Thread: Nonrev Correspondent - Western Canada

We are leaving for Formont Vancouver hotel on Georgia st. next Friday. I would like to inquire if you know of any good yoga gyms near the hotel. I also wonder if you can reccomend a tour to visit Victoria. Thank you for your time.
Ofelia Siegel

o'fe

Hi there,
For yoga, go to www.vancouveryoga.com. Near the top left banner you can click on 'find a yoga or pilates class' and choose Vancouver downtown. It lists the studios, teacher, yoga type, etc. It's a very good tool.

As far as Victoria tours, they are plentiful. Problem is I don't really know which are better than others, or what you are looking for. Do you want a few hours tour of Victoria the city, or do you want a Vancouver Island whale watching tour. How long a tour, what do you want to see etc.? Tell me some more info and I can ask around for some recommendations. Off the top of my head, I know Grayline offers coach tours - <a href="http://www.grayline.ca/victoria/index.asp" target="_blank">http://www.grayline.ca/victoria/index.asp</A>

Just let me know and I can try to help out. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Meg, I need the name of a couple of good hotels in downtown Vancouver (near the cruise terminal) that aren't too expensive. We will be coming on the second weekend in May but we don't have tons of money for rooms since it will only be for one night.

Donna,
There are a ton of hotels in downtown Vancouver, all of which are a $5 cab ride to the cruise docks at Canada Place. There are 2 hotels right there at the water, but are probably the most expensive in the city, but if you want, see if they have an interline rate:
Westin Bayshore
Waterfront Centre Hotel

I have stayed at the Best Western Sands for about $100/night, and it is an average decent hotel (a relatively cheap rate for downtown)

I have also looked into, but not stayed at the Barclay Hotel for our correspondents meeting. It is VERY cheap, supposedly b/c the rooms are small, but have heard good things about it, and I know that the area is OK, so I would recommend that one.

Also there is a YMCA that is fairly inexpensive and I know is in a good area, and is fairly new. The link is <a href="http://www.ymca.vancouver.bc.ca/" target="_blank">http://www.ymca.vancouver.bc.ca/</A>

Just be careful, because the downtown is a large area, with some really nice areas and one crackhead/prostitution area. You really have to know the downtown to know where they are, which I do, but is hard to describe to you. Brand name doesn't necessarily help either. I would not want to see you end up in Downtown East Side by mistake.So... my suggestion is, either stay at one of these places, or feel free to ask me about a specific hotel if you find one that you think you might want to stay at. Here is a link for a directory of all Vancouver hotels for contact numbers for the hotels I have recommended.

<a href="http://www.vancouverplus.ca/search?type=grid&flavor_id=9&neighborhoods=126&his toindex_left=neighborhoods&sort=rank-desc&context=hotels_shopping&histo_name=Vancouver& cslink=cs_filter1" target="_blank">http://www.vancouverplus.ca/search?type=gr...link=cs_filter1</A>

I hope I haven't scared you off, just wanted you to beware! Downtown Vancouver is actually a great place to stay and many people in fact live right downtown. These opposite neighbourhoods seem to coexist peacefully side by side somehow. Just know where not to go and you'll be fine...

Nancy, thanks for the additional info. Give me a few days to ask around, and I will post some info for you here.

Hi!
Sorry I have not gotten back to you. I did some enquiring around, but then forgot to get back to you and went on holidays. Most of the people that I asked just know somebody who has a place and it's all private. The only real nice lodges that I am aware of are on the Queen Charlotte islands off the west coast but that is for salmon fishing, not what you are looking for. However, they do have fresh water fishing on the Queen Charlottes as well as salmon (something to consider). Anything else that I could find was just on the internet, and that type of thing would be better viewed by you so that you can decide if it sounds like what you want. Sorry I could not be of more help! Fishermen just don't run in my circles, so this was way out there for me! If you do find a potential place that you like I can certainly tell you if it will be easy access etc.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Fishermen just don't run in my circles, <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Actually Meg, fishermen don't run in circles, they mostly just stand "reel" "reel" still.

I couldn't resist!

Keep'em flying