victoria-tofino-vancouver
 

Hi all! My fiance and I are going to be in British Columbia for our honemoon - from August 13th to the 22nd. We fly into Victoria with 2 days there, then drive to Port Alberni to stay over one night and complete the drive to Tofino where we'll stay for 2 days before driving back to Nanaimo to catch the ferry to Vancouver. We'll stay 2 days in Vancouver before flying home. So, I'm wondering, what should I expect for weather? Of course, I'd like to do a little bit of everything - nice dinners and nights on the town but also hiking and kayaking - while trying to pack light. Will this be possible? Also, any strong advice on places to eat? We're looking for places that range in price but lean strongly on local cuisine (and we'd like to avoid anything too tourist-y). Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi Maura, <BR> <BR>Weather is unpredictable in terms of predicting the outcome of a few days. However, August is usually the driest and sunniest month in the entire year, and Vancouver's hottest days are in August. Pack light, but do bring a sweater and/or a light waterproof jacket for when it cools down at night. Otherwise you'll be fine in shorts/t-shirts, sandals, etc. Don't forget the sunscreen! :) <BR> <BR>In terms of food, there's hundreds of restaurants to choose from. It really depends on what kind of food you're looking for and your price range. To give you an idea of some of the better restaurants in the city, the local Vancouver Magazine has put up mini reviews of their favourite Vancouver restaurants. The reviews are divided up into each different cuisine style (ie: Westcoast, views & settings, seafood, South Asian, Italian, Thai, etc) <BR> <BR>Here's the link! <BR> <BR>http://www.vanmag.com/diningout/westcoast.html

Are you sure you want to overnight in Port Alberni?

I recently drove through Port Alberni on my way to Tofino. I can't say that I'd list as being worthy of a stop on a honeymoon. I'd take that extra night and add it to my stay in Vancouver. <BR> <BR>As for restaurants, I'd recommend dinner at the resort there in Tofino. It's very pricy, but the view and service are fantastic and would make for a memorable one for the honeymoom scrapbook.

At the risk of being accused of 'piling on' I have to say that I too question your choice of Port Alberni as an overnight stop-Honeymoon notwithstanding. <BR>I mean there is ZIP of interest in PA unless you are a hard-core Sportfisherman-which I am. <BR>I know the place well it's a Mill-Town, reek included,and nothing else. <BR>Unless you want dinner at MacDonalds to be your lasting memory of Port Alberni give it a miss-please!

Hi Maura, <BR> <BR>"Piling it on, too." <BR> <BR>We had also planned a night in Port Alberni, but fortunately listened to the advice of other Fodorites, and drove right from Victoria to Tofino. So glad we did! <BR> <BR>Tofino is just wonderful for long, romantic walks. Schooner Beach was our favorite as it's so varied. Perhaps you read my trip report on the area. Even though it's the dry season, a goretex jacket was quite useful even for morning mist and windy conditions. <BR> <BR>Enjoy every minute!

A favorite restaurant in Stanley Park(in Vancouver) Tea House Restaurant at Ferguson Point. Also Aqua Viva was nice for lunch-on the water near the Imax Theater. Raintree Grill is also good.

Yes, yes - by all means give Pt Alberni a miss and - depending on what you prefer give the extra nite to Vancouver or Tofino. <BR> <BR>Restaurants in Victoria are not great but not bad either. You'ld probably enjoy Spinakers Pub (very reasonable and good west coast food) which is west of the inner harbour. I think they have a web site. The Herald Street Cafe is more pricey than Spinakers but some people like it better. <BR> <BR>In Tofino the really good restaurants are pretty expensive especially the 'Pointe' in the Wickaninish Inn but if the average of $30-$40 per before drinks and tip doesn't bother you I highly reccomend it. <BR> <BR>In Vancouver the variety is amazing and inexpensive - especially Asian foods. by the time you get to Vancouver you'll probably be tired of West Coast Cuisine so I strongly reccommend sampling our various Chinese, Japanese or East Indian Cuisine. Log on to some of the Vancouver web sites for reccomendations. Or check back on some that have been reccommended here. And really two days is not enough for Vancouver unless this is a repeat visit or one that you will be doing again in a few years.