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surveys / accommodation
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Memorable Accommodations
Sometimes, the trips we
take make a lasting impression on us not for the scenery or activities or events we seek out, but for the places we end up laying our heads. Whether we get a deal or pay a fortune,
the accommodation we choose often makes or breaks a good trip. From lean-tos to luxury suites: What's your most memorable travel
accommodation?
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COMMENTS |
Dieter Ropke
Submitted:
Friday, January 23, 2004
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While visiting Kyoto we stayed in a Ryokan (B&B)
near the Philosopher's Path famous for its cherry
blossoms. One afternoon we ate a pear throwing
the core in a small waste container provided. We
left for the rest of the day and on our return we
shared the room with a very large cockroach which
had found its way to the pear core, the roach was
7.5 cm long and darted away from the light we had
turned on. My hunting instincts took over and I
was able to squash this obnoxious and yet
beautiful insect. The floor of the room had the
usual Tatami mats and a futon which was folded
and stored in a wall cabinet during the day. The
lamp too was very japanese, it hung from the
center of the room and had a long pull chain to
change from off to on and a high intensity and a
nightlight. While undressing for the night the
chain for the lamp touched my wife's back.
Thinking it was another cockroach she shrieked
and took a big leap. While the leap had olympic
potential, it was checked by the size of the
room. - We move the low table with the pot of
green tea, unfolded the futon and found that the
sheets were very much starched. I had an
unparelled night. Every time I turned over or
moved slightly, the stiff sheet could be heard
and felt and my wife sat up with an alarmed note
of utter distress thinking another roach had just
touched her. Ever since then I really enjoy hearing the
popular song 'la cucaracha, la cucaracha, it
reminds me of a truly magnicifent specimen we
encountered in Kyoto. |
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Carol McLean
Submitted:
Monday, January 19, 2004
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Just finished reading the latest issue of
Canadian Geographic and noticed your request for
most memorable travel accommodation. If your
story doesn't have to be exclusively Canadian,
my mind went immediately back to the 60's when
I was touring with some New Zealanders I had met
initially in Gibraltar and then again while
working in London, England. We pooled our
resources and purchased a VW Microbus which
would accommodate 5 people and all the gear
required for a 12 month journey overland to
Malaysia and then by ship to New Zealand. Most
of our overnights en route were in our own tent
in a field or wooded area in order to save on
the cost of accommodation. We had managed
extremely well in this regard in Central and
Eastern Europe and spent many weeks in
Yugloslavia and southern Turkey on the
Mediterranean coast, soaking up much needed sun
after a wet and cool year in England.
Eventually we had to move on and found ourselves
in Antakya (Antioch) where we experienced both
problems with our vehicle and one of our members
became quite ill; fortunately for us, the garage
owner where we stopped to see about the vehicle
had lived in Toronto for a number of years in a
house on Annette Street and when he learned that
two of us were Canadian went out of his way to
help. He arranged for my ill travelmate to see
a doctor and then offered her and one other to
stay in his home and the rest of us the use of a
cottage on the beach some 28 kms outside of
Antakya. All of a sudden, the weather changed
drastically and became very wet and windy. Once
we installed ourselves in the cottage that night
we noticed the rising tide creeping closer and
closer and in time water started to flow in
under the door. Eventually the only dry place
in the cottage to be were the beds so we set
about to retire early for the night. We had
been given a kitten in the souk in Istanbul, a
beautiful black male who h ad been named Tiger.
Tiger liked to sleep at the foot end inside my
sleeping bag and he and I settled down for the
night. Just before the oil lamp was
extinguished, much to my surprise I noticed a
family of mice at the end of my bed! Whether
they had already been resident in the bed before
we joined them or came in out of the storm, I
shall never know. All I do know is we all
managed to share the bed for the night, none the
worse for wear. My years of summer cottaging in
Muskoka as a child endeared me to mice as we
certainly had lots of them in our ramshackle
summer home and I had no fear of them. As to
Tiger, inside the bag, he probably was unaware
that they were there! Sincerely, Carol McLean
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Tracy Wekwert
Submitted:
Monday, January 12, 2004
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Within the heart of nature, on the edge of the
rugged west coast, lies my most enjoyable,
relaxing and memorable travel accommodation ¨D
the Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino British Columbia. Traveling from the outskirts of Vancouver to
Tofino was memorable in itself; ferry delays in
the peak of summer were far from a good thing
and my impatience put our newly consummated
marriage to the test. However, after finally
setting sail our journey took on a lighter more
relaxed mood. The picturesque drive from Nanaimo
to Tofino soon left the hectic city life behind. Upon arrival at the Wickaninnish we were warmly
greeted and shown to our honeymoon suite. It was
spectacular. The d¨¦cor was rustic yet elegant
and the floor to ceiling windows provided awe-
inspiring views, overlooking the Pacific Ocean
and the rich flora coastline. From our balcony
we took in the sea air and enjoyed a spectacular
sunset. We spent many hours reveling in the
scenery. At one point a bald eagle majestically
glided by the window. On a misty night, the deep-
throated foghorn bellowed in the distance and
the sound of the crashing waves rocked us to
sleep. Dining was exquisite. The chef graciously
prepared stylish off-the-menu vegetarian dishes
for me, and my husband indulged in some of the
fine choices offered. Magnificent views and
friendly staff made for a very pleasant dining
experience. Just when you think it¡¯s impossible to become
more relaxed, a trip to the Ancient Cedars spa
proves you wrong. Essential oils infuse the air
as you are enveloped in warm towels and massaged
into bliss. My husband was a virgin spa
enthusiast, initially intrigued and unsure, but
soon he was bathing in the beauty like a cat in
a beam of sunlight. Oh, the stories he told
about this experience! Stepping out from the Wickaninnish, we observed
a raccoon climbing a fallen tree. Like the
raccoon, we frolicked for hours on the adjacent
Chesterman Beach. In our ¡°Wick¡± issued yellow
raincoats ¨D this is in fact a temperate rain
forest ¨D we walked, climbed and explored.
Despite the rain, I couldn¡¯t resist rolling up
my jeans and walking barefoot in the sand. Watch
out for those see anemones hiding in amongst the
crevices! We took the opportunity to enjoy other day
adventures, such as whale watching and a trip to
Hot Springs Cove, which involves a boat ride and
a half hour walk along an elevated boardwalk
through the rainforest. Both trips were
fantastic. After a full day of activity, it was heavenly
returning to the Inn and immersing in the
oversized soaker tub and sipping a drink by the
fire. The Wickaninnish is definitely a must
experience for the romantic, adventurers and
nature lovers a like. It¡¯s a trip we plan on
repeating for our upcoming anniversary. |
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Gidget Bouchard
Submitted:
Friday, January 09, 2004
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The summer of 2003 our family of 5 and my parents
decided to do a road trip through the 4 Atlantic
provinces. We were under the impression that
since Canada had been hit with some "disasters"
lately (SARS and Mad cow for example), we would
not need to make hotel reservations in advance.
We were told that tourism was down and the tv
commercials here in Alberta were motivating us to
stay within our own country. We arrived in the
Cape Breton Highlands with no reservations and we
were quick to discover that there were "no rooms
at the inn" for us in Cheticamp. We stayed at the
Salty Mariner up the way and we were treated to a
fantastic view, a field of blueberries and great
service. We were right on the ocean. Our first
time touching the Atlantic! Arriving in
Newfoundland 2 days later, we were again without
reservations and no place to sleep in
Port-aux-Choix. We stayed at the French Shores
just 5 minutes before Port-aux-Choix. The
accommodations were basic but the hospitality was
outstanding and the view was breathtaking. Both
places would have normally been overlooked by us
on our travels since they are not even on the
radar map of hotel "stars" but our family enjoyed
a peaceful stay in two hotels that took us back a
few years to when quality service and not material
goods were what set places apart. |
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Kate Neufeld
Submitted:
Monday, January 05, 2004
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I have travelled to all ten provinces and about
1/3 of the states and I would have to say that my
(our) most enjoyable stay was at the Travel Lodge
in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 1991. The room was
nicely furnished and decorated, the bed
comfortable; the staff were courteous, the
restaurant had late hours for long distance
travellers such as ourselves and the indoor pool
and waterslide facilities were fantastic. My mom, my daughter (who was 3 years old at the
time) and I were driving out to Victoria, BC from
St. Catharines ON for my oldest brother's
wedding. It was the 5th night of our trip and it
had been raining a good deal of the day. I
certainly didn't need any hassles with
accommodations and I didn't have any. Our room
was as requested - nonsmoking, two double beds
with direct access to the pool area. You could
see many people of all ages enjoying the pool and
the waterslide (two separate areas). My daughter
and I tried the waterslide - I'll never forget
how terrified she was when we both went under the
water at the end of the ride. We made good use
of the restaurant the night we arrived and the
next morning before we set out for our next stop -
Edson, Alberta. I remember all of the staff being courteous and
friendly. I plan on making this same trip out west with my
daughter in 2005 (she'll be 17 then) and we will
definitely be staying at that Travel Lodge in
Saskatoon during our travels. |
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Liisa Myatt
Submitted:
Thursday, January 01, 2004
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The Tickle Inn at Cape Onion in Newfoundland. In
1993 it was (and probably still is) the most
northerly occupied house on the island. Situated
at the tip of the northern peninsula and reached
only by the single road north - the ocean and
colossal carved icebergs on one side and stunted
tangled Tuckamore on the other. Windswept primordial hills, sustaining tiny
flowering lichens, surround the cove. Whales
moaned to each other in the sea outside this Bed
& Breakfast while ancient air sizzled and
crackled as it escaped from our "iceberged"
refreshments. Our hosts playing Newfoundland
music and telling us about their lives in such a
desolate and beautiful cove. I loved
Newfoundland. |
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