Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

In September 2005 I took a two-week holiday in Canada with my partner, starting in Vancouver, exploring Vancouver Island by car, then taking the Rocky Mountaineer train to Jasper and on to Lake Louise, Banff and Calgary. Our main objective was to experience the beauty of the vast wide open-spaces, but also spend a few days enjoying Canadian culture in some of the towns and cities. Vancouver We flew with Air Canada from Heathrow Terminal 3 into Vancouver. Rather than having a car while in Vancouver, we took a taxi to our hotel and explored the city mostly on foot. We stayed at an hotel called ... more

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!) ... more

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 ... more

If visiting Vancouver be sure to take the "B.C. ferry" to Vancouver Island and visit Victoria even for the day. It has the feeling of a Small town with all the conveniences of a Big city. With whale watching, gorgeous scenery , great food and lots of tourist attractions.It surely is a place that wont be forgotten. Also be sure to visit the famous Butchart Gardens,Empress Hotel and Parliment buildings, if you decide to stay for a few days be sure to make your way up island to Parksville,with their beautiful sandy beaches,Coombs,a funky little place not to far from Parksville with great shopping ... more