My holiday to British Columbia - Part 1

I have recently returned from my own incredible holiday to stunning British Columbia. It really was absolutely amazing & I count it among my best holidays ever! In a little over 2 weeks, we packed such a lot in as we spent time in Vancouver, Victoria (briefly), staying with family near Nanaimo & in Comox, Tofino & Whistler. In this article, I'm sharing our first weeks itinerary, our highlights & my top tips. Next month, I'll be sharing more about our time in Tofino & Whistler. 

Day 1 - 2: Vancouver 

We flew from London Gatwick mid morning which meant we landed mid afternoon local time. We got the Canada Line rapid transit train to downtown from the airport in about 30 mins or so using our debit cards. It's free for under 12's so no charge for our son. 

A short walk from the Downtown station & we were at our hotel, the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre. Our room on 27th floor had a fabulous view over the city & was the perfect base for the first couple of days.  

We rented bicycles from Cycle City Tours & Bike Rentals & cycled around Stanley Park in the glorious sunshine. It was busy but the one way system keeps things moving & it is such a beautiful ride. The bike rental was straightforward, all the bikes come with helmets & locks & the team were friendly & helpful.

As I'm a Vancouver Specialist, my husband & I had complimentary rentals but we paid for the rental for our son. The location of Cycle City was great, just a short ride downhill in a bike lane separated from the traffic to the water front & we were on our way. I highly recommend this experience. Thank you Cycle City. 

We ate at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Gastown, a great option for families. There is a railway carriage right in the middle which it is possible to dine in. You get salad or soup for a starter & ice cream to finish included with your main meal. 

Day 3 - 4: Ladysmith

We hired a car from downtown Vancouver, a short walk from our hotel. We navigated our way to Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal for our pre-booked ferry to Vancouver Island. The 90 min or so scenic journey meanders its way through the pretty islands. We didn't see any wildlife on our trip but its possible to see orca, seals & otters along the way if you are lucky. 

Top Tip: Book your ferry in advance, they get very busy in the summer months

We didn't have long in Victoria so just time for a wander round the harbour, the government building & the gorgeous Empress Hotel. The summer flowers were out in abundance full of colour, just stunning. A quick bite to eat & we were on our way again. 

Next stop a couple of nights staying with my aunt & uncle on their gorgeous property near Ladysmith complete with a pool, orchards, beautiful gardens & a tennis court. We loved the peace & took the opportunity to relax as well as catching up on family news. My son loved picking the plums in the orchard & had ambitious plans to sell them from the roadside. Blueberries were also in season & available everywhere, so much better than any I'd had in the UK.  

A visit to the Old Town Bakery in nearby Ladysmith for delicious cinnamon buns was worth the queue. I'd heard about this bakery before so was delighted to be able to try it for myself. Their sister bakery - Wild Poppy Market across the road is gluten free.  

Side note: I bought an e-sim for data only so I'd be able to use sat nav in the car & whatsapp to contact my Canadian family. There are plenty of options but I went with SimLocal who offered 5GB for £12, valid for 30 days. I used wifi wherever I could so this was plenty for us. 

Place an enquiry to start your adventure in British Columbia. 

Day 5 - 6: Comox

Next stop, the lovely town of Comox to visit my cousin & her family. On the way, we stopped at the market in Coombs for the goats on the roof which was recommended to us more than once. There were indeed several goats grazing on the grass roof. There are several shops & restaurants on the site as well as the market. The market itself is like a one stop shop for gifts for everyone. We ate at the lovely shady patio at Cuckoo, which again was recommended & we were not disappointed. 

Top Tip: Go early or later in the day, its really busy at lunchtime but by 3.30 it was much quieter. 

We visited Comox on a busy weekend - with not one but two festivals going on - so it was thriving & buzzy with such a safe & welcoming community feel & everything is walkable in a few minutes. 

We headed out on their zodiac over to Tree Island, a spit of land connected to Denman Island about 20 mins away. We didn't see any marine wildlife but orca can be seen here. The kids explored the island & the adults enjoyed the sunshine. I took the opportunity to have a swim in the shallow water, followed by all the kids shortly afterwards. On the way back, we went a bit faster which was great fun. 

Later, we headed to the gorgeous park on the waterfront & home to the historic Filberg Heritage Lodge. The annual Filberg Festival was in full swing & what a treat it was. There were 2 stages with a variety of music throughout the weekend, food trucks offering an array of options & plenty of inviting artisan stalls offering arts, crafts, clothing, photographs & cards, mostly locally owned businesses. We loved the relaxed atmosphere, & would have happily spent more time wandering the stalls, tasting the food & seeing the performers. 

Day 7: Family reunion

Back at my aunt & uncles in Ladysmith, we enjoyed a family reunion with no less than 21 of us staying overnight. We had such an incredible time sharing memories, catching up & of course, creating new memories. A huge thank you for hosting us & arranging such a fabulous reunion.  

Our next stop was Tofino on the west coast. Read more about this next month. 

Don't miss next month for Part 2 of our incredible holiday. I'll be featuring Tofino, Whistler & our finishing point, Vancouver. If you already know you want to go, get in touch & let's get started on your own incredible adventure. 

As a Canada Specialist, I have plenty of recommendations & tips to help you make the most of your holiday in Canada. 

Enquire to plan your holiday to beautiful Western Canada