Vancouver Island advice

[angel659]

Hi

We are booking our flights soon when they release the prices for August 08. We were originally going in May, but I remembered we cant take our dd out of school then.

Here is the plan. 14 nights in British Columbia. We want to stay 2-3 nights at Vancouver Island to see the pretty coastal beaches and perhaps some whale watching. I really liked the kayaking with whales, but my children are too young aged 4,4 and 8. I dont think we can do certain sports over Vancouver island yet.

What is the weather like and is there anywhere in particular that has great beaches, activities etc. What should we pack? Can you take your hired car onto the ferry? Looks like you can, but was not sure.

Thanks and hope your all having a great day.

 

[slapwhitey]

I was on the island last summer visiting some family in Campbell River. We took our rental car on the Ferry no problem....flew into Kelowna and drove from there. We spent a couple of days in Tofino while on the island. There are some great beaches there and lots of great activities. We hiked through a couple of rainforests which is pretty cool considering it's in Canada. We also did a whale watching tour out of Tofino that was great. We got to see a handful of humpbacks, porpoises and the tour ended at a hot springs where they dropped you off for a couple of hours to trek through the forest and spend some time soaking in the springs. On the way back our guide caught a fish....we thought it was for his own personal meal or what have you. To our surprise what he did is came to this island and whistled and this large eagle started flying around, he waved the fish in the air and through it in the water and the eagle came down and grabbed it literally 20 feet from the boat.....a terrific photo op. I couldn't recommend it highly enough.

That's my two cents....enjoy the coast, it's beautiful.

 

[ZipaDeeDooDah]

Definitely try to spend some time in Tofino.

http://www.gotofino.com/

The weather should be nice and warm, although be prepared for the possibility of rain.

 

[KRIS10420]

As a resident of Vancouver Island I would definetly recommend Tofino (Pacific Rim National Park) for the beaches, whale watching and the scenery in general. It is my most favoritie place. I would also recommend seeing Victoria as well, it is such a beautiful city and has whale watching too. Here's the catch, it takes about 5 hours to drive from Victoria to Tofino and that's without stopping for the touristy stuff, so 2-3 days really wouldn't be long enough to do both. If you go to Victoria first then take the ferry from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay but if you go to visit Tofino first or anywhere on the central Island then take the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay(Nanaimo) or Tsawwassen to Duke Point(Nanaimo), this cuts out over 2 1/2 hours of driving time. I live near Parksville which is a 1/2 hour drive from Nanaimo and 2 hours from Victoria and we have a nice beach here but nothing compared to Tofino. The weather in August is usually in the mid 20's - mid 30'sºc so bring your shorts, sandals, sunscreen and a light jacket in case it rains. There is so much to do and see on the Island and I wouldn't live anywhere else but then I guess I am biased. If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

 

[Princess Carrie]

I also live on Vancouver Island. The weather in August is usually very nice... probably mid 20s, cooling down in the evenings, so you're never stifling hot! I agree with the above poster who said that if you want to see Tofino (which I highly recommend), 2-3 days on the island is probably not enough (I may be biased, but there's A LOT to see here and it's really fantastic)!

Victoria is a must see. The downtown core is fairly compact, so you can see all there is in a couple of days. You can do whale watching out of the harbour and you have a very good chance of seeing Orcas. As a resident of the island, I feel very protective of the whales, and have mixed feelings about whale watching, but understand that seeing the whales is an extraordinary experience. The museum in Victoria is excellent... a great, interactive experience for all ages. Chinatown is fun to look around. And of course, stroll the causeway of the inner harbour and take in all the buskers and stalls. If you're here on Sunday, there's a great market along Government Street.

I would highly recommend taking the ferry from Tsawassen to Schwartz Bay. The ferry passes through the gulf islands... beautiful marine landscape. There are often naturalists on the ferry in the summer who do talks about the landscape and wildlife. I would also suggest you keep your eyes open on the ferry... quite often in the summer you can see whales from the ferry! You can , indeed, take your car on the ferry.

If you decide to head up to Tofino (definitely the best beach on the island), it's worth stopping in Coombs along the way. It's a little market area with goats on the roof. Some might suggest that it's cheesy, but you've got little ones and they'd probably get a kick out of it. The ice cream there is really good too. I'd also suggest a stop in Cathedral Grove to see some REALLY big trees (the trails around the grove are short and easy for children to maneuver). Depending on when you're here, there's also a sandcastle competition in Parksville that is good fun!! If you're planning to stay in Tofino, I'd recommend making reservations now, because spaces can fill up. You'll probably want about 3 days to make the trip up there worthwhile. As someone mentioned the drive is long and you'd want at least one day to explore without having to be driving. One really amazing this to do if you're there is to take the ferry to Meares Island and walk the Big Tree Trail. Last year, I did this and had two eagles fly through the trees 30 feet above my head. It was outstanding.

If you don't make it up to Tofino and you end up staying in the South Island, there are lots of neat things to see in the vicinity of Victoria. East Sooke Park is a great place to experience west coast scenery on decently easy walking trails. The park is about 45 minutes from Victoria.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. And enjoy BC. It is, I think, the most beautiful place on earth.

 

[jakoky]

I also live on vancouver island...it is very beautiful here...you can definately take your vehicle on the ferry, they are huge...i live about 1 hour and 15 minutes away from tofino/long beach...it is very beautiful there...august is one of our hotter months...definately in the upper 20-s to mid 30's( 80's to mid 90's)-although tofino is usually cooler and windier...there is much to see on the island, another poster mentioned coombs (your kids will love it) and cathedral grove (always packed when i drive by)...right near coombs you will pass butterfly world-i have never been but have heard it is great...victoria is beautiful, i highly recommend it..lots to see and do, they have great waterslides too for the kids....Have an excellent trip
sharon
me, dh, dd-16-, ds-almost 14-, dd-11 1/2-
WDW-Dec 04-first disney experience for my DH, DD, DS, DD and first time at WDW for us all
DL-MAY 06-first time at DL for DH and kids , and my 9th(but the first 8 were all by the time i was about 13) so it was all new to me
COUNTDOWN IS ON....WE ARE GOING BACK TO DL SEPT 15-25!!!!!

 

[Catrinabeach]

wow I didn't realize there were so many Vancouver Island DISer's !

I'm from the island as well. We lived in Ucluelet growing up and I agree that you need to check out Long Beach just before Tofino. It is the most awesome beach. Check it out at night when it's dark. It is the most beautiful sight !

And Whale Watching is much better from Tofino than Ucluelet.

Butterfly World is ok but nothing special for the price they charge.

Cathedral Grove is awesome. It's a nice break in the drive and a good place to have a snack.

Victoria is a nice city but I prefer the beaches to a city. As much as I like it for a tourist vacation it wouldn't be a place I would make sure to visit.

With only 2-3 days I would stick with Tofino and Long Beach.

 

[sweetascanbee]

Hello Fellow Vancouver Islanders!!..LOL
I too didnt realize there were so many of us here.

I live in Port Alberni, the gateway to the pacific Rim, so you have to come here to get to Tofino... I too reccomend Tofino.

Also if you like sandy beaches don't miss Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. Miles and miles of sand. Perfect for sandcastles.


Becky

 

[angel659]

Wow so much information. Thank your for your advice. There is so much to take in I think I better start a folder in the weekend.

BC sounds and looks beautiful. I wish I was staying for three weeks. I really want to see Banf. I showed my dd Banf and she loved it. Originally I was going to hire a cottage for 14 nights in Chillwack, but I think I will only be booking a week. The other reason to coming to BC is for a immigration purposes as well. I really want to see Canada too. I think I will need to book flights in January and book my accomodation as soon as we get back from our WDW holiday.

This is our plans where we want to go and not sure on how long.

Chilliwack
Banf
Whistler
Vancouver City
Vancouver Island

????? Seattle??????

I am not bothered about Seattle to be honest. It feels like a waste of a day or days when I am beautiful Canada. I am really dissapointed about Niagra Falls, but there will be a next time to see Niagra.

I too agree with Whale watching its a grey area. I would love to see whales in the wild, but I dont know if I can see them other than whale watching.

Thanks for your help I will let my dh see this thread. Its so helpful.

 

[KRIS10420]

This is our plans where we want to go and not sure on how long.

Chilliwack
Banf
Whistler
Vancouver City
Vancouver Island

If these are the places you would like to visit then I would first fly into Calgary, Alberta and rent a car. Drive to Banff and stay a day or two, then drive to Chilliwack. The drive from Calgary to Vancouver is approximately 12 hours. From Chilliwack it is about 1 hour to drive to Vancouver which can be done as a day trip. From Chilliwack it is approximately 3 hours to Whistler (2 from Vancouver) which can be done as a long day trip. Seattle is also about 3 hours from Chilliwack. Vancouver Island cannot be done as a day trip so you will need to book accomodations on the Island. Enjoy, there is lots to see.