Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island has become increasingly popular as a local getaway in recent years. Here you’ll find beautiful beaches, hiking trails, many lakes, rivers, mountains and scenic farmland. It’s a beautiful place to escape in the summer.

Typical Costs

• Hostel Prices: Hostels start at $19 USD. Prices are more expensive during the summer high season.
• Budget Hotel Prices: Some budget hotels that rates as low as $40 USD although they aren’t in the central part of the island. For a more central location, expect to pay around $65 USD and up.
• Average Cost of Food: Food is reasonable here as long as you cook for yourself. If you are going to cook your own food, expect to pay between $50 to 60 USD per week. Most restaurants will cost around $20 USD per meal. Since it’s an island, a lot of food is imported from the mainland.
• Transportation Costs: Transportation around the island is very easy. All the towns are walkable and you can take buses for $2 USD anywhere you need to go. If you are going into the mountains or spending a few days here, it might be best to rent a car or bike.

Top Things to Do

• Visit the “goats on the roof” experience – For a fun experience, visit this small market that has actual goats living on the roof. It’s definitely unique and different. Don’t feel too bad for them as the roof has plenty of grass and room for them to roam around.
• Visit Cathedral Grove - This forest is on the southwest part of the island and part of Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park has some of the oldest cedar trees in the world. (Many are over 1,000 years old!) It’s a great place to hike and all the birds will make a bird lover smile widely.
• Hike the Rainforest -You can spend a few days hiking all the trails on the island. The natural beauty is one of the main reasons to come here and if you don’t do some hiking, you’re missing out.
• Beacon Hill Park – This nice park offers a bit of history as well. Aside from being a wonderful place for a picnic, it also houses a tree planted by Winston Churchill.
• Visit a winery – Vancouver Island has twenty different wineries. They may not be the best wineries in the world but the wine is more than drinkable. If you’re here in September, you can attend the annual wine festival.
• Visit the U’Mista Cultural Center in Alert Bay – For a unique experience, learn about the potlatch ceremonies of the Kwakwaka’wakw people. They have been living on this island for thousands of years and it offers a interesting look at life on the island before white settlers.
• Whale Watching – The inside passage and the area around Vancouver is one of the most active areas for whales in the world. You’ll be able to see a variety of species of whales.
• tGhost Tours – Looking to peer into the spooky side of the island? Take one of the many ghost tours around and learn about what still lives here from the afterlife.
• Whale Watching – From boating, to fishing, to kayaking, to canoeing, there are a lot of water activities here. You can do many on your own or go on a guided trip and get the added benefit of someone who can explain what everything is to you.
• Butchart Gardens – Aside from the traditional, peaceful pathways and bench areas you would expect to see, this garden is host to a spectacular flower exhibit. Occasionally there are concerts and firework displays within the garden as well.
• Victoria Butterfly Gardens – This is an indoor tropical rainforest filled with butterflies. All of the butterflies are flying out in the open among the flora and fauna.
• Abkhazi Garden – Spanning just over an acre, this garden created by the Russian prince and princess Abkhazi features Japanese Maples, native Garry oaks, and hundreds of rhododendrons. Try to check it out while the flowers are blooming.

Budget Tips

• COMING SOON!!!

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