BRITISH COLUMBIA

Whistler and Blackcomb mountains have more than 200 marked skiing and snowboarding trails between them, however, this village is a destination for all seasons. When the snow has gone, out come the mountainbikers to tackle the adrenaline pumping rides in North America’s largest bike park and golfers head for scenic championship courses. Whistler Village boasts a vast array of restaurants and boutiques, some specialising in First Nation art and jewellery.

On the southern tip of Vancouver Island, an elegant reminder of the British Empire lives on. Victoria, with its iconic Provincial Legislature buildings and Empress Hotel, provides a remarkable contrast to the untamed landscapes that surround it. The Inner Harbour is the best place to begin enjoying the city’s charms. Once a bustling port of fur traders and dealers in legal opium sales, the old town brings the history of Victoria’s past alive.

The Island stretches from the colonial capital of Victoria in the south to Cape Scott’s windswept beaches and rocky headlands in the north. This rugged paradise combines old-growth forests, snowcapped mountains, and untamed shorelines. Experience world-class whale watching, birding, and fishing, or just let your worries drift away in the waves of the Pacific.

The Thompson Okanagan offers a world-class wine region and is home to the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, Canada’s only desert and sprawling lakes. Vast grasslands, towering waterfalls, and lush valleys set the stage for a vibrant agricultural and culinary scene. Spend the summer hiking and biking through the rolling hills, or fishing in its glacier-fed lakes. When winter rolls around, head to the mountains for fresh powder.

This area is one of the best places in the world to observe grizzly bears and other wildlife such as wolves, black bears, otters, pine martins, mink and bald eagles. From May through to October, stay at Great Bear Nature Lodge to experience world-class wildlife viewing excursions. And a maximum of sixteen guests ensures a personalised wilderness adventure in this special area.

This 100-kilometre-long fjord has been carved by glaciers in the coastal mountains. This pristine wilderness is the native habitat of the grizzly bear. Every spring when the bears come out of hibernation they can be seen on the banks of Glendale Cove. For the best bear viewing experiences stay at the floating Knight Inlet Lodge where you can begin your bear spotting adventure.

Located on Berry Island, Farewell Harbour Lodge is in a marine park and beautiful forested area of the famed inside passage route to Alaska. Take a sea kayaking excursion, guided interpretive rainforest hike and enjoy full day excursions to the grizzly bear viewing areas. There is always plenty of marine and wildlife to discover in the region.

The Klemtu Rainforest offers access to some of the best grizzly and spirit bear viewing in the region as it’s nestled in a remote archipelago of small islands and protected from the wild Pacific Ocean. Spirit Bear Lodge pays homage to the traditional long house built for thousands of years by West Coast First Nations and is the best place to base yourself in your quest for the elusive Spirit Bear.