from
WorldWeb.com Travel Guide
Accommodation Directory Shortcuts: Sicamous
| Salmon Arm | Houseboats
Immersed in sunshine and covered with lakes, the Shuswap
region is a water lover's paradise and a popular year-round destination. Referring
to the area surrounding Shuswap Lake, located north of British Columbia's Okanagan
Valley, the Shuswap region boasts over 1,000 km (621 mi) of coastline and 324
sq. km (125 sq. mi) of water to explore. A majority of this water is provided
by Shuswap
Lake, a large lake with four distinct arms (Shuswap Lake Main Arm, Salmon
Arm, Anstey Arm and the Seymour Arm) that stretch out to form a "H" pattern.
Mara
Lake, which connects to Shuswap Lake at the town of Sicamous,
and Adams Lake,
near the northwestern tip of the region, are also notable.
The Shuswap's largest centres are Sicamous and Salmon
Arm, not to be confused with the Salmon Arm that is part of Shuswap
Lake. While those looking to stay in the Shuswap will find more accommodation
choices in these centres, the smaller areas of Chase,
Sorrento, Mara
and Enderby are
also worth a look.
Perhaps the most popular form of accommodations
in the Shuswap are houseboats
and there are literally hundreds of them available for rent throughout the region,
earning the Shuswap the title of 'Houseboat Capital of Canada'. Equipped with
kitchens, full bathrooms, plenty of sleeping room, and in some cases hot tubs,
houseboating is popular for those guests wishing to stay for a minimum of three
days and offers a more all-encompassing vacation experience.
When To Visit
Because of its mild year-round climate and endless number of recreational possibilities,
anytime of year is a good time to visit the Shuswap, although some seasons are
much busier than others.
Summer
| |
 |
| |
A
view of the Okanagan in the summer |
Summer in the Shuswap seems to last forever thanks to the areas year-round
temperate climate, but the official summer season is usually defined between
the months of early May to the end of August. Much like the rest of the Okanagan,
summer is high season in the Shuswap with vacationers flocking to take advantage
of the region's many lakes and natural beauty causing accommodations to fill
up months in advance. Houseboats can even be booked over a year in advance during
high season. Properties also tend to charge their highest rates during the summer,
and although this is pretty much unavoidable anywhere at this time of year,
a little research can produce a variety of affordable options. Summer vacationers
should book accommodations as early as possible to take advantage of the best
deals, and secure their space and to ensure that there's space. Visit the online
room search engine to view all listings available and take advantage
of any special rates.
Fall
Fall weather in the Shuswap closely resembles its summer climate, with the
exception of earlier sunsets and cooler evenings. Crowds may also be noticeably
smaller in the Shuswap during the fall as students and summer vacationers return
to their normal schedules. Because of this decline in demand, houseboating
companies will often charge shoulder rates in the fall.
Winter
The winter in the Shuswap offers the same "champagne powder" as the rest of
the Okanagan, and is a winter sports paradise. All
terain tours, snowmobiling,
cat-skiing,
and other activities abound in the relatively mild Shuswap winter. Rates are
at their lowest during the winter season and great deals can be found at most
accommodations, with the exception of houseboats, since they do not operate
during the winter. Accommodations options are more limited during the winter,
as many vacation homes, B&Bs and cabins close for the season, but the online
room search and accommodation
directory has a good selection of year-round accommodations to choose
from.
Spring
Early spring mornings in the Shuswap are crisp and refreshing, and by March,
the sun is predominant and the spring bloom places a blanket of colour over
the area. Golf
courses begin to re-open, fishing holes have shed their ice and everyone
begins to gear up for another sun-filled summer in the Okanagan. While the waters
can be relatively chilly in the spring, most houseboating companies will offer
shoulder season rates in the spring to entice visitors out on the lakes. Booking
a houseboat trip before the summer high season can save visitors a significant
amount of money. In fact, most accommodations will offer spring discounts. Visit
the online
search engine and accommodation
directory to search for area accommodations offering discounts.
Choosing the Right Accommodation
The WorldWeb.com Travel Guide has several helpful tools in which to assist
planning, including:
1) Accommodation Directory - This is a complete accommodation directory
containing detailed listings for hotels,
B&Bs,
luxury
| |
 |
| |
Golf courses like this one are typical in the Okanagan |
resorts,
campgrounds
and more. With links to accommodation websites and interactive maps, these directories
are designed to help find the right place based on budget, personal preferences
and the activities desired.
2) Online Room Reservations - A convenient online room search and reservation
page. This link will allow a search of room availability and the ability to
make a secure online room reservation. Although this is a useful feature anytime
of year, the online Secure
Room Reservations page is particularly helpful in the peak seasons when
finding accommodation at popular properties can be difficult.
3) Interactive Maps - Browse through a range of detailed interactive
maps for different areas and cities to locate the attractions and accommodations
for the region. The Shuswap
is a highlighted area in the upper-right corner of the Thompson-Okanagan
map, just zoom in on the region to reveal more levels of detail.
Choosing the right place to stay in the Shuswap is all a matter of choice since
there is a lot to choose from. The nearest major centres outside the Shuswap
are Kamloops to the east,
Revelstoke to the west
and Vernon to the south.
Each of these centres are within a short driving distance and offer a great
selection of accommodation possibilities. Salmon
Arm and Sicamous
act as the Shuswap's regional centres and therefore also have a good selection
of accommodations, despite their smaller size. Various roadside accommodations,
including some major chains as well as smaller independent operators, make it
easy for those travelling through the area, since there is little searching
involved in locating them—they are right off the highway. Vacation
homes, cottages
and B&Bs
are abundant, given the area's popularity as a vacation and summer home destination,
and can be found interspersed throughout the region.
Houseboats
For many people, the Shuswap is synonymous with houseboating.
Houseboats offer a great way to enjoy the lakes of the area while keeping all
of the amenities of home. Houseboats can range from the basic, including kitchenettes,
beds and small bathrooms, to the much more luxurious, often with stateroom cabins,
fireplaces, hot tubs, full kitchens and more. See the Houseboating
in the Okanagan article for more information on what to expect from
a houseboat vacation, and then check out the houseboating directory for a list
of the local houseboat companies.
Shuswap
Houseboat Directory
Sicamous
| |
 |
|
| |
A
water skier on Shuswap Lake |
|
Sicamous is located
on the narrows between Shuswap
Lake and Mara
Lake, making it a perfect location from which to launch a lake adventure.
Many of the major houseboat
companies are based out of Sicamous. From Sicamous, travel east on Highway 1
to Three
Valley Gap and Revelstoke,
or west towards Salmon Arm
and Kamloops. Highway
97A runs south along Mara Lake from Vernon
and the fertile Okanagan Valley.
While Sicamous is a smaller centre, as mentioned before, it is an extremely
popular vacation destination and therefore has all the major amenities required
for a great vacation. Grocery stores, camping supplies and liquor outlets can
be found quite easily. Along Highway 1, there are a few chain hotels
to choose from, or venture just off the highway into town to find independent
inns
and B&Bs.
Follow Highway 97A along Mara Lake and there are a range of vacation
homes, B&B's, and small resort
options - many of which are located right on the lake.
Sicamous
Accommodation Directory | Mara
Accommodation Directory | Okanagan
Interactive Map
Salmon Arm
Salmon Arm is located
on the southwest end of Shuswap Lake's Salmon Arm. It is slightly larger than
Sicamous with the amenities to match. White Lake is a short drive away and offers
some of the best year-round trout fishing in the province.
One of the town's most popular events is the three-day Salmon
Arm Roots and Blues Festival, which takes place in the late summer and
attracts some pretty high profile performers. Previous performers include the
Spirit of the West, Blue Rodeo, Bruce Cockburn and more.
Since Highway 1 runs right through Salmon Arm, a good number of accommodations
can be found right off the highway. Browse through the accommodation directory
to locate the numerous B&Bs
or cottages
spread around the area, many of which are located right on the lake. Alternatively,
the campgrounds directory
features plenty of tenting and RV friendly accommodations.
Salmon Arm
Accommodation Directory | Salmon Arm Online Room Search | Okanagan
Interactive Map
Other Shuswap Destinations
Within the region, and surrounding Shuswap Lake itself, are a number of small
communities that offer a diversity of lodging choices. Smaller communities like
Scotch Creek,
Squilax,
Chase, Celista,
and Seymour Arm not only provide basic shopping and necessities, but they are
less crowded. Hotels may be harder to come by in these communities, given their
size, but vacation homes, B&Bs and cabins are not. Public parks, beaches
and boat launches are also spread around the region so no matter where the accommodation,
these amenities shouldn't be too far.
Full List of
Shuswap Accommodations | Thompson
Okanagan Interactive Map
