If you’re a fan of traveling, then you have doubtless heard of the “Destination Dupe” trend over the last few years – rather than spending the immense amounts of time and money needed to plan an international trip to a renowned destination, people have been making their way over to “dupes”, which are locales that offer the same architecture, culture, and scenery for a fraction of the cost. They often also have the advantage of being much closer, so you don’t have to worry about long trips, layovers, and jet lag from time zone hopping.
In other words, it’s a great, economically efficient way to plan a vacation that lets you get the same vibes that you were looking for, and lets you discover a much less known vacation destination in the process as well.
It’s a winning calculus. And the best thing about living in a country like Canada, with its vast expanses of geography, culture, and history, is that it is full of numerous destination dupes for all sorts of places, within the confines of the borders of the country. In fact, in many of these cases, you may not even have to leave your province.
TUSCANY, ITALY AT HOME – THE OKANAGAN VALLEY, BC
Interested in going to Tuscany, Italy, to try and get some Mediterranean sun and wine tasting? Italy as a whole has long been a destination for travelers around the world, but in the era of international trips costing as much as they do, and the economy wavering all over the place, it makes sense to try and cut down on expenses where possible. So why not go to some place like Tuscany, but a lot closer to home? Enter the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.
Places like Kelowna within the valley have very similar climate and geography to northern Italy (fun fact: they actually have very similar latitudes! Which means they would line up on the globe or a world map. Kind of hard to believe, but it goes to show you Canada’s true size!). You also have vineyards and lakes and amphitheaters, to recreate the wine tasting, terrace dinner experience for a whole lot cheaper, and without having to travel six hours’ worth of time zones.
REYKJAVIK – WHITEHORSE, YUKON
Hot springs, the northern lights, and the stark, rugged landscapes of Ireland beckon many a traveler, and to be perfectly honest, they are well worth seeing with your own eyes at some point in your lifetime. But you don’t have to do that now, particularly if you’re finding yourself financially constrained.
Instead, you could make your way over to Whitehorse in Yukon, which is very similar in terms of the landscape and geography to what you’d see in Ireland. There are also geothermal hot springs (the Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs just opened up recently after renovating the older hot springs there, in fact), and, scientifically speaking, you’re as likely to see the Northern Lights here as you are in Ireland. So why not save yourself the trip across the Atlantic, and soak in the winter lights in good old Canada?
PARIS – MONTREAL, QUEBEC (AND QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC)
Probably the single most obvious and predictable entry on this list, and the only one that doesn’t really require further elaboration. Yes, of course Montreal is a great recreation of Paris within Canada – you get the same Gothic architecture that characterizes so much of French cities, you get cobblestone streets, graffiti on the walls, the same cafe and food culture that Paris is known for, and, yup, the people around you will be speaking a whole lot of French as well (none of the other destination dupes we have talked about so far recreate the same language – this is one of those areas where Montreal has a decided advantage!).
But you can actually go a step further, and get an even more distinct “Old World France” vibe than what Montreal has to offer, if you go to Quebec City. Quebec City is the only fortified city in North America north of Mexico. You get that fortification, the cobblestone streets, 400 year old stone architecture everywhere the eye can see, and a decidedly French culture – you really can’t immerse yourself in European (and French, in particular) culture more short of actually visiting France.
THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS – CAPE BRETON, NOVA SCOTIA
Those with an eye or ear for linguistics and etymology will be quick to point out that this entry is every bit as obvious and predictable as Montreal was. After all, Nova Scotia literally means “New Scotland”, so obviously it’s a great way to get the Scottish experience within Canada itself.
And yeah, that’s pretty true, because Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia not only resembles the lay of the land and the sights of the Scottish countryside, with dramatic coastal cliffs and misty highlands, but Gaelic culture is still very much alive there as well. For those who want to traipse the Scottish countryside, but don’t feel up to leaving Canada for now for whatever reason? Look no further.
