Captivating Canada
Our base for the first four nights was the Rosedale on Robson Suites. Perfectly located in this beautiful city where nothing is too far away. Being October we had the pleasure of seeing the city as all the colours were changing. Vancouver prides itself as a city that combines the sea and the mountains and it’s easy to see why it is voted in the top 10 best cities in the world. I certainly fell in love with it with its outdoor lifestyle and vibrant city life. The city also boasts a beautiful city Park, Stanley Park, a 1000-acre public park which borders downtown Vancouver with the city skyline one side and snow-capped mountains on the other; it shows how beautiful this city is. The park has an Aquarium which is worth a visit and there are lots of activities you can do around the park. Hire bikes, or like us take a guided ‘Eco’ tour where very knowledgeable guides take you round the sights of the park, the views from various parts and talk about the nature. For other great views of the city take a trip up the Vancouver Look Out, where you can get 360 degree views, although the glass lift it’s not great for those, like me, with a fear of heights!!
If shopping and food is your thing then Vancouver is perfect. Robson Street and Granville Market are an absolute must during your stay. I would highly recommend the Foodie Tour, tasting stops around Granville Market! But allow time after to go back to purchase some treats to take home! Highly recommend the Granville Tea company and their Chai tea and the nuts from We also did further tasting with the Vancouver Brewery Tour Company, a trip around 3 of Vancouver’s many micro-breweries with an insight to beer making and plenty of different beers to try – make sure you get some food with this – would recommend the chicken wings and Putin! Just outside the city are also two shopping outlets.
Vancouver offers so many different experience options. So on an afternoon free rather than chill with a coffee we took a 90 minute speedboat trip around the city, was great to see the city from the sea. Whilst some colleagues did a seaplane experience, taking off from the water in Vancouver Harbor and views from the sky. Flying plus a plane with just 5 seats and a propeller gives an amazing 20-minute flight from above the city and coast!
Are you worn out yet? This was just the first part!
Leaving the city we headed to our next location, Vancouver Island, by ferry which takes just under 2 hours. We then had a road trip to Tofino taking about 2.5 hours, this is a small town on the west Pacific coast which has so much to offer everyone. Activities include Whale watching, Bear watching, Pacific Ocean surfing and some of the coolest café’s and bar’s, and craft shopping, add some most amazing beaches and incredible views of the ocean. This is this a top location for both the summer and out of season offering something totally different, storm watching .Vancouver Island is one of the few places in the world where you can ski and surf in the dame day! The most luxurious properties we visited was The Wickaninnish Inn, it’s easy to see why this often fully booked. Guests enjoy a beachfront location with incredible viewing opportunities of the Pacific storms crashing in! Views from the guest rooms have floor to ceiling windows and you also get to have the same views from you bathtub. Each room has comfy chairs and your own fire – just perfect. With their own carvers on site the wood used all around the hotel is done in their very own carving shed – a real gem of a property.
Our purpose for staying here was to see Whales and Bears and we weren’t disappointed. Taking two 3 hour boat trips with Jamie’s Whaling Station we got to see these along with sea otters, seals and bald eagles. The bears were amazing. Viewing them from the water allowed us to see them up close in a safe environment, without disturbing them.A real highlight of this amazing trip.
Leaving Tofino we headed back over to the East and to Parksville, the East being much milder is a perfect spot for families. More great beaches with shallow waters a great location for experiencing Vancouver Island but with its easy location to the port back to Vancouver and shorter drives for sightseeing. Check out the Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort or the BeachClub Resort – both great for family stays.
This trip allowed me to experience the best of Canada, city and countryside, food and adventure. The wonderfully warm hospitality of the Canadians. But this was just a small part of what Canada has to offer and I can’t wait to go back and experience more!!