Getting There

Only 30 minutes south of Nanaimo in the Cowichan Valley, this cozy town of 3900 is waiting to be explored. To get there, simply follow Highway 1 south and take the exit to Chemainus. You can drive and check out the many beaches and viewpoints along the way, or catch a Greyhound bus to save yourself the drive and enjoy each other’s company.

Check out Getting to Nanaimo website for more information about getting to the island by foot, bike, ferry, airplane, car and seaplane.

What to See

The Chemainus murals are an arrangement of forty-on outdoor artworks, and have earned the town the prestigious title of mural capital of North America. Each mural depicts a piece of the town’s history, and was lovingly painted by local talent.

When you enter Chemainus you will notice a network of footprints, which are the ‘guide’ for your tour of these amazing pieces of work. Start at the first mural, titled “Steam Donkey” by Frank Lewis and Nancy Langana, located on Willow Street and go from there. If you get hungry or thirsty while walking around feel free to stop in one of the many cafés or restaurants for some refreshment.

The Chemainus murals are a tribute to the triumph of a community that was once faced with the choice of deserting their town, or finding a way to sustain themselves without a viable industry. In this day and age there are few places quite as special as Chemainus, BC.

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!

There is just so much you can do in Nanaimo alone!  Hiking Mount Benson (a mountain within city limits), kayaking with the seals near Newcastle Island (the Island itself is an amazing way to spend the day), checking out the local art, tasting homemade gelato on the pier, walking the cable bay trail, exploring Ammonite Falls, and so so much more!

Ammonite Falls

I love exploring the rest of the Island as well and am always looking to discover more hidden gems as well as returning to my old favourites (Tofino, Sooke Potholes and Cathedral Grove).

Beyond exploring my own backyard, I want to travel extensively and working at the Painted Turtle Guesthouse in downtown Nanaimo has just encouraged this desire!  Someone always has a story to share, or knows of a secret gem of their own that they want others to experience.  It truly is an amazing environment for me to be!

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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!

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!!

• 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.

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.

Master Sand Sculptors travel from all corners of the globe to participate in this remarkable competition and exhibit. Sculptors have 24 hours over three days to create their masterpieces from just sand and water (and a lot of ingenuity!)

The competition begins with the “pound up” on Friday July 16th and the winners are announced on Sunday July 18th. The gated exhibit is open to the public until August 15th and you can vote for your favourite sculpture, helping to select the ever popular “People’s Choice” award.

Entry to the exhibit area is by donation with a suggested donation of $2 per person. Partial proceeds from your donation support several local non-profit organizations with over $28,000 per year being donated back to these volunteer community groups.

Be sure to bring your camera to the Parksville Beach Festival because once the exhibit is over the sculptures are gone forever. And don’t forget to bring your own buckets and shovels as you and your family are sure to be inspired to create a little sandcastle magic of your own after viewing the exhibit.

Check out Harbour Living for complete details

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

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.

This is Nanaimo’s finest festival….paddlers united in the fight to beat cancer.

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.

The great choice of accommodation in Nanaimo is another reason why this makes an excellent base camp. One of the most popular and social options is the Painted Turtle Guesthouse which boasts a large communal great room and kitchen, so guests really get to know each other - they share travel tips, arrange group trips and get to know other travellers from around the world.

In the city, on the days when you’re not out exploring the rest of Vancouver Island you can make use of the many shops and restaurants in the city too. There is the area directly around the Painted Turtle Guesthouse, which is just a block from the waterfront and boasts many unique shops, art galleries and boutiques and awesome places to grab a bite to eat!

From Nanaimo, head south and you can reach the capital of British Columbia, Victoria, in about 90 minutes, making this an ideal day trip. Victoria has some wonderful buildings to visit, gardens and much more. Half way down the coast to Victoria is access to the Lake Cowichan and Cowichan Valley area, a popular and scenic spot, while to the north of Nanaimo are towns such as Comox, Courtenay and Campbell River. Just a short drive south is Chemainus, famous for its many murals.

Vancouver Island’s west coast is easily accessible from Nanaimo too. This scenic area has many Provincial Parks to explore. The large Strathcona Provincial Park, in the centre of Vancouver Island, is also within easy reach of Nanaimo.

Check out our blog site for other articles about different areas of Vancouver Island including Tofino, Port Hardy, Qualicum Beach, Parksville, Ucluelet and much more! If you have any questions about visiting Vancouver Island, post them here - we will be happy to answer them for you!

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.