Nice House by University. Close to Beaches, Parks, Wineries, Orchards and Golf Courses
House • Kelowna BC Canada
6 Guests
3 Bedrooms
3 Beds
2 Bathrooms
3 Car spaces
Secondary home
Exchange types accepted
Simultaneous
Non-Simultaneous
Non-Reciprocal & Globe
Statistics
Listed July 2020
Views 6179
General overview
Our 2023 availability is from beginning of May to end of August. Look forward to hearing from you!!!
Large Main Suite in Kelowna located in a family friendly neighborhood, within walking distance to groceries and restaurants. Conveniently located within minutes of rapidly growing University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) and Kelowna International Airport (YLW), It is the perfect location to enjoy Kelowna and its surrounding areas.
We prefer if you hire our cleaner after the exchange ($120 CAD), but we are open to discussion for small group and short stay.
The space
Please note that our furnishings are being update and might be different when you arrive. However, you should still be able to find everything you need at your fingertips.
We have an open concept Living/Dining/Kitchen setup so guests can connect with each other easily. The Private Porch/Sundeck provides ample space to relax in the evening or for the children to play safely. The newly renovated Main bathroom has a deep soaker tub. All bedrooms are fitted with Queen Size bed and a Playpen can be added easily to any bedroom. If you do not need the 3rd bedroom on the Lower Level, we may close it for storage.
Guest access
There are 2 levels in the Main Suite: Upstairs has Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, 2 Bedrooms, Bathroom with tub and separate laundry, as well as the Private Porch/Sundeck. Downstairs has 1 extra Bedroom (maybe used as storage, if not needed) and Bathroom with shower. Please let us know if you'd like to use the Downstairs Bedroom.
Please note that we may have tenants in the completely separated basement suite with their own entrance - no amenities are being shared with the tenants.
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Neighbourhood
You can reach many wineries, local orchards, golf courses, beaches, parks and playgrounds within 15mins drive. Maps with local markets, favorite restaurants, wineries and attractions can be provided for your use.
For those who love the outdoors, we have everything from Golfing, Hiking, Swimming, Fly Fishing, Horseback Riding, Steam Train Tour, Kangaroo Farm, Zipline, Moutain Biking, Rock Climbing, to Paragliding, Flyboarding, Ice Climing, the list goes on and on and on and on...
Our beautiful beaches (most of them are within 5-30 mins from me):
https://www.kelownanow.com/columns/hiking_the_okanagan/news/Hiking_the_Okanagan/10_of_the_best_beaches_within_2_hours_of_Kelowna
Fruit U-pick in the summer: Strawberries, Cherries, Apricots, Peaches, Blueberries, Raspberries, Plums, Grapes, Apples, Pears (and Garlic - I know this is not fruit, but they are just delicious)... They are all available in the local farms or farmers markets.
Fruits and vegetables freshly picked are not the same as store brought.
We purchase our meat (chicken, beef and pork) directly from a local farmers - their farm is about 100 miles from my house (note to self, 200 lb of meat takes up a lot space in a freezer 😋).
We're lucky to be in the Okanagan where produce are abundant - last summer we got 20 kg of honey, 140 lb u-pick apricots, 100 lb u-pick apples, some backyard prunes/chestnuts and 1600 lb organic peaches (this one is with friends). Everything from local farmers within 10 miles from me.
With so many orchards and farms, the Okanagan is pretty great for "Farm to Table" - here's a Vancouver Magazine article about 8 such restaurants, 3 of which are within 5 mins from us (many many more in the area): http://vanmag.com/taste/kelownas-8-farm-table-restaurants/
The Westside Farm Loop (where my house is): https://www.visitwestside.com/listings/westside-farm-loop/
The Kelowna Farm to Table Tour:
https://www.tourismkelowna.com/things-to-do/farms-orchards-markets/farm-to-table/https://www.tourismkelowna.com/things-to-do/farms-orchards-markets/local-flavours-guide/
The Vernon Farm to Folk Tour:
https://www.tourismvernon.com/en/eat-and-drink/Farm-to-Fork.aspx
Getting to my home
From Kelowna International Airport:
- It is an easy 15 drive along the highway and then via a short drive through UBCO campus.
From Vancouver:
- It is a straight-forward 4 hours drive via Coquihalla Highway through the beautiful mountain terrain.
- If you prefer a scenic tour, you can take the Hope-Princeton Highway instead where you will pass through the Manning Provincial Park and numerous interesting smaller towns and along Lake Okanagan.
From Calgary:
- It is a 7 hours on the TransCanada Highway and pass through Banff
Nearest airport
15 mins drive from Kelowna International Airport
1 hour drive from Penticton Regional Airport
4 hours drive (or 45 mins flight) from Vancouver International Airport
8 hours drive (or 1 hour flight) from Calgary International Airport
Getting around
Although our house is in walking distance (within 20 mins) to major groceries and restaurants, parks and playgrounds, a car is needed to get around in the Okanagan.
Our house is perfectly located to explore the Okanagan - Canada's wine, golf, & recreation capital.
In Kelowna and surrounding areas, you have your pick from a wide variety of restaurants. From an astonishing assortment of international cuisines (Thai, Indian, Vietnamese) to truly native Canadian (the Kekuli Cafe specializes in aboriginal Bannock and buffalo)
Within 20 mins, you will find a piece of Australia in the Okanagan: a Kangaroo petting-zoo (yes, you can feed and snuggle a baby wallaby). Venture a little farther and your options are almost unlimited, horseback riding, historic steam-train rides, to the amazing Myra Canyon Railway Trestle and the new Okanagan Rail Trail tours.
Other notable attractions:
- downtown Kelowna (Galleries & Museums, Lake City Casino, Lake Okanagan boardwalk)
- downtown Westbank (Aboriginal Galleries & Museums, groceries, restaurants)
- 200+ wineries (including Mission Hill and Quails Gate - Canada's #1 and #8) in the Okanagan Region
- Many golf courses , tennis courts, pickleball courts
- 15 beaches and lakes (one with a free zip-line, another offering free fishing lessons) within a short distance from the house
- Many provincial parks & hiking/biking/climbing trails
- Farms & organic markets including a historic nut farm, u-pick vegetables & fruits (blueberries, strawberries, apples, cherries, and many more)
- Big White Ski Resort, Telemark Nordic Club (host of the biathlon competition of the BC Winter Games)
- recreation centers & ice skating arenas
Day trip venues include Manning park & resort (2.5hr), Osoyoos (2hr - Canada's only desert), Kamloops (2hr - wildlife park), Vancouver (4hr), Golden (3.5hr, Northern Lights Wolf Center), Banff & Jasper (4.5hr).
Winter activities range from skiing (downhill & cross-country), snow-shoeing, to dogsledding.
Kelowna also has a Bikes/e-Scooters Share program (https://www.kelowna.ca/roads-transportation/active-transportation/shared-bikes-and-e-scooters) if you want to explore its downtown area on Foot, by Bikes or e-Scooters.
Map of Approximate Location
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We had a great exchange at Natasha's home in Kelowna! If you are looking for something convenient, comfortable, and uncomplicated, this is it! The home is located between two main roads that take you into the city, or north out of the city, which is handy. There is a local fruit market nearby (behind the house!), grocery stores a few kms away, and best of all, E-rental bikes and scooters are everywhere if you don't want/need car! We loved this option and used them often, even to get to the airport! The whole area is beautiful, even the view of the hills from the front of the house.
Natasha was a great host and left us some requested amenities to add to our stay (hair dryer and beach chairs/towels), and left us some thoughtful, delicious treats!
Ching's (Natasha's) home was very clean and comfortable. We are so fortunate to have been able to stay here. Thank you Natasha!
The location is on the edge of Kelowna so you need a vehicle, but then there are so many wonderful places to visit that use of a vehicle is very beneficial.
Natasha is a very kind, helpful person. Communication was easy and prompt. She even left us some goodies and a lovely welcome card when we arrived.
A-MA-ZING stay in Kelowna. I was totally confident going to Natasha's. The house is 15 minutes from everything. It became a running gag with my partner. We recommend a visit to Kelowna and especially Natasha's to everyone.
Natasha was a perfect host with regular communication throughout our stay giving us local info and checking if everything was OK and left us welcome goodies.
The house is in a semi-rural area not far from the airport (Handy), the university and is only 10-15 minutes drive downtown. The house is mostly rented to uni students so it is furnished in a simple manner. The interior was very clean.
It would be preferable to have a car to get to see all the amazing sites in the Okanagan from Vernon to Osoyoos.
We look forward to Natasha and her family being able to stay in our home to complete the exchange.
We just got home after spending a week & our first exchange at Natasha's lovely home.😄 Natasha was an amazing and thoughtful host & surprised us with a whole bunch of goodies all local from the Okanagan area. It was a fabulous stay and we felt at home and relaxed. I highly recommend visiting Kelowna and connecting with Natasha, she is fabulous!
Natasha was an amazing host during our stay at her home in Kelowna. We really enjoyed the amazing fruit and goodies that she left for us when we arrived. Chatting with her before and during our stay was really great and helpful. For our first home exchange ever I believe it was a blessing that we chose Natasha's property as she made it so much easier. I do not hesitate to recommend Natasha and her home for future stays. Really great. Thank you so much!!!
We enjoyed our stay in Kelowna at Ching's house very much. Ching was very generous: she asked us about our food preferences and when we arrived we found a whole heap of fruits and vegetables as well as many Okanagan specialties. We also had the pleasure of seeing Ching and his family again for lunch at Ching's favorite restaurant. Throughout the stay, we were able to count on Ching to give us advice on visits and restaurants. She even arranged electric bike rental for us! In short, we are delighted with our stay and hope to see Ching and his family in Paris or elsewhere...
Natasha and jonathons holiday home was a perfect base for us to explore lake country and Vernon. We didn’t go into kelowna too much but it’s close to all. Natasha was amazing at checking in and seeing if there was anything we needed. She helped book our horse riding expletive which was such an amazing help. Thank you so much for letting us use your place and we look forward to welcoming you in scotland.
Natasha's house is very central, so all the activities we have done is within 1 hour drive from her house.
There are so many family-friendly and fun things to do in the area. We did about two activities every day. Several activities are things we do for the first time. Some highlights include: kangaroo farm, zipline, tree obstacle course, riding bicycles in the Myra canyon, science center, downtown beaches, drive-in theatre, and delicious ice-cream.
Her house is modern, clean and very spacious for the three of us. We super appreciate having the AC. Natasha has been very kind and generous. She offered us to extend our stay multiple times because of the wildfire and smoke situation in Calgary (where we live). She also offered multiple tips and suggestions during our stay and left books, toys and colouring pencils for crayons for my daughter. She even lent us a child bike for our little one.
We couldn't ask for a better experience. Everything was so smooth and pleasant. We would love to have an opportunity to come back some day!
Natasha ist the sweetest person!
Everything was comfortable, clean, modern, we felt so good in her home.
We had a fantastic stay at Natasha's house in Kelowna. The house was lovely and having AC was particularly great during a heatwave! The location of Natasha's house made it very easy to travel into Kelowna centre by car or public transport. We fell in love with lake swimming and enjoyed visiting local breweries and restaurants in the evening. We are very keen to return to the Okanagan in the future. Thank you Natasha for allowing us to stay in your home.
We had such a lovely (but too short) stay at Natasha & Jonathan’s place. Natasha had a lovely welcome basket for us; we really enjoyed the yummy local treats. A very comfy house, in such a wonderful area of British Columbia. We hope to go back. And we SO appreciate Natasha being the conductor of the forgotten guitar orchestra! Many thanks!
A great place to relax, and it was so nice having someone give us help on specific things we wanted to do, like picking cherries at the very end of the season! Our kids loved the space, it was absolutely perfect for our family of 4.
It was our very first PLU exchange, and with Ching and family, it was the best experience! We are so glad to chosen them to exchange with.
We got a chance to meet them online before the exchange, as well as in person when they arrived. They kept our place so clean and orderly that when we got back it was like we hadn't even left! They were a joy to interact with, communication was effortless and quick, and we even exchanged some great travel resources with one another. We feel as though we've made new friends with whom we wish to continue exchanging with and we are looking forward to visiting and/or staying at their home in the future.
We highly recommend Ching and family as guests and would welcome them back anytime. Thank you Natasha for all your guidance and support throughout our very first PLU exchange!
Ching and her family were considerate guests who took great care of our home. They are always welcome to stay when their travels bring them back to Tokyo.
We had the pleasure of hosting Natasha and her family, and they were absolutely perfect guests. They were respectful, courteous, and adhered strictly to our cleaning guidelines. Natasha is an excellent communicator, keeping us updated throughout the entire exchange process. We would be delighted to welcome them back anytime they wish to return!
We loved having Natasha and her family stay. They left the home in great shape and took care of it well. We would love to have them back anytime. Taking care of our cats and kids little fish was a major bonus and they are knowledgeable pet lovers themselves.
Awesome communication, and very easy to please. Due to Covid, there was a loooonnnng gap between our non-sim swap, but we finally made it work! I wish we had been there to greet them, but very glad we could make a last-minute swap work while we were out of town. Our house was in great condition when we returned.
Natasha and her family were wonderful. They are really clear communicators. We felt very comfortable sharing our home with them. They took wonderful care of our cat and were very respectful of our home. Natasha even brought all kinds of treats and a bottle of wine from the Okanagan to leave at our house when they left. She had taken the time to find out if we had any allergies and it was such a lovely treat to come home to. Would happily host them again any time.
Well if anyone has doubts about what family to have come to their home I would never hesitate to have Ching and her family!! They are a wonderful, caring family and this is the 2nd time for them to our place. Communication is so easy between us :) It was such a treat to come home to our place the same way that we left it! Thanks so much Ching & family!
Natasha (Ching), Jonathan and their kids stayed in our home for a week in July 2022. They took excellent care of our place and left it nice and clean! Communication was always clear and timely. We have done numerous exchanges for the past 15 years, and we highly recommend exchanging with them :-).
Great experience with Natasha and her family! It was our first exchange and she made me feel comfortable and walked me through it ☺️. Left us some yummy treats when they left as well. Natasha and her family are welcome back anytime!
Ching was friendly and wonderful to deal with throughout the process, and took great care of our home. Unfortunately we did not get to meet since we were not in the area at the time, but communication was great before, during and after the exchange.
Ching and her family were wonderful guests in our home and I would not hesitate for a moment to recommend her to others and to welcome her again in the future!
She was a great communicator throughout, and prior, to her and her family coming. All of her communication with me was very positive. She kept me closely informed about her stay and provided great feedback about things she enjoyed in town. We'd be delighted to have Ching and her family stay again!
I look forward to one day meeting in person:)
Ching and his family were incredibly kind and easy-going. Prior to their stay, we discussed child-friendly activities in Paris and shopping, so I felt like I had known Ching for ages when I first met her! Ching's family bravely braved the heat wave with packs of ice in their backpacks (great idea!) to go to science museums, farmers' markets, and more. They even discovered a farmer's market that I didn't know about! In addition, they invited us to a superior Chinese restaurant where we ate delicious dim sum specially selected by Ching! We also had a great time chatting with the whole family.
Now we wish we could do our part of the exchange, hopefully in 2022!
PS Ching is one of the pillars of the PLU community. She is one of the most active PLU members in the FB group and has 9 PLU swaps completed or pending! What a record!
Jill was a wonderful guest.
She was clear in her communication - asked if there were specific items that they would like to have well in advance, and for those items we didn't have she simply brought along. This gave us lots of time to get the house ready and also an opportunity for us to make sure their stay went seamlessly.
They also let us know about the E-Bikes & E-Scooters rental - a City program specifically to boost tourism. It makes Kelowna even more attractive to tourists without needing a car rental. Something we haven't thought about before.
Jill left our house in wonderful shape - even folding the towels like my cleaner would have.
We look forward to visiting Toronto and hopefully meet them next time.
Jade & Tony were the absolute best people to swap with - this was their first official home exchange and they were Pros already!
We did video chat before agreeing on an exchange. Jade & Tony took the time to meet us when we arrived and showed us around their beautiful house. They were warm, kind, welcoming, easygoing and gave us wonderful advice (for both our stay in their house and also our trip to Japan this past summer, as they spent 3 months in Japan the previous year).
Their house was beautiful and spacious and had everything we needed. The location was superb - walking distance to the river and to Steveston where the grocery stores, restaurants, playground were all located.
We had the most wonderful time at Jade & Tony's home and would love to go back sometime - especially looking forward to the BEST homemade burgers at a local restaurant they recommended.
All in all, it's a magical exchange!
Our trip in Japan this past summer was an amazing experience and Laurie made that happen for us. So a heartfelt Thank You first!
Laurie was an excellent communicator and exchanger - we were lucky to be their first agreed upon exchange EVER. And we were grateful for the trust they had in us - like many, me included, believe home exchange is an act to "open our home open our hearts".
Their home in Setagaya was exactly what we looked for in Tokyo. This was our 2nd time in Tokyo and we already did most of the tourist activities, like Shibuya Crossings. So we were looking for a family home in the suburb of Tokyo.
Now, Tokyo is huge for those not family, and Setagaya is within the Main 23 Wands. Their place was in a beautiful pocket that was geared towards family. A few mins walk took us to the bus stop to the train stations. Or around $10 USD taxi ride took us to the train stations, with direct train to Central Tokyo.
Lots of shops and restaurants were at the train stations for everything we would need. You could also take a nice 10-15 mins scroll along the river to convenience stores, local shop and restaurants.
While we were there, Tokyo experienced their hottest July and Laurie house was equipped with AC and window shutters, and was as comfortable as it gets. Some days, our kids even prefer to stay home to play with their toys (while we are in Tokyo!!! 🤣).
We had the best of time in Tokyo thanks to Laurie & their family for sharing their beautiful home with us.
Thank you Laurie! We hope to meet you in person the next time we are in Tokyo or you in BC!
I think we were one of Bonnie's first exchanges and it went swimmingly.
Bonnie was a joy to communicate with - she was proactive and understanding (we were in Japan with a big time difference when they arrived). She informed us when she noticed things were broken, which we appreciate because we didn't get to spend a lot of time living there.
They explored the area far and wide and gave us new ideas of the local establishments we should check out ourselves.
Even though they chose to use our cleaner, they left the house in very nice condition.
We look forward to visiting them in the future.
The exchange with Teresa & Masami was simply PERFECT!
Theresa was wonderful to talk to before, during & after the exchange. She gave us a lot of wonderful advice on buying a property in Japan (yes, we are hoping to get one in the next 11-24 months!). She generally shared her knowledge and contacts with us for everything Japan.
Their apartment in Sakai was in a wonderful location, within 10 minutes away from the train stations that took us directly to the center of Osaka.
The convenience stores, restaurants, shopping center were all minutes away - our kids even went grocery shopping by themselves for the first time EVER - they were over the moon with this newfound responsibility & independence 🥰. Mind you, the store was in the very next building without needing to cross the road 😆. And we felt comfortable & safe in Japan for them to take that lap.
Her apartment was clean and well equipped. They anticipated our every needs and had everything in our fingertips. Their apartment was huge, considering the Japanese standard. While we were in Japan, they experienced the hottest July and Theresa's apartment has 3 AC units!!!
This was our first time in Osaka and we loved every minute of it, visiting places far & near - including Kobe & Kyoto.
Teresa's place is the perfect place to stay for anyone visiting Japan!
Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts Teresa & Masami, your generosity helped us make amazing memories!
We were very pleased to help Julie celebrate their 10th anniversary. They were very easygoing and nice to communicate with.
Although their flight had changed multiple times out of their control, we were happy to be able to accommodate them.
They were only here for a few days, but I was glad they seemed to be able to visit many wonderful places.
They left our place clean and in good shape.
We can't wait to visit Montreal in the future.
Kandes was a wonderful caring host. She was easy to talk to and very accommodating to our short stay request - we usually prefer a longer stay, but this time we were only able to stay for a few days before flying out to Japan. Kandes made her home available for us and prepared the home perfectly for our stay. She even gifted us a travel game!
The house is extremely conveniently located to visit other major attractions in Vancouver, but honestly we spent most of our time close by.
The local neighborhood is amazing - right across the street from a playground & so close to many wonderful international restaurants.
Just strolling around the block and enjoying the lovely houses & trees was very relaxing.
The two resident kitties were lovely with personalities as big as they are (a massive hit with our son).
The 130 year old house has been tastefully updated & modernized while maintaining its original charm. The home itself is marvelous, tastefully appointed but spacious and very family friendly and welcoming - both of our kids loved the trampoline and backyard playground.
I highly recommend an exchange with Kandes and would love to go back for another visit should an opportunity arises.
I had the chance to meet Yvonne & Steve via video chat before the exchange. They were nice and communicated well.
They made suggestions to help us make our home more comfortable for exchangers. They left our place clean and in good shape.
A great exchange overall!
Cyndi was an absolute delight to exchange with.
Although we didn't meet each other while they were in Kelowna, I got to know each other pretty well via messages (and boy, we have soooo much in common!!!😘)
They were wonderful guests and left our house in tip top shape. They were very easy going and really immersed themselves to the Okanagan activities.
We didn't realize our coffee machine has a missing part that rendered a particular function unusable. Cyndi was very understanding and actually gift us a new coffee machine ❤ she found out a replacement part was not possible.
We highly recommend exchanging with Cyndi. And they are welcome back anytime.
Deborah was a delight during the entire process. This is her first exchange (and we are very honored to be part of their home exchange journey).
We were pleased to help celebrate Deborah and Jano's wedding anniversary. It was a rather short trip and they took great care of our house and left it clean and tidy.
A week prior to their arrival, there was heavy smoke blown in from the Wildfire cross the border. Deborah was proactive to discuss what we could do if the air quality remained poor. Luckily, the air got clear out a couple dates in advance with good air quality in the forecast.
Overall, the experience was very positive and we wish to host Deborah and Jano again anytime!
I have no words to thank you Natasha for making our first exchange so easy. It was a great pleasure to deal with you and the speed in which you answered all our questions. It made this an amazing experience for us. Thank you. Just let me know when you are ready to come over to Vancouver.
Thank you again for everything!!
OMG - I didn't realized there's Guest Feedback!
Odile, Luc and family were wonderful guests - I must say also very adventurous to be making a side trip to the Wilderness (with no electricity) for a few days while here.
We had the pleasure of meeting them for lunch while here (Thank you!) and had some great conversations. Didn't realize this was their first trip to Canada and already looking forward to their next trip hopefully in a few years.
They left our house is wonderful order, even helped us fix the sticky door.
Would absolutely welcome them for another trip if the opportunity arises.
Ashleigh and family stayed at our place last summer with their young children. The discussion lead up the exchange was easy and it turned out we also hosted their friends Bruce & Sarah the year prior (what a small world!).
Ashleigh was a good communicator and I enjoyed interacting with her. They left our place clean and tidy upon their departure.
We have never been to their beautiful country before, but now we have 2 reasons to visit 😉. Hopefully we will see them in a few years.
We are very grateful that Sarah & Jason were so easygoing and made our last minute vacation plan worked. When we asked them about the possibility of exchanging, they were actually in Europe and arranged to have her dad checked on the house and setup for us.
Sarah and Jason's house is amazing - it looks like it belongs in an architectural magazine but feels like a warm & welcoming home.
It's truly a showcase of cool technology - that actually works & makes life easier and better. My personal favorite was the automatic blackout blinds that let us sleep in while the kids entertained themselves with the inter-floor slide & theater room!
Far enough out to feel like a quiet refuge, their house is still close enough to the city center to be convenient. High points for our kids were hitting the Edmonton Science Center & Royal Alberta Museum (both very interactive & fun - even for adults)!
Thank you Sarah & Jason again for your generosity & shared your beautiful home with us.
We were honored to be Van's first exchange (ever)!
Van was a great communicator and we had many chats throughout, exchanging ideas for what they could do here. She even found out things we had no idea existed in our backyard (flight school anyone?)
They left the house in excellent shape even though they chose to have our cleaner turn the suite over.
We already chatted about having them back another year with the grandparents!
Emma & Tyler were a joy to exchange with.
They welcomed us to their beautiful home in North Vancouver in very short noticed (I think from our first inquiry to arriving at their home was a mere 2 weeks).
Their home is in an amazing location, tucked away from the hustle and bustle, yet closed enough to be extremely convenient.
We enjoyed hiking in the area, crossed the suspension bridge (free in Lynn Valley). Found some delicious food mins away (& can't forget the best Jelly Beans they left us!)
Their cat Pebbles was gentle and very easy to take care of. My kids absolutely love to snuggle with her.
Emma & Tyler were very attentive and we had many nice chats throughout our exchange.
We can't wait to welcome them to our home!
Penny and Glen's place never disappoint - This was our 2nd year staying in their beautiful home. We had kept this trip a surprise for our children all the way til we arrived at their house. My kids were over the moon as we pulled up to Penny's driveway. To this day, they said Penny is their favorite Penny.
As always, Penny and Glen made their home beautiful and comfortable for us. Everything was perfect and just what we needed for a relaxing holiday. My kids loved the pool and I loved, loved LOVED the garden.
Communication with Penny has been top notch. We're truly friends only made possible by PLU. In fact, I think we talk almost weekly even since our first exchange.
I highly recommend exchanging with Penny and Glen if you're in Canada or need a relaxing holiday.
I enjoyed hosting Paula, Angelo and family during their Canadian trip this summer. Paula and I had wonderful chats before, during and after their stay. They left our place nice and tidy. By the end of their stay, we felt like old friends - We even exchanged travel ideas, as they were traveling in Clearwater just before we took a trip up that way.
We look forward to visiting Paula in the future.
I'm grateful to have Bruce & Sarah exchanging with us. There was a problem with the dishwasher/kitchen sink within the first 24 hours they arrived, Bruce not only notified us right away, he took the time to troubleshoot with us and diagnosed the problem. With his help, we managed to have it fixed that same day.
Arranging this exchange with Bruce & Sarah was quick and simple, they responded to my FB post and we were able to get an exchange organized with ease. Communication with them has always been prompt and comfortable. They left our house clean and organized, and we look forward to visiting them sometime in the future.
You can tell Deanna & David are experienced exchangers by the way they communicated with us, the home instruction they sent us and the very well organized home manual they left at home. Every details were addressed and they gave us a lot of excellent suggestions, especially for food. Communication with Deana was wonderful and she was very thoughtful.
Deanna & David's place is truly magical - its beautiful, clean and very family friendly. Their place was beautifully restored heritage home that we didn't know even existed in New Westminster. The "hidden" stairway was a favorite of the kids and the amazing kitchen was a highlight for the adults (stocked with everything you could ever need).
Being centrally located we were able to hit all of our favourite spots in Vancouver with no problems. The highest praise we can give is that our kids would rather stay at Deanna's home rather than going to playgrounds or other attractions.
Heather was great at discussing our exchange - it was quite last minute (I think from our first FB comments to them heading to our place was within 2 weeks), but Heather was proactive every step of the way making this exchange very natural. We spoke on the phone multiple times and exchanged tons of messages before, during and after the exchange.
They left our house very clean and organized. Since it was such a short trip for them, we look forward to having them return for another time.
Keith's "forgotten guitar" has made this exchange even more special - an excellent demonstration of the PLU team at work!
If Evelyn hadn't told me, I wouldn't have guessed this was her first exchange. She & Philippe graciously welcomed us to their home in beautiful Burke Mountain. Communication with Evelyn has always been easy, comfortable and prompt - she gave us clear instruction and helped us arrange a cleaner to come after us (our preference). She made us feel welcome from the very beginning.
Evelyn's house was the perfect base camp for our trip to Vancouver. Being close to both Skytrain and West Coast Express gave us lots of options for getting around.
There are so many amazing playgrounds and splash-parks around her house (several within easy walking/biking distance), but sometimes we chose to stay home and enjoyed everything her home offered - my kids were delighted to find toys and books, which were well organized.
The house itself is exceptionally clean and welcoming, especially for a family. Our kids were endlessly entertained (no screens on this trip!), the front-yard outdoor play area and mud-kitchen were particularly popular!
Paul & Nancy were amazing communicators before/during/after the exchange. They were very flexible and understanding, especially during this unusual fire season.
Their condo has the most beautiful setting, overlooking both the ski slopes and golf course. We enjoyed many nice hikes in the area and explored the cutest village in Sun Peaks. Because of their recommendation, we were introduced to the most delicious ice cream and friendly local businesses.
Although we didn't manage to meet up this time, we look forward to seeing them in the future.
Thank you very much for trusting us as your first home exchangers - hope you will enjoy home exchanging as much as we do.
First of all, I'd like to express our gratitude to Penny & Glen that they trusted us with their first home exchange experience. We have been chatting causally since beginning of 2020 when they first joined PLU. So this exchange has a very special meaning to me.
Penny Lamont & Glen were wonderful hosts and made us feel very welcome even before we arrived. Penny offered us lots of tips for kids activities/what to do/where to eat/hidden gems/etc. Without her "insider advice", we wouldn't have the opportunity to take the McLure Ferry - my kids absolutely loved it!
Their house was amazing - absolutely what we needed after living pretty isolated for over a year. It's obvious that Penny was an amazing gardener - her yards were gorgeous and filled with beautiful flowers and very zen elements. We jumped into their pool every evening splashing, chilling, relaxing - we couldn't ask for anything better for our 1st exchange since Covid.
We have already said that Kamloops should be our annual trip and if another opportunity arises, we would love to exchange with Penny again. Thank you again, Penny & Glen!!!
Sarah, Jason and her family were wonderful guests - our exchange is rather set up last minute, because Covid has changed our plans. Sarah and her family was very easygoing and didn't mind my house being very basic.
Sarah was an excellent communicator and provided me updates during her stay. I especially enjoyed helping her plan their activities - after all, we wanted to make their stay as fun as could be.
We look forward to visiting Sarah and Jason in Edmonton, hopefully in 2022. I'm sure my kids would love that crazily amazing slides!!!
I really enjoyed hosting Tess and her family. Her adorable kids are similar in ages as mine, so we were very pleased to hear they had fun in our house. Tess was a wonderful communicator and we texted each other often during their stay - we swapped ideas for things to do with young kids and discovered a few new playgrounds/beaches because of her. We shared storied about ourselves, which I absolutely treasured.
We were lucky to be able to share our raspberries and tomatoes in the garden with Tess' kids, as it is our hope/goal to teach the kids where food comes from.
We look forward to visiting Tess in Calgary hopefully in 2022 and PEI maybe one day.
Kristy and her 3 kids were wonderful guests who took good care of my place during their stay. Kristy was a wonderful communicator and took time to let me know that their family enjoyed the Okanagan.
Sorry for the long delay. I'm not good with words and fear that my review is not "good enough" to fully express our gratitude. But I think leaving a positive review is the least we can do. So here I am (please excuse my grammatical / spelling errors)...
Odile and Luc were the most wonderful hosts and made our early home exchange experience a memorable one. This was our 2nd time staying as exchange guests (1st with PLU) - A lot of exchangers might be more wary with inexperience exchangers like ourselves. But Odile took us in very early on and set a very friendly stage for our exchange.
As I didn't speak French, she was instrumental during our planning stage and day-to-day activities. She met us at her place upon arrival and showed us around. Letting us know that should we need anything or help she would be available - Oh boy, I really took that to heart, as we asked for lots of advice during the trip 😍🤣, such as things to do for little kids, which museum to visit, where the nearby farmer markets were.
Her place was amazing - very centrally located with lots of amenities nearby. It has been in her family for a very long time so has lot of characters and charms, yet nicely modernized with all essentials. One day, I asked her where to buy a small blender to make smoothie for my kids (my youngest was a picky eater😅 so I was hoping to sneak in some veggies in her diet). Within a couple days, she surprised us with a blender 🥰). Her thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated.
There is no better host we could have wished for. They were supposed to be visiting us last year, but we all knew what happened in 2020. So sadly the trip has to be postpone til hopefully 2022 🤞. We can't wait to host Odile, Luc and family and return their amazing hospitality.
"We're not restricted to school holidays, so our house is available during Christmas and New Year. We are also in the perfect location for the Wine Festivals."
Dates flexible
"Anytime as long as Coquihalla is clear"
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