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It was our first time visiting Victoria, BC and we fell in love.
The moment we drove off the ferry from Vancouver and onto the island, we felt an instant change in tempo and vibe. You know when people say, “Island time?” We felt like Victoria was on Island time.
People were friendly and happy, cars waved you in, people were on bikes and the sun was shining, it was glorious.
If you haven’t been to Victoria before, we highly recommend even before you read the rest of our blog, you book a trip and go because it’s a gorgeous city with so much to do and lots to see.
The downtown core is about 20 minutes from the Swartz Bay Ferry Landing which means you either drive, bus or bike.
We drove and it was easy peasy, one highway and not a lot of traffic, now mind you, we went in the middle of May when maybe July is a bit more busy due to the summer so keep that in mind.
But all in all, the driving in the city was totally fine.
Once we got into the city, we followed Google Maps to our hotel, Chateau Victoria, a locally owned and operated hotel that is located right in the heart of Victoria and in walking distance of city hall, the harbour, amazing restaurants like Vista 18 which is on the 18th floor of the Chateau, whale watching, hop on hop off tour buses, and more.
There was even a Starbucks next door.
Check in was a breeze and honestly, we need to make a note of this because sometimes it’s rare, the Chateau Victoria’s customer service was exceptional, and we aren’t just saying that. Every single person who walked in got greeted with a nice big smile and hello. You could tell that the staff loved their job and cared about their guests.
Once we got kindly escorted to the elevator, we went up to our room where our luggage was being unloaded off the cart for us and our jaws dropped to the floor.
Seriously, our jaws literally dropped to the floor and Cierra said WOW with so much excitement because the view was incredible and the room was perfect.
We stayed in the 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom penthouse suite that had an incredible balcony that overlooked the skyline.
Each room had large closets, lots of natural light and the beds were so comfortable.
In the living room, there was also a pull-out couch for additional guests and a large tv with streaming capabilities like Netflix or Amazon Prime right from your phone.
The kitchen had a stovetop, microwave, fridge, toaster, kettle and some additional utensils for making some easy in-room meals.
However, if you did happen to get hungry, Vista 18 on the 18th floor was incredible serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with a phenomenal view included.
We had the opportunity to experience their dinner menu and all we can say is, if you like steak, get it! The steak was so good, cooked to perfection and the accompanying sides were unlike anything we’ve ever tasted. It was so good, Cierra still thinks of that meal. And have you ever had crispy fried avocado on a burger? Now's your chance!
After dinner, you can go down to the pool or hot tub and relax or check out Clive’s Classic Lounge which is an award-winning cocktail lounge.
During the day, you can walk pretty much anywhere! We visited Chinatown, the harbour, and city hall and checked out some really cool streets heading back to Chateau.
We went whale watching and saw a humpback whale, seals, sea lions and an otter. It was such a fantastic experience.
Victoria was truly an experience and we seriously fell so hard for the city and have considered moving there!
If you want to experience history, beauty, the ocean, wildlife and happy local people, visit Victoria and stay at Chateau Victoria, you won't be disappointed.
Until our next adventure,
C & M
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