Canadian Rockies

For our Canadian Rockies trip we were introduced to a friend of our Doctor friend in Nairobi.

Calgary

Calgary is usually the gateway to the Rockies. It is a modern city, but not the highlight of the our trip. There are wide roads, open skies, one can already feel the landscape changing. It is less crowded, more spacious than most cities.

I had heard that in Calgary, downtown area, some buildings are connected from one terrace to other. This I heard from my sister who reached Calgary before us.

We arrived at Calgary International Airport little later in the day. Our host family insisted that we should stay for one night at there house. 

The Real Journey Begins Now – Drive to the Mountains

We took off in his personal car from Calgary, and started driving west. He drove the car himself. At first we noticed the change in the - Flat land (prairie), Open fields, big sky. As we progressed, we felt almost like a curtain lifting when the Rocky Mountains appear on the horizon. This first sight is unforgettable.

The Feeling of the Rockies

The journey was defined by the striking beauty of turquoise lakes set against the vastness of glaciers, creating a landscape that felt almost unreal. As we drove along the very long mountain road, each turn revealed another breathtaking view, with peaks stretching endlessly into the distance. What made it even more magical was the presence of snow, even in the height of summer, adding a quiet, timeless charm to the entire experience.

Unlike other safaris , Mountains here are massive and close, Lakes are still like mirrors. Everything feels calm, almost silent, No crowds like big cities. Just nature in a very pure form.

First Stop – Banff National Park

Before entering, you pass, a Small town of Canmore (quieter and very charming). Then we  reached Banff. It is surrounded by mountains on all sides with pine forests. The air was fresh and crisp. The town itself is small, neat, very well planned with shops, cafés, but still feels close to nature.

Banff National Park.

We Checked into a hotel. What is actually very normal for Banff is not about one single monument or one famous building.  It is more about the atmosphere of the mountains, forests, river, and sky. Generally people remember the feeling, more than specific activities.

I have a memory of people swimming in a pool. Although, where it was located I can’t remember .

Banff Gondola

Cable car that goes to the top of the mountain.From the top we could see mountains, forests, bow river and the entire Banff area.

Next day we drove to the famous lake. The Real Highlights Come After Banff

Lake Louise

The famous turquoise lake.

We stayed in a large hotel that sits right on the lake. At Lake Louise, the early morning reveals a kind of quiet beauty that stays with you long after you leave. The lake is completely still at that hour, almost like glass, perfectly reflecting the surrounding mountains and the glacier at its far end. As the light slowly changes, the colour of the water shifts from a soft blue to a deep, luminous turquoise, making the scene feel almost alive. There are fewer people at this time, and that solitude makes all the difference, especially for guests staying at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, who can experience this serenity before the crowds arrive.

As the day unfolds, the lake becomes more active yet remains equally captivating. Surrounded by mountains on all sides, with a gentle walking path tracing its edge, it invites you to linger and take it all in at your own pace. Canoes glide slowly across the water, adding a quiet charm to the already picturesque setting, completing an experience that feels both peaceful and deeply memorable.

The water is turquoise — almost like someone added colour, and behind it rises a glacier and mountains. The colour comes from rock flour (very fine powder from glaciers) suspended in the water, which reflects blue-green light.

This is one of the most photographed places in Canada.

We stayed here for one night. It is not possible to describe the view, but I have tried my best to do so.

Then on we drove to Moraine Lake. This lake was even more dramatic

Moraine Lake

Moraine Lake

At Moraine Lake, the scenery feels almost dramatic from the very first moment you see it. The lake is a deep, striking blue, and behind it rise the famous Ten Peaks, standing tall and creating a powerful mountain backdrop. To see the most well-known view, you climb over a small pile of rocks, and from the top the entire lake and the mountains open up in front of you, it is one of the most iconic views in the Canadian Rockies. This very scene was once featured on the old Canadian 20-dollar note, which shows just how famous and beautiful this place is.

Now comes one of the most beautiful drives in the world.

Icefields Parkway

The drive along the Icefields Parkway from Lake Louise to Jasper is not just a road journey, but a continuous experience of changing scenery. Along the way, you see mountains, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, rivers, and forests, one after another, almost without a break. Sometimes you may also see animals such as elk, bears, or mountain goats, which makes the journey even more memorable. The road is designed in such a way that you find viewpoints every few kilometres, and you keep stopping again and again, not because you have to, but because the scenery is too beautiful to simply just drive past.

On this road continuing forward comes Columbia Icefield.

Columbia Icefield

This is where you can go on the glacier in a special vehicle. This is one of the most beautiful road journeys in the world. We should go slowly along Icefields Parkway — that is where the Rockies really become unforgettable. It is a huge icefield from which several glaciers flow down into valleys.

Important glaciers there include:

• Athabasca Glacier

• Saskatchewan Glacier

• Dome Glacier

• Stutfield Glacier

This icefield is one of the largest in the Rocky Mountains. What is very interesting is that water from this icefield flows to three different oceans such as Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean. So geographically it is a very important place.

The Flight Over the Icefields

Here we also took a small 20 minutes or so aircraft flight over the icefields. It was a small aircraft with only the four of us. Flying over the Columbia Icefield is something very few people do. Most only see it from the road. But since we were there and in an adventurous mood, we did it.

From the air the landscape looked completely different from what we see on the ground. What we saw were vast stretches of white ice, and not just one glacier but an enormous icefield spreading in all directions. There were deep cracks in the ice, called crevasses, and the ice formed flowing shapes that looked like frozen rivers. The contrast between the dark rock and the white ice made the scenery even more striking, and in many places mountains were rising straight up through the ice. This icefield is very important because it feeds several major rivers across North America, and for this reason it is sometimes called the “hydrological apex,” since water from here eventually flows to different oceans.

It was wonderful — only four people in a small aircraft over the Rockies is a very special experience. Few people see the Columbia Icefield that way.

Jasper National Park.

We stayed one or 2 nights in Jasper. It is quieter than Banff and feels more remote. Jasper is very different from Banff as in it is less crowded, has Wider valleys and more wildlife. Many people who like nature actually prefer Jasper to Banff.

From Jasper we went a little further by train and stayed one night in a small, quiet town called McBride with lots of flowers and birds sitting on the hanging pots. We went because in a magazine I had read about this extended journey being beautiful. Next day we returned to Jasper and by elevator kind of thing and went right up to top. A long train ,most likely loaded with wood was running in what looked like serpentile route. That sight was beautiful.

McBride

McBride is a very small, quiet and surrounded by mountains kind of a place. Where we stayed the garden was very beautiful with baskets of flowers hanging outside the gallery. 

On return we went up on Jasper SkyTram It is a cable tram that goes up Whistlers Mountain. From the top you see, Jasper town (very small from above) with a huge valley, rivers, railway line and endless mountains

The Long Train Like a Serpent

Canada has very long freight trains, especially carrying timber, grain, oil, and freight containers. From high above, when the train goes through the valley curves, it looks like a long snake moving through the valley.

We did not go to Vancouver. For our journey - we were sitting in the private car of the owner of company. He himself took us around. Taking a plane ride was his suggestion. He was the friend of the doctor family we knew in Kenyaas i told you earlier. On the road we were very lucky to see interesting animals - at one point I said I saw something resembling a cow but actually it was an Elk.

Elk

Elk are very common around Jasper National Park and Banff National Park. They are bigger than deer with brown body and light coloured neck/backside. The males have large antlers often standing in open grass areas near roads. From a distance they really can look like a cow, hence I made a mistake. Many visitors first think “Why are cows standing in the national park?”