there was more to France's bottom half than just the posh Mediterranean coast so I used my France Railpass to explore the towns of Provence and the Languedoc region. Arles in Provence in home to a 2000 year old Roman Amphitheatre that rivals Rome's Colleseum, was home to Vincent Van Gogh ...

The chance to spend a month living in Paris and studying French just seemed like one of those "you'll remember this time forever" opportunities. So I hopped a flight from Vancouver to Paris and started brushing up on that long forgotten high school French. I spent the mornings studying French and the afternoons wandering the arrondissments (neighbourhoods) of Paris practicing on café waiters, museum ticket takers and cute boys at the Eiffel Tower. Weekends we...