One of the great appeals of Vancouver Island for tourists and residents alike is the landscape. Lush rain forest covers much of the Island, particularly evident the farther north one goes. Of course, all of that greenery is brought about by one big factor: it rains a lot! That means that frequently, visitors and residents of Nanaimo have to think up things to do on the rainy days that bring the scenery we so enjoy. Here's a top ten list of things to do in the Harbour City when the rain starts to fall down.

Whether you're an experienced diver or a beginner you've got to try scuba diving in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Some of the best scuba diving in the world can be experienced right here off the coast of Vancouver Island's second largest city. To those who don't know, Nanaimo in B.C. may seem like an unlikely destination for scuba diving. Those who do know frequently rank scuba diving in Nanaimo as the best in North America! So why exactly is scuba diving in this part of British Columbia so great?! Abundant marine life and spectacular artificial reefs are the two main reasons why divers love diving off of this part of Van Isle! Those not familiar what an artificial reef is can probably take a guess! Basically it's something which has been sunk on purpose to create diving opportunities and the opportunity to study marine life, and there are several of these in the waters off Nanaimo. The Saskatchewan is one example, and has so far proved to be the most popular reef in BC. This was sunk in 1997. A more recent addition is a former World War 2 ship, The Cape Breton, which was sunk in 2001 and is the second largest diver prepared artificial reef in the world!

As you may have heard, Nanaimo is a great central location on Vancouver Island.  Using the Painted Turtle Guesthouse as a home base and exploring the surrounding area with day trips is an extremely convenient option!  Whether you have a vehicle or not, it is so easy to get out and explore.  I love living in Nanaimo for this very reason; we are so close to so many great hotspots that are not to be missed!! One of these hidden gems that not many tourists know about is a small island called Thetis Island.  As part of the many gulf islands off the east coast of Vancouver Island, you can get to Thetis on a 1/2 hour BC Ferry ride from Chemainus.  You can get to Chemainus directly from Nanaimo by car, Greyhound bus, or VIA Rail train.

My name is Britta Guillon, I am a student at Vancouver Island University (VIU), and am currently doing my second work co-op towards my Degree in Adventure Tourism. I had applied here at the Painted Turtle to better my knowledge and become more "rounded" in all areas concerning tourism and adventurism. I wish to one day be able to manage my own business where I am the "middle-man" between the customers and the product. I want to be able to help customers find what it is they are looking for and be able to send them to the people/products that best suit their needs.

A recent article in Readers Digest touches on that point exactly and all arrows point to Nanaimo. This article is not available online so allow us to indulge in providing you with an excerpt:

“In these belt-tightening times, many Canadians don’t have the vacation dollars they once dad.  Still, according to an Ipsos survey earlier this year, 69 percent of Canadians planned to take a vacation in 2009 – despite the economic slowdown.  For many, this means taking trips closer to home.”