Hidden gem B.C. spot named one of world's best adventures
The awards and accolades continue to pour in for B.C. destinations, with a small, remote island with fewer than 500 people being named one of the world’s best adventures.
National Geographic recently highlighted the world’s best adventures for thrill-seekers, and a visit to Spirit Bear Lodge on Swindle Island made the list.
“From bear-watching in British Columbia to surfing breaks in Tahiti, adventure awaits in all corners of the world,” said National Geographic online.
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Spirit Bear Lodge is an indigenous-owned resort in Klemtu on Swindle Island. It offers “exclusive access to wildlife viewing areas and cultural sites within the Kitasoo Xai’xais traditional territory,” said the lodge on its website.
“Canada is a country for bear aficionados,” added National Geographic. “The rarest creature in this teddy bears’ picnic, with a population no greater than 150, is the kermode bear — also known as the spirit bear — its white fur allowing it to sneak up on salmon on its fishing trips.
“Try to spot these elusive animals for yourself on a visit to Spirit Bear Lodge among forested slopes in the staggeringly beautiful (yet disconcertingly named) Swindle Island. Getting there is half the adventure — it’s accessed by a two-hour boat ride from a remote airstrip south of the lodge.”
Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Marketing Association
Klemtu is a remote community located in a pristine cove on Swindle Island, 228 km northwest of Bella Coola. Its population of just over 400 residents is composed of two First Nations groups who speak completely different languages: The Kitasoo and the Xai’xais.
Sitting on the doorstep of Princess Royal Island (home of the Kermode Bear), Klemtu offers cultural tours, multi-day paddleboarding trips via Norm Hann Expeditions, and custom wildlife tours in the Great Bear Rainforest and Gitga’at Territory.
If you’re looking for more amazing B.C. destinations to visit this fall, check out these two spots showcased by National Geographic as “unforgettable,” as well as several national parks in the province that were crowned some of the best in Canada.
There are also plenty of charming downtowns to visit across B.C., and two cities have been named among the best in the entire Rockies.
You can view National Geographic’s full list online.
With files from Isabelle Vauclair
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