Two people and a black and tan dog pose for a selfie in front of a turquoise alpine lake, with a dramatic jagged mountain peak and forested slopes in the background under cloudy skies

Bohdan Dryhval

Co-founder · Routes & Logistics

Bull elk with large antlers standing beside a cow elk grazing near a lake surrounded by coniferous forest

Anna Dryhval

Co-founder · Stories & Photography

About Bohdan

I’m Bohdan, a Ukrainian-Canadian travel writer and the co-founder of Explorer Canada. Together with my wife Anna and our dachshund Nika, I’ve driven over 23,000 km across Canada and through 12 countries in Eastern Europe — and I write about every kilometer of it.

My obsession with road trips started long before Canada. Back in Ukraine, my favorite weekends were spent driving between small towns with Anna — no hotels booked, no plans beyond the next coffee stop, just music, road, and the slow unfolding of places we’d never seen. When we moved to Winnipeg in 2023, I expected to lose that feeling. Instead, I found a country built for it.

Canada turned out to be a road trip in itself. Endless prairie highways, mountain passes that change weather every twenty minutes, lakes you find by accident on a side road. Most travel guides tell you about Banff and Niagara Falls. I write about the parts in between — the parking lot in Saskatchewan where we watched a thunderstorm roll in, the picnic spot in Birds Hill Park 30 minutes from Winnipeg that locals take for granted, the gas station coffee on the way to Riding Mountain that I still remember.

On Explorer Canada, I cover routes I’ve actually driven, costs I’ve actually paid, and stops worth the detour. No AI-generated itineraries. No “10 best places” lists written from a desk. Just real roads, real distances, and honest notes on what was worth it and what wasn’t.

If you’re planning a road trip across Canada — or a 4-day drive from Riga to the Transfăgărășan — start with the routes section. If you have a question about a specific province, border, or pet-friendly stop, get in touch. I read every email.

Why trust my routes

My favorite journey

Bear Safety in Banff and the Rockies: How to Read the Reports and Stay Safe

A trail can close overnight because a grizzly moved in. Here’s how to read Banff’s bear reports, what gear to carry, how to hike safely with a dog, and what to do in an encounter.

Bohdan's stories

Expansive badlands landscape with layered rock formations, eroded valleys, scattered vegetation, and clear blue sky
We missed it on our Banff trip and made a point of stopping on the way back from BC. Two hours, the best dinosaur museum either of us has seen, and a dachshund who had to take turns with us.
Sunset over a calm lake with silhouetted trees along the shoreline and buoys marking the water
A clean sand beach two hours east of Winnipeg, two campgrounds that share a name, and an 86-metre bridge built by workers hanging on cables above a fast river.
Person sitting on grassy shoreline overlooking calm blue lake with rocky beach and forested far shore under clear sky
Leave Winnipeg at two on a Friday and 131 kilometres later you're in the water — with a hand-built suspension bridge four minutes down the road.
Straight road cutting through a rocky canyon with steep grey stone cliffs on both sides, coniferous forest, and clear blue sky
A step-by-step guide to Ontario Parks day-use permits, campsite booking, Outdoors Cards and fishing licences, including our upcoming Zone 5 trip.
Sunset over a flat agricultural field with green crops in the foreground, power lines crossing the horizon, and clouds illuminated in shades of pink and gold against a blue sky
A practical Manitoba guide to park vehicle permits, campground reservations and fishing licences, written by people who live in the province.
Canada has no single system for provincial parks. This guide shows where to check day-use permits, reserve campsites and buy fishing licences in every province and territory.

Share your Canada story

Tell us briefly about your trip. If your story inspires us, we'll reach out by email to hear the full version — and feature it on Explorer Canada.

Thanks! 🍁 We read every submission. If your story fits Explorer Canada, we'll email you within a few days to hear more.