British Columbia What to Expect

Check out the winter storms at the beach but watch out for rogue waves: I'm not kidding!

Small town of old people and yuppies driving kids to soccer in SUV's. Nice restaurants by the beach!

Nanaimo is a great spot for cold-water diving. It's relatively easy to get to from Seattle (drive north, cross the border, cross the ferry, and you're there. Maybe 5 hours?). Clear waters, wrecks, deep walls, and a chance to dive with seals. Trouble is the water is COLD. I don't dive Canada tho my husband does. Nanaimo is FUN for non-divers too. The fun starts with the 2-hour ferry ride which includes a playground. Be sure to check out the uber-park near the marina which has, count them, THREE different kinds of swings in addition to a merry-go-round, jungle gyms, and more. Also don't miss the aquatic center. For just a few bucks your youngster can walk into the zero-entry pool with a pirate ship jungle gym made of water pipes that spray you. Lazy river, water slide, and lap pool are available for older kids. I couldn't get my youngster away from it! Small town feel where everyone seems to walk everywhere. US dollars accepted tho change will most likely be in Canadian. US chain restaurants available for the picky child who will only eat a plain cheeseburger and fries.

unless you have kids, stay at the Okanagan Lake side of Penticton. The lake is more beautiful and there are fewer tourists.

The main 'tourist' attraction is the old mine, which has been converted into a tourist side, so now little kids on field trips (not exclusively, though: anyone can visit) can pan for gold and learn about the old days.

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.

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.

Bring Canadian money, the exchange is shit nomatter what way you are coming at things, US to Can Can or any other dance. Be prepared for lots of flowers in Victoria, vibrant and beautiful. If you go hiking inland, be well-versed in what to do if a Canadian cougar decides to make you it's smelly, oversized lunch. It only happens now and then, a couple times a year, but do some research. They can jump 40 or more feet, so you might as well keep your pepper-spray in a warm, wet place. I.E. up your ass... it would do you more good there. Travel with a companion. Always. Usually nothing would ever happen... but. Beware of your children. They will drive you crazy! They also are prime targets for hungry cats. Remember when we used to feed the little critters out of cans? Well, watch YOURS!

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 :)

Neat harbor and geographical attraction. Stay in cabin in either town or on the way to Bella Coola

sehr schöne Natur, Wildlife pur, kleines Dorf

Beautiful nature, very nice people, great weathers..i dunno, loving it!