We had a couple of hours to spare before our bus ride to the ferry terminal that would take us back to Vancouver, so we headed to Chinatown. Victoria’s Chinatown is the oldest in Canada, and the second oldest in North America after San Francisco. The reason for this is its strategic location. The city was once the major entry port for Asian immigration to British North America, and then later, Canada.   In the mid-19th century, there was an influx of miners from California, m

My husband and I went to see the Craigdarroch Castle. Yes, there is a castle in Victoria. I had always known about it. I had seen it in so many postcards, but somehow, in all my visits to the island, I had never gone there. I guess it’s because it’s not exactly located in the downtown core. And though it’s only a short drive or a leisurely walk away (around half an hour), somehow, it had never been a part of our usual Victoria itinerary. Craigdarroch Castle was built by coal

Our third day in Victoria was the most exciting for me because we would be doing an activity that I had never done before but had always wanted to do – whale-watching! Victoria is one of the best places for whale-watching. Majestic mammals and marine wildlife abound in the waters surrounding Vancouver Island, including the orca (or killer whale), gray, humpback, and minke whales, as well as sea lions, seals, porpoises, and marine birds. Whales love the Pacific Northwest (and

The Butchart Gardens is inarguably the gem of Vancouver Island. Everyone who goes to Victoria also has Butchart Gardens on the top of the list of “must-sees.” The garden complex is located at Brentwood Bay, not far from Victoria. When I first mentioned it to my husband, he could not understand why I had to take him to this garden. He thought that this tour was more suitable for garden enthusiasts and landscapers, not rock and volcano enthusiasts like himself. He will choose r