When you find yourself in Vancouver, take the ferry over to the south end of Vancouver Island and spend 3 or so days in Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia. It has a very different vibe than Vancouver-relaxed, slow paced and quite British! We were there in the summer and really enjoyed our visit-the evenings were cool but the days were bright, sunny and quite warm!
I have two recommendations for Victoria – Butchart Gardens and the high tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel. They were definitely the highlights of our visit! Butchart Gardens, located right outside of Victoria is simply astounding in its beauty and variety. We spent a half day there and could have spent longer. Over 120 years old, this 55 acre garden receives more than a million visitors each year. Definitely become one of them! There are five different gardens including the Rose Garden which has over 250 varieties of roses in a multitude of colors. Don’t miss the Japanese Garden, with its traditional ponds and variety of plants. The Sunken Garden, Italian Garden and Mediterranean gardens are all outstanding as well.
Oh—and you must have the high tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel! If you are familiar with the Fairmont brand you know how utterly painstaking they are about every detail. This extends to their afternoon high tea, a fabulous assortment you will definitely enjoy! The atmosphere is very British indeed and you will need to dress up just a bit. No shorts, swim suits, or extremely casual dress. Reservations are not required but they are strongly suggested and in the summer especially they are a good idea. It is quite an experience!
Victoria also has a good selection of restaurants in all price ranges. Foodies will be quite happy with this little corner of Canada!
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