Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge on Vancouver Island was one of my favorite places I’ve stayed at. I loved my glamping tent and the surrounding area is stunning with plenty of outdoor activities to fill your time. Plus, the food and drink program is excellent.
A stay at Clayoquot is all-inclusive. You get three meals provided with wine, and there’s an afternoon happy hour with cocktails and a slew of activities you can schedule ahead of time.
After landing in Vancouver, I took the bus to the Seair Seaplane terminal and waited for my seaplane to board.
The journey itself was special as the view from the seaplane was spectacular.
After landing, they picked us up in a horse carriage to get to the lodge itself.
The tent was quite large and has a couch, a king bed, a stove to keep you warm at night, and a desk.
I didn’t take a photo of the bathroom, but it even had heated floors! Of course, there’s plenty of hot water for your outdoor shower.
The seaplane landed in the afternoon, so I settled in for some pre-dinner cocktails and small bites.
From the first night’s dinner I was very impressed by the food at Clayoquot. They use local ingredients as much as possible and the chef’s preparation was impeccable. I certainly wasn’t expecting this level of fine dining at a glamping outfitter, but I was pleasantly surprised. I loved these British Columbia spot prawns. You can get wines with your dinner, included as part of your stay (the list mostly features Canadian wines).
Meals take place at the main lodge, but if you’re here with a group, you can also book a private dining tent. The menu changes every day, so you’ll never get bored of the meals.
Getting back to my tent after dinner, I saw they had prepared a fur-lined hot water bottle to keep me warm in bed.
They drop off a Yeti of hot coffee every morning so I could enjoy it while taking in the view from my deck.
Breakfast options also change every morning, and may include things like this crab avocado benedict.
Each guest also gets one massage during their stay, which I naturally took advantage of. It was one of the best massages I’ve ever had, although the masseur said he usually works in Tofino and was filling. I sure hope they bring him back!
They have a range of activities that are included with your stay, like horseback riding and a boat tour to view the wildlife (we saw bears and otters!). There are some special activities that do have an extra charge. For example, a helicopter ride to the top of one of the mountains. Even without paying for the extras, though, there are plenty of outdoorsy things to do. I sadly didn’t end up going kayaking as storm was coming and we had to leave the island early. A bummer, but you can’t control the weather! In the meantime, I’m just biding my time until I can come back.
We did get to do a hike combined with a helicopter ride, greeted with some drinks and charcuterie at the top of a snow-capped mountain. Here’s a reel I made on Instagram if you want to see what that’s all about
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