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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

Vancouver Island - anyone been?

50 replies

Kbear · 07/03/2007 09:40

Any tips? Hotel recommendations or deals? We might be pushing the boat out for a holiday of a lifetime....

OP posts:

Original poster

Kbear · 07/03/2007 12:14

bumpity bump

OP posts:

skirmish · 07/03/2007 12:14

yep...it's very small...only did a day trip there from vancouver

skirmish · 07/03/2007 12:15

i personally wouldn't stay there as there doesn't seem to be a huge amount to do...the boat trip is lovely, and you may even see whales if you go in the right season..

lurve vancouver tho

AttilaTheMeerkat · 07/03/2007 14:56

Vancouver is very nice.

Were you thinking of staying in Victoria on Vancouver Island?. Its very nice for a day trip but personally would not stay on the island itself.

Mellin · 07/03/2007 18:13

Agree with the other posts, nice for a day trip from Vancouver but wouldn't stay longer..... unless you are planning on going kayaking or adventuring in the north of the island.
Victoria was full of geriatric tourists when I was there! Vancouver is much better.

Original poster

Kbear · 07/03/2007 19:58

whale watching is the reason we want to go. Anything else in the Vancouver area that is a must-see?

OP posts:

Eeek · 07/03/2007 20:02

we're doing this ourselves in the summer. We're doing a weekend in Seattle by ferry from Vancouver Island. You can return to Vancouver by one of those fancy trains. Vancouver itself is lovely. Easy city, market, water bus, beach, coffee, Stanley Park, totem poles and playground. I think there's also an aquarium. Whistler is great if you like the outdoors and is only a drive away. There's a nice waterfall as a good break half way along. Oh, and there's a shop which just sells cakes which are about a foot tall. I kid you not!

skirmish · 07/03/2007 20:02

there are quite a few day trips you could do...

loved whistler (went in oct so no snow). Really enjoyed walking around village and watching mountain bike riders

loved grouse mountain (they have 2 bears up there - rescued as cubs) and great views on vancouver

you're making me want to go back...really friendly city, and so relaxed

skirmish · 07/03/2007 20:03

oh, forgot about stanley park...the racoons are everywhere!

Megglevache · 07/03/2007 20:04

Message withdrawn

Megglevache · 07/03/2007 20:07

Message withdrawn

brimfull · 07/03/2007 20:07

my db works here ,I've never been but it's meant to be fantastic.

Original poster

Kbear · 07/03/2007 20:17

Eeek - are you doing a package or going it alone? Can you give me any pointers about good airlines (Air Canada any good?) or good tour operators?

If we do it, I want to make it fantastic for all of us - it would be a dream for the kids to see killer whales (DS is obsessed!)and I really want to do it right.

Thanks for all your replies!

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percypig · 07/03/2007 20:23

Hi, we're spending 3 weeks in Canada this summer with 3 nights on Vancouver Island. If you look at a map it's really not small, and is meant to be really beautiful. Victoria is supposedly very 'British' - an attraction for Americans, but not for us. We're staying in the Pacfic Rim National Park area - very near Tofino, in a town called Ucuelet. I can't wait!!

I spent WEEKS and I mean weeks researching our trip, so have loads of info.

Cadmum · 07/03/2007 20:24

Though we now live in Austria, Vancouver Island is home for us... I would be very pleased to answer specific questions and I will be back tomorrow with some quick suggestions once I have had some sleep and am over the insane jealousy issues.

Try flights with Zoom. Their prices are fabulous to Vancouver and the ferry to the Island is BEAUTIFUL!!

suejonez · 07/03/2007 20:26

I stayed for a couple of nights in a beautiful bed and breakfast almost on teh beach in a more remote part of the island. Lovely to go whale watching and have a drive around but wouldn;t stay longer than a few days - combine it with a stay in Seattle and get the ferry up the puget sound instead. Lovely.

Original poster

Kbear · 07/03/2007 20:29

I love you all - thanks for replying. I have some brochures but I hate brochures! I want someone's opinion that has been there.

We like the countryside, we don't like towns much (we live in London!). We don't want nightlife or anything like that. We want to go on boat trips, see the sights, go to the Pacific Rim national park.

Any more info would be wonderful. Thanks

OP posts:

percypig · 07/03/2007 20:54

Just typed a long message and site froze!

Anyway, we're flying with Air Canada, surprisingly cheaper than Zoom, though a friend who's going in May got a good deal with Fly Globespan. Car Hire is Hertz through Ebookers, v good price after a wee bit of haggling!

We're spending 5 nights in Vancouver staying on the UBC campus as we have friends there. It's a wee bit out of downtown but looks beautiful and is very reasonably priced Gage Towers

On Vancouver Island we're spending 3 nights in Ucuelet - here Terrace Beach resort

Elk · 07/03/2007 21:07

I went to Vancouver Island and Vancouver for a short break in 2000 (lived in the States at the time). When we were there it had just snowed so everyone was in shock.

We stayed in Spinnakers guest house, which is also a brew pub. Great without children - double jacuzzi tud and fireplaces in the bedrooms. One of their breakfasts came complete with stout!! - much appreciated by dh.

We went on the ferries to see the islands which was wonderful. Also had afternoon tea at one of the hotels ( oh for a decent cuppa after a year in the states). I will dredge my and dh's memory to see if we can remember anything else.

Have to stop as getting a migraine and can't see any more.

alibubbles · 08/03/2007 14:21

Pan Pacific is brilliant, the Four seasons is brilliant with children. Lots to do in Vancouver itself, very child friendly, my DC's favourite city since they were 7 &8.

Roller blade roaund Atanley park, visit ranville Island, shops especially for children as well as adults, the Aquarium,, Gas town, lots more, get a goood guide book and have a brilliant time.

lapsedrunner · 08/03/2007 17:02

I'm so jealous, I love Vancouver & British Columbia.

TerraCloud · 08/03/2007 17:02

Kbear, check out

www.vancouverislandbedbreakfast.com/

www.bedsandbreakfasts.ca/sunshine_coast.htm

Accessible by boat and off the beaten track. The sunshine coast (gibsons and sechelt) are beautiful areas to visit by boat! If you go to Sechelt - stop off at Halfmoon Bay pub (great food and kid friendly). There are quaint artisan shops also around the pub and your kids can watch the float planes take off from the water! Not sure if you are into scuba diving - but it is also a great place to go diving. Lots of marine life!

lapsedrunner · 08/03/2007 17:03

Apologies - thread hijack to ask Cadmum whereabouts in Austria she lives? (I'm in Vienna)

LizP · 08/03/2007 19:35

The science museum in Vancouver is great. Also ours wanted to visit the Sylvia Hotel home to Mister Got To Go

Cadmum · 08/03/2007 19:56

lapsedrunner, we 'met' here once before... I am also in Vienna. Hello again!!

Back to the op: We had an amazing time here . It is right on the beach in Parksville

Sorry...dd2 is having a rotten evening. I will try again tomorrow.

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