lighting

Hi,

I'm currently researching ideas for my honeymoon trip to Canada. I have booked flights with BA (First) from LHR to Vancouver, departing 25th June 2013 and touching back down in London on 9th July 2013 (hoping to add a night or two)

We would like a relaxed trip with a combination of taking it easy and adventure without being on the go all the time. I don't know this part of the world at all and was wondering if those in the know could help me with suggestions of what to do or making.

At the moment i have come up with the below, which is in no particular order, just things we think we want to do in the time we have.

25th - Arrive Vancouver - Rosewood Hotel Georgia
26th - Kayak with Orca - Which tour operator?
27th - Kayak with Orca
28th - Kayak with Orca
29th - Kayak with Orca
30th - Vancouver - Rosewood Hotel Georgia
1st - Vancouver - Rosewood Hotel Georgia
2nd - Vancouver - Rosewood Hotel Georgia
3rd - Train to Whistler (Rocky Mountaineer - Sea to Sky Climb)
4th - Whistler - Four Seasons or Fairmont Chateau
5th - Wilderness Resort - www.wickinn.com or www.sonoraresort.com
6th - Wilderness Resort
7th - Wilderness Resort
8th - Depart Vancouver evening
9th - Arrive London

Any suggestions at all would be much appreciated ^

Regards

gglave

Hi there,

First off, congratulations!

Generally, kayaking with Orca whales happens in Johnstone Straight, on the East Coast of Vancouver Island. There are pods of resident Orcas up there. While I've been up that way many times (Quadra Island) I've never done the kayak / whales thing. That being said, I've heard good things about this operator -

http://www.kayakingtours.com/

Look at their Johnstone Straight tours.

You need to allow a day to get from Vancouver to Quadra Island. You'll take the Vancouver Island ferry from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver to Departure Bay in the (small) city of Nanaimo (pronounced Nan-eye-moe), then drive north to Campbell River. In Campbell River you take another short ferry over to Quadra Island.

http://www.bcferries.com/files/image...routes_map.pdf

While it takes a day, it's a beautiful trip.

It's about a two-hour drive from Nanaimo to Campbell River on the 'inland Island highway 19' or about 2 3/4 hours if you take the much more scenic oceanside highway 19A, which is what I'd recommend.

In terms of your 'Wilderness Resort' both the Sonora and Wickaninnish Inn are on Vancouver Island, so it doesn't make a lot of sense to return to Vancouver for that part- Do your Kayak trip, then stay on the Island and head to the wilderness resort. The Sonora is in the same area you'll be Kayaking, so I'd suggest Wickaninnish instead, as it's on the West Coast of Vancouver Island - You'll see different, more rugged, geography.

To get to the Wickaninnish you'll drive from Campbell River to the village of Tofino. That drive is about five hours - Again, very scenic. I'd use 19, not 19A, for that one, connecting to Highway 4 to head over the island to the west coast.

I would say two days in Tofino would be enough.

You could then return to Vancouver, do the Whistler bit and then fly home.

Post back with your next questions once you've digested that and we can work on your intinerary some more

lighting

Really appreciate that, thanks very much. I had wanted to be in Vancouver for 1st July - Canada day but it seems unlikely.

So something like the below looks more sensible?

25 Vancouver
26 Train to Whistler
27 Whistler
28 Train to Vancouver
29 Vancouver
30 Travel to Quadra / Orca trip location
1 Orca
2 Orca
3 Orca
4 Orca finishes - stay in Quadra
5 Wick Inn
6 Wick Inn
7 Wick Inn
8 Travel to Vancouver for 20.40 flight
9 Arrive London

gglave

I would start by looking at the days they offer the Orca tours, and frame your trip around that, tacking Whistler onto the beginning or the end, depending on what works for you & the schedule.

I would also aim to sleep in Vancouver the night before your flight. So if your flight is on the 8th, travel back to Vancouver on the 7th and sleep the night of the 7th in Vancouver. This provides you with a day of buffer in case something goes awry. The ferry system is well-run, but the ferries are complex vessels pushed to the max in the summer months and 'stuff happens.' I'd hate for you to be stuck on the Island as your flight is taking off.

Finally, I'd say two nights in the Wick Inn is probably fine. If you leave Quadra (or Campbell River) in the morning you'll be there early afternoon, and if you leave Tofino mid-day you'll be back in Vancouver in the evening. Still gives you plenty of time to explore the beach and Tofino, and head to the hot springs.

YVR Cockroach

Unless you are a train buff, I wouldn't bother with the train to Whistler one way let alone both. You don't really get all that much a better view than you would by road (I rode it when it was still BC Rail service using Budd rail cars). Better to use the time taken to spend up in Whistler and/or getting to the orcas kayaking locale.

gglave

While I don't entirely disagree, there are some spectacular views on the train that you can't get via car. For example -

http://www.flickr.com/photos/druclimb/6642256103/

lighting

I thought the train was the fastest and easiest way to get from Vancouver to Whistler?

North Vancouver 7.30am
Whistler - 11.30am

Whistler 15.00
North Vancouver 19.00

lighting

Thanks, maybe we don't do Whistler which free's up time to everything else a little better.

YVR Cockroach

Unless the highway is really busy, or closed due to an accident and if no traffic and driving the speed limit, you could get from Vancouver to Whistler in under 2 hours. Otherwise plan for 3. The train trip requires getting to the station at the foot of Pemberton in North Vancouver (at least 20 minutes), and the train stop in Whistler is in the middle of nowhere (relatively speaking).

If you want to do the train trip, just do it one way. Not sure if you can get a rental car at Whistler to drive up island.

gglave

No, the fastest and easiest way is to drive. I suppose 'easiest' is relative - If it's a snowy winter it would be a different story, but summer it's an easy, beautiful drive.

lighting

Thanks ^

Cattle Airlines

That's a lot of days and not too much activity. Consider a day trip to Seattle.

gglave

Huh? Ferries and drive and ferries to Quadra, kayaking, driving to Tofino, hanging out on the West Coast of the Island, visiting Vancouver and heading to Whistler isn't 'too much activity?' I'd say it's a lot

worldtraveller73

If you are into adventure things, then I would keep Whistler in the schedule.

Personally, I would drive it, as opposed to the train. The train is great, but the drive is one of the few places in the world where you have a scenic drive cut into the sides of the mountain immediately out of the city - Cape Town South Africa and Oslo Norway come to mind. It's also much more convenient.

There is canoeing in Whistler, decent hiking, mountain biking and the Peak2Peak Gondola on Whistler. There are also some excellent restaurants - Araxi and Bearfoot Bistro come to mind. You could easily spend 2 full days here. However, if you're just here to have a quick look around with no activities, then 1 day is fine. The FS Whistler is Avant Garde and Contemporary. The Fairmont Whistler is old world elegance (although it was built in the 1990's). Both are equally excellent. The FS is a little more out of the way and would offer a quieter experience.

I think you're better off with the Wickinnish Inn as well. It's an iconic place and unique in the world to have a coastal rain forest next to the beach.

lighting

Thanks for all the suggestions and comments thus far.

Luckily been able to extend the trip by a day, so we now leave Vancouver on the 9th and arrive back in London on the 10th. Also means our return flight should be New First and not old first we thought we'd get. ^


At the moment i think hiring a car from Vancouver and driving to Campbell River for the 4 day Kayaking, the drive to the Wick Inn near Tofino for 3/4 nights and maybe head somewhere else on the way back to Vancouver to finish with a few nights there.