Columbia West Travelodge, Columbia

Advantages: Good value, magnificent scenery everywhere
Disadvantages: Long flight to get there. Not much else!

...Going for a holiday almost half-way around the earth need'nt cost the same. In Feburary of 2004 my wife and I flew Air Canada to British Columbia on the west coast of Canada for a packed ten-day holiday with a view towards seeing if we liked the area well enough to consider emigrating there. Believe it or not, it was our first trip to Canada. This sounds quite a statement for such a potentially momentous decision, but all the research I have done before hand suggested that BC had all the things we were looking for. Reasonable house prices, less pollution, less stress, beautiful setting and a people that suprisingly enough are a lot closer in attitude to us Brits than the inhabitants of the US are. (Never call a Canadian "American" as it is generally taken as an insult!!) We made the decision to visit Canada at the start of Spring. Why... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Scenery to die for and more importantly whales watching!
Disadvantages: It is hard to get around once you're there.

...I spent about a week on Vancouver Island back in 2002 during a trip to British Columbia and Washington State. I travelled alone which was an interesting experience. I am glad I did it but in honesty I would have preferred company. Vancouver Island is a beautiful place, with a long and rugged coastline, a plenthora of marine and other wildlife, topped of with a backdrop of the rocky mountains on the mainland in the distance. Heaven to the eyes. Facts about Vancouver Island ******************************************************************** Vancouver Island is situated off the West Coast of Canada and at 32,134 square kilometres it is the largest North American island in the Pacific. It is part of the province of British Columbia and has a total population of approximately 600,000. Its largest City, Victoria (population 300... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Abundant wildlife, gorgeous scenery
Disadvantages: little in the way of public transport

...Vancouver Island is an island off the coast of Vancouver, on the south west coast of British Columbia, Canada. Ciao have been less than generous in describing it as a "Vancouver Experience", as far from being some sort of tourist attraction it is actually a large island home to the capital of British Columbia, Victoria, as well as some 750,000 inhabitants. At roughly 280 miles long, and 60 miles wide, it is a manageable size for a driving holiday. We spent 6 days beetling around in our RV, seeing what the island had to offer, which was sadly not enough (the time, not the island!). ------------When to go---------- Vancouver Island has a very mild and temperate climate. Average temperatures generally stay above zero throughout the year, and can reach mid 20s in summer. The high season for Vancouver Island is July... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful