Halifax Travel Forum

Hi all,

I'm travelling to Halifax June 2007 for business, but I'll stay there afterwards for 4-5 days. My first idea was to move to Québec and Montréal by train/bus, but after checking the prices and hours travelling I'm thinking of staying in Nova Scotia and rent a car.

Considering that one of my first wishes is doing a whale-watching tour, what would you suggest?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Sònia.

You have this on here at least 6 times. Are guess you feel we owe you an answer and you are more important than anybody else. Not from me !!!

I'm really sorry. I'm new to this forum and I wasn't aware that by just refreshing the page I was uploading the post again and again. It was just a mistake on my first posting here.

There are many areas to visit in Nova Scotia and travel is very easy with a car. All of the major agencies have booths in the airport, but I would recommend booking something in advance as the late spring/summer can be a popular time. One of the best areas to visit for whale watching is Briar Island near Digby. It is a fairly long drive, but I would suggest that you travel through the Annapolis Valley which is very nice. Part of the cost of the whale watching charge goes directly to the further study of the whales and their environment.

Cape Breton is also an amazing part of the province, with some of the best views and people that you will ever see/meet. There are whale watching opportunities in this area as well.

They also offer whale watching from Lunenburg which is another great scenic town to visit. A historic shipbuilding community and birthplace of the Bluenose schooner.

Check out this website for more details on Nova Scotia:

www.novascotia.com

Peggys Cove on the south shore is relatively close to Halifax and is a fairly popular tourist stop. The small communities along this coastline are very picturesque and have a great history.

Halifax itself has changed dramatically over the years and continues to offer a great mix of restaurants, galleries, live music and culture. Check out "The Coast" newspaper when you arrive to get a handle on what is going on while you're in town. Point Pleasant Park is a great place to visit while your're in town as are the historic properties along the harbour.

Hi Keefer17,

Thanks a lot for your extended and accurate answer. I've also been looking at the web page you recommended me and I'll definitely visit Nova Scotia after the conference.

Cheers,
Sònia.

If you want to see a good variety of Nova Scotia and plan to be here for 4-5 days, I'd suggest:

Day 1: rent car and drive to Annapolis Royal. You may want to visit the Acadia University campus in Wolfville, it's a beautiful place. At Annapolis, drop into Fort Anne or visit Port Royal. the little cafe's and soup and sandwich places are really a treat here. Should be lots of activity. Continue on to Digby. There's great signage leading you to Brier Island and the whale watching. There's an Inn that will put you up overnight, and provide whale watching, (can't remember the name). You need to take two ferries to get there you go down Digby neck, catch the first ferry, drive across Long Island, catch the next ferry and Brier Island is just a small dot in the ocean, so it's no trouble finding things. You only pay to get on the islands but not off, or pay to get off but not to get on, cant remember which. You should make reservations though, June is a busy season there.

Day 2: whale watching tour, depart Digby, and drive to Yarmouth. Great museums, catch a live theatre, or maybe the dinner theatre at Rodd's Grand Hotel? Whatever your interest, there's probably something happening at that time of year.

Day 3: Drive to Pubnico to visit the Village Historique De L'Acadien and then on to Shelburne for lunch. This is a great historic Loyalist town, and the site of the movie "the Scarlet Letter" with Demi Moore. A bit of sightseeing, and continue on to Bridgewater - Lunenburg area for overnight.

Day 4: Cruise around Lunenburg, Fishermen's Museum, Visit Mahone Bay, these are really unique towns, then after lunch drive up to Peggy's cove -- one of Nova Scotia's most popular sites. And you should be back in Halifax in time for a later supper.

this itinerary gives you a really good look at Nova Scotia....the lush green of the agricultural regions, and the craggy windswept Atlantic coastline.

The Nova Scotia government page has a booklet called the "Doers and Dreamers Guide" and I would strongly recommend you request a copy. It's free and is just packed with great information, all the hotels, their phone/fax/websites, etc. This Itinerary has you travelling from Halifax down the Evangeline Trail, and then back by way of the Lighthouse trail. Nova Scotia is broken up into several of these trails, and information is grouped accordingly. It really makes planning a trip here much easier.

Thank you very much for your answer, Betty. I'm currently planning my trip and all your suggestions are being very helpful. Thank you very much. Cheers!

If you have any special interests, let me know, and I will find out what, where, when and how much. Whale watching: check out www.brierisland.com This is the lodge I was thinking of, and under the tab "Island Attractions", they list five separate companies for whale watching, as well as seal watching, birdwatching, hiking, etc. It's quite reasonably priced, and although you can stay in Digby, and there are other areas for whale watching, this is the area where the locals go.... it's about a two-hour jaunt from my home. You could stay off the island, and travel down for the whale watching, but my guess is where this is unfamiliar territory for you, spending the day wandering about, then going to Brier Island for supper and the night, an early whale watching cruise would be the easiest.