Manitoba Holidays & Accommodation
Canada, North America
One thing that sticks out in people's minds who have visited Winnipeg, Manitoba, the largest city in this prairie province of Canada, is the friendliness of this city's inhabitants. Within hours of arriving, people can find themselves enmeshed in new friendships that then last the rest of their lives.
Map of Manitoba
Gilbert Plains – Northern Lights
Manitoba Holidays Planner
Known as the cultural cradle of Canada, Winnipeg is host to the world famous Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. It is also home to more restaurants per capita than any other Canadian city; whether your tastes tend more towards a café or the more exotic French, Italian, or Japanese cuisine, you are sure to something here that satisfies your tastes.
In the province of Manitoba, there is a small northerly town that has made its mark on the adventure tourism map for its proximity to whale viewing on the Hudson Bay. Not only is this a great place to go out in a boat or snorkel with those unusual whales, the belugas, Churchill is also a premier place to carefully view polar bears, as the town is known as the polar bear capital of the world.
Manitoba is home to a unique culture in Canada, the Metis. Louis Riel was a Metis rebel leader who eventually founded Manitoba. Metis were born to Aboriginal and European parents and found that they were not entirely welcome within either culture. Over time, they evolved their own culture and you can visit the famous Riel House in Winnipeg to learn more about this interesting aspect of Manitoba's history and culture.
If you can, you should also try to schedule your visit to Manitoba to correlate with a production by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Famous for such prima ballerinas as Karen Kain, this company continues to provide acclaimed productions both for aficionados and dilettantes of ballet.
For visitors to Manitoba, it certainly is worth a side trip to go up north to Churchill Manitoba. Here you can set up trips with any number of adventure outfitters to view wildlife on the water or on land. Belugas are best viewed in the summertime when the ice has receded, and you can arrange with your guide to go out on the water to view these friendly looking white whales and perhaps even snorkel with them if you're feeling adventurous.
Once you're in Churchill, you'll also want to take the opportunity to view other wildlife. This is the polar bear viewing capital of the world, after all, and with an experienced and knowledgeable guide, your safety is paramount. Nothing quite beats viewing these magnificent animals in their natural habitat and you can also see a variety of birds, caribou, and other wildlife while you're there on your northern safari.