Cliff(y) Goes Travelling

Icefields Parkway, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada Here's the last post on the Jasper to Banff One-Way Sightseeing Tour by SunDog Tours. After experiencing the ever-popular Columbia Icefield Adventure, my BFF and I continued our journey to Banff, stopping by a few more points of interest along the way. One of them is Peyto Lake that's famed for its brilliant turquoise colour.

Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada How many of you've had the experience of walking on a glass-floor walkway? For someone who's afraid of heights, the idea seemed rather daunting to me. The cliff-edge Columbia Icefield Skywalk offers a spectacular view of Sunwapta Valley at Jasper National Park.

Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada Athabasca Glacier is one of the six principal 'toes' of Columbia Icefield, which is the largest ice field in the Rocky Mountains. It shares the same name with Athabasca Lake that means 'place where the reeds grow' in the Cree dialect, an aboriginal language with the highest number of speakers in Canada.

Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada One of the highlights of Jasper National Park is Columbia Icefield Adventure, which comprises a visit to Athabasca Glacier and an experience at Columbia Icefield Skywalk. The adventure starts from and ends at Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre, a destination in itself to learn about the largest ice field in the Rocky Mountains.

Highway 93A, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada It was time to say goodbye to Jasper National Park and leave for the next destination: Banff National Park. Too lazy to hire a car and drive, my BFF and I went for SunDog Tours' Jasper to Banff One-Way Sightseeing Tour. More details are given below, so do read on. Along the way, we first dropped by the mighty Athabasca Falls.

1 Old Lodge Road, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge (4*) is luxury mountain resort that wraps around the shores of the tranquil Beauvert Lake. Covering an area of approximately 283 hectares, it prides itself in being Canada's #1 golf resort course. I didn't stay at the hotel, but I'd registered online for an intimate planetarium experience there.

The Whistlers Trail, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada The Whistlers, standing at 2,470 m above sea level, is a mountain in the Trident Range of the Canadian Rockies. The easiest way to reach the summit is to take  Jasper SkyTram  to an elevation of 2,263 m and trek all the way up. Take note that the ascent can be pretty steep.

The Whistlers Trail, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada Daily: 10.00am - 5.00pm (22 Mar - 16 May, 3 Sep - 27 Oct),            9.00am - 8.00pm (17 May - 20 Jun),           8.00am - 9.00pm (21 Jun - 2 Sep) Built in 1964, Jasper SkyTram is Canada's highest and longest aerial tramway that ascends to a height of 2,263 m above sea level. In addition to providing access to Summit Restaurant for a dining-with-a-view experience, it leads to a hiking trail that's 193 m below the summit of The Whistlers.

Maligne Lake Road, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada Medicine Lake is a geological anomaly in the sense that it's not actually a lake, but rather an area in which Maligne River backs up and suddenly disappears undergrond as a losing stream. The lake aside, this post focuses mostly on the few wild animals encountered during the Premium Lakes and Wildlife Tour by SunDog Tours.

Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada Spirit Island is a peninsula that looks like an islet, which is located on a remote shore of Maligne Lake. Surrounded by high peaks and glaciers, it's a view many people associate with the Canadian Rockies. Most people get up close and personal with Spirit Island via cruise tours. Paddling on your own can take four hours one way.

Maligne Lake Road, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada Famed for its azure water and Spirit Island, an islet that's actually a peninsula, Maligne Lake is located 44 km away from the town of Jasper. It's the largest lake in the whole of Jasper National Park. Cruise tours run from sometime in spring to autumn every year.

Maligne Lake Road, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada Prior to the trip, I'd booked Premium Lakes and Wildlife Tour with SunDog Tours priced at C$174.00 (~S$180.20) per person. Maligne Canyon, the first destination in the itinerary, is the deepest canyon in Jasper National Park with a depth of more than 50 metres at certain points.

Jasper, Alberta, Canada Nestled in the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies that's Jasper National Park is the alpine town of Jasper. Situated within Athabasca River Valley, the peaceful town with its fair share of accommodations, shops and eateries covers an area of approximately 925 square kilometres.