From the harbour you can travel through the historic Old Town section of the city. Victoria was once the center of the gold rush, shipping and whaling. Chinatown can be seen as you stroll down Fisgard Street. If you like antiques, Fort…Read More

From the harbour you can travel through the historic Old Town section of the city. Victoria was once the center of the gold rush, shipping and whaling. Chinatown can be seen as you stroll down Fisgard Street. If you like antiques, Fort Street is known as Antique Row with its many shops and galleries. The Oak Bay District and scenic Marine Drive complete this wonderful tour of a beautiful city. Breathtaking ocean and mountain views can be had as you travel to Beacon Hill Park.Close

I used Olde England Inn as an example of these Christmas programs because the hotel is so veddy, veddy British. However, there are equally good Christmas programs in other hotels around British Columbia. Two more in Victoria with programs are the dowager Empress Hotel, much…Read More

I used Olde England Inn as an example of these Christmas programs because the hotel is so veddy, veddy British. However, there are equally good Christmas programs in other hotels around British Columbia. Two more in Victoria with programs are the dowager Empress Hotel, much larger than Olde England Inn, and with a formal high tea thrown into the package. If you have never been to Victoria and can get a reservation in the Empress, this is the best way to start your Victoria experience. However, for the Christmas program, I recommend a smaller hotel because it will be easier to meet other guests. The Oak Bay Beach Hotel is also a good choice. It is on the edge of Victoria, across what they call the Tweed Curtian that separates downtown Victoria from its more gracious neighborhoods. The Oak Bay is a lovely, reasonably small hotel with an excellent dining room and a bar that is a popular neighborhood hangout. Patrons tend to be on the formal side, so expect to see men wearing ties or ascots and women in nice dresses. The Oak Bay also has a pleasant Christmas program, not as eccentric as the Olde England Inn nor as formal as the Empress. Close

British Columbia, Victoria, and Fort Henry in particular are locations not to be missed. There is a European feel of old-world charm and style. It's a relaxed, friendly attitude that cannot help but draw you in.…Read More

British Columbia, Victoria, and Fort Henry in particular are locations not to be missed. There is a European feel of old-world charm and style. It's a relaxed, friendly attitude that cannot help but draw you in.Close

I can't believe I am recommending shopping as an activity, but here goes... If you are shopping in Victoria, make sure you go beyond Eaton's Centre and Douglas Street. Market Square, Chinatown (Fisgard St), Pandora and Johnson Streets...all have lots of interesting shops to offer. Munro's…Read More

I can't believe I am recommending shopping as an activity, but here goes...

If you are shopping in Victoria, make sure you go beyond Eaton's Centre and Douglas Street.

Market Square, Chinatown (Fisgard St), Pandora and Johnson Streets...all have lots of interesting shops to offer. Munro's bookstore, Roger's Chocolate, and Murchie's tea on Government St are all fantastic.

Two friends and I decided to hire a car for three days and drive up to Tofino and back. We hired our car from Budget for $300 for 3 days, all insurance extras included (considering we are under 25 I thought that was a…Read More

Two friends and I decided to hire a car for three days and drive up to Tofino and back. We hired our car from Budget for $300 for 3 days, all insurance extras included (considering we are under 25 I thought that was a good deal and we scored a really good car - named lucy after a seal we saw in Nanaimo).

So we started off one pleasant morning from Victoria. We stopped at a few look outs along the way (can't remember names, but there are places to just pull off onto the side of the road). We stopped at Cowichan for lunch and to do some grocery shopping. We then went to Chemainus which is this town that is famous for having about 20-30 murals around the village - we had a quick drive around and they where pretty nice, but because of our late start we didn't hang around that long unfortunately.

We stopped again in Nanaimo because I wanted to try a Nanaimo Chocolate Bar, but I refused to do so until I visited the actual Nanaimo. You would think every shop would have these sweets, but they were really hard to find. When we did find them, we were disappointed by the fact that they were the same chocolate slices that my nana had been making me all my life; she just didn't call them Nanaimo Bars.

We went for a walk along the jetty out to the harbour, and there were some people crabbing and a seal called Lucy which is who our car is named after. When then headed north, at this time we got a bit confused with which highway we were supposed to be on, but soon found our way. We stayed on the road now most of the time as it was getting late in the afternoon and we were still 100km or so from Tofino. The trip up to Tofino was gorgeous with mountains and lakes all around.

Our next stop was Long Beach in the Pacific Rim National Park - finally a beach that an Australian would call a beach. It was breath taking - big sandy beaches, huge waves and a sunset - gorgeous. We walked along there for a while, and then headed up to Tofino which was about 15-20mins more up the Road. We stayed at the Whalers Point HI (see other thread). The next day we spent looking around Tofino, there are some really nice art galleries partially one by Henry Roy Vickers, this stuff was really nice. We also went to the Tofino Botanical Garden, which where really cool, but unfortunately we couldn’t spend much time there are we where going on a Whale Trip (see other thread), but the guy we where with decided to go golfing instead. The next day we headed back, on the same route, but we stopped at different places, i think the first one is Golden Grove - not 100% sure, but there are some huge huge trees - possibly biggest and definitely oldest in Canada. We also stopped at Goldsteam PP, which is rainforesty too and there is a salmon river (but we didn't see any). We got back to Victoria around dusk. With all out stops it took about 5 hours each way - but it was really cool, and it is the route that most tours buses take, but this way was cheaper and we got see more things and stay longer at them.

After you've exhausted yourself on Antique Row, be sure to stop at Craigdarroch Castle. This 1880's mansion was once the home of the Dunsmuir family. The turets, multi-gabled roofline and the beautiful grounds make this a must-see landmark. It has 39 rooms and 20,000…Read More

After you've exhausted yourself on Antique Row, be sure to stop at Craigdarroch Castle. This 1880's mansion was once the home of the Dunsmuir family. The turets, multi-gabled roofline and the beautiful grounds make this a must-see landmark. It has 39 rooms and 20,000 square feet of living space. Lovely carved wooden doorways and staircases transport you up the 4 1/2 stories of lavishly appointed rooms decorated and furnished in 1890-1900 period. Climb up into the tower and you'll experience a wonderful panoramic view of Victoria and the snow-capped Olympic Mountains in the distance. It's also possible to "rent the castle" for special occasions. Any takers??? Admission: $10.00Close

We didn't walk from the ship...way to far. We were greeted by a quartet of costumed ladies after we had gone through customs. They directed us to the shuttle which was a Greyhound size bus. Our driver did a running commentary of the city…Read More

We didn't walk from the ship...way to far. We were greeted by a quartet of costumed ladies after we had gone through customs. They directed us to the shuttle which was a Greyhound size bus. Our driver did a running commentary of the city as we moved through differnt neighborhoods. This is a lovely clean community and if I had to move to Canada, this would be my choice. We are impressed with the government buildings, the museums, the grand Empress Hotel and the shopping on Government Street. On another trip here we enjoyed a formal high tea before visiting Miniature World. Many people go to the famous gardens or enjoy a whole city bus tour. We enjoyed strolling and marveling at the waterfront area.Close

Steak and seafood are wonderful. Try the salmon grilled on a cedar plank. Lobster, filet, and pork ribs are grilled to perfection. Nice atmosphere with cozy banquettes and attractive artwork. [Editor's Note: Barkley's has closed.]…Read More

Steak and seafood are wonderful. Try the salmon grilled on a cedar plank. Lobster, filet, and pork ribs are grilled to perfection. Nice atmosphere with cozy banquettes and attractive artwork. [Editor's Note: Barkley's has closed.]
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