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TL;DR – went to Canada, had a good time.
My wife and I have just returned from a 3½ week, 4100km+ road-trip around south-western Canada.
Here is a bit of a summary as well as a few observations/tips.
After landing at Vancouver airport we picked up a rental car and headed straight for the ferry to Vancouver Island for a day in Victoria and then a couple of days driving/sightseeing around Pacific Rim National Park and Tofino area.
TIP: Rental car pricing, like airfares, is a black art. Prices bounce around and vary massively between providers. With the mainstream providers you can make a non-prepaid reservation then cancel without penalty. I ended up doing this about seven time until I got the very best price I could. (Ended up paying NZ$1700 for a medium sized SUV for 21 days, fully insured, no excess). There are also discount/corporate codes to be found for better rates through things like AA memberships, credit card companies, etc, but do be cautious ensuring you’re entitled to use it or they may not honour it.
TIP: With AirBNB type accommodation, just because the description says it has tea/coffee supplies it doesn’t mean there will be milk (or creamer). Bring your own. Also if you’re staying for two days plus there will rarely be enough supplies for two people to last.
We then had 4 days in Vancouver. Found it a bit ‘meh’ to be honest. Stanley Park and the Granville Island markets are cool but beyond that it’s just another big North American city. When you read Tripadvisor (TA) the regulars will tell you to stay in a central city hotel. We instead chose an AirBNB in the suburbs to save some (quite a lot of) bucks, 10 minutes walk from the train, which is cheap and frequent and was a 20 minute ride into town. Had the added benefit of having somewhere to park the rental car.
TIP: When booking a private short-term-rental in BC ensure it is properly licenced. They have some strict by-laws around what can/can’t be let for short term to try and tackle the housing shortage.
Next stop was Whistler, with some sightseeing on the way. We really enjoyed Whistler. It is very touristy but not kitsch, I would describe it as ‘cool’
After that it was on to Wells Gray Provincial Park, renowned for its waterfalls. The most famous of these is Helmcken falls at a 141 metres tall. Unfortunately the main road and viewing platform were closed for repairs so we ended up walking the trail on the south-side from which the views aren’t quite as good, the weather wasn’t great either. So still impressive but not as spectacular as we had hoped. We did enjoy several of the other waterfalls though, particularly Spahat’s Creek.
TIP: Winters are brutal in Canada and they have short windows for construction and repairs, and some roads don’t even open until well into summer due to ice/snow. Check ahead to make sure what you’re planning to go and see is open/accessible.
On to the main attraction, the Rockies/Icefields Parkway. We were blown away by some of the sights here, insert whatever positive adjective can think of, just wow. We had allowed a few days to go up and down and we struck it real lucky with the weather.
(Yes, it really is that colour.)
TIP: This place gets busy, real busy. You will get stuck behind an RV. Be patient and tolerant both when driving and walking/hiking.
Again the TA ‘experts’ will tell you to stay in Jasper and Banff. We had a look around each of these towns and found them touristy and tacky and jolly expensive and we’re glad we didn’t heed that advice. Instead of Banff we opted for a nice roomy apartment in Canmore (15 minutes south-east of Banff), and rather than Jasper we stayed a 40 minute scenic drive east in a log cabin at Jasper Gates resort. This had the added benefit of being close to Hinton. TA says don’t bother with Hinton but the Beaver Boardwalk turned out to be one of our highlights (more below).
Moraine Lake and Lake Louise are must sees. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t great so my photos don’t quite look like the ones in the brochures but again, suitably impressive.
TIP: There is no private vehicle access to Moraine Lake and parking at Lake Louise is very limited and expensive. Organise a shuttle or tour
Time to head back west. We stopped off at Revelstoke and I went on the Pipe Mountain Coaster which was a bit of fun before a couple of nights in a small town called Sicamous. Not really on the tourist itinerary but we enjoyed a day or so just experiencing small-town, every day Canada. One more overnight stop in Abbotsford in a cute boutique hotel and then the last day back in Vancouver, lunch at Spanish Banks Beach and some shopping at an outlet mall near the airport before a 9 pm flight home. (Mrs. Had stated before we left that she wasn’t going to buy anything on this trip. She spent about $400 at the mall so that was pretty accurate 😊).
Wildlife
One of our ‘high hopes, low expectations’ was to see wildlife. We weren’t disappointed.
On Vancouver Island we saw bald eagles flying overhead. We also visited a rescue sanctuary allowing me to get a close-up pic.
Black bears are common this time of year. Plenty to see near Whistler when you go for a drive up Callaghan Rd and grazing underneath the Blackcomb gondola, as well as near the Rockies. We had earlier considered booking a $500 bear viewing ‘safari’. Glad we didn’t.
Also lucky enough to spot a couple of grizzlies, unfortunately no decent photos
Hoary marmot at the top of Blackcomb mountain.
Beavers in Hinton
Bighorn sheep at the side of the road near Jasper
Squirrels are everywhere (they may even be considered a pest over there but we don’t have them here and I think they’re cute).
Also saw quite a few deer and mountain goats. Unfortunately no elk or moose.
Overall – 8/10, a point off because the weather wasn’t as nice as we’d hoped and another point off because for 2 out of the 3 weeks I had a nasty cough and sore throat.
Trusted
