Besides from Vancouver’s surrounding cities, Kelowna is British Columbia’s second largest city with about 127k people living there. It’s famous for its lake, wine region and of course the skiing and mountain biking at Big White, which is only a short drive away. No road trip throughout BC would be complete, without a visit to this gem.
Accommodation
Whilst in Kelowna we stayed at Hotel Zed. Formerly an old run down motel, it has been renovated into a funky modern pet-friendly hotel in downtown Kelowna. The rooms aren’t huge, but are comfortable and offered everything we could need. The hotel also has a ping-pong table room, karaoke lounge, a rooftop bar and a pool/hot tub. It turns out they also offer complimentary bike, roller skate and longboard rental. The staff were amazing and I’ve only heard fantastic things from others who have stayed there.
Activities and Attractions
Longboarding
Ever since we visited Miami, I’ve wanted to try longboarding. Fortunately for us, Hotel Zed offers complimentary longboard hire to its guests. Mya and I didn’t do anything extreme, we just cruised along and followed the path next to the water. I picked it up pretty quick, although I wasn’t able to carve as the cool pros do. I am just your average Joe giving things a go and I hope this inspires just one person this weekend to give something new a go.
Flyboarding- Hydrofly Kelowna
Mya and I also had the chance to try Flyboarding with Mike at Hydrofly Kelowna. Mike has been running a flyboarding business for the past four years and being a dog owner himself, he was excited to invite Mya and I out with him on his boat and to give me some private lessons.
I was really surprised at how easy it was to pick up and after a few tips from Mike it just felt like it all clicked. It was great to be able to experience something so fun, with Mya only a few meters away from me spectating from the boat. If you make it to Kelowna, I highly recommend giving Mike a call.
Hot Air ballooning- Okanagan Valley
Okanagan Ballooning is the only hot air balloon operator in the Okanagan Valley and with about 30 years of experience under their pilot’s hat, I felt I was in good hands. The ride itself last for about an hour and a half and was finished off with a champagne picnic in one of the local parks. I managed to see Kelowna, the valley, which is full of orchards and vineyards and even a beautiful canyon. If you make your way to Kelowna be sure to add this to your list, make sure you book well in advance and if you can try and schedule your flight for midweek for a cheaper rate.
Myra Canyon
One other thing that you will want to check out is the old railway trestles at Myra Canyon. It’s about a 40-minute drive from Kelowna and is dog-friendly as long as your pup is on a lead. You can hike it or many people also rent a mountain bike and ride the trail to cover more distance. I’d also highly recommend this spot as a great place to watch the sunset.
MARK & MYA’S MATES:
Tourism: Tourism Kelowna| @TourismKelowna
Stay: Hotel Zed | @HotelZed
Play: Hydro Fly Kelowna| @HydroFlyKelowna
Okanagan Ballooning|@OkBallooning
Helpful links:
https://www.tourismkelowna.com
http://okballooning.com
https://www.hotelzed.com
https://www.hydroflybc.ca
