Dear Travellers,
I hope you had a wonderful Canada Day. Senior Discovery Tours is proud to be a 100% Canadian company – and to celebrate our country’s birthday. We’ll be celebrating a big “birthday” of our own in 2025... 50 years in business!
Now that the sparklers and fireworks are done for another year, it’s time to turn our attention to another special holiday: Christmas in July! If you’ve been thinking of celebrating your holidays someplace special, now is the time to get it on the books. We’ve got some incredible tours that will really get you into the spirit!
For a traditional holiday in a stunning West Coast setting (with the mildest December in Canada!), join us for the Holiday Season in Victoria, BC tour. With roaming carollers and trolley rides, high tea and charming traditions, it’s the perfect holiday season destination.
If avoiding the festive rush is on your list, celebrating on Bermuda’s pink beaches might be more your speed. On our Holiday Season in Bermuda tour, you’ll have a holiday to remember – a carefree experience!
Our Malta Stay-Put Holiday in December is another wonderful option for a memorable holiday season: it’s not too hot, not too crowded, with amazing history, spectacular landscapes, charming Christmas celebrations and unforgettable people.
You can check out these tours and more on our website or latest brochures. Don’t forget to sign up for complimentary future brochures to be sent to your home. Our next exciting brochure, Volume 1 Winter Tours & Cruises 2025 will be released soon!
Happy travels!
Danny Shay, President
Senior Discovery Tours
Holiday Season on Canada’s West Coast
A wonderland of traditional holiday fun awaits you in Victoria, BC.
Love a holiday with all the trimmings? Victoria serves up holiday celebrations in style. Imagine a lovely historic town with turn-of-the-century buildings beautifully decorated for the season. Carollers strolling through Victorian streets sparkling with lights. Ringing in the New Year in a mild climate that still feels like home.
Our popular holiday tour to Victoria pulls out all the stops, with unforgettable experiences that’ll have you feeling all the seasonal joy. Here’s a sampling:
A Victorian Christmas. On this charming tour of downtown Victoria, learn all about how the holidays were celebrated in Victorian times, and hear about plenty of local stories and legends.
Magical Butchart Gardens. These world-renowned botanical gardens really take things up a notch for the holidays with a spectacular light show and a popular 12 days of Christmas display.
Holiday meals with new friends. Enjoy a wonderful Christmas Day brunch and a traditional dinner, plus a fun New Year’s Eve dinner and celebration – no cooking, cleanup or awkward family moments required!
Traditional afternoon tea. Enjoy a scrumptious high tea at Pendray Inn and Tea House, a stunning, sprawling Victorian manor in downtown Victoria.
New Year’s Day with the Victoria Symphony Orchestra. Enjoy the soothing sounds of the renowned VSO and special guests as the perfect start to a brand new year.
Give yourself the gift of a holiday to remember! Join us for Holiday Season in Victoria BC from December 21, 2024 to January 2, 2025.
Celebrating Island-Style
If getting away from seasonal hustle and bustle is your idea of a perfect Christmas, then Bermuda is a great destination for a relaxing (but still festive!) holiday.
- Instead of bundling up against the cold… bask in the warm sun and enjoy an average temperature of a very comfortable 22°C.
- Instead of trudging through snowy streets… dig your toes into the warm sand of Bermuda’s distinctive pink beaches. The pink sand is a unique natural phenomenon that comes from tiny red organisms called foraminifera. Two of the most popular pink beaches are Horseshoe Bay Beach and Elbow Beach – the perfect places to swim, sunbathe and snorkel.
- Instead of last-minute shopping at a crowded mall… head to the Bermuda Craft Market to pick up authentic Bermudiana. The market is in a charming old stone cooperage, and in place of the barrels once stored for the British Navy, you’ll now find a wonderful arts and crafts emporium with handmade goods including Christmas ornaments, jewellery, candles, ceramics and more. Many items are sold by the artisans themselves, so it’s a great opportunity to connect with locals.
- Instead of Uncle Bob’s questionable eggnog… make your official holiday drink the Dark and Stormy, a delicious Bermudian cocktail made with ginger beer, lime juice and rum. Rum gives it a subtle sweetness, the ginger beer adds a spicy kick, and the lime provides freshness and zest. It’s the perfect sipper for toasting the season.
- Instead of waiting until spring to use your new golf gifts… you can break them in right away on one of Bermuda’s many incredible golf courses. The island is a golfer’s paradise with eight world-class courses offering a variety of challenging holes, diverse terrain, and spectacular ocean views.
- Instead of the stress of cooking for everyone… have someone else cook for you! Try the island’s famous fish chowder, fish sandwiches, conch stew and other incredible seafood options. All the fun, without any of the prep or cleanup – now that’s a holiday tradition to put on repeat!
Ready to celebrate your holidays in paradise? Join us for the Holiday Season in Bermuda from December 20, 2024 to January 3, 2025. There’s nothing more festive than an all-inclusive island adventure!
Fascinating facts about Valletta
Interesting highlights to explore in Malta’s capital.
Malta is a nation known for its history, culture and stunning natural beauty. And no trip to this Mediterranean archipelago is complete without a stop in Valletta. Here are some cool facts about this tiny incredible capital city.
It’s the smallest capital city in the EU. Valletta covers less than one square kilometre, but it packs a ton of culture, history, and charm into that tiny footprint.
The city is considered an “open-air” museum. Valletta is a UNESCO World Heritage site with over 300 monuments in just half a square kilometre, one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world.
Valletta was built to withstand siege. Malta has always been of huge strategic importance in times of war. The city’s heavy fortifications have protected Valletta through the centuries, from the Great Siege of 1565 to the Second World War.
It has a spectacular natural harbour. Valletta's Grand Harbour (also known as the Port of Valetta) is one of the largest natural harbours in Europe, and has been in use for millennia, with archaeological remains dating back to 3700 BC on its shores.
It has a wonderful waterfront. The Valletta Waterfront, originally a series of vast storehouses built in the 1700s, was badly bombed in WW2. The buildings have been restored as a cruise ship port with restaurants, bars, and shops in a lovely setting.
The city is known for its beautiful enclosed balconies. Colourful wooden balconies that jut from houses in the older parts of the city have their roots in Arab muxrabija, structures that allowed women to look outside without being seen. They bring in light and air while filtering out direct heat and cold, and serve as a covered extension of living space.
Prickly pears. Bajtar tax-xewk is a seasonal summer fruit that grows all over Malta. Farmers once used the cactus to keep intruders and wandering livestock from entering their fields. Sweet and slightly gelatinous, it’s like a cross between a watermelon and a fig. Prickly pears are delicious raw, but they’re also used for jams, liqueur, freshly squeezed juice, nougat, and chocolate.
Valletta has streets like roller coasters. If you’re walking in the old city, be prepared for some hill work – and to get your steps in. Built into a steep hill, it has narrow streets, pedestrian-only alleys, and lots of stairs and ramps leading down to the waterfront. But you won’t get lost: the city’s grid system makes it easy to find your way around.
British influence: From 1814 to 1964, Malta was a British colony, and Valletta still retains a few British influences. Cars drive on the left, and you may still spot a red telephone box here and there.
Explore Valletta and experience a magical holiday season on our Malta Stay-Put Holiday Season Celebration Tour from December 20, 2024 to January 4, 2025.
Why travel with us? Reason #4:
Our Exceptional Tour Managers
These travel superstars are the best-kept secret in the business, consistently going above and beyond to deliver exceptional service and ensure everyone has a fabulous time. Need a great reason to book your next SDT tour? How about 10? Every month, we’ll highlight one of the many benefits of travelling with us. To see the whole list, check the first few pages of one of our brochures!
Uniquely Canadian!
In honour of Canada Day, here are a few things that are (mostly) unique to Canada and contribute to our national identity.
Maple Syrup. Canada produces over 70% of the world’s “liquid gold,” with the majority coming from Quebec.
Poutine. Fries topped with gravy and cheese curds could easily be our national dish (merci Quebec)!
Hockey Culture. From backyard rinks to rabid fans, there’s no country that loves its hockey more.
Tim Hortons. Need a double-double and an apple fritter? The ubiquitous coffee chain is a Canadian institution and no surprise: it was founded by a hockey player!
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