Canada with a difference
Hotels are so 10 years ago. It’s all about staying in unique and quirky spots, waking up in trees, on water, or in a teepee. During your trip to Canada (if you are not planning one, do it now, you big moose) head East to Atlantic Canada, where, in New Brunswick, you can stay in a tree house (from £30pn, campingmiramichi.com), and a houseboat (from £713 for a four-day mid-week stay sleeping up to ten people, lakewayhouseboats.com).
To really get back to nature you can spend the night in an Inuit-style tent in the Torngat Mountains with an Inuit bear guide (three-nights including accommodation, all meals and transportation start from £2,346pp, torngatbasecamp.com), or try out a 1920’s lighthouse in Newfoundland where you can spot whales and icebergs (a double room starts from £206 per night, including all meals, linkumtours.com).
In Novia Scotia it’s all aboard the Train Station Inn, where you can stay in a private railway car (£78pn based on two sharing, trainstation.ca), or you can snuggle up in a tepee in the UNESCO Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve (£45pnt based on two sharing, merseyriverchalets.ns.ca). If you always moan when you get a room without an ocean view, check into Canada’s first rotating B&B, on Prince Edward Island: ocean view guaranteed (double rooms start from £106 per night, a minimum two-night stay is required, aroundthesea.ca), or for some unbeatable romance, stay in a bed framed by the original timbers of the bell tower at Steeple Cottage (£99pn + tax, a minimum four-night stay is required, thesteeplecottage.com). Flights with Canadian Affair start from £498 return in June 2014 from London Heathrow to Halifax, Nova Scotia. For information and reservations, call Air Canada on 0871 220 1111 or visit www.aircanada.com
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Closer to home
If the above has piqued your interest, but also your bank account, you can either rob a bank and spend the night in jail, or pay less than £10pp/pn to stay in a former jail in Norfolk. The 19th-century cottage, located in part of Thetford’s former jail, retains original features including oak cell doors and a glass floor section which offers glimpses of the excavated dungeon area. Sleeping up to five people in two rooms, if you stay from either November 23 or 30 you will only pay £269 for the week. 01244 352 300, sykescottages.co.uk.
Get in there!
Fancy one last trip this year? Visit expatexplore.com/deals_page/deals/ for discounted deals as the last few seats on their organised trips for 2013 are waiting to be snapped up. Trips include three countries Euro weekend (from £129), Bruges Christmas Market (from £49), or an all-out Europe expedition for £749 (down from £999).
Planning a holiday? Make TNT Tour Search your first port of call.
