PPRuNe Forums - Hour building and a holiday for the missus

When we lived in Vancouver I was a member of the Pacific Flying Club (google them), which was originally started by a group of airline pilots. Old(ish) but good aircraft, maintained in house, and flown from Boundary Bay airport. It was a great place to fly from, with easy access to the coastal mountains, the interior of British Columbia, Vancouver Island, Washington State, and slightly further afield, the Rocky mountains. This is an area of truly stunning natural beauty.

I recall seeing an article in one of the magazines about a group of Brits that went for a vacation, had a check ride, took a short mountain flying course, and went on a pretty nice tour as well. I think they used PFC too, but there are many other commercial outfits to rent from.

It's not a tropical paradise, but there are beaches, golfing, hiking, shopping, sailing, skiing (yes, glaciers don't melt in summer), cultural events, and damn good beer.
It's a little embarassing to say, I was born in Vancouver, have traveled much of the world, lived the last 10 years in Europe, but I've never been to Eastern Canada. Maybe someone else can help with that. South Africa sounds pretty great too :)

I'm out of touch with the licensing requirements. I think you can have your ICAO license validated before you go, but check that carefully with Transport Canada's Civil Aviation department. I don't think there are any security issues, like in America, but again, check carefully.