Nimmo Bay

After a year and a half of mostly active outdoor adventures we finally had a short luxury getaway planned. This trip was initally planned for June 2020, then June 2021, so we were pretty excited to finally be heading to Nimmo Bay. We flew into Port Hardy, then caught a Grumman Goose onwards to Nimmo, pretty cool amphibious landing after a short scenic trip across the Broughton Archipeligo. After checking out of cabin, we headed into the new main lodge for an apertif and dinner.

The next morning we had an early start with some yoga, followed up with breakfast and a trip out to the floating sauna a short boat trip away. We got back for lunch, relaxed for a bit and then we took a boat to a nearby flat part of the bay and did some standup paddle boarding for a couple hours, the rain managed to mostly stop for this and the water was like glass in a few parts, really enjoyed it.. We then headed to the hot tub by a cute waterfall that supplies the resort’s microhydro. There are even steps to walk down into the mouth of the waterfall to cool off. It had been raining for some time so the falls were really gushing but I managed to pull off getting behind it without falling over. Probably would be difficult for a shorter person. Quite the shower, felt good to get back in the warm hot tub. From here some cocktails and a great dinner. They made a point of incorporating some local mushroom flavouring into a cocktail that was quite tasty. Not quite as good as the local Dungeness crap dinner on the last night though.

On our second day we did a beach walk followed by trying out the bear watching canopy. Its a tree top via ferrata like setup onto a giant hammock to quietly try and spot bears fishing on the stream bellow. We saw one black bear catch a few salmon. This afternoon after lunch took it easy in the room, got into a few novels and then went for a massage. The massage room is above the hot tubs also overlooking the waterfall. Between crackling woodfire, gentle rain the roof and the gushing waterfall noises probably the best massage ambiance i have ever experienced.

The last day we headed back to the floating sauna for a longer visit. We had our lunch delivered out there, the dock has a covered tent with blankets, comfy chairs and robes a really great addition to the experience. Finally it was time to head home.

We had a great time overall, some (well deserved?) R&R. Its a smaller property, the family is there, as are two managers and really friendly guides and staff. The low number of guests really makes it a personable experience and service is flawless. The activities were setup impromptu and seemed to effortless flow from one to another without any stress of planning/organizing or worrying about set times/schedules or group plans. It felt like there was little they could not arrange. The rooms (intertidal cabins worth reserving) themselves are also really nicely laid out with a rustic country decor, comfortable beds and seating. I was hoping we wouldn't have regrets about our stay here as it was quite expensive, but it exceeded both of our expectations. About the only negatives I can come up with was some of the over the top housekeeping touches (water by your bedside at night, bookmarks in your book, small gifts, petit fours) one sees in luxury properties weren’t there. I’ll take the genuine service vibe from a family that’s actually present over these things any day, and we had already eaten too much, but if you want this sorta thing I’d suggest asking in advance and they’ll make it happen. While we also enjoyed Sonora several years ago and Tweedsmuir Lodge last year, there is no question as to which resort we would return to for some relaxation, the Nimmo Bay experience overall (especially service delivery, but also amenities, rooms, food) is on another level, and has to be the number one spot in BC for this.