Black Book
Our pick of the most useful travel websites, bloggers, books, movies & more...
winter WONDERLANDS
Yukon, Canada
Lake Baikal, Serbia, Russia
Lake Baikal in winter is the stuff of fantasy travel. You can clearly see
up to 130 feet below when it freezes, and the sight will remain etched in
your mind’s eye forever. Against the thick snow and deep cold, the skies
seem surprisingly sunny. Large slabs of ice resembling rock crystals that
can reach 12 meters in height put life and its stresses in perspective–no
therapist required. Call out to the adventurer in you: head here in
January, when the cracking ice is laden with snow, and you can ice skate
on a real rink. The neareest railhead, Irkutsk, sits on the Trans-Siberian
railway, just 70 km from Lake Baikal. www.travel.rbth.com.
Jilin Rime,China
In China’s northeast Jilin Province, Songhua
River remains unfrozen, even in chilling
winter. Beautiful Rime, one of the four natural
wonders of China, decorates both the banks
of the river. Jilin Rime has a fantastic fusion
of ice flowers hanging on pine trees, giving a
surreal feel to the place. From the Changchun
Longjia International Airport, Jilin is about 70
kilometres away. You could also take the high
speed rail from several major cities such as
Beijing or Shanghai.
86 Travel Secrets September-October 2015
Whitehorse, Yukon is a short flight
from Vancouver. It enjoys some of the
liveliest displays of aurora borealis in
the circumpolar North. The silence of
snow-covered trees. The thrum of a
snowmobile. Your first time dogsledding
and snowshoeing. Crisp, cold air. Can you
resist? Tip: Do visit Fort McMurray’s nightsky viewing centre. It’s magical!
Bled, Slovenia
Sheltered by picturesque mountains, the
1000-year-old island lies in the middle of an
Alpine lake. Sounds remote, but Ljubljana
International Airport at Brnik is just 36 km
away from Bled. The locals are friendly
and the nation’s highest castle is laden with
treasures. Hike up the hill in thick snow.
Saunter on the trails, row in traditional
boats and ring the wishing bell.
www.slovenia.info.