Wild on Water | Explore Nimmo Bay, British Columbia in Luxury
Your Home & Lifestyle Magazine
For the uninitiated, Nimmo Bay is as wild as it comes—reachable only by air or sea, while still having the types of pampering that even the most hairsplitting of urbanites demand. “Nimmo Bay really epitomizes unpretentious luxury in the world right now,” says Brianna Sloan, marketing manager for the resort that’s tucked within Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia. “The whole concept of luxury has changed over the last decade or so—it’s no longer gold-plated silverware or butlers, and is more about a personalized experience in a comfortable environment.”
And at Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort, that experience emphasizes wellness at every turn for both guests and the surrounding landscape. Gwyneth Paltrow–types will appreciate the indulgent offerings, which range from Pacific sea salt scrubs and botanical glow facials to soaks in cedar hot tubs set in the mist of waterfalls. “We have quite a well-developed wellness program, with everything from individual wellness treatments like intuitive massages to full-trip wellness journeys where people can really go a bit deeper,” says Sloan, who has been with the company for fifteen years. “That’s where people can have more of an inward experience, where they’re focusing on mindfulness and that connection to nature and themselves. Our wellness guides will take them through every step of the way with guided meditation, hands-on stretching, and then also those more traditional treatments. We also do a lot of things that integrate nature, like forest bathing or shiatsu treatments on docks, or hydrotherapy. We’ve got a few floating saunas and hot tubs so people can do cold plunges in the ocean and then go into the heat as well.”
But arguably the most transformative, soul-enhancing experience at this particular all-inclusive is being present in the landscape itself. “The location is just so unreal,” says Sloan. “We’re located in the southern part of the Great Bear Rainforest, which is one of the areas on the planet that has the most biodiversity,” she notes. “The wildlife is incredible!” Some of her most awe-inspiring moments happen in the early hours, when the resident wildlife is already up and at ’em.
“My favorite way to view bears is by water,” she says. “We take kayaks or paddleboards out in the morning, and in the morning it’s often quite misty. A little bit of that marine fog will roll in and it will feel like you’re in your own little bubble, where the west coast fog and mist are kind of ensconcing the area. You’re gliding along the crystal-clear water and all you hear are the sounds of the wilderness.” And then, as you round a corner, you just may spot a bear; Sloan often has. “There’s our furry friends on the shoreline and they’ll be flipping rocks over, looking for shore crabs or mussels. You can actually have quite a relaxed viewing of bears when you’re on the water and you’re silent, and they’re munching away.” In short: it’s the definition of paradise found.
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The Trip of a Lifetime
Nimmo Bay is the type of destination that guests return to year after year. As such, it’s wise to make your booking early—sometimes years in advance. “We’ve had guests who have arrived and then upon departure they’re like, ‘book me in for a week a year for the rest of my life.’” While larger groups have currently booked dates as far ahead as 2030, a last-minute retreat is often possible for singles, couples, and smaller groups. “We always say, ‘Check in, because you never know what will happen.’”
Three-night minimum.
www.nimmobay.com
@nimmobayresort
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YHL Written by Kathryn O’Shea-Evans / Photography by Jeremy Koreski