Stories from the Trails: Stellar Experiences Helps Visitors Slow Down and Reconnect in Banff National Park

For many travellers, the first glimpse of Banff National Park inspires an instant moment of awe. For Shalini Soares and Chris Palivan, founders of Stellar Experiences, that moment changed the course of their lives. 

“It all began with awe,” Shalini says. “A feeling so strong it made us pause, breathe, and rethink how we wanted to move through the world.”

Before settling in Banff after the pandemic, Shalini and her husband Chris had spent years exploring the natural world—often from below the surface. “Scuba diving taught us that perspective changes everything,” she explains. “When you experience a place differently, you build a deeper connection to it. We wanted to recreate that sense of connection here in Banff.”

From the beginning, Stellar Experiences has been aligned with the destinations shared vision to Lead Tourism for Good, which champions visitor experiences that honour the values and heritage of this place and its people.

Shalini and Chris support local, family-led businesses and contribute to creating experiences that feel authentic and culturally rooted. Their approach demonstrates how tourism can be a force for good towards a sustainable future, simply by inviting people to slow down, pay attention, and connect with this place more meaningfully. 

This approach has also led them to collaborate with Indigenous elders, as the original stewards of this land, weaving meaningful, Indigenous-led storytelling and cultural programming into select experiences, creating deeper understanding and connection.

A different kind of adventure

Travel can often focus on bucket-list views and fast-paced itineraries, but Shalini and Chris offer something intentionally different with Stellar Experiences. Each journey is designed as an elevated experience that transcends typical sightseeing, engaging all senses and leaving a lasting impression.

“Our goal isn’t to inspire from afar,” Shalini says. “It’s to actually do the thing—to get outside, breathe deeply, move slowly, and share space with the land. Presence is the experience.”

From small-group excursions like ice climbing, to family-friendly adventures such as evening winter hikes, each private experience is designed to foster connection to the landscape, to oneself, and to one another. These unique offerings are intentionally crafted to be transformational for visitors to Banff, helping people reconnect with nature and with their own sense of presence. Guests often leave feeling more centred, more alive, and more attuned to the rhythms of the natural world.

“People come here to see the mountains,” Shalini says. “But when they slow down, they start to feel them too.”

Authentic beginnings, ongoing impact

Stellar Experiences began simply—with ideas, passion, and a willingness to figure things out along the way. “We understand from personal experience how nature can transform and wanted to create that opportunity for others. There was nothing here [in Banff and Lake Louise] offering what we wanted to offer,” Shalini recalls. “So, we put it out into the world and kept going.” 

They built the business around human connection and the belief that immersive, mindful experiences can change how people relate to nature and to each other. Their approach has resonated deeply with leisure and corporate visitors searching for more meaningful ways to explore Banff. Every experience is highly tailored, ensuring each journey aligns with guests' adventure appetite, fitness profile, and time allocation.

“Disconnecting from screens and reconnecting with what’s real...that’s where the magic happens,” Shalini says. “When someone tells us they feel more grounded, more alive, more connected—that’s everything!”

Walking a little lighter

For Shalini and Chris, operating inside a national park comes with a responsibility they take seriously. “When visitors join us, we say, ‘You’re in park mode now,’” she explains. “That means slowing down, paying attention, and being mindful of how you move through this environment.”

Through gentle guidance woven naturally into each experience, Stellar Experiences helps guests understand how to behave responsibly in protected spaces without formal lectures or checklists.

“We’re planting seeds,” she says. “If someone leaves here walking just a little slower, noticing a bit more, caring a little deeper—that matters. And that’s how change happens.”

By teaching visitors how to be present, respectful, and aware, the business supports a culture of stewardship that extends far beyond the experience itself.

A trail toward a more mindful future

Stellar Experiences isn’t just offering memorable outings; they’re helping visitors cultivate a deeper relationship with Banff National Park. By slowing people down, grounding them in place, and encouraging authentic connection, Shalini and Chris are showing how tourism can be a force for good. 

“Being here is a privilege,” Shalini says. “If we can help people appreciate that—and move through this landscape with more care—then we’re doing something good for this park that we all love.”

Stellar Experiences

We asked Shalini, "What does ‘Lead Tourism for Good’ mean to you?"

For Chris and I, leading tourism for good is about leveraging travel as a catalyst for impact and transformation, where every experience creates a ripple of positive change that leaves an imprint that endures long after the journey ends.

We believe travel should be purposeful and transformative, harnessing the power of nature as a force for good that fosters clarity, reflection, and meaningful connections.

We see every journey as an opportunity to awaken the spirit, enliven the body, and deepen the connection with self and the community.