Apps and websites making travel booking easier

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As Canadians start to make plans to get back out there, two platforms aim to make it easier to tour the country.

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Hipcamp and Yervana both open the door to new travel and adventure experiences in their own ways.

Yervana is a Vancouver-based app that aims to support local tourism recovery and Indigenous operators in Alberta and B.C. by connecting travellers with local guides who know all the best and hidden spots in their areas. Listed on the app and website are nearly 200 experiences, from forest treks in Vancouver to eating fondue under a full moon in Alberta’s mountains.

Each trip is designed by a local guide for typically solo or small groups, which will ease people’s minds in this era of COVID.

“We are giving adventure-seekers the kind of experiences you only get when you’re a local,” says Jim McGovern, Yervana’s founder and CEO. “Our locals know the ideal route to hike for a picturesque mountain view, or the best locations on the lake to flyboard to enjoy pristine water conditions.

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“That knowledge allows Western Canadians to safely tackle their summer bucket lists without trekking with large herds of people or spending half the trip researching and navigating a solo excursion.”

The app also shows tourism operators what potential guests are interested in, allowing them to tailor their experiences to demand. It also includes more Indigenous experiences such as marine and land wildlife tours.

The app details the tour, dates and times available, where to meet, reviews, and introduces the guide hosting it.

Yervana is running a contest this summer in Alberta. Create an account, sign up for the adventure you’re interested in trying this summer and each week, a name will be drawn to win two spots on a pre-selected adventure. Sign up here: https://explore.yervana.com/backyard-adventure-contest-alberta/

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Check out yervana.com

More global in nature, Hipcamp operates in Canada, the U.S. and Australia and is a more intimate and budget option to Air BnB and other accommodation websites.

Hipcamp focuses on getting back to nature with things like farm stays, tiny houses, glamping, and waterfront camping. In Canada, you can find campsites on the West Coast for $30 a night or a two-storey tiny house in Ontario’s Thousand Islands National Park for $175 a night.

The website was started in 2013 when its founder Alyssa Ravasio was frustrated in trying to find a beach to set up camp in California. It has grown into a comprehensive website for booking outdoor stays that are usually ignored by other travel websites such as tent camping, RV parks, small off-grid cabins, treehouses and glamping. It covers both public and private lands and regional, provincial and state parks as well as national ones.

Check it out at hipcamp.com