Texan_Ian

Two Quick Question:

I am visiting Victoria and Vancouver next week. So I was wondering..

1. From where should we take our whale watching trip, Victoria or Vancouver? I am a wild-life buff.

2. What are possible options for day-trips, from both Vancouver and Victoria. I prefer to avoid overnight stay.

As always, any and all feedback is highly appreciated.
Thank you.
Ian

AndrewDavid

ian
re: #2 a great day trip from victoria is to drive out to port renfrew and botanical beach provincial park: great tide pools. also near port renfrew are some of the tallest trees in bc. there is a new forest/tre e info centre there.

check tide tables as u want to be there for a low low tide.

if u want to try kayaking u can rent from ocean river on store street. they have a float that puts u into the gorge a relatively calm and easy paddling body of water w/ a few waterside pubs. i rented a boat there for a guest . it was $35 for 2 hrs.

if u get ahold of a bicycle. u can peddle out the galloping goose bike trail to thetis lake for a swim. its about a 35-40 minute pedal from down town

cheers
AndrewDavid

Texan_Ian

Mr. David,
Thank you for your kind suggestion. As I mentioned earlier in my OP, I am a wild life buff/nut.
So Port Renfrew and Botanical Beach Provincial Park definitely sound very promising.
Thanks.
Ian

Carmanah

If you're already going to be in Victoria, go whale watching out of Victoria as it takes up less time (3 hours) vs. the typical 5 hours from Vancouver. All in all, whether you depart from Victoria or Vancouver, you end up meeting in the middle watching the same whales - you just depart from different locations. That's really the only difference. Sometimes the whales are closer to Victoria and sometimes they're closer to Vancouver.

Carmanah

For Vancouver, a day trip destination would be to drive up the Sea to Sky to Whistler and making sure you take the Whistler Gondola up to the very top.

Another day trip destination - driving along Marine Drive in West Vancouver to Horseshoe Bay and taking the ferry to Bowen Island to go kayaking.

Another day trip option - head out to Westham Island to the George C. Reifel Bird Sanctuary and spend a few hours there.

Texan_Ian

Carmanah,
Thank you for clarifying the difference between choosing one place over the other for whale watching.

Whistler is definitely on my radar while I am in Vancouver. However I was not aware of the Horseshoe bay, Bowen Island or Westham Island. So thanks for pointing them out.

I also have thought of visiting either Tofino or Parksville beach when I am in Victoria. It seems that these two beaches were ranked quite high among other Canadian beaches.

Thank you once again for your feedback.

Carmanah

Horseshoe Bay is a tiny village just outside of Vancouver. You could easily visit it on your way to Whistler. Bowen Island is accessible from Horseshoe Bay via a 20 minute ferry ride. Westham Island is a rural island in the mouth of the Fraser River. It's agricultural, but seeing how you enjoy wildlife, you might appreciate the Fraser River estuary where you'll often see Sandhill cranes, bald eagles, owls, hawks, and all kinds of local waterfowl. If you love bird watching, it's a nice afternoon outing.

Steveston's also a nice day trip destination - it's a historic fishing village in the city of Richmond, about a 20 minute drive south of the airport. It has Canada's largest fishing fleet, a beautiful waterfront with restaurants, shops, and heritage sites (Gulf of Georgia Cannery, Britannia Shipyards, London Heritage Farm). If you go whale watching out of Vancouver, 2 of the companies (Steveston Seabreeze, Vancouver Whale Watch) are located out of Steveston. The place is also famous for its fish & chips. It's a nice day trip destination for something completely different from Vancouver.

Fort Langley - yet another cool day trip destination, although more for history than wildlife. Fort Langley was a Hudson Bay Company fur trade post and the oldest European settlement in the region - settled back in the 1840's (keeping in mind that Vancouver was only founded as a city in 1886!). The Fort Langley National Historic Site is home to the actual fort, plus there are a variety of wineries and attractions in the region.

Regarding Tofino - Tofino is awe-inspiring. You can't replicate that in Victoria, but it's a 5 hour drive from either Victoria or Vancouver. Part of the drive is along a winding mountain road, so you can't really speed it up. You'll want at least 3 days there. It's famous for its old growth rainforests, its primal landscape, the wide sandy coved beaches. It's not a place where you go to sunbathe, mind you - you can, but the water's freezing. You go to beachcomb, to whale watch, to bear watch, to go kayaking... to have an experience unlike elsewhere on Vancouver Island.

Parksville has shallow, tame beaches... and it's on the east side of Vancouver Island which is primarily developed with towns, highways, suburbia, etc. The scenery (in my opinion) doesn't have any "wow" factor. It's a place where locals go swimming, and if you're already on Vancouver Island, it's fine... but I don't find it particularly amazing. If you have to choose one vs. the other, Tofino will wow you with its wilderness.

As a wilderness buff, I'd even skip out on Victoria and just go straight to Tofino. Victoria's virtues are in its colonial history and quaint and charming atmosphere.

Carmanah

And please look up these destinations online for further info. I've just planted the seed in your mind of what's around. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to help! I was born/raised in the area and I work in the tourism industry, so there's a good chance I'll be able to assist.