Audley Travel welcomes travelers to visit two new destinations a bit closer to home: Hawaii and Canada

Audley Travel welcomes travelers to visit two new destinations a bit closer to home: Hawaii and Canada

Boston, MA — Audley Travel introduces custom made trips to both Hawaii and Canada. From the sun-soaked surf beaches and tropical rainforests of Hawaii to Canada’s soaring Rockies and European-influenced cities, you can now explore these closer-to-home destinations on an Audley custom journey.

Why has Audley chosen to offer these two new destinations?

Domestic trips account for the majority of American leisure travel, while Canada and Mexico represent 55% of the trips Americans take abroad. We want to be able to provide our clients with custom made trips that are created specifically for them to the destinations that are on the top of their list.

As a travel company that launched with a focus on long-haul destinations, Hawaii seemed like the logical first step into domestic territory for American travelers.

Hawaii and Canada offer our loyal clients more travel opportunities close to home in between longer trips, noting that our clients don’t travel halfway around the world every year. Both Hawaii and in particular Canada have been requested by our clients since we opened our Boston office in 2014, so we’ve been working to respond to their needs.

Both are iconic destinations with fantastic, immersive, cultural, geographical and wildlife experiences.

Examples of excursions featured by Audley in each destination:

Canada

Go on the mail run… by seaplane

For some of western Canada’s more remote communities, mail is delivered by seaplane. You can reserve a seat aboard the mail run plane, alongside local commuters, for an insight into everyday life for these isolated residents. The flight sees you soar over glistening water scattered with tiny islands, before stopping at the coastal village of Ganges on Salt Spring Island, where you have time to explore. Returning to Vancouver, you’ll have views across the city skyline and surrounding peaks.

Tour Old Montréal on foot

Steeped in French-colonial history, Montréal’s oldest district still contains many original buildings, which you can explore on foot with a local guide. As you walk through a maze of narrow streets, your guide will point out sights such as the 19th-century Notre-Dame Basilica, the city’s three courthouses, the Château Ramezay and the old Bonsecours Market. You’ll also see the monuments and works of art displayed in the Place d’Armes, Place Royale, and Place Jacques-Cartier public squares, where many historically significant events have taken place.

• Guided tours of wildlife areas including Algonquin Provincial Park, Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper
• Train travel throughout Canada including the Rocky Mountaineer
• Northern lights viewing in the Yukon
• Classic city tours including Montréal, Québec City, Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria

Hawaii

Night Snorkeling with manta rays

The shores of Hawaii’s Big Island are frequented by the ethereal presence of manta rays, which feed on plankton after dark. Departing at dusk by boat, you have the chance to see these elegant creatures in their natural habitat. After donning your snorkel gear, you enter the water and hold onto a raft fitted with specially designed diving lights that attract the plankton. Once your face is submerged, you’ll see manta rays swimming gracefully below as they feed, oblivious to your proximity.

Join a traditional Hawaiian lūʻau

For centuries, special occasions in Hawaii have been celebrated by holding feasts, once known as ahaaina and more recently, lūʻaus. You can join an authentic lūʻau hosted by Nutridge, a peaceful estate set in the green hills above Honolulu. As you dine on traditional dishes such as kālua pua'a (pork slow-roasted in an underground oven), pūlehu (grilled) chicken, sweet bread and haupia (coconut jello), you’ll be treated to hula dance performances.

• Surfing Waikīkī Beach
• An all-terrain vehicle tour around the landscape of Jurassic Park at Oʻahu’s Kualoa Ranch
• A sailing trip to snorkel in the half-submerged volcanic cone of Molokini Crater off the coast of Maui
• A helicopter flight over the smoking fumaroles of Mount Kilauea on Hawaii Island