Vancouver Island Travel Guide

 yooperprof Says:  Vancouver Island is emerging as a highly respected "terroir" in the florishing world of Canadian wines. (A positive effect of global warming, perhaps?) While not as famous as the Okanagan Valley on the other side of British Columbia, the central Cowichan Valley produces some... 

 yooperprof Says:  The Cowichan Valley is a special agricultural zone which enjoys fertile soil, ample rains - and a good dose of sunshine. It's become an important center for wineries, as well as the expansive Merridale Cidery and Apple Orchards. Merridale is a pleasant place to spend an hour... 

 CatherineReichardt Says:  (work in progress)Given the choice and budget, the most convenient way to explore Vancouver Island is by car, which allows you to access the many scenic spots for which the island is justifiably famous and stop at will en route. However, car hire isn't within everyone's... 

 CatherineReichardt Says:  (work in progress)Of all the cool ways to travel, float plane has to be up there close to the top of the list!Far from just being tourist activities, float planes are well integrated into Vancouver Island's transport network and service a number of commercial routes between... 

 CatherineReichardt Says:  (work in progress)Although they were a staple of our childhood trips back to Ireland, it's a long time since I took a car ferry, so I was looking forward to the ferry rides between the mainland to Vancouver Island. And so I should have been - they were terrific, and a real... 

 CatherineReichardt Says:  (work in progress)I cannot overstate how good the signage to the BC Ferries terminals at Departure Bay 3.2km north of Nanaimo) and Swartz Bay (32km and about half an hours drive north of Victoria) is: if you get manage to get lost despite this, then you must really have made... 

 pieter_jan_v Says:  The BC Ferries are a relaxing way to come over to the island from Main land Canada,The are ferries on these major routes:Tsawwassen to Swartz BayTsawwassen to Nanaimo (Duke Point)Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo (Departure Bay)Powell River (Little River-Westview) to ComoxCortes... 

 Carmanah Says:  Vancouver Island is commonly referred to by locals as the island. Even on the mainland, if you hear people talking about "heading over to the island" - you can be certain that they're not talking about Hawaii! Unless of course, they happen to own a cottage on one of the many... 

 CatherineReichardt Says:  (work in progress)Let's be charitable - Vancouver Island has an unpredictable climate and the fact that it is vegetated with temperate rain forest should speak volumes about the weather!To put things into perspective, it rains an average of 206 days a year in Tofino.... 

 CatherineReichardt Says:  (work in progress)When I started to research our trip to Vancouver Island, I was intrigued to come across a passing reference to 'bear bells' in one of toonsarah's tips.As they say in the classics, "Ïf you go down to the woods today, you're in for a big surprise", and in the... 

 CatherineReichardt Says:  (work in progress)To say that it rains a lot on Vancouver Island is an understatement: unless you're a rainforest enthusiast, it's probably one of the wettest places that you'll volunteer to go on holiday, so bear this in mind when you're packing for your trip.In truth,... 

 yooperprof Says:  Yes, you can get them at any Tim Horton's, but you should really get them in a non-chain location while you are on Vancouver Island. Preferably Nanaimo itself, but somewhere nearby will do in a pinch.These rich chocolate bars were invented by a woman who lived in the central...