A luxury getaway on a Canadian island
Ute Junker takes a magical trip to a secluded lodge on Vancouver Island, a decade after his first magical trip there.
Forty-five minutes. That is how long the sea plane transfer from Vancouver to Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge on the west coast on Vancouver Island lasts, and my nose is pressed against the window for every one of those minutes.
One jaw-dropping vista follows another, as forest-clad slopes plunge into verdant valleys before rising up to snow-clad peaks.
I have taken this trip before, about a decade ago, so I know where we are going. Even so, as the plane begins to descend over a magnificent sound, encircled on all sides by verdant forest, I search in vain for any sign of the lodge.
Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge – accessible only by boat and plane – virtually disappears into the landscape.
This seclusion, and the sense of disappearing into the surroundings, was one of the things I loved about Clayoquot on my first visit. The camp was a very different property then, upgrading from a camping to glamping experience, with en suite bathrooms added to the tents.
Now that Clayoquot is run by Australia’s leading luxury lodge company, Baillie Lodges, I am on my way back to see if this new version can match my memories.
We step off the plane and into a horse-drawn cart, clopping along a dirt path with trees rising high on either side.
When we arrive at the lodge’s hub, The Cookhouse, the camp’s staff are waiting, waving a greeting. The camp dogs are equally excited for new guests.
I am surprised to find how little has changed, though the addition of a chic lounge and bar, complete with a rooftop area, catches my eye.
When I am taken to my tent it is clear the Baillies’ $2 million makeover has been less about starting afresh, more about finessing the details. The tent interiors are more inviting than ever, the outdoor shower beneath the trees is still an experience, and the tented spa is a glorious addition.
The food is also next level, with options at the three-course dinner including a bowl of dashi broth with koji pork meatballs, wakame and yuzu pangrattato and seared scallops with guanciale and XO sauce.
The essence of Clayoquot has always been about getting active in the great outdoors, with adventures ranging from canyoning to horseback riding through the forest. The lodge is open between May and September, which happens to be peak wildlife season – on a cruise in the sound we spot black bears and whales, sea lions and sea otters.
The temperate rainforest that cloaks this half of the island is, for me, one of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet.
No surprise, then, that my favourite activity of the trip is the Ursus Valley Hike I take on my last morning.
The easy, half-day hike is less about covering a lot of ground, more about appreciating the landscape. Whether it is wading across icy rivers, marvelling at soaring cedars or soaking up the silence in a dappled glen, it is magical.
Our walk ends on the banks of a river where we can see salmon fingerlings darting through the crystal-clear water. To cool off, we plunge into the glacier-fed waters. It is a moment of pure joy, a feeling that increases when the helicopter arrives to take us back to the lodge.
I know that I will be coming back and, this time, it will not take me 10 years. – traveller.com.au