Hello, folks! It sure has been awhile since I’ve updated this blog, but things are looking brighter for 2022 in terms of travel. Since our last international trip to Cambodia and Vietnam shortly before the pandemic, we have not ventured outside of the province, let alone the country. We went on one short trip to Niagara Falls in September 2020, but in 2021 our travel was restricted to the confines of our home city of Toronto. It has been over two years since we last really travelled!
Now that Covid testing requirements for reentry to Canada have been lifted for fully vaccinated travellers, I feel comfortable to resume travel planning and we have a few trips tentatively scheduled for later this year.
Vancouver and Tofino, British Columbia in June

In June, we will stay domestic and are planning a one-week trip to British Columbia, Canada. We’ll base ourselves in Vancouver and include a couple nights in Tofino as well. I lived in Vancouver for four years and had the chance to see several parts of the province, including spending a month in the north part of Vancouver Island, but never made it over to the island’s west coast so have always wanted to return for a trip there.
A few items on my British Columbia itinerary:
- Hike the Grouse Grind
- Visit Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
- Lounge on Kitsilano and Spanish Banks beaches
- Explore Granville Island
- Eat lots of sushi and seafood
- Hike to Hot Springs Cove in Tofino
- Whale and wildlife watching tour in Tofino
Iceland in September

In September, we are spending 4-5 days in Iceland for the trip that we had planned back in 2020, but which obviously never happened. There are no longer any Covid testing requirements for entry to Iceland, so that makes logistics much easier to coordinate. And now that we are planning for a September visit, we can potentially try to work in an attempt at seeing the northern lights.
A few items on my Iceland bucket list:
- Northern lights tour
- Spa day at Blue Lagoon
- See Jรถkulsรกrlรณn glacier lagoon and Diamond Beach
- Hike to Fagradalsfjall volcano
- Golden Circle tour
London, England in September

I had originally hoped to combine Iceland and Scotland in one trip, but I think we will save Scotland for its own visit in the future. This time around in September, we will follow Iceland with a week in and around London. I visited London back in 2017 but have several more things I’d like to see and do on a return trip:
- Buckingham Palace tour
- Visit the Royal Botanic Gardens
- Emirates Stadium tour (or if we can figure out the logistics, see an Arsenal game?)
- See a show in the West End
- Stroll around Notting Hill
- Eat at Borough Market
- Day trip to Bath, Cambridge, or Oxford
Caribbean in December

Once we get into the dead of winter here in Canada, Iโd like to spend a few days somewhere in the Caribbean. We have yet to decide where weโd like to take this sun vacation, but a few islands are under consideration:
- Cuba
- Curaรงao
- Aruba
- Turks and Caicos
Out of these, Cuba is probably the most culturally interesting to us, but sadly I’ve been reading that conditions in Cuba are still not great for reopening. I’d love to get your suggestions for any other Caribbean destinations to consider for a short trip, likely under five days.
Of course, these plans are all contingent on us not entering into yet another wave of Covid variant or subvariant that will lead to resumption of lockdown measures. Fingers crossed that we will finally be able to get back out in the world.

That’s a lot of travelling for one year, are you making up for lost time? I hope you manage to work your way through this list, sounds very adventurous, safe travels โ๏ธ
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Oh yes, definitely making up for lost time!
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๐
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Nice that you can resume travelling. My friend Tim is a traveller who was much frustrated to be cooped up. He has already been to Iceland twice since restrictions eased. He loves it. My parents lived for a decade in Barbados. It was a lovely island back then, St Croix also very lovely. Most of the islands are though to me Aruba was boring. It’s very flat. Great beaches and casinos but those were not really my thing! Happy travels. Look forward to the stories.
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I agree with you that most of the Caribbean islands are not all that interesting. I think just a few days is more than enough for me but it’s nice to escape for a couple beach days when it’s a cold winter at home. Thanks for reading!
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Good that you are back ! Looking forward to your postings. Funny, only today I mentionned you in my post as one of the bloggers I had not heared from a long time.
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Haha, what a coincidence – I just saw your post mentioning me! I had nothing to post about lately but am looking forward finally having some travel material this year. I’ve enjoyed your photography, looking forward to reading more from you too!
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Sounds great Jess. We haven’t quite decided where we’ll travel yet. Can’t wait to see your Iceland posts! Maggie
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Looking forward to reading more about your travels too, wherever you may end up!
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Aw amazing – and have the best time in London. If you decide to come to Cambridge I live there, so I’m happy to recommend restaurants and things to do….:-)
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Hi Jess. Hannah just wrote a really great post about London. It should give you lots of additional ideas!
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Yes I saved that post, lots of great ideas in it!
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Sounds awesome!! I’ve been to Scotland and I’d recommend doing it in it’s own trip because there’s so many cool places to see ๐
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I agree, Scotland seems worth doing properly on its own. Such a beautiful and interesting place.
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Your plans sound fantastic! Safe travels Jess!
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Thanks Christie!
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A great sleection of places! Enjoy!
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I’m so happy Canada has finally opened up. If only America would do the same. Once again, the US travel industries and airlines have written a letter to the government asking them to remove the test-to-return requirement and once again, the request is met with silence. It is so maddening. I don’t know why the US is being so stubborn when even the WHO says restrictions don’t do anything. I could rip my hair out!! Anyway, your travel plans sound great. I don’t know what kind of experience you look for in the Caribbean, but the husband and I love Couples Swept Away in Negril. No singles, no kids. It’s not one of those obnoxious resorts with high-rises and beachside party-goer behavior. It’s very chill and calm and the Jamaicans are SO FRIENDLY. We’ve been there 3 times in a dozen or so years.
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Yes, the testing requirement for entry to the US is why we have chosen not to head south of the border this year, although Iโd love to visit NYC again.
Iโve actually thought about Jamaica too, but I think we are looking for an island where we can feel comfortable going off resort and my understanding is that Jamaica is not great for thatโฆ
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You’re going to love Iceland! I hope you can see the Northern Lights, although I’m not sure the month you’re going (September) will have them as bright, as I heard that they’re the strongest in wintertime. Any case, I really hope you enjoy it; Iceland is such a stunning country with plenty of waterfalls, glaciers, and geysers to check out! Sounds like you’ll be catching up on international travels, and I hope you have fun…and definitely stay safe!
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I’m not counting on the Northern Lights but it will be a great bonus to see them. Technically they are visible in September but you’re right that they probably won’t be as bright as in winter. There’s a lot I’m looking forward to seeing in Iceland anyway!
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Sounds like you have an ambitious year of travelling planned. We’re actually heading to Vancouver for ten days in a couple of weeks and plan to spend most of our time on Vancouver Island. I can’t wait.
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The island in April will be nice! Looking forward to reading about your trip.
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You might be able to island hop Curacao and Aruba – turning it into one trip.
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Thanks for the suggestion!
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Amazing travel plans! A Caribbean trip is essential I imagine in the dead of Canadian winter. We enjoyed strolling around Notting Hill and eating in Borough Market. We’d love to visit Iceland one day. Have the best of times!
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I’ll have to catch up on the London posts from your blog. Thanks Leighton!
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Please do! There are loads on there, though my latest batch might not be published for a while. Itโs great to have you back.
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Sounds like you’ve got some great trips ahead of you!
I haven’t been to London since just before COVID his the world. Hopefully I’ll be able to get back down there sometime this year.
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Yes, I’m very excited to get back to travelling. Thanks for reading!
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What a great year of travel ahead for you! I would suggest Curacao for your trip to the Caribbean. I thought it was one of the most beautiful and interesting places I’ve been to. Can’t wait to follow along on your travels this year ๐
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I share your enthusiasm for planning this year’s trips, it’s already travelling a little. Tofino, you’ll probably see whales, but certainly lots of tourists. Iceland, consider seeing the waterfalls, the great charm of the natural vs Niagara. Cuba if possible; Havana of course and maybe Trinidad, being my best memory. Can’t wait to see your articles and opinions.
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Oh yes, I’m sure Tofino will be full of tourists but I’m looking forward visiting and the whale watching especially. For my Caribbean trip, I would definitely like to see Havana…hopefully conditions in Cuba will be better for travel toward the end of this year.
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Thatโs so many fun trips to look forward to! And I look forward to reading about them here on WordPress.
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Thanks Diana, I’m looking forward to it!
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Wonderful destinations!
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You’ve got some great plans for the year! I think most people would be jealous (I know I am!)
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Hopefully this will all go as planned. It will be nice to travel again!
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I am from London myself and visited Iceland last year and it was amazing! โบ๏ธ Hope you will enjoy your time there too! ๐ค๐
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I’m really looking forward to it. Haven’t started planning yet but that will be my task in a couple months!
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Sounds fantastic and definitely something to look forward to. I hope you get to cross of every single country and place on your travel list. I look forward to reading about your travel adventures, especially the ones from Tofino ๐ฅฐ thanks for sharing and have a good day โบ๏ธ Aiva
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It’s coming up soon, looking forward to sharing about it too!
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I’ll be in Iceland September 1 to the 8th.
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Wonderful, hope you enjoy! I am looking at a mid-September visit.
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I’m super excited to go. I had a trip planned in 2008 that never happened so I’m finally going
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Wow.
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