Kamloops Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Kamloops is located in British Columbia, Canada. It is the Tournament Capital of Canada. It has hosted Strauss Canada Cup of Curling, Skate Canada, World Fly Fishing Championships, Tim Horton's Olympic Qualifying Bike Race, and World Junior Hockey Championships. Kamloops hockey team is the Blazers. You might call Kamloops a small town, with the population of 86,000.
Contents |
Get in
By Air Kamloops has a small airport and has daily flights though Air Canada from various connecting cities.
By Car Both Major highways in western Canada pass through Kamloops. The TransCanada highway passes through the Fraser valley from Vancouver in the west, and continues east through the rest of BC via Salmon Arm, Revelstoke, the Rogers Pass, Golden, and onto Alberta via Banff and Calgary.
The YellowHead #5 highway heads north from Kamloops to Jasper and Edmonton.
The Coquihalla #5 (toll) was originally built for Expo 86 in Vancouver. Today it is still a toll highway (toll rates and info) although it has been paid for many times over, however it provides a much quicker route from Vancouver to Kamloops. (Approx 4 hrs by car) This route take you through Hope and Merritt and is considered less scenice than the TransCanada route. The downside of the high altitude road is that it can become dangerous in the winter as sudden weather changes may make the road icy, snow covered or impassible. Check the road conditions before you set out.
Get around
See
- MacArthur Island Park
- Riverside Park (Where the rivers meet)
- The Kamloops Wildlife Park
Do
- Swim -- Adjacent to downtown, Kamloops has a lovely beach park (Riverside Park) along the Thompson River. There is a water park for children and an enclosed swimming area on the river.
- Climb -- While not as popular among the rock climbing crowd as Squamish or Penticton, there are several areas that offer climbing in and around the Kamloops areas. Many of these areas are documented in the "Central BC Rock" guide book with more current updates available at the local indoor climbing gym [1]. Routes are graded on the Yosemite decimal system and range from 5.8 to 5.11d.
- Wanda Sue paddlewheeler river cruises
- Ski -- Sun Peaks is a 30-40 minute drive north of Kamloops along highway 5.
- Golf (many courses)
- Mountain Bike -- With the hilly and mountainous terrain that varries from wide open to thickly wooded, Kamloops is one of the more popular locations for mountain bike riding in western Canada.
- Fish
Buy
Eat
- Sanbiki sushi is located on Victoria St in the downtown core. Authentically prepared nigiri, sashimi and maki is elegantly presented. Featuring several popular favourites as well as local and seasonal specialties, this restaurant is reasonably priced and popular with the locals. The itamae is very receptive to dietary restrictions. For the more ethically conscious, only free-range eggs and wild-caught fish (when available) are used.
- Peter's Pasta is located on Victoria St in the downtown core. All pastas and sauces are handmade on-site. Peter himself is often present and is always happy to answer any questions or even just make pleasant conversation. Very popular with the locals - reservations are recommended.
- Paradiso fondue and tapas is located on Victoria St in the downtown core. Aside from having a wide variety of appetizers and fondue dishes, the restaurant is locally famous for its fondue experience, a four-course meal cooked right at your table. Live jazz is featured every Sunday.
Drink
The legal drinking age in British Columbia is 19.
Pubs and Lounges
- The Max nightclub is located on River St across from Riverside Park. Cheap beer is sold on Wednesday nights. Featuring both a nightclub and a pool hall (with a live deejay), this club is very popular with local college kids.
- Cactus Jacks is located on Seymour St in the downtown core. This is a large facility with a distinct country & western theme. Featuring weekly wet T-shirt contests, bikini bullriding and occasional live music acts.
