We stayed at Echo Valley from May 1 - 5, 2009. It was our first visit and we certainly hope that it won't be our last. The ranch is located in a gorgeous setting about 50 km west of Clinton. The buildings are spread out over a large, well kept property. We stayed in the incredibly beautiful Baan Thai suite with amazing carved teak furniture. The bathroom has a massive whirlpool tub and there is also a steam shower. We had a private outside deck and across the courtyard is the Baan Thai spa.
The owners of the ranch, Norm and Nan, were very attentive to us and gave a tour of the place. There are some lovely private cabins as well as another larger log cabin building called the Lookout. There is even another spa on the property with an exercise room and indoor pool. We enjoyed some guided walks with Norm, Nan and some other guests on the trails. We were also given a map and did some hikes on our own. The extended family of 10 border collies accompanied us everywhere we walked and they were great fun to watch. Some of the other guests also brought their dogs with them and it was great to see all the animals playing together.
A real highlight of our trip was a flight seeing excursion with Norm. Norm has a lot of experience and a real passion for flying. There is a paved airstrip on the ranch and we took off with a great aerial view of the ranch towards the Homathko icefields, Mount Waddington and Chilko Lake. It was like being in an Imax movie. We took lots of pictures and just marveled at the incredible scenery. It was a real once in a lifetime experience.
Also on the ranch they have a falconer who showed us how he trains his gyrfalcon to hunt. It was amazing to see such a beautiful bird that close. There are also chickens, turkeys, rabbits, cows, donkeys and of course lots of horses. We went on two trail rides and the wranglers were very helpful. We thought the horses were very well cared for and appreciated that Flint, Dirk, Emma and Julie picked out the horse that they thought would be best for us. Even when the horses were a little more spirited than we bargained for, the wranglers were always right there to make sure that we felt comfortable and safe.
After our first trail ride we were feeling stiff and sore and decided to indulge in a traditional Thai massage. We had our massage in the Baan Thai spa and what a wonderful experience it was. The spa therapists managed to pull, stretch and contort us from head to toe. It felt so good and relaxing that we didn't want it to end. After the massage, we were given some ginger tea and water. We got back across the courtyard to our Baan Thai suite and prepared ourselves for dinner.
Mealtimes are held at the Dove Lodge (the main log cabin building). We couldn't wait each day to see what treats Chef Kim had made. The food was delicious with lots of choices. Actually almost too many choices, it was too hard to sample everything! We really enjoyed mealtimes not just for the food but because you could meet the other guests. Norm, Nan and the staff at Echo Valley have created such a casual atmosphere that we felt really relaxed and welcome but still living in the lap of luxury.
We would highly recommed Echo Valley Ranch for a great holiday experience. The owners and staff were great and were enjoying themselves and their work.
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