The location of the world’s second largest desert might surprise you. Covering a whopping 5.4 million square miles, the Arctic in fact holds that mantle. On first inspection this desolate expanse of frozen land – chunks of which belong to Denmark, Russia, Canada and more – seems home to nothing more than the howl of high winds. But a careful study reveals a landscape that cradles some rather curious wild creatures, from the elfin features of the American pine marten (a small furry member of the weasel family) to the snow-white fur of Arctic foxes and the fiercely powerful paws of the polar bear.
Canada’s extensive terrain offers ample opportunity to spy on some of these animals of the tundra – from the Barren Lands to the iceberg-freckled Hudson Bay and the so-called Land of the Little Sticks. For those who want to journey through all three landscapes with experts on hand, Rail Plus offers a nine-day tour of tundra trekking, bush plane chartering and wildlife viewing.
Head in the direction of the Harry S. Truman Sports Complex on a sports game day in Kansas City, Missouri, and a blissful cloud of BBQ smoke is sure to lure you, in a mouthwatering trance, towards the stadium carpark. Here, you’ll find thousands of tailgaters – local sport fans, gathered before a match to grill food, eat, drink and socialise. Sport is ingrained into the local culture, making the tailgate party tradition the perfect way for any traveller to really experience the city’s way of life.
You won’t find the stadium downtown, meaning plenty of space for a big parking lot, full of locals that are dedicated to the grill. Kansas City has a rich and proud BBQ history – according to chef Anthony Bourdain, “the best BBQ in Kansas is the best BBQ in the world”. Expect talented grillers displaying their skills – family recipes accompanied by cold beers and some of the juiciest, tastiest meat you’ll ever sink your teeth into.
But it’s more than chargrilled morsels – tailgating is also about the people, and bathing in a sense of community and togetherness. The Midwest is renowned for its generous, welcoming denizens, who also have a competitive streak that stretches both on and off the field. Come equipped with a six pack under your arm and you’re sure to make fast friends, be offered food and drink and then challenged to one of the many tailgating games, such as ‘Cornhole’ – a bean bag toss match – in the parking lot.
Make plans to visit between September and December for peak football season, and catch one of America’s great pastimes in possibly the tastiest, friendliest way possible. And for an instant ‘in’ with the locals let SportsHosts set you up with a local host.
With their ludicrously curvy contours, ivory white skin and eyes planted on either side of a rather bulbous forehead, the beluga whale is surely one of the ocean’s most cartoon-like creatures. There’s only around 150,000 of these marine mammals in the wild, but some 3,000 of them congregate in the Churchill River come summer in Canada. During July and August the whales migrate into the river to give birth and feed on the abundance of small fish that cruise these waters.
Also known as the ‘canaries of the sea’, these animals are known for the series of chirps, clicks, whistles and squeals that they emit while talking to each other. Have a listen for yourself by going kayaking or on a snorkelling adventure through these cool waters on Rail Plus’ eight-day Birds, Bears and Belugas itinerary. If whales aren’t your bag then fear not, as there is plenty of other wildlife to admire in this Arctic wilderness – think caribou, foxes, wolves, moose and birds galore.
Stalls of rich, earthy spices; an entire hall dedicated to mounds of sweet, sticky dates; and tiny shops laden with silver jewellery – Nizwa Souk is far from your average market. Situated by a famous seventeenth-century fort and the ancient walls of Nizwa, a city 140-kilometres from Muscat and country’s former capital, the souk is living history and should be considered must-do during any trip to Oman.
Most sellers proffer wares daily, but the best time to go is between 7am and 9am on Friday mornings, when the livestock portion comes to life and bleating goats, flocks of sheep and cattle are sold, occasionally alongside a haughty camel. Watch as sellers parade animals past prospective buyers and then put them up for auction, just as it’s been done in these parts for centuries.
Next, peruse tailors’ shops, eyeing the fabrics laid out in a technicolour palette. Wander through the square of pottery, where curvy terracotta pots and ceramic vases huddle on the street and dangle from doorways. Run your fingers over the delicate patterns on khanjars (traditional daggers) and choose an ornate coffee pot to take back home.
After snacking through the produce stalls, finish your visit to Nizwa Souk at Al Saifi. Here you’ll choose between metal pots of halwa, a local dessert made with ghee, rosewater, sugar, saffron and slivered almonds. This sweet, gelatinous treat is served all around the country to accompany ever-flowing pots of cardamom-infused kahwa (coffee), and Al Saifi is known far and wide as a producer of some of the country’s finest.
Turns out the big five isn’t limited to the African plains after all. For an altogether different style of safari turn your attention to the Canadian Prairieland of Manitoba, which boasts five rather large mammals of its own. From the coniferous forests, grasslands and marshes of Riding Mountain National Park, which harbours black bears, moose and bison, to the barren surrounds of the Arctic Hudson Bay town of Churchill, where polar bears prowl and beluga whales feed in the waters.
There are plenty of ways to observe the local fauna too. On Rail Plus’ eight-day safari guests will jump aboard a giant tundra buggy to bowl over the subzero landscapes to spy on local bears with a naturalist on board; they’ll career around northern boreal forest on a dog carting excursion; and they’ll bounce over the white-crested waters of Hudson Bay on a Zodiac to look for the rubbery white bodies of Beluga whales.
In many minds Oman is synonymous with endless, arid landscapes and fluted, rose gold sand dunes. But this Arabian nation, which is four times bigger than neighbour UAE, not only features more than 2000 kilometres of coastline, but also a bounty of hidden waterholes to boot.
Wadi Shab is one such dreamlike spot. Bathe in Tiffany-blue waters in the upper reaches of this “gorge between cliffs”, as the name translates. Trek in dry heat to waterfalls rushing in secret caverns. And wander rugged, rocky paths in search of kingfishers perched on palm fronds and pops of pink from oleanders in bloom.
The coast road that leads to Wadi Shab is speckled with fishing villages built upon crescents of sand, and numerous other wadis nestled into the hinterland. Wadi Bani Khalid is arguably Oman’s most celebrated natural pool. After ascending through the Eastern Hajar Mountains, Wadi Bani Khalid spills out in front of the eye like a Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas-induced mirage. If the shamrock-green water doesn’t beckon (though it most likely will) then there’s plenty of waterside space to idle away the afternoon with a picnic.
Lesser-known cousin Wadi Tiwi is just as much of a scene-stealer, and not only for its crystalline swimming holes: Tiwi is also known as the Wadi of Nine Villages, which offer an abundance of great village-to-village walking trails. The area also boasts aflaj – ancient irrigation channels dating as far back as 500 AD, some of which are even UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites.
Australians flock to Whistler to zoom down its slopes, but if you thought the landscape was magnificent from the ground, imagine taking it all in from the sky. In winter the Ziptrek Eagle Tour whisks adventurers across five lines in a setting of frosted pines, with soaring mountains as a backdrop and a marshmallow terrain below. In summer it’s all babbling brooks and green as far as the eye can see. If the old-growth rainforest in Fitzsimmons Valley wasn’t enough to make this trip unforgettable, hurtling 30 storeys down the tour’s new 730-metre line is sure to do it. The three-hour escapade ends right in Whistler Village, so hit the hills once you’re done or head straight to a bar for après.
Watch Canada’s wildly diverse landscape materialise before your eyes from the comfort of a cosy train car, as you journey across the world’s second largest country. You’ll take in Canada’s five most southern provinces – British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario – as you travel from east to west (or vice versa) on board The Canadian. From the buzzing harbourside metropolis of Vancouver through the heart of the rugged Canadian Rockies and onto the multicultural mecca of Toronto, this epic journey encompasses many of the natural, urban, cultural and historical contrasts that make Canada such a beguiling nation to visit.
Those that opt for the full transcontinental shebang will roll a whopping 4,466 kilometres across the country, spending four nights and three days aboard. That leaves plenty of time to sample the local Canadian fare served up in the dining car while admiring the scenery. And should you tire of the landscapes rolling by (unlikely), then there are plenty of wine tastings and musical performances to keep you entertained.
Walk through clouds of frankincense, pass by clutches of locals bargaining as if their life depended on it and eye alcoves gleaming with precious metals. Said to be one of the oldest markets on the Arabian peninsula, Mutrah Souk is arguably the biggest draw for those visiting capital Muscat, if not the entire country. Its tangle of narrow alleys is filled with colourful, matchbox-sized shops selling anything from kumas (traditional hats) to hand-painted incense burners.
Shops are grouped according to their wares, and one cluster of passageways and stalls is so tightly jammed together that sunlight can’t seep through, inspiring the souq’s local nickname Al Dhalam, meaning “darkness” in Arabic. To say that Mutrah’s heaving arteries are confusing to navigate would be an understatement: a local tour guide can help make sure you don’t get too lost and point you in the right direction of your own personal Aladdin’s Cave.
Ever wondered what it would be like to follow in the footsteps of the Klondike stampeders? Well this is your chance to live like it’s the 1890s and do exactly that. Travelling over 100 kilometres north from Skagway, Alaska, today you will wind up in two countries, crossing from the USA into Canada’s Yukon territory and back again.
Unlike the prospectors of yesteryear you will thankfully not be attempting the treacherous mountain passes ill-equipped and by foot. Instead, my friend, you will watch the glaciers and gorges roll by your cosy train carriage window, before taking a lunch break at the scenic gold rush town of Bennett. You’ll also break from the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad to take a quick detour to the famed Klondike Highway.
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