Planning a Trip to British Columbia

Summerland is a quaint town in the Okanogan. It has a German village feel. It is the home of the Sumac Ridge winery and located on the edge of Okanogan Lake. The best time to visit is early December for the Lighting of the City or the Summer Street Fair. Check our Zia's for fine dining in a quaint stone home.

Penticton is an amazing summer town, not much to do in the winter months. If you visit you need to spend a lazy day floating down the canal, it is worth it. The two beaches in town are the best I have been to, besides the lakes in Ontario. There is so much to see and do while on vacation there and never enough time. If you live adventure try the parasailing they do at Okanagon Lake, it is a blast.

Theres a good stampede going on in summer time..To bad the Longhorn pub burnt down years ago,was the best striptease in town.Wings night wednesday in the overlander pub.Go to ten ee ah lodge (lac la hache),nice lake ,good camp grounds.Big fish in the lake

I took the land sea tours that is good for guided tours to North Shore Vancouver. Very nice people and dont miss the Grouse Mountain which is good for skiing or snow boarding. Downtown nightlife is nice and there are a bunch of museums like Vancouver Art Gallery and Museum of Anthropology. The thing that I missed was going to Victoria which has a lot of places to see.

inveremere is best in the winter because it has lots of snow but also there are alot of shops so take some money and to save time take the bus

Vancouver, BC is one of the most beautiful cities in the world with an insane number of things to see, people to meet and experiences to have. I would encourage any and all travellers to hit me up with any questions they may have when visiting this gorgeous place as it is my home city!

Accessing/ Exchanging money: There are dozens of places this can be done all over downtown, the airport, banks, etc. Simply use the internet or a phone book to make this happen.

Activities: My biggest recommendation here will be to take a walk along the Sea Wall... it's stunning and you're able to capture a lot of scenery... that being said, to place all activities here would take me hours, perhaps days!

Sightseeing/ attractions: Just to highlight a few-- The planetarium's spectacular; Any number of beaches and my favorite's Spanish Banks; The Sea Wall; English Bay; Cypress Bowl; Grouse Mountain; Telus World of Science which is subsequently also the former home of EXPO '86; The Vancouver aquarium; HSBC celebration of lights... And the list could go on for hours.

Nightlife: The nightlife here is lots of fun with most clubs downtown staying open until 4am. Bear in mind that most clubs have a zero violence and obnoxious behavior tolerance policy as well as a dress code- So try to look your best :) My favorite club downtown Vancouver would likely be the Roxy... great for a good time and the dress code's a little bit relaxed.

Food Resto's: Vancouver pride's itself on a world class variety of food. My top recommendations are: The Boathouse, Vij's, The Mongolian Grill, Tsunami Sushi... and oh man, sooo many more!

Health: All Canadians have medical health care provided to them as part of their citizenship... As a visitor, you'll be happy to hear that Canada has wonderful doctors and hospitals. There is generally a bit of a lengthy wait at a hospital if you need care, so I will recommend a clinic if it's possible for you. Always make sure you have medical insurance before you come to Canada from abroad!

Transportation: Vancouver, unlike most metropolises does not have a subway, instead we have a skytrain. This monorail train runs very frequently and encircles the majority of the city. For your other transportation needs, we have a decent Bus transit system (translink.bc.ca), as well as a Seabus and taxi's if need be. With the exception of the taxi, the rest are all connected and one can purchase a pass to use them all. If you're staying for a shorter period of time, please use the translink site quoted above to determine how much change you'll need to ride transit- oh, and make sure it's exact change! Vancouver is a health conscience, environmentally friendly city, so bicycle riding is encouraged, so feel free to buy, bring, or rent one of those!

Danger Annoyances: No city is without these! Just like every other city in the world beware of pick pockets, and homeless people asking for donations (which isn't too bad, because they'll ask for the donation, you say no and they leave you alone). Also, keep away from East Hastings as it's home to the largest homeless/ drug addict population in Vancouver.

Gay/Lesbien Travellers: Vancouver's a very homosexually friendly city! For a pride filled time, head up to Davie and Denman streets downtown. Every August long weekend is also Pride Parade time which is complete with a Pride Dinner cruise around the Vancouver Harbour! The entire city gets involved with this wonderful event. I recommend my favorite book store in the city called Little Sisters which also has a plethora of information on events in the city aimed at our gay and lesbien population!

What to bring: Ahahah! Bring an Umbrella! Or don't and head down to the Umbrella shop on Granville Island and choose a fun and funky one! Vancouver is located in one of the rainiest parts of the world as BC is home to a natural rainforest! Also bring a small back pack or carry all that allows you to stroll the city hands free. Bring sunscreen, a map, a smile and a great attitude!

Hotels accommodations: As for where you're gonna stay... if you can't couch surf like myself, might I suggest any number of super fun hostels around the city! If you're looking for something far more upscale and fancy, we have several hotels for you to choose from: The Hotel Vancouver, The Westin Bayshore or the Hyatt. For something somewhere in the middle, there are tons and tons of hotels to choose from... just use google!

Lastly, Interacting with locals: Just be nice, smile and try to speak English! So, if English is not your first language, bring a phrase book and try to muddle through it. Most of the time we think it's simply adorable when people at least try! Also don't be surprised if someone doesn't speak to you... sometimes, they don't speak English either or they're in a hurry to run off! But 99% of the time, people will stop and offer what help they can. Oh, also, if you need help in a hurry, feel free to just walk into a store and ask! They normally know the area and again, will do what they can.

Good luck and I hope to hear that you've visited my fair wonderful city that I hold so very very close to my heart :)

Samesun Backpackers is the BEST hostel ever! Friendly staff, cheap rooms and internet. Clean and there's a massive common room and balcony. Awesome :)

Summerland is a quaint town in the Okanogan. It has a German village feel. It is the home of the Sumac Ridge winery and located on the edge of Okanogan Lake. The best time to visit is early December for the Lighting of the City or the Summer Street Fair. Check our Zia's for fine dining in a quaint stone home.

Victoria Express is the fastest ferry to get here; no cars allowed so you can make the trip in less than half the time it takes one of the larger ferries. It also docks in Victoria's Inner Harbour, just a few blocks from the restaurants and shops of downtown. I recommend the Brazilian restaurant just across the street from the Customs building you go through at the Inner Harbour (all martinis are standard 3 oz. and the deep-fried cheesecake is to die for); also, farther downtown on Government Street, there is a fantastic Irish pub where you can wash down a lamb burger with a pint of Guinness from the tap. You won't need a car to get around Victoria; I've backpacked and walked each of the 4 times I've visited. Taxis and rental scooters and bikes are abundant. If you plan on staying overnight, though, I recommend making reservations ahead of time, as the hotels here fill up rather quickly. Within walking distance of the harbor there are several museums, lots of shopping including a mall with a liquor store, and so much history evident in the gorgeous architecture. Taxis are available if you wish to venture out a bit farther to visit the famed Butchart Gardens (which, during the summer, have a fireworks show every Saturday) and Craigdarroch Castle.

Make sure to factor about an hour to get through US Customs at Blaine (typically when coming from Vancouver).

Canadian Customs take their job very serious. Be prepared to answer in depth questions about your job and know where you are staying at in Canada. Chances are , customs will ask you for the address of the hotel you are staying at. Also, be aware if you have a DUI in the USA you cannot enter Canada. They are very strict about this rule!

10 am every Thursday July 1 to August 22. Meet at the Lighthouse to join a naturalist guide. By donation.

I lived here for a month and there is not much to do for nightlife except for grab some " Lucky's" beer and set up a bonfire on the beach. However, Whale watching was awsome! Try surfing...its crazy and Check out the Clayoquot Sound Hot Springs. If you like Sushi, Tough City Sushi is the freshest you'll ever have in your life! Delicious . And i recomend ordering and Eggs Benny from Schooners restaurant..the best one i have ever had. If you have a lot of cash then spend the night at the Wickaninnish Inn...gorgeous view and just an awsome Hotel

The new Canada Line Skytrain is now running, so you can take that to get into downtown Vancouver from the airport in less than half an hour.

keep your eyes peeled for sightings of the ogopogo

The biggest town in the middle of nowhere...kind of like Kempsey or Grafton...Kamloops just looks better.