Tried & tested: Beautiful British Columbia

Though it turns out that British Columbia has much more to offer than just bears. Referring to it as simply bear country seems to undermine the other amazing attributes that make up this region of Canada, such as extreme sports, planes landing on water, beautiful gardens, kayaking, breathtaking views, whale-watching, wonderfully fresh food and so much locally made beer we should perhaps be saying welcome to beer country.

Where to start The easiest way to access British Columbia and all its' treats is through Vancouver . Though it is the third most densely populated city in Canada it does not have the hustle and bustle one might expect. It makes a great dormitory town for those wanting to take advantage of the adventures on offer surrounding this tower block filled city.

Staying central in style The Fairmont Hotel situated in Vancouver Harbour is a conveniently located hotel offering a roof top swimming pool, great views across the Pacific Bay and only a short walk away from the train station and Gastown, where you’ll find an abundance of bars and restaurants.

Planes, trains and whale watching There are so many genres of transport to leave Vancouver the mind boggles. Small plane, big cruise liner, slow glassed roof train or on a whale watching boat. There are a few whale watching companies but the brilliantly named Prince Of Whales is the only one that also acts as a shuttle between Vancouver and Victoria, making the trip practical too. Why spend four hours on a boat only to end up where you started. You are expected to see killer whales on this trip (in the past year there have only been two trips where no whales were spotted) but we were lucky enough to have a humpback whale do an hour long show for us. Seeing a whale is far more overwhelming than you can prepare yourself for. This experience alone is worth the 9 hour flight to Vancouver.

This trip with most of these activities can be arranged through Inghams