Candice Does The World
We may have missed last week's installation of our best photos, but that only serves to inspire us a little more as we head deeper into November.
As India and other parts of the world celebrate Diwali, with its gorgeous colour and tempting sweets, others find themselves yearning for beaches to escape the always-too-early holiday season.
For Canadian travel bloggers, this month means so many options, whether it's floating above the Pyrenees in a hot air ballooon, or making sure to take in the stunning colours and landscape of northern Ontario. Even Serena Williams hit up Toronto's most famous landmark on her visit, and yes, panicked.
Check out where these bloggers have been — and feel free to let us know your own picks for this week's vacation in the comments below!
Top Travel Photos Of The Week: 2012 Edition
Dec. 28: Alta Lake, British Columbia(01 of72)
Snow blankets the warning lights at a rail road crossing on the shore of Alta Lake outside Whistler, B.C., write Rebecca Ananda, a B.C. native who returned to Vancouver for the holidays. (credit:Rebecca Ananda )
Dec. 28: Venice City By Boat Tour(02 of72)
Like the blogger at Hike Bike Travel, the writers at The Planet D took this week to look back at their year in travel. Some of their highlights included a trip to the Vegas strip. (credit:The Planet D)
Dec. 28: Peter Lougheed Park, Alberta(03 of72)
2012 kicked off with a trip to Peter Lougheed Park for the writers at Hike Bike Travel. Skiing just outside of Banff National Park would only be the start of many adventures across North America. (credit:Hike Bike Travel)
Dec. 28: Christmas In Delhi(04 of72)
Christmas in India may be without snow but that doesn't mean some of the traditional signs aren't available. However, as Mariellen Ward writes, recent events in India made celebrating Christmas more complicated this year. (credit:Breath Dream Go )
Dec. 28: Visiting The Dead In New Orleans(05 of72)
While some Canadians were dealing with snow this week, photographer and blogger, Tracy Zhang travelled to New Orleans where she learned about graveyards and tombstones. (credit:Tracy Zhang/ Just-In-Time Travels )
Dec. 21: Biking In Utrecht(06 of72)
Krista Rowland took this photo while walking through Utrecht, Netherlands. She says it captures two things the Dutch are known for: bicycles and canals. (credit:Krista Rowland )
Dec. 21: Back In Brixton(07 of72)
Brixton may have a reputation as a dodgy and dangerous neighbourhood but as Ayngelina writes, it has plenty of culture and charm. (credit:Bacon Is Magic)
Dec. 21: Coronado National Memorial(08 of72)
Despite its appearance, Coronado National Memorial is full of many different living things. It also makes for a secluded hiking experience according to blogger Leigh McAdam. (credit:Hike Bike Travel)
Dec. 21: Lights.. Camera.. Action(09 of72)
When it comes to lights, cameras and action, there's few places that do it like Disney World's Hollywood Studio theme park. During the holidays, you can probably guess which of the three the park pulls all the stops for. (credit:Gone With The Family)
Dec. 21: Sittin' Pretty(10 of72)
For the bloggers at Planet D, this week marked the time to take a look back at the year's best travel photos. Their trip to the Galapagos Islands featured some stunning shots of the local wildlife, like this iguana. (credit:Planet D)
Dec. 21: Hiking In Red Rock Canyon(11 of72)
This photo comes courtesy of @deanguest from Twitter who snapped this shot of his hike at Red Rock Canyon, a conservation area in Las Vegas, Nevada. (credit:Dean Guest )
Dec. 21: Say Goodbye To The Sahara Sun(12 of72)
As the year comes to an end, the writers at Hecktic Travels took the time this week to look back some of their most memorable trips and stand-out photos. (credit:Hecktic Travels)
Dec. 14: Ladurée In London(13 of72)
Macarons may be French in origin, but that doesn't mean you can't pick up one or two (or eight) of them when visiting Ladurée in the United Kingdom. Photo credit: Abigail Ocreto (credit:Abigail Ocreto)
Dec. 14: Memories Of Montreal(14 of72)
Sometimes work gets in the way of globe-trotting but in the case of travel blogger Candice Walsh, that just means it's time to look back at some of her earlier adventures. This shot was taken from Montreal’s tallest skyscraper, Altitude 737. (credit:Candice Does The World)
Dec. 14: Kayaking In Croatia(15 of72)
For the bloggers at Planet D, 2012 marked quite the year in travel. (credit:The Planet D)
Dec. 14: The Odisha Sun(16 of72)
This week saw Mariellen Ward return to Odisha, India, to catch both the sunrise and sunset from the same beach. (credit:Breath Dream Go)
Dec. 14: Untouched Okanagan Beauty(17 of72)
To paraphrase the blogger behind Bacon Is Magic, how can you resist taking a photo when B.C.'s Okanagan Valley provides such natural beauty? (credit:Bacon Is Magic)
Dec. 14: Peru(18 of72)
Peru may be synonymous with Machu Picchu but there's more to the country than just the world-famous Inca site. (credit:Talia Ricci)
Dec. 7: Blue Skies And Yellow Boat In Koh Tao, Thailand(19 of72)
Roohi Sahajpal, a freelance writer and Ryerson University graduate, travelled to the island of Koh Tao in Thailand this month after a brief escape to India in November. (credit:Roohi Sahajpal)
Dec. 7: Skittles For Trolls(20 of72)
Why are there Skittles on the ground? Well, you'll have to read about it in Hecktic Travel's entry about their trip to the Devil's Punchbowl Country Park in Menomonie, Wisconsin to find out. (Hint: it involves trolls of the non-internet variety) (credit:Hecktic Travels )
Dec. 7: Memories Of Colombo(21 of72)
Pamela MacNaughtan, the writer behind Spunky Girl Travels didn't do much travelling this week so she did some reminiscing of all her trips in 2012 instead. This photo of the Sri Ponnambalam Vanesar Kovil Temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka from April stood out the most to us. (credit:Spunky Girl Travels/ Pamela MacNaughtan)
Dec. 7: Finding The Right Red In B.C.(22 of72)
It was a quest for red that led travel blogger Ayngelina to snap this photo of blue, brown and green. You can read more about her quest to find out what kind of red wines British Columbia has in store for Canadians here. (credit:Bacon Is Magic)
Dec. 7: 'A Teardrop On The Face Of Eternity'(23 of72)
Mariellen at Breath, Dream, Go had one of her dreams come true this week when she finally made the trip to Agra, India to see the Taj Mahal. (credit:Breath Dream Go)
Dec. 7: Saguaro Silhouette In Arizona(24 of72)
Leigh McAdam at Hike Bike Travel traded in the grey skies and snow-covered of roads of Calgary, Canada this week for a trip to Scottsdale, Arizona. While she was there, she snapped a photo of the Saguaro cactus as the sun sets. (credit:Hike Bike Travel/ Leigh McAdam)
Nov. 30: Fire And Ice(25 of72)
For those who doubt how majestic the mountains of Banff, Alberta can be, check out Bike Hike Travel's post this week about cross-country skiing on The Cascade Fire Road. (credit:Hike Bike Travel)
Nov. 30: Bird's Eye View(26 of72)
When it comes to relaxing, there's no better place to do it than in a hotel. Better yet, take a page from Mariellen Ward's blog and do it from a hotel room with a stellar view. (credit:Breath Dream Go)
Nov 30: King Of The Castle(27 of72)
This week, the the travelling duo behind The Planet D took things slow with a trip to the Pyrenees where they wined and dined on the mountain regions bordering France and Spain. (credit:The Planet D)
Nov. 30: A Nice View Of Mallard Lake(28 of72)
It's was almost a picture-perfect scene up at Canoe Bay for the travel bloggers at Hecktic Travels this week. But there was only one thing holding this romantic weekend-for-two back from a complete photo-finish. (credit:Hecktic Travels )
Nov. 30: Finding Inspiration In Toronto(29 of72)
As travel photographer Tracy Zhang writes, even a city like Toronto has a few gems worth photographing. (credit:Tracy Zhang/ Just-In-Time Travels)
Nov. 30: New York, City Of Dreams(30 of72)
This photo comes courtesy of Connie Chan, a music photographer, who made the trip to New York City earlier this week to take in the city's electronic dance music scene. (credit:Constance Chan)
Nov. 23: Change Island, Newfoundland(31 of72)
What the community of Change Island lacks in size, it makes up charm and "magic". Don't expect to find any sky scrappers in this quiet town, but as travel blogger Candice Walsh points out, who needs tall buildings when you've got endangered ponies instead? (credit:Candice Does The World )
Nov. 23: Checking Out The Louvre(32 of72)
You can read about art all you want but there's just something more engrossing about oil and canvass when you're in a museum. However, if you're a kid, a museum — even one as famous as the Louvre — is no substitute for Disneyland. But as Lisa writes, children and museum trips can coexist peacefully with some preparation (credit:Gone With The Family)
Nov. 23: A Lesson In Travel Photography(33 of72)
Sometimes all it takes is a change in scenery to rekindle one's inspiration and who can so no to the sunny, scene setting of Stanford University in California? (credit:Just In Time Travels )
Nov. 23: There's More To A Name(34 of72)
Misery Bay isn't the cheeriest name for a travel destination, but names aren't everything. The Provincial Park offers something different during the summer months but November is the time to see some cool rocks. (credit:Hike Bike Travel)
Nov. 23: The Name's Bond, James Bond(35 of72)
If James Bond were a real person, he'd also be one of the world's most well-travelled secret agents. For now, lovers of Britain's most famous fictional spy will have to settle with him in Skyfall. For everyone else, let his many adventures only serve as inspiration for bloggers to travel destinations made famous by the franchise. (credit:The Planet D)
Nov. 23: Lakes, Lakes And More Lakes(36 of72)
Wisconsin is mostly known for its cheese and if you're a Packers fan, it's football culture. Now, thanks to the couple behind Hecktic Travels, you can add gorgeous lakes to that list. (credit:Hecktic Travels)
Nov. 23: A Different Kind Of Emerald City(37 of72)
The city of Bangalore isn't a must-see destination for some tourists visiting India. However, if you've got a green thumb, or need a change from the hustle and bustle or New Delhi, this blogger may just change your mind. (credit:Breath Dream Go)
Nov. 16: Amaranth, Manitoba(38 of72)
An abandoned house near blogger Pamela MacNaughtan's parents' house in Amaranth, Manitoba paired beautifully with the autumn leaves. (credit:Spunkygirl Monologues/Pamela MacNaughtan)
Nov. 16: Budapest, Hungary(39 of72)
That scene you see before you is in fact a medicinal bath in Budapest — Szechenyi Bath is the largest thermal bath in Europe, and as blogger Candice reports, it was all part of a visit to the city she found to be surprisingly party-centric. (credit:Candice Does the World)
Nov. 16: Jostedalsbreen Glacier, Norway(40 of72)
It was a week of biggest and best in Europe, as blogger Tracy Zhang visited Norway's Jostedalsbreen, or Jostedal Glacier, the largest in continental Europe. As she put it, it was "a piece of history that had been formed thousands of years before me, and will remain thousands of years after." (credit:Tracy Zhang)
Nov. 16: Rural Wisconsin(41 of72)
For Dalene and Peter Heck, who are house-sitting in rural Wisconsin for the next three months, the first frost meant an opportunity to — what else? — kayak on the lake and break the ice with their paddles. (credit:Hecktic Travels)
Nov. 16: Norther Ontario(42 of72)
Loving all the James Bond stories surrounding the premiere of Skyfall? Then you may be interested to learn that Lois Maxwell, who played Miss Moneypenny in many of the films, moved to Espanola, Ontario with her kids — which blog Hike Bike Travel visited this week. (credit:Hike Bike Travel)
Nov. 16: Livingston, Montana(43 of72)
You might not expect a place in the middle of Montana to be awash in neon signs — check out the rest of blogger Ayngelina of Bacon Is Magic's pictures to get the full view. (credit:Bacon Is Magic)
Nov. 16: Medieval Times, Toronto, Ontario(44 of72)
As part of her daughter's fourth grade trip, blogger Lisa of Gone With The Family got to enjoy the somewhat surreal event that is the Medieval Times. Haven't been yet? Be warned — you have to eat with your hands. (credit:Gone With The Family)
Nov. 16: Twillingate, Newfoundland(45 of72)
Screech, the very strong rum sold in Newfoundland, not only requires drinking — it also requires initiation, as blogger Corbin Fraser of I Backpack Canada discovered this week. (credit:I Backpack Canada)
Nov. 16: Pyrenees, Spain(46 of72)
Just imagine this — a stunning hot air balloon ride adrift over the majesty of the Pyrenees in Spain. Then get jealous of Dave and Deb of The Planet D, who got to do it this week, and take some great pictures in the process. (credit:The Planet D)
Nov. 16: Northern India(47 of72)
While the Traveling Canucks weren't technically in northern India this week, their pictures of the stunning scenes of the region were certainly worth a second peek, especially during Diwali. (credit:Traveling Canucks)
Nov. 2: Hands In Fire(48 of72)
Dustin Main captured this moment in Yangon, Burma/Myanmar in a temple. "In this ritual, one places their hands to the flames, before bringing them back to their face or body," Main wrote on his website, . "It was hard not to be overwhelmed."Credit: @skinnybackpackr (credit:@skinnybackpackr)
Nov. 2 Postcards From Alberta(49 of72)
Hecktic Travellers Pete and Dalene Heck created an ode to their home province of Alberta with a roundup of beautiful shots throughout the countryside.Credit: @HeckticTravels (credit:@HeckticTravels)
Nov. 2: Room With A View In Monrovia(50 of72)
Blogger Brendan van Son shared this great shot of the street from his hotel room in Monrovia, Liberia.Credit: @Brendanvanson (credit:@Brendanvanson)
Nov. 2: Oh Hello There!(51 of72)
Bacon Is Magic travel blogger Ayngelina Brogan says this bison, which she snapped inside Yellowstone Park, was bigger than her car.Credit: @Ayngelina (credit:@Ayngelina)
Nov. 2: Hoodoos In Bryce Canyon(52 of72)
Hike Bike Travel blogger Leigh McAdam snapped a photo of the hoodoos while touring Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park.Touring the park had been on her bucket list for a dozen years.Credit: @hikebiketravel (credit:@hikebiketravel)
Nov. 2: Bryce Point In The Morning(53 of72)
More of Hike Bike Travel's shots of Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.Credit: @hikebiketravel (credit:@hikebiketravel)
Nov. 2: Conquering Canyon Fears(54 of72)
Hike Bike Travel blogger Leigh McAdam shares a photo from a canyon tour she took in Escalante, Utah.Credit: @hikebiketravel (credit:@hikebiketravel)
Nov. 2: Death Valley(55 of72)
"Death Valley is as barren as it is beautiful but it can also be deadly," wrote The Planet D bloggers Dave and Deb about their experience driving through Death Valley National Park.Credit: @theplanetd (credit:@theplanetd)
Nov. 2: Grand Canyon At Sunset(56 of72)
"It was our first time witnessing it and it didn’t disappoint," wrote The Planet D bloggers Dave and Deb on their blog about their time at the Grand Canyon.Credit: @theplanetd (credit:@theplanetd)
Nov. 2: Glacier Point In Yosemite(57 of72)
"Don’t miss visiting Glacier Point at sunset, it’s truly spectacular," wrote The Planet D bloggers Dave and Deb on their blog about touring Yosemite National Park.Credit: @theplanetd (credit:@theplanetd)
Oct. 26: Banff, Revisited(58 of72)
Travelling Canadian couple Dalene and Pete Heck took the time to revisit Banff at the end of October, as well as nearby Canmore's Three Sisters (pictured here) and couldn't get enough, enjoying every moment of the natural beauty and relaxation they found there. (credit:Hecktic Travels)
Oct. 26: Green Indonesia(59 of72)
Melissa, of Melissa To And Fro, departed on October 1 on a six-month round-the-world trip to Costa Rica, Europe and many more places. Not jealous yet? Check out her shot of Bali, Indonesia from this week. (credit:Melissa To And Fro)
Oct. 26: Upper Calf Creek Falls(60 of72)
Leigh McAdam of Hike Bike Travel took on the task of climbing Upper Calf Creek Falls in southern Utah this week, exploring volcanic boulders and cool pools, with a sky so blue it looked like you could jump into it as well. (credit:Hike Bike Travel)
Oct. 26: Koh Phi Phi, Then And Now(61 of72)
Vancouverites Cameron and Nicole Wears of Traveling Canucksshared a picture from Cameron's uncle this week, who revisited Thailand's Koh Phi Phi this week after 25 years — check out the changes a generation has wrought! (credit:Traveling Canucks)
Oct. 26: Wonders Of Malaysia(62 of72)
Nomadic Samuel has been living abroad for seven years, and his favourite place by far and away is southeast Asia — in particular, right now, Malaysia. Between the diverse landscape and melting pot of cultures, this is one underrated spot he thinks all travellers should visit (shot taken in George Town, Penang). (credit:NomadicSamuel)
Oct. 19: Laughing With Cinderella(63 of72)
During a recent trip to Disneyland, Kelowna travel blogger Steve Pratt snapped this picture of a moment between his daughter and Cinderella.Credit: Steve Pratt/@vangrizz (credit:Steve Pratt/@vangrizz)
Oct. 19: Keeping Time At Versailles(64 of72)
This is just one of travel blogger Lisa Goodmurphy's photos from a family trip to Versailles in France.Credit: Lisa Goodmurphy/@GoneWithFamily (credit:Lisa Goodmurphy/@GoneWithFamily)
Oct. 19: A Whole Lot Of Chairs(65 of72)
Natalie Taylor, who runs travel blog nearafar, snapped this while walking by Cafe Zoetrope in San Francisco. "It’s an ordinary thing but aesthetically there’s something so cute about stacked up chairs. Another San Francisco surprise," she wrote on her blog.Credit: Natalie Taylor/@nearafar (credit:Credit: Natalie Taylor/@nearafar)
Oct. 19: Gullfoss: "Misty And Beautiful"(66 of72)
Legal nomad Jodi Ettenberg snapped this with Instagram during a recent trip to Iceland.Credit: Jodi Ettenberg/@legalnomads (credit:Credit: Jodi Ettenberg/@legalnomads)
Oct. 19: Montana By Bike(67 of72)
Bacon Is Magic travel blogger Ayngelina Brogan beat her fears and took on an adventurous bike tour through Montana recently.Credit: Ayngelina Brogan/@Ayngelina (credit:Ayngelina Brogan/@Ayngelin)
Oct. 19: Things That Go Bump In The Night(68 of72)
Toronto travel blogger Tammy Burns went to Screemers, a Halloween haunt fest at the Canadian National Exhibition and spotted this terrifying creature.Credit: Tammy Burns/@BurnsTammy (credit:Credit: Tammy Burns/@BurnsTammy)
Oct. 19: Beautiful Sunset(69 of72)
This is the view across the street from reader Wendy Wharton's home in Antler Lake, Alberta.Credit: Wendy Wharton/@WWharton (credit:Credit: Wendy Wharton/@WWharton)
Oct. 19: Going Home(70 of72)
After six years abroad, Canadian travel blogger Matt Gibson is finally taking a break and starting a new life in Utah. He took this photo of his bags (and life belongings) as he began his journey home.Credit: Matt Gibson/@xpatmatt (credit:Credit: Matt Gibson/@xpatmatt)
Oct. 19: All Alone In Sierra Leone(71 of72)
Travel blogger Brendan van Son learned the value of relaxation while taking a lone trip to the Banana Islands, which are south west of the Freetown Peninsula in Sierra Leone.Credit: Brendan van Son/@Brendanvanson (credit:Credit: Brendan van Son/@Brendanvanson)
Oct. 19: Banana Islands(72 of72)
Another spectacular photo of the Banana Islands by travel blogger Brendan van Son. (credit:Brendan van Son/@Brendanvanson)