On a recent trip to Victoria from Seattle, we decided to take the long way home and drive from…read moreVictoria to Nanaimo, ride the ferry to Vancouver, and spend the day there before returning home. I recommend taking Highway 1A and driving through the little towns of Chemainus (stop here if you have time, otherwise admire the many murals from your car), Saltair, and Ladysmith. 1A will take you to the Duke Point Ferry Terminal, or you can spend some time in Nanaimo and find the best Nanaimo bar (look up the Nanaimo Bar Trail and you'll find many suggestions for who sells them). Situated on a windy finger of land that shares Jack Point and Biggs Park, the ferry terminal itself is well organized and about 20+ lanes across. Buy your tickets online to save time and make sure you get to there an hour before departure. At the window, you can pay your fare or the agent will scan the prepaid barcode In your email. You are then assigned a lane. You can wait in your car or get out and walk around, grab a snack, use the restroom, take in the view, or pose with two orca statues flanking the walkway to the terminal. On the day we were there, two tents were set up with local arts and crafts. A large digital sign gave sailing information and PSAs about COVID safety. When it was time for everyone to board, an announcement was made asking us to return to our vehicles. About 10 or 15 minutes later, attendants guided us to the awaiting ferry. Everything was orderly and well organized, and I can't wait to come back.

We don't take Duke Point Ferry Terminal often. Duke Point (Nanaimo) goes to Tsawwassen. This is one…read moreof the more quieter ferry terminal and probably it's due to the limitation that it only goes one place.

Is this review for the terminal or the Ferries ??…read more The terminal has a very very long walk to the ships. On a nice day, you can sometimes see friendly sea otters ! There isn't much else to say about this terminal. Unlike many others, don't expect any cute little boutiques, food places or souvenir stands. There are over priced vending machines - at best. The reason it gets 4 stars is due to those sea otters !! And sometimes whales when you are at sea!

better than usual trip from Duke Pt to Tswassen - ferry was on time for the first time in many…read moretrips, and boarding was smooth and professional. food is never great but lentil soup with yam fry poutine is a quirky standby. worth looking for whales!

Cutest little regional airport I've ever been in Canada! The…read morewaiting area is divided into two sections. But no hot foods past security and just 2 vending machines for hot drinks and soda. Also the showers don't work. I was hoping they would since we came back from a Canadian outpost and were needing a bath stat.

Been to this airport over the years and while it's a quaint little spot, Nanaimo has grown…read moreexponentially, but the airport hasn't changed at all, even down to the tiny little cafe inside. Would be good to invest a little, update things, add a few amenities and begin to catch up to the community it serves.

Quality service .. NICE lounge w complimentary coffee/T/bakery nibs ... FRIENDLY.. knowledgeable…read more. ON TIME. Great scheduling and frequent flights!! TOP DOGS in this business round here

This experience was the best part of our trip! The pilots were exceptional and very professional…read more It was so enthralling to fly from Victoria to Vancouver and back again. Going to Victoria we flew a single-engine plane, which may have been older, but was so exciting. This trip took longer so we had more time to savor the beauty of the water and islands speckled throughout the landscape. On the way back, we flew a twin-engine which was faster but almost as exciting. The representatives were a little officious but they could not damper the excitement of these flights. We booked the flights and a tour of the Capilano bridge through Harbour Air and could not have been more delighted.

Hee. "Terminal" makes it sound so official and let me tell you, official it is not. Not to say this…read moreplace doesn't run like a well oiled machine most of the time, but compared to the big hustle and bustle of Twassassen, Swartz Bay & Duke Point, this place is a cake walk. Tips for fellow high strung mainlanders (who are walking on): 1. You need not get here a half hour early. I know, I know, it's almost programmed into you but you will not need the time. 5 minutes before sailing max. Go have a coffee instead. 2. You do not buy a ticket to get on the ferry. Apparently, paying to get to SSI was enough, and they let you go home for free. Again, stop searching around for the ticket stand and go get a coffee. 3. Do not haul your ridiculously heavy matching wheelie bags up the stairs (if you get the ferry that's big enough to HAVE stairs). Grab your laptop and then tuck your bag downstairs while you go enjoy the view. It'll be fine. There are only like... 40 other people on this thing and they all seem pretty nice. 4. Do eavesdrop on the ferry workers conversations when you arrive. I don't know why but they always seem to have the best antidotes. Now this is for walk on passage only. I have yet to bring my car over as I have the parental unit taxi service on SSI. But I would gather all of the above still rings true. Except you may need to arrive with a little more time to spare, park in line and THEN get a coffee...

Island time. Cute petite port with a few shops. You can get a bus from here to Ganges village…read morearound 20 minutes away. It costs only 2.25 CAD as of 14 February 2017. Ferries are pretty regular from Swartz Bay. Easy day trip from Victoria. You don't need a car, but it is easier if you have one. I took the bus. Since it is a car ferry, you can bring your car on the ferry and explore Salt Springs Island. It was a 30 minute - ish ferry ride from Swartz Bay to Fulford Harbor. A chilly February crossing, but beautiful. I stayed on deck through out. It was a bit less windy on the level where the cars park. So cool (and cold with the wind)! Saw some seals too!

In all my years, I have never encountered anyone more hospitable than the owner of this inn. He is…read moreso kind that it is almost disconcerting at first, until you realize that he is the model of sincerity. In reviewing the inn, I am excluding the restaurant entirely, as we didn't have the opportunity to dine there. The building is old, but has been sympathetically restored/updated. Be prepared for the fact that the building is old, as you cannot marry modern expectations to an old institution. We had a room with en-suite, but many of the rooms share a collective washroom. We loved the old world charm of the building, and for the money, it is the only game in town. The building is in the heart of Ganges, so you must resign yourself to a wake-up call early in the morning when traffic begins to build. Our room faced the sea, but the other side of the building doesn't offer anything but a parking lot for a view. You are steps away from everything of note in Ganges. I'd happily return, though I'd probably only do so if I had earplugs.

I love how cozy the seating area is it makes me feel like I was in a olden days tv show ( I'm not…read morevery old ) the food was great and they got our orders right which is rare nowadays

All About Her was a life saver! I needed to take my girlfriend away for a weekend after she…read morereceived some bad family news. I didn't have time to do all the investigation and work but that's where they came in. Not only did they help my g/f take a break but it made me look like a hero! I know I will use their services again. Very helpful, very personable and very quick... definite recommend.

John & Dani the lodge innkeepers are very welcoming to this clean nicely appointed lodge . It's a…read moresmall ( 4 suites ) log building on the edge of the cowichen River . Lots of otters , deer elk & beavers about . Our stay included a full breakfast which was excellent . Only neg WiFi was spotty . Very LGBTQIA2S+ welcoming . Highly recommend this adult orientated lodge . Set up perfectly for Covid