dina4

A few more questions, please....

TOFINO-- the Hot Springs Cove trip.... it seems so expensive, especially when you're paying for 4 people in your family. i'm wondering if it's worth it and if it's too much of a touristy (crowded) activity.

VICTORIA -- can anyone give more info on the 2 seater carriages that take you around town. i read about them, but do you rent / drive them yourselves? is their a guide who takes you around? where do you hire them?

thanks!
dina

NWWanderer

Dina, the trip I did to Hot Springs Cove was a full day trip with whale watching and bear viewing as well as stopping at this cool marine cave on the way back. I did the trip with a company called Remote Passages. It was great and I thought it was a good value given that it's a full day trip.

However, I did it in October so the crowds were definitely less than they would be in July I'm sure. It was just our boatload of people at the hot springs (about 10 people or so), and the experience did not feel touristy at all to me--it was just a whole lot of fun in a beautiful part of the world. You might ask the outfitter you're going with if the different outfitters stagger the arrival times so that a whole bunch of boats don't arrive at once or something like that.

dina4

I read that a recommendation to visit the Hot Springs in spring or fall because they can get really crowded in the summer, which would not be too appealing, i think.

thanks (again) for the info and good advice.

dina

traveller69

Dina - I think you are talking about the Kabuki cabs. They are bikes driven by (strong) mainly young people with an attached double seat like the rickshaw. They are all over the downtown area and they will take you wherever you want to go. Of course there are also the horse and carriage tours as well.

April

Kabuki cabs can often be seen around the harbour on the street in front of the Empress Hotel. Horse drawn carriages can be found by the inner harbour on Menzies Street.

Meesthare

We went to Hot Springs Cove a number of years ago and thought it was magical. We stayed on a houseboat right at the cove that's a B&B - check www.innchanter.com. We actually did a night hike to the hot springs and nobody else was there - it was amazing!

Staying on the boat was delightful; I think your family would enjoy it and it was a really different sort of experience.

dina4

thanks for the details, everyone.

meesthare-
sounds like a unique experience, but we already have a reservation on Chesterman Beach.

dina