Winter in Victoria usually means rain and cloudy skies with an all-pervasive grayness to the weather. Hours of daylight are short, and the city does seem to lose its ambiance. However, there are advantages to off-season travel. Room rates can be almost half the high season ones – and there’s still lots to see and [...]
Victoria is reached by air or ferry, unless you can afford your own boat. You can opt to board the ferry as a foot passenger or drive on board. But be warned, during peak tourist season and holiday weekends, car lineups can stretch to several hours wait time. Whether you choose to go by air [...]
The Restaurants Conde Nast Traveler reported that “Both of Victoria’s best restaurants are at the Ocean Pointe Resort: the Boardwalk…and the Victorian.” My eating experiences with these restaurants certainly bore this out. Enjoying good food at any time is a treat. Throw in a world class view and it’s memorable – both the Boardwalk and [...]
Romance in the Air Ah, true love – Valentine’s Day and all that. Victoria has the reputation of being a honeymoon destination, so it seemed an appropriate focus for this month. So, all you romantics, here are some possibilities. First, there’s that all important hotel room. You want it to be just right, to exude [...]
The Haterleigh Heritage Inn The Haterleigh Heritage Inn The Haterleigh Heritage Inn was built in 1901 as a family home by Thomas Hooper, a well known architect from Haterleigh in Devon, England. Today it is a handsomely restored and immaculately kept inn. The breathtakingly beautiful and original leaded and stained glass windows sparkle in the [...]
The Beaconsfield Inn The Beaconsfield Inn The Beaconsfield Inn, a 1905 designated heritage property, is located on a quiet, tree-lined residential street a five minute walk to downtown Victoria, Beacon Hill Park and the waterfront. A stuffed peacock and trickling fountain greet guests in the cheery sunlit conservatory awash with greenery. Stained glass windows abound, [...]
Prior House Bed and Breakfast Inn Prior House The minute you step through the door of Prior House Bed & Breakfast Inn, you are transported to a gracious past of Edwardian luxury. Colonel Edward Prior, who later became the Lieutenant Governor (the English Crown’s representative in British Columbia) and Provincial Premier, built Prior House in [...]
West Coast Fare Fresh from the Sea and Soil CAfe Brio Cafe Brio is a bistro style restaurant whose philosophy is serve it fresh and serve it organic, if possible. And the taste treats that chef Sean Brennan comes up with do more than justice to the ingredients of the West Coast contemporary dishes. The [...]
Canada Customs and Immigration Citizens or permanent residents of the United States require birth or baptismal certificate, voter’s registration card, resident alien card, green card or passport to enter Canada. A driver’s license is not accepted as proof of citizenship. All other international visitors require valid passports, and, in some cases, visas. All persons entering [...]
Officially, Victoria’s climate is “sub-Mediterranean” – it’s supposedly moderate all year-round with eight months frost-free. The saying around here is, if you don’t like the weather, wait half an hour – it’ll change. It’s all due to Victoria’s location, perched on the Pacific and open to the vagaries of the fronts that sweep across the [...]
