Victoria #1 on Trip Advisor

[Luckysll]

Always knew I lived in a great place. :D

 

 

 

TripAdvisor has named Victoria the Best Travel Destination in Canada -- and the 24th best place to visit in the world -- in its 2010 Traveller's Choice Awards. The lofty praise from one of the world's most popular travel websites arrives as the tourist season gets underway and operators cross their fingers for more visitors.

 

The City of Gardens also finished No. 2 behind Quebec City for best culture and sight-seeing in Canada. Vancouver, Ottawa and Montreal followed.

 

Rankings were based on the reviews of travellers and a popularity index based on hotel reviews, travel stories and opinions gleaned from the web. "It's still one of the most British cities in North America, but there's more to Victoria than tearooms, antique shops and galleries (though there are plenty of those)," TripAdvisor editors said. "Driven by the younger generation, the city has sprouted a collection of cool shops, authentic coffee bars and unique restaurants. It also has more cycling routes than any other Canadian city, providing a great way to explore the picturesque location (and avoid an afternoon of antique shopping)."

 

Finishing 24th overall in the world put Victoria with some incredible company. To put this in perspective, Monaco was No. 1 and Capetown, South Africa No. 25. Rome was ninth and St. Petersburg 17th.

 

Butchart Gardens, the Royal British Columbia Museum and Eagle Wing Whale Watching Tours were mentioned as "don't miss."

 

Meanwhile, local tourist businesses also earned TripAdvisor rankings -- Abbeymoore Manor Bed & Breakfast Inn was first in Canada and No. 2 in the world under the Best B&B and Inns category; Royal Scot Hotel and Suites scored a No. 5 Canadian ranking in the Family Hotel category; and Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa was eighth best in Canada under the Luxury Hotel Category.

 

Brentwood Bay also scored a AAA Four Diamond ranking for a third straight year and has been included in Expedia's Insider Select list, an elite group of hotels that represent the top one per cent of hotel's on Expedia's site. --

 

Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/Victoria+TripAdvisor/3003269/story.html#ixzz0nRHCe7PV

[JHUNTGOLF]

Sandy, thanks for the Victoria info. We already knew it would be a great place to visit prior to our Alaska tour/cruise, but this just tell us how great it really will be. We plan to fly into Seattle on August 10 and spend the night. The next morning we plan to take the ferry to Victoria and spend the night at the Marriott near the inner harbor before taking the ferry back the next day. A city tour and Butchart Gardens is definitely on our agenda. We'll just have to see how much more we can pack in during our day and night there. Are there any "don't miss things" that we should add to our itinerary?

 

John

[Luckysll]

Sandy, thanks for the Victoria info. We already knew it would be a great place to visit prior to our Alaska tour/cruise, but this just tell us how great it really will be. We plan to fly into Seattle on August 10 and spend the night. The next morning we plan to take the ferry to Victoria and spend the night at the Marriott near the inner harbor before taking the ferry back the next day. A city tour and Butchart Gardens is definitely on our agenda. We'll just have to see how much more we can pack in during our day and night there. Are there any "don't miss things" that we should add to our itinerary?

 

John

 

If you have time, as the article mentions, the Royal BC Museum is well worth a visit. You can easily spend a couple of hours there.

[Budget Queen]

The problem with posting this on a "cruise" message board, is there is NOT enough time for Victoria with any cruise itinerary. :( When I go there, it's for at least 3++ days. It is a great area- as is the entire Vancouver Island. Try it. :)

[JHUNTGOLF]

If you have time, as the article mentions, the Royal BC Museum is well worth a visit. You can easily spend a couple of hours there.

 

Thanks, we'll try to work it in.

 

John

[nlktx49]

Thanks for this information. I'm cruising the Inside Passage in August, and my husband and I were just discussing today whether we should take an excursion in Victoria for the short time we are there - you've answered my question! It will be a quick trip to Butchart Gardens.

[alpal1993]

We also opted to take ships tour to the Gardens

[paradiselivin1]

Thanks for this information. I'm cruising the Inside Passage in August, and my husband and I were just discussing today whether we should take an excursion in Victoria for the short time we are there - you've answered my question! It will be a quick trip to Butchart Gardens.

 

Butchart Gardens was one of the highlights of our trip to Victoria several years ago ~ make sure you leave enough time for those awesome gardens