Hi, I’m Courtney

I’m a second year university student who just began working at the Painted Turtle Guesthouse this May.  At school I am studying Economics and Global Studies and working in an environment filled with people from all over the world is my ideal setting!

Everyday I learn of a new place or a new custom or way of thinking and I get to share my favourite parts of Canada with others too.  I am most definitely an Island girl and really like to encourage guests (and everyone else) to step off the beaten path and explore the hidden treasures of what Vancouver Island and Nanaimo have to offer! Read the rest

Thirsty Camel Cafe

Overall Rating
Decor
Customer Service
Food Quality
Deliciousness
Price (Under $10 * - Over $20 ****))
Vegetarian

Winner 1st place Best Vegetarian, 2nd place overall restaurant, and 3rd place Mediterranean and Lunches in the 2009 Nanaimo News Bulletin Best of the City contest.

Serving delicious, fresh and healthy Middle Eastern food. There are plenty of Vegetarian and Vegan options, as well as dishes containing free–range, veggie–fed, non–medicated chicken. Best known for their falafels.

14 Victoria Crescent
Nanaimo, BC V9R 5B8

www.thirstycamelcafe.ca

(250) 753-9313

Hours:

11:00am – 7pm 7 days a week

Information provided by Nanaimo Restaurants - the city’s #1 source for great eats!

Friday, August 6th, 2010  at 8:00 PM

Watch your favorite films under the stars in the plaza!

Admission is by cash or non-perishable food donation for the Loaves and Fishes community food bank. Bleachers will be set-up in the plaza, or bring your own lawn chair. Movies will start at 8pm, popcorn and refreshments will be available also by donation.

August 6 - THEME: Action
August 13 - THEME: Animated
August 20 - THEME: Classics
August 27 - THEME: “Under the Sea”

Don’t forget to bring a can or two!!

German travellers have known for a long time now that the spectacular scenery, abundance of wild life and clean air, and the often rugged terrain makes central Vancouver Island a “must” for any serious hiker or backpacker looking for an outdoor adventure.

• For starters, hiking is cheap (often free) and works well into the limited budget of the backpacking traveller.
• Some of the nicest and most funky hostels are located in Central Vancouver Island. For instance, the Painted Turtle Guesthouse in historic downtown Nanaimo specializes in clean, affordable accommodation and is owned by a couple of globe trekking backpackers (one Canadian and one Australian).
• The weather is sensational year round - meaning that a single or group of backpackers who are also hiking enthusiasts can take advantage of low season deals.
• The region is super friendly and loves national and international travelers who are looking for a place to drop their heavy pack and kick back for awhile and get to know the locals.

If you are a backpacker and looking for great information on hiking trails on Vancouver Island, be sure to check out the website Vancouver Island Backpackers and Nanaimo Backpacking.

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 - Sunday, August 15th, 2010
9:00 AM to 9:00 PM

You’ll marvel at these unbelievable feats of artistry and engineering and won’t want to miss any of the many great activities on the beach!

July & August is “Beach Festival” month in Parksville.
“Come early - stay late” - that’s our message to you.

You won’t want to miss any of the activities on the beach during July and August -Parksville Kite Festival, Car show, Quality Foods Fireworks Display and Kidfest with entertainment and kids’ sandcastle event, beach volleyball & croquet tournaments, just to name a few. See our Beach Festival calendar for complete schedule of events. The famous Lions Adventure Park is a must for younger members of the family to visit. Tennis courts, ball parks, a lacrosse box, skate board park, covered picnic area, and a large field for kite flying are also located in the park. The beach itself offers a beautiful view with its long sandy beaches and eastern exposure; this is an ideal spot to spend a few days, or the whole summer.

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Monday, August 2nd, 2010
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

In addition to taking in an exciting day of music, storytelling, children’s games and activities, enjoy perusing the wares of local quality Craftspeople and Artisans.

Enjoy the richness of the events and performances while taking in the warm hospitality of the Nanaimo community. Coaltown Festival is held in Diana Krall Square in the downtown core of the city; Commercial street will be shut to traffic but parking is available beneath the new Vancouver Island Conference Centre. 2010’s festival includes two music stages and the Nanaimo Museum’s newly opened Coal Mine Experience, plus an artist’s “Paint – Out”.

Make sure you come down early to secure a good seating location. You may want to bring along a chair. Remember… don’t forget to invite your out-of-town friends or relatives to show off our amazing part of the world.

Admission to the festival is free. We want to ensure that the Festival is affordable to anyone who wants to go. Donations gratefully accepted and a portion of the proceeds will go to Nanaimo RCMP Victim Services.

See you there! This is a great “Things to do In Nanaimo” event for the whole family!

*Please note that children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

For details, visit: http://www.coaltownfestival.ca

This weekend, July 9-11 2010 is the Dragon Boat Festival in Nanaimo, and the Painted Turtle Guesthouse is pleased to be hosting a few teams from out of town.

The Painted Turtle Guesthouse is pleased to be hosting two teams for the 2009 Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival.  As of now, the guesthouse is alive with team chatter, camaraderie and dragon boaters talking strategy and preparing for the big races this weekend! We are proud to be hosting two teams - the Hot Knots and Shibumi Dragon Boat Teams.

It is a big event in Nanaimo, BC and teams come from all over the world to compete and of course, to celebrate the Spirit of Dragon Boat Racing on the most beautiful waterfront harbour of Maffeo Sutton Park.

The Save On Foods Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival brings together and gives back to our diverse community through team building, charitable fund raising and a cross cultural experience that is fun for everyone. This is three days of passion, pleasure and pain that brings all of Nanaimo to the Centre of town to witness our cities finest compete against teams from all over North America.

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Until you visit Vancouver Island, it’s hard to imagine just how much this slice of British Columbia has to offer. You could spend months touring around Van Isle and still not get to see everything, so it’s important that you plan your trip well!

Using Nanaimo as your central Vancouver Island base camp is a great start to any VI visit. Nanaimo’s centralized and yet coastal location with excellent road links means that this is the best linked town on the whole of the island, and one of the easiest to get to from mainland B.C (Vancouver) too.

Connected via two vehicle ferry routes from the Vancouver City area, BC Ferries operates these passenger and vehicle ferries regularly to Nanaimo from both Horseshoe Bay (north of Vancouver) and Tsawwassen (south of Vancouver). Bringing your car with you means you can really enjoy all that Vancouver Island has to offer, though if you prefer not to you can travel on foot, by bicycle or on Greyhound Canada bus from downtown Vancouver straight to Nanaimo. You then have the option of renting a car from the city, hooking up with other backpackers or arrange carpooling on arrival. Read the rest

On a warm summer night there is nothing like boarding the Protection Island ferry to venture over to the Dinghy Dock Pub. North America’s only floating pub is situated on Protection Island in Nanaimo’s harbour. The Dinghy Dock is a favourite among locals and tourists, not only is their new menu full of delicious fresh local seafood but it is an absolute experience to dine on the ocean. I’m a seafood lover, so their menu is my perfect restaurant menu however, they do offer a number of non-seafood items and most tourists I send over to the pub rave about their steak sandwich. They also offer a family friendly section (accompanied by a hole in the dock for the kiddies to fish from) so the kids can enjoy the Dinghy Dock experience as well. It’s a great place for good food, a good pint, and great atmosphere! Click here for more details on a must do dining experience.