Discover What’s New and where to be seen in British Columbia, Canada for 2019 including:
Getting There:
WOW air is launching a brand-new route to Vancouver, with fares starting from a bargain £129 each way. The new route will depart from London Gatwick airport, via Reykjavik, and will operate six times a week, with a total journey time of approximately 14 hours, including stopover, launching Thursday 6th June 2019 and will run seasonally until October 2019.
Stay:
Two new properties open in Vancouver. EXchange Hotel, opened in late 2018 in the redesigned downtown heritage Vancouver Stock Exchange offering 202 rooms and a restaurant overlooking the 60 ft. high lobby atrium. The Seaside Hotel, is set to open in Spring 2019 in North Vancouver. This boutique, harbour-front hotel and spa will offer 71 rooms and is adjacent to the new Polygon Gallery.
Vancouver Island’s The Wickaninnish Inn is recognised as the #1 RESORT in CANADA by US Condé Nast Traveler in its 31st annual Readers’ Choice Awards. New for 2019, guests at The Wick can sip and swirl in Howard’s Wine Cellar; a temperature-controlled space divided by floor-to-ceiling glass has transformed the Inn’s ability to showcase its impressive wine selection, which offers hundreds of exceptional labels curated from regional vineyards and from wine producers around the world – the first of its kind on the West Coast. Foodies can also take advantage of The Wick’s celebrated cuisine at The Pointe Restaurant, who released their first cookbook – The Wickaninnish Cookbook: Rustic Elegance on Nature’s Edge in May 2018.
BC’s newest bear lodge, Homfray Lodge brings bear watching to the Toba Inlet. New for 2019, Homfray Lodge will offer tours and excursions with Pacific Coastal Cruises & Tours. The recently re-opened Homfray Lodge offers the closest grizzly viewing opportunities to Vancouver and the first on the Sunshine Coast. Between August and October, grizzly viewing tours are operated in partnership with the local Klahoose First Nations in Toba Inlet where visitors will watch the bears feasting in their natural habitat along the Klite River. A 3-night Homfray Explorer Cruise is priced from £1,277 per person.
The Royal Kelowna is now open on the shore of Lake Okanagan in downtown Kelowna. Downtown Kelowna’s most luxurious hotel, The Royal Kelowna backs directly on to Okanagan Lake and features some of the largest suites in the region which include gourmet kitchen facilities, gas fireplace, and in-suite laundry. Guests can relax in the rooftop pool or hot tub with lake views. Rooms priced from £105 per night.
Spirit Bear Lodge introduce a new Rainforest Recharge package available through June and July 2019. Spirit Beach Lodge is an Indigenous owned and run lodge located in BC’s Great Bear Rainforest providing all-inclusive packages across 12 ocean-view rooms. The new Rainforest Recharge package gives visitors a chance to explore untouched rainforests and experience cultural activities, forest hikes, shore lunches on secluded beaches, whale and marine wildlife watching, bear watching and access to the lodge’s canoes and kayaks. 3, 4, 5 and 6-night packages are available. Package price available on enquiry, including roundtrip domestic airfare from Vancouver’s South Terminal.
Explore:
Indigenous-owned Moccasin Trails now offer interpretive canoe trips in the Thompson Okanagan. Guests can travel down the North Thompson River where the local Indigenous Peoples have travelled for thousands of years. Prices start from £30 per person.
Smithers based Adventure Camp Tourism is offering new tours in Northern BC. New for winter 18/19, Adventure Camp Tourism is offering a ski safari that includes 2 days at Shames Mountain, 2 days backcountry, 1-day Hudson Bay Mountain, 1-day snowmobiling and 2-days at Powder King from £1,612 including all accommodation, lift passes, guides, permits and ground transport.
Swarovski’s Sparking Hill Resort in the Thompson Okanagan launch Be Your Best Self Wellness Package. Guests staying at the luxurious Sparkling Hill Resort can experience an 8-day transformative package geared towards whole body wellness. It promotes more than just weight loss, with immersive experiences to boost physical, mental and emotional health in the natural beauty of BC’s Lake Country and most notable wine region, the Thompson Okanagan. Packages include 7 nights’ accommodation at Sparkling Hill Resort, bespoke nutrition programs, culinary education sessions, interactive lectures and activities, priced from £3,712 per person.
For more information on British Columbia, visit: www.hellobc.co.uk
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