Vancouver & Vancouver Island
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, but there isn't a wrong time to visit. 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 nature. For other great views of the city take a trip up the Vancouver Lookout, where you can get 360-degree views, although the glass lift is 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, with tasting stops around Granville Market! But allow time after to go back to purchase some treats to take home! We also did a further tasting with the Vancouver Brewery Tour Company, a trip around three 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 – I would recommend the chicken wings and poutine!
Vancouver offers so many different experience options. On a free afternoon, rather than chill with a coffee, we took a 90 minute speedboat trip around the city. It was great to see the city from the sea. Some colleagues did a seaplane experience, taking off from the water in Vancouver Harbour and views from the sky. Flying in a plane with just five 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! Now the best bit.
Leaving the city, we headed to our next location, Vancouver Island. It takes just under two hours by ferry. 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 cafés and bars and craft shopping. Add some of the most amazing beaches and incredible views of the ocean and you have a top location for both the summer and out of season offering something totally different. Vancouver Island is one of the few places in the world where you can ski and surf in the dame day!
The most luxurious property we visited was The Wickaninnish Inn and 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! The guest rooms have floor to ceiling windows and you also get to have the same views from your 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. I can honestly say this is one of the best hotels I have ever visited.
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. There are 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! In fact I am booking my own family there next summer!