Ocean Island Blog
Our front desk staff know this city inside and out and love giving insider tips on everything it has to offer! We love this city so much, in fact, we even wrote Victoria’s most complete online guide; covering everything from hidden beaches, hole in the wall coffee shops, to tour companies you’ll want to know about if you’re interested in activities like sailing, whale watching, or even skydiving.
As an Ocean Island guest, you’ll get rad VIP discounts from all sorts of Victoria businesses when you book through our front desk! Check ’em out: www.oceanisland.com/guest-discounts
We love the busy nightlife Victoria has to offer on the weekends, but in case you’re not too keen on tearing up the dancefloor – here are some alternative nightlife options you might enjoy: Interactivity Board Game Café www.ibgcafe.com With hundreds of board games to choose from, the Interactivity Board Game […]
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Victoria is very much known for its craft beer and it’s not secret that we have several breweries in our beautiful city. This is great news for anyone who likes to drink some of the amber nectar. We tested all the beers at the following locations and wrote this post […]
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Nearby grocery stores Although we have a free dinner included in all our rates, we understand the importance of cooking your own meals. Luckily, we have a big communal kitchen on our ground floor which is open 24/7. Fully stocked with whatever you might need (yes we even have crockpots!) […]
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Victorians like to hang out and enjoy a good ol’ cup of Joe. Since there are so many great little local coffee shops, we thought we make it easy for y’all and select the best shops for coffee in Victoria. Whether you like it caffeinated or decaf, almond or […]
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The biggest Alpine Resort on Vancouver Island, Mt. Washington is the destination for avid snowboarders and skiers. Bordering on Strathcona Provincial Park, Mount Washington is easily reachable from Victoria by car and bus. Although primarily known as a great winter sports destination, Mount Washington is open year-round with many activities […]
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Wondering what to do for the holiday season? Victoria has a lot of events going on for the holidays so even if you’re away from home – you’ll feel right at home with all the holiday festivities going on in town. Island Farms Parade At the end of November, there […]
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There’s so much to see on Vancouver Island. But did you know there’s a group of islands in between Victoria and Vancouver? These Southern Gulf Islands are perfect destinations for day trips or the weekend. You can get to any of these islands by taking the ferry from Swartz Bay […]
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Welcome to Victoria! Well there you are! You’ve finally made it to the capital of British Columbia, also known as Victoria. You have three days in Victoria, but what will you do? Luckily we are here to help you out! Day 1: Downtown Attractions If this is your first time […]
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Although we have our own in-house bar, we understand that you must spread your wings and fly out into the world of night clubs, bars & pubs. That’s why we compiled this handy list, filled with our favourite nightlife spots. Our Faves We love to go out and have a […]
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Downtown Victoria is easy enough to explore, especially if you’re staying at Ocean Island. But did you know that Victoria has many other neighbourhoods worth exploring? To make things easy, we summed up our favourite things to do in each neighbourhood. Most of these are within walking distance to downtown […]
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Victoria is best known for its relaxed pace, beautiful nature and mild climate. But did you know that it’s also known for all the great places you can have breakfast and brunch? You might see some random lines outside at different cafés, which means that the food is worth waiting […]
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Vancouver Island has everything that’s needed for great road trips, hikes and much more. But have you ever discovered Vancouver Island off the beaten track? Adventure is out there, so read on to know more about ghost towns, abandoned places and abandoned plane crash sites on the island. Leechtown Close […]
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Traveling is expensive enough – which is why we have dedicated this blog post to all things thrifty. Victoria is a great spot for the frugal, especially around the downtown core with its many thrift stores and second-hand shops. Win (Women In Need) Next door to Ocean Island Inn, you’ll […]
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Ever wondered what to do in Victoria? Fear not, as we have compiled a list of our favourite things to do in Victoria, BC. Our friendly front desk team can give you all the information you need to enjoy Victoria to the fullest. Our staff is from all over the […]
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Grab the sunscreen, water and your favourite snacks and hit the beach! Here’s a list of our favourite beaches in and outta town.
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Summer is the best time to go outside and explore. As it almost never rains in July & August, there’s many outdoor events going on in Victoria. To help separate the wheat from the chaff – here are our top favourite events to brighten up your summer. Free B-Film Festival […]
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Known as a friendly and laidback city, it may come as no surprise that Victoria is very LGBTQ+ friendly. Moreover, Victoria has a surprisingly big LGBTQ+ community which “outs” itself in many queer events across town. Best LGBTQ+ Clubs & Dance Parties in Victoria Paparazzi Nightclub Victoria’s largest gay club […]
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Victoria is known as a touristy town, with lots of fun things to do. Still, that doesn’t mean you have to spend every last penny to have a fun time. In fact, there are many free things you can do in and around downtown Victoria, when you want to get […]
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Once you’re in Victoria, you have to take advantage of all the great dining options this city offers. Victoria has great restaurants, breakfast places, food trucks and so much more. Additionally, we also have a lot of vegetarian and vegan restaurants to make sure everyone can eat out! Our Favourites: […]
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Check out Habit Coffee on Blanshard and Johnson or Serious Coffee on Blanshard and Fisgard.
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