Help needed with BC trip planning. Knight Inlet Lodge Can you help?
Feb 4th, 2007, 02:30 PM
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Help needed with BC trip planning. Knight Inlet Lodge Can you help?
We have had to suddenly change plans so instead of going to New Zealand in December we are looking into Vancouver for August. I hope it's not too late! We are a family of 4 (kids late teenagers) and we'd like to spend some time in Vancouver city, Whistler and Vancouver Island seeing bears and whales. I read on some old posts that Knight Inlet is supposed to be a very good place for wildlife watching. But I have found 2 places which call themselves knight Inlet lodge one is grizzlytours.com and the other knightinletlodge.com . Does anyone know which is in a better location or more reccommended? Any other ideas for this trip would be greatly appreciated. We like cities, eating, wine, hiking, bird and animal watching and driving. We have about 2 weeks from mid august. Thanks!
Feb 4th, 2007, 03:52 PM
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I have never been to Knight Inlet. I looked up both websites that you mentioned. One of them, knightinletlodge.com , had a toll free number, so I called it. I reached a guy by the name of George Beninger. He said that the outfit for which is works is the original Knight Inlet Lodge. It is a smaller, more family-oriented operation that accommodates 10 guests at a time.
The other place that's called Knight Inlet Lodge ( grizzlytours.com ) accommodates 40 - 45 guests at a time.
George said he worked for grizzlytours.com for 4 years, and has worked for knightinletlodge.com for 6 years. He said that, in his opinion, knightinletlodge.com offers a more intimate experience, whereas grizzlytours.com is more commercialized. He prefers working with knightinletlodge.com , and he thinks the guests have a better experience there.
But he also did say that the guests of both lodges saw the same bears. They used the same viewing platforms.
I did not phone grizzlytours.com because their website did not provide a toll free number.
Something that would be nice to do would be to visit Vancouver and Whistler and then follow BC Ferries' CirclePac route (which involves 4 ferry rides at a 15% discount from regular fares).
http://www.bcferries.com/travel_plan...pac/index.html
The CirclePac route involves catching a ferry from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver to Langdale, at the southern tip of the part of the BC mainland that is known as the Sunshine Coast. It's a relaxed, laid back part of the world.
You would then drive up the Sunshine Coast to Earl's Cove. There you would catch the ferry to Saltery Bay. However, before you do that, you might want to drive a few miles east of Earl's Cove, to Egmont, and view the rapids that form in the Skookumchuck Narrows when the tide turns. If you are experienced at kayaking, you may even want to kayak there:
http://www.bigpacific.com/whattodo/viewtides.html
Once you've crossed from Earl's Cove to Saltery Bay, you're on the northern stretch of the Sunshine Coast. I have not been there myself, as I have only gone as far as Earl's Cove.
Next you would drive from Saltery Bay to Powell River. I have more than one set of friends who kayak in the vicinity of Powell River (Desolation Sound, etc.). They rave about the kayaking there.
Next you would catch a ferry from Powell River to Comox on the east coast of Vancouver Island. From Comox you would drive north to Campbell River. If I have understood the Knight Inlet websites correctly, you would spend a night in Campbell River before catching a small plane to Knight Inlet.
After returning from Knight Inlet, you could drive south to Nanaimo. From Nanaimo / Departure Bay you could catch a ferry to Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver.
Alternatively, you could drive further south to the small city of Victoria, which is located at the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island. From Victoria you would drive to Swartz Bay and catch the ferry to Tsawwassen, which is not too far from Vancouver International Airport in Richmond.
I've given you a counter-clockwise route, but it would be possible to do it clockwise as well.
Victoria is a charming little city, but I personally think it would be a bit rushed to include Vancouver, Whistler, the Sunshine Coast, Knight Inlet and Victoria. In 2 weeks I think it would be feasible to do Vancouver + Whistler + Sunshine Coast + Knight Inlet. Alternatively it would be feasible to do Vancouver + Whistler + Knight Inlet + Victoria.
In Vancouver I recommend Stanley Park, Granville Island Market, the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, Yaletown and Robson Street.
Vancouver's North Shore attractions (Grouse Mountain, Capilano Canyon Suspension Bridge and Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge) are popular with tourists, but it is not so essential to see them if you'll be going to Whistler. The mountains in which Whistler is situated will eclipse Vancouver's North Shore, lovely though it is.
Whistler offers every activity that you would expect a mountain resort to offer. Two popular ones are the Zip Trek Eco Tour and mountain biking.
Victoria's most popular attractions are the Butchart Gardens, the Parliament Building, the Empress Hotel and the Royal BC Museum. With the exception of Butchart Gardens, the attractions that are of interest to short term visitors are centred on the Inner Harbour and are within walking distance of each other.
Vancouver is a great place in which to dine. It has excellent restaurants inevery price range. Here is a website about restaurants in Vancouver, Whistler and Victoria:
http://www.dinehere.ca/
Hope that helps.
The other place that's called Knight Inlet Lodge ( grizzlytours.com ) accommodates 40 - 45 guests at a time.
George said he worked for grizzlytours.com for 4 years, and has worked for knightinletlodge.com for 6 years. He said that, in his opinion, knightinletlodge.com offers a more intimate experience, whereas grizzlytours.com is more commercialized. He prefers working with knightinletlodge.com , and he thinks the guests have a better experience there.
But he also did say that the guests of both lodges saw the same bears. They used the same viewing platforms.
I did not phone grizzlytours.com because their website did not provide a toll free number.
Something that would be nice to do would be to visit Vancouver and Whistler and then follow BC Ferries' CirclePac route (which involves 4 ferry rides at a 15% discount from regular fares).
http://www.bcferries.com/travel_plan...pac/index.html
The CirclePac route involves catching a ferry from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver to Langdale, at the southern tip of the part of the BC mainland that is known as the Sunshine Coast. It's a relaxed, laid back part of the world.
You would then drive up the Sunshine Coast to Earl's Cove. There you would catch the ferry to Saltery Bay. However, before you do that, you might want to drive a few miles east of Earl's Cove, to Egmont, and view the rapids that form in the Skookumchuck Narrows when the tide turns. If you are experienced at kayaking, you may even want to kayak there:
http://www.bigpacific.com/whattodo/viewtides.html
Once you've crossed from Earl's Cove to Saltery Bay, you're on the northern stretch of the Sunshine Coast. I have not been there myself, as I have only gone as far as Earl's Cove.
Next you would drive from Saltery Bay to Powell River. I have more than one set of friends who kayak in the vicinity of Powell River (Desolation Sound, etc.). They rave about the kayaking there.
Next you would catch a ferry from Powell River to Comox on the east coast of Vancouver Island. From Comox you would drive north to Campbell River. If I have understood the Knight Inlet websites correctly, you would spend a night in Campbell River before catching a small plane to Knight Inlet.
After returning from Knight Inlet, you could drive south to Nanaimo. From Nanaimo / Departure Bay you could catch a ferry to Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver.
Alternatively, you could drive further south to the small city of Victoria, which is located at the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island. From Victoria you would drive to Swartz Bay and catch the ferry to Tsawwassen, which is not too far from Vancouver International Airport in Richmond.
I've given you a counter-clockwise route, but it would be possible to do it clockwise as well.
Victoria is a charming little city, but I personally think it would be a bit rushed to include Vancouver, Whistler, the Sunshine Coast, Knight Inlet and Victoria. In 2 weeks I think it would be feasible to do Vancouver + Whistler + Sunshine Coast + Knight Inlet. Alternatively it would be feasible to do Vancouver + Whistler + Knight Inlet + Victoria.
In Vancouver I recommend Stanley Park, Granville Island Market, the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, Yaletown and Robson Street.
Vancouver's North Shore attractions (Grouse Mountain, Capilano Canyon Suspension Bridge and Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge) are popular with tourists, but it is not so essential to see them if you'll be going to Whistler. The mountains in which Whistler is situated will eclipse Vancouver's North Shore, lovely though it is.
Whistler offers every activity that you would expect a mountain resort to offer. Two popular ones are the Zip Trek Eco Tour and mountain biking.
Victoria's most popular attractions are the Butchart Gardens, the Parliament Building, the Empress Hotel and the Royal BC Museum. With the exception of Butchart Gardens, the attractions that are of interest to short term visitors are centred on the Inner Harbour and are within walking distance of each other.
Vancouver is a great place in which to dine. It has excellent restaurants inevery price range. Here is a website about restaurants in Vancouver, Whistler and Victoria:
http://www.dinehere.ca/
Hope that helps.
Feb 4th, 2007, 04:56 PM
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I went to the Knight Inlet Lodget that's the floating lodge (the grizzly tours website) in 2000 and it was great, one of the best nature travel experiences I've ever had. Unless they've expanded greatly and their website is inaccurate, 40-45 doesn't sound right to me. I don't think it was that big a group or that the lodge could hold that many people (the website says 30 max in 12 rooms and that's consistent with my memory of the place). I'm not familiar with the other, smaller place.
If you can't get in to either lodge for bear viewing (I don't know how far in advance they book up), then I'd consider adding Tofino to your itinerary instead, not for bear viewing (although you may see some) but for gorgeous scenery and marine wildlife (and surfing, if your kids are into that). Do a search on Tofino in this forum to get an idea of what it's all about.
If you can't get in to either lodge for bear viewing (I don't know how far in advance they book up), then I'd consider adding Tofino to your itinerary instead, not for bear viewing (although you may see some) but for gorgeous scenery and marine wildlife (and surfing, if your kids are into that). Do a search on Tofino in this forum to get an idea of what it's all about.
Feb 5th, 2007, 03:22 AM
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Thanks a lot both of you - this is really helpful. I usually do a lot more reading up before posting but I panicked because of the late start. I've written to both lodges so we'll see what happens. I think i could add on a few days so I'll check out Judy's suggestion for sunshine coast and Tofino. We don't mind doing a lot of driving and moving around as we don't need to relax!
My tentative itinerary would be: vancouver 4 nights
drive to victoria 2 nights
drive to campbell river 1 night leave car
Knight Inlet 3 nights
Fly to Whistler (are there flights?)
2 nights in Whistler
Drive back to vancouver 1 night
But i will check on doing it the other way round I can easily add on an extra 4 nights. Thanks again and please send any other comments.
My tentative itinerary would be: vancouver 4 nights
drive to victoria 2 nights
drive to campbell river 1 night leave car
Knight Inlet 3 nights
Fly to Whistler (are there flights?)
2 nights in Whistler
Drive back to vancouver 1 night
But i will check on doing it the other way round I can easily add on an extra 4 nights. Thanks again and please send any other comments.
