Grab your girlfriends and head to BC, for any kind of adventure.
3. Whale–watching in Victoria
BC's capital city features quaint shops, public gardens galore, fab galleries and Canada's oldest Chinatown (circa-1870s, with Canada's narrowest street, Fan Tan Alley), as well as a compact and nicely curated downtown shopping district. Now that's all well and good, but if you're a gang of nature-lovers, you're looking for something more, right? How about going whaling?
Where to stay: Pamper yourself after oceanic paddling by staying at The Inn at Laurel Point, considered one of the best in Canada by Condé Nast Traveler. Or go the vacation-house route and set up camp in a condo, townhouse or swanky estate. Search online for rent-from-owner websites or check out the Access Vacation Group's website at emrvacationrentals.com, among others.
What to do: Get wet, girls. Rent a canoe or kayak and explore the nearly 3,500 km of breathtaking ocean coastline on Victoria and its surrounding environs on Vancouver Island. Check out Blackfish Expeditions for guided kayak day trips or overnight camping trips via kayak. Or get onboard their whaling canoe for a naturalist-led expedition to the Gulf Islands. You may spot dolphins and orcas (a.k.a killer whales) in the Juan de Fuca strait. Day trips come with exploration time on protected marine reserves, where sightings of river and sea otters, cormorants, harbour seals, eagles can be expected. You can book your own private group tour if you don't want to share your naturalist with anyone else!
Where to eat: The Inn at Laurel Point's Aura Restaurant is considered one of the best, boasting an urbane menu with a strong pan-Asian inflection. The Surf N Turf isn't your grandpa's surf n turf – sukiyaki-braised short ribs and tea-soaked scallops and all.
The luxe Temple restaurant, set in a heritage building offers hipster-approved surroundings and foodie-approved tapas-style small-plates menu choices (as well as more trad entrees for those who've worked up a big appetite outdoors).
