Vancouver Island Travel Forum

This is one beautiful place to go,40 miles from vancouver by sea or air.
Victoria bc is a city,from the past and in the present.
I dont think there is anywhere better or safer with better food and breath taking beautiful scenery.

Its real hard to beat.

See you there ?

vancity!!

Its a tough call.

Infact I should re title my thread the North West Pacific

:)

I live in Nanaimo, across the water from Vancouver and just over an hour north of Victoria. The beauty still moves me, and I've lived here for all of my 56 years. People in Cuba told me "Cuba es linda, no?" (Linda means pretty) I agreed of course; it would have been just too rude to say "Yeah, but you should see where I come from!"

Just to show that there's even more to Vancouver Island than meets the eye:
Click on the pics to enlarge them.
http://members.shaw.ca/deanchamberland/strathcona/Strathcona.htm

The comox Glacier can be seen easily from downtown Comox, but getting there and back is a fairly strenuous 3 day backpacking trip.
http://66.49.252.104/index%20comox%20glacier%20pics.htm

But don't worry, it's not all remote wilderness.
http://www.tourismvictoria.com/

And the rural: civilized but not citified.
http://www.victoriabc.com/vancisland/gulf.html
http://www.gulfislandseh.com/saltspring/gallery.htm

In winter, it's very mild here, average temperatures well above freezing, but dull, cloudy and damp.

In summer, especially August / early September, the weather is reliably great. Sunny and warm without humidity.
Well, I should qualify my statement about the summer weather being reliable. That holds for Victoria and the south west coastal strip. The north and west of the Island are less precictable.















If you plan to come to the BC Coast for a visit, August and early September have the most reliably warm weather.

I will be there on the 20th august for a week again, its now my 5th time,and I still have great difficulty in explaining the greatness of the place.

I heard a story about a man from new york who unfortunatly was given 6 months to live,he came to vancouver island and lived for a further 34 yrs.

I can beleive it,it is just awsome in so many ways.

You can spend yrs exploring this area and you wont see everything,
If you can only get a snapshot you must go for a few days or if need be at the very least a day.You will come back wishing you had spent longer.


You can get there daily by bus,ferry,float plane,fly, or take the car on the ferry my favorite is a commercial Sikorsky hellicopter for £50 one way right into the heart of Victoria bc
http://www.helijet.com/

If you like it and agree with my personal centiments then feel free to comment,I will be going back again.

Enjoy

Well Im just back from vancouver island again,It was just great.

I dont want to offend anybody but vancouver island is far better than Vancouver City.

I spent three days shopping in vancouver ,Its a great city but thats what it is a city.I have been to vancouver island 5/6 times now and each time I fly from vancouver city.I keep making the same mistake,and get back to the city a couple of days before my flight,each time I say i am not doing this again.

Sorry folks vancouver is a big city,very nice but not somewhere I would dream of staying for a few weeks.If you only have a few weeks then go to vancouver island.Victoria/Sidny/Nanimo/Tofino ect

Its just beautiful and the people are great.

Vancouver city is like Manchester,a great city, bit expensive,good shopping,but hay Im on holiday I want to see the whales,go through the islands,See the countryside and the beaches.You could easily spend yrs on the island and you wont see everything.

Sorry fellow vancouver city Vters,but I have met too many people who only had two weeks and found out about vancouver island too late.They had an Ok holiday.

This is my personal oppinion from a guy who has been there 5/6 times on holiday and is going back in Jan 07 then again in August07 for 4/6 weeks.

You will miss out if you dont go to vancouver island and its a great shame as some of you will only get one shot at it.

good luck and enjoy

try here...

http://www.tourismsmithers.com/

There are no pacific beaches or islands or whales or sea.

Good but not as good as vancouver island

Go west...and 4 hours..you will find your sea...your whales...and some cool beaches...check out Prince Rupert and Queen Charlotte Islands... coming up to the northwest corner is a dream for many.

I'm glad I found this thread.
I decided that I was going to take my teen son and go explore somewhere.. Just he and I and our camera's.

I had planned on spending bulk time in Seattle.
Vancouver Island sounds more our speed.
I'll have to research this all again.

Thanks for the ideas and visuals.
can any of you comment on the hostels in VI?

Let us now how it panned out ?
If you wash up in Sidney BC try fish on fith st.
I cant put into words how incredible the island is.
I promise you will not be disappointed.
Im busy with making a living so I wont be there till August 07 but I miss the place and cant wait to see my old pals again, for a few beers sat outside the Rum runner bar overlooking the lazy Pacific passing dreams of sailing the worlds seas.
Just Great

You can get the Clipper from Seattle into Victoria BC.Depending on your budget I can only advise on places I have stayed.The laurel point victoria is great and good value,but hay what's good value for me that yr can be prohibitive the following yr,depends on how lucky I am. I also stay at the Sidney inn and suits in Sidny BC about 1/2 hr cab ride eg $30 cad ride from Victoria,Great town loads of great friendly Canadian people its Set on the coast with great food,whale watching,ect but also quiet and beautiful.A Great jumping off place,there is a ferry to Friday harbour and Anacortes daily .Also a visit to US Roche Harbour if you can is worth it and the Hotel De haro is the business ,and for great shopping salt spring island Bc but you will need to probably pay excess baggage on your return flight home.