British Columbia

From vibrant Vancouver to the rugged beauty of the rearing Rocky Mountains, British Columbia is a land of contrasts. Here, luxury meets untamed nature, with remote wilderness lodges, world-class rail journeys and spectacular national parks waiting to be explored.

Framed by the Pacific and the North Shore Mountains, Vancouver has a setting to rival that of Sydney or Rio, not to mention a renowned restaurant scene and expansive green spaces like vast Stanley Park, with its ancient cedars and First Nations totem poles.

Across the water lies Victoria, the provincial capital, known for its gardens and heritage charm. But it’s the wilderness of Vancouver Island that truly captivates, from orca sightings on the ferry crossing over to the pristine beauty of the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve, one of the planet’s last remaining tracts of temperate rainforest, home to wolves, bears and the luxurious Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge. Other remote lodges in the wilds of BC include Knight Inlet Lodge and Sonora Resort in the fjords that furrow the province’s west coast, both wonderful places to spot grizzlies in the wild.

Back on the mainland, the scenic Sea to Sky Highway connects Vancouver to Whistler for skiing in winter and hiking in summer. Alternatively, board the Rocky Mountaineer for a luxury rail journey into the Rockies, overnighting in Kamloops before ending either in Banff or Jasper.