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Prince Edward Island: Beyond Anne of Green Gables

International Traveller
While it’s childhood novel Anne of Green Gables that draws most Australians to Prince Edward Island, there are many more reasons to visit this eastern Canadian province.

Think of Prince Edward Island – if you have heard of it at all – and one thing is likely to come to mind.

The island is best known for being the setting for the bestselling novel Anne of Green Gables and its many sequels.

On the eastern side of Canada, it’s not exactly an easy place for Australians to get to, and those who do venture there are usually hardcore fans who want to tick off their bucket list the house that inspired author Lucy Maud Montgomery’s books.

Once they arrive, however, they discover there is far more to PEI, as it is affectionately called, than the tale of a feisty red-haired orphan.

The best way to explore is to hire a car and spend a few days pottering around the island, admiring the wildflowers and cute shingled cottages and barns which dot the countryside, and staying in converted lighthouses and cosy B&Bs.

If possible, time your visit around one of the many festivals which take place throughout summer, when the island really comes alive – look out for the jazz and blues festival, Fall Flavours festival or the annual Summerside Lobster Festival.

Even outside festival time, seafood-lovers will find plenty to entice them year-round, with lobster, oysters, crabs, clams and mussels present on every restaurant menu.

Eating seafood in a restaurant is one thing, tasting it fresh out of the water is quite another, and Prince Edward Island also makes sure tourists get as experiential as possible when it comes to their fruits of the sea.

Whether it’s a clam dig, hoisting crab nets onto a boat, shucking oysters straight out of the river or devouring fish you’d caught just minutes before throwing it on the barbecue, there are lots of ways tourists can get their hands dirty and meet local characters.

“Visitors want real experiences with real people," John Martin, from PEI Coastal Adventures, says. “What truly makes an experience special is the person you meet.

There is only one oyster fisher by the name of Leslie Hardy, who has eight grandchildren and dozens of grandchildren most of whom work and live in and around the oyster fishery.

There is only one chief Jack Sark, who led a whole first nation Aboriginal community and who happens to also be a large blueberry grower and is willing to tell his story of the blueberry in his community and business.

“Being a small Island of 150,000 people while at the same time being one of Canada’s 10 provinces – all of which are so much larger in geography and population – makes this Island a special spot."

While Australia is famous for its Big things, including The Big Banana and The Big Pineapple, Prince Edward Island is home to The Big Potato.

The giant spud sits outside the Canadian Potato Museum in the suitably Irish-sounding town of O’Leary, which also offers tours to nearby potato farms.

Prince Edward Island’s rich, red soil has led it to become the biggest potato-producing province in Canada, providing around a quarter of the country’s needs.

You can hop aboard a tractor beside fifth-generation potato farmers and see how they are harvested first-hand.

Island produce is another big focus for foodies. Terre Rouge Bistro Marche, in Charlottetown’s main street Queen St, is constantly updating its menu with the seasons.

Depending when you visit, it could include blue fin tuna carpaccio, macaroni with goat cheese, or pan-seared halibut with farm vegetables.

Just down the road, Sims Corner Steakhouse and Oyster Bar serves island beef aged in-house for 45 days. Steaks are cooked with a range of crusts, including blue cheese.

History buffs are also drawn to Prince Edward Island; after all, Charlottetown is considered the birthplace of Canada.

In 1864, a group of elected officials met there to discuss uniting three maritime jurisdictions, which sowed the seed of a larger union that eventually created a country.

As well as the two popular musicals that play in Charlottetown during summer based on (who else?) Anne of Green Gables, Evangeline tells the epic story of two Acadian lovers who were torn apart on their wedding day during the expulsion of the French Acadians by the British in 1755, and spend the rest of their lives trying to find each other again. Make sure you take tissues.

Prince Edward Island Travel Details

Getting there

Air Canada flies to Charlottetown via Vancouver and Toronto, Montreal, Halifax or Ottawa.

Staying there

Prince Edward Island has a range of accommodation options, including hotels, bed and breakfasts, inns, cottages and even a lighthouse.

Touring there

PEI Coastal Tours and Experiences helps you experience life as an islander firsthand, offering the chance to meet farmers, musicians and quilters.

Tranquility Cove Adventures in Georgetown offers a range of experiential tours, including deep-sea fishing, clam digs and starfish-hunting.

For more information on Prince Edward Island, visit Tourism PEI.

While you’re on Prince Edward Island, hop on over to Discover the magic of Magdalen.

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5 things every hotel needs for a more restorative stay

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
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    Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

    The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

    1. Easy access to good food

    meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20
    Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

    One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

    In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

    In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

    Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

    At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

    While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

    It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

    2. Better sleep options

    Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room
    Sleep deeply with Novotel.

    There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

    For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

    The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

    3. More ways to move

    woman hiking around queenstown new zealand
    Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

    Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

    At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

    Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

    4. Better connections

    Novotel Sharm El Sheikh
    Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

    One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

    Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

    A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

    5. Location is everything

    Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld
    Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

    Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

    All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

    Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.