Wildlife, Wilderness and Wellness

Fourteen nights in British Columbia, self-drive then helicopter, from Vancouver by way of a Cariboo ranch to a remote island resort.

The shape is a steady retreat from the city: three nights in Vancouver, four on a working ranch, three in the mountains and five on an island reached only by air.

The Fairmont Pacific Rim opens it, with Stanley Park, Granville Island, the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Gastown, and a floatplane day to Victoria for whale watching and Butchart Gardens. Echo Valley Ranch in the Cariboo follows for four nights, all inclusive, with cowboy culture, riding and a wellness programme, which is a genuinely odd and rather good combination. Whistler comes next for three at the Chateau, with kayaking, rafting, hiking and biking, and a private bear-watching tour through the Legacy Trail network at the Olympic Park, where the rings and the biathlon facilities from 2010 still stand among the trees. A helicopter then carries guests to Sonora Island for five nights, with grizzly excursions in season.

The rental car, the helicopter transfer, the named properties with Echo Valley and Sonora both all-inclusive, the floatplane day, the Whistler bear tour, economy flights from London and UK airport lounge passes are all included; the ranch helicopter tours, Sonora’s wildlife and wellness activities and premium wine and spirits there are extra. No wildlife sighting can be promised, bear or whale. The grizzly viewing is seasonal, with late summer and autumn the salmon months, which is worth planning dates around. Fifteen days arranged with only four moves in it leaves time to settle in at each stop, and the ranch in the middle is the part people book without expecting to enjoy most.