For many city dwellers, a retreat to the country is attractive in theory, less so in execution. While we may enjoy the retreat during the day, we want to retreat at night to the kind of luxury and amenities we have at home – or even better.
Just a couple of hours from Vancouver are plenty of options for exactly that sort of mix. The Cariboo Chilcotin’s dry sage and cowboy vibe feels miles away from home, yet it’s only a short jog beyond Whistler. And while you kick up some dust during the day, you can kick back in comfort at night.
“Backcountry meets luxury” is the motif at Tyax Wilderness Resort & Spa. On Tyaughton Lake, near the town of Gold Bridge, Tyax is tucked amid towering mountains but boasts fine dining in a lakeview setting and a spa with infrared and dry sauna, eucalyptus steam room, outdoor hot tub, yoga studio, aromatherapy, massage and facials.
Previous management didn’t go after corporate customers as much as they could have, says Heather Reimer, general manager of Tyax. She wants people to view Tyax as a setting for corporate meetings, executive retreats, incentive packages and weddings. The lodge has 29 rooms, and there are two private chalets with four and six bedrooms.
“We have a meeting facility and our kitchen will fully cater any sort of services that you might require,” she says.
One of the advantages, she adds, is that Tyax feels more remote than it actually is.
“It’s like being way up north or being able to fly into any of these fishing lodges, except that it’s really right in Vancouver’s backyard,” Reimer says.
But can guests expect to be roughing it in the bush?
“Absolutely not!” Reimer replies. “The direction that we are moving toward is a four-star experience.”
Where the Cariboo Chilcotin meets the coast, Tweedsmuir Park Lodge, in Bella Coola, is what Tim Wilkinson, the director of sales and marketing, calls “a bit of a hidden gem.”
“People are familiar with Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise,” he says. “But the Bella Coola Valley is definitely up there, although not that many people have visited it.” BC Ferries has made the lodge a bit more difficult to reach. Reduced ferry service and late-night arrival schedules mean most guests now fly in.
Originally constructed in 1929, the lodge was rebuilt in 1952. Until recently, it was primarily a destination for heli-skiers, but leaving the magnificent setting – and its gorgeously appointed lodge – vacant for most of the summer made little sense, especially since it’s a perfect place for grizzly viewing.
“The lodge is right on the Atnarko River,” Wilkinson says. “It’s only about a 200-metre walk from the chalets to the water. The salmon are swimming up the river, the bears come down and eat the salmon, so that’s why we have a lot of good viewing opportunities.”
Can Wilkinson guarantee visitors will see a grizzly? He laughs.
“We don’t guarantee it, but there is an extremely good chance of seeing bears,” he says. “When I first got a job here, my first day I didn’t see any bears. The next day I saw 13.”
Walking beneath ice is among the day adventures in Bella Coola | Mike Wigle
The nine chalets are great for weddings or family reunions, says Wilkinson, and a corporate group could rent out the entire facility and have the run of the place.
In addition to heli-skiing in winter and grizzly watching in late summer, Tweedsmuir Park Lodge incorporates the local Nuxalk Nation culture into visitors’ exploration opportunities. This includes petroglyphs and other cultural aspects of the region.
Back inland, Siwash Lake Wilderness Resort, in 70 Mile House, is recognized by National Geographic as one of 50 Unique Lodges of the World. In addition to food, accommodation and beverages, all-inclusive packages offer daily adventures with a world-class private guide or self-guided canoeing, kayaking, swimming or paddle-boarding. There is also fly-fishing, marksmanship, archery, wilderness survival, mountain biking, forest yoga and gold-panning by helicopter.
But bedtime might be the most unforgettable part of the trip.
“Guests bed down in the canvas cabins, with nature all around, heated bathroom floors, outdoor showers cocooned by fir boughs and open to the blue sky above, luxury linens on four-poster beds and sweeping views of the lake and wilderness beyond,” says Jana Harman, director of marketing and client relations.
In addition to the “glamping” canvas cabins, the ranch house offers a range of accommodations. Siwash Lake Wilderness Resort specializes in executive retreats, team building and incentive packages.
When it comes to planning an event in the country but not too far from urban life – figuratively or literally – the Cariboo Chilcotin has adventure during the day and immersive luxury at night.
