What you must do in Whistler, Canada in 3 days

We set off early from Vancouver stopping off to see beautiful Stanley Park one last time before we hit the road for an epic 3 hour drive through some of the world's best countryside. We were en route to Destination Whistler and were we ready for some fresh country air after a few days in the city.

We were warned as we set off that the roads on our journey could be treacherous so we were apprehensive but as soon as we left Vancouver, we were so blown away by the scenery that we could not think about anything other than breathing in every last drop of it.

Alpine trees lined the way for miles and miles, as the road undulated and swept in gliding curves that just begged for some good driving music and a heavy foot on the pedal.

We'd been told that it was a wildlife corridor and it definitely delivered the goods as we spotted a black bear eating berries at the side of the road, as well as foxes, birds of prey and a wild wolf. As you might imagine I was in my absolute element with this impromptu safari!

After driving for a couple of hours, we were ready for a leg stretch and the mountains of Squamish came along at just the right time so we pulled over and hopped aboard the cable car that would travel 3000 feet in the air.

My toes curled a little but the views were spectacular all around. At the top was a sort of eagles nest and a large wooden deck which the sun beat down on, so we did what anyone would do under the circumstances and bought a couple of beers.

 There was a suspension bridge and lots of lovely walks at the top of the mountain that offered views for days. The glistening, piercing blue glacial water below shimmered in the midday sun.

After we enjoyed a lovely leg stretching walk it was time to leave the peaceful, sunny mountain top and hitch the ride 3000 feet back down.

Onwards we went for another 45 minutes until we were at our abode in Whistler for the next few days, Whistler RV and camp ground. We really wanted to get into the countryside and back to basics after Vancouver and Seattle so opted for a glamping site. Unlike glamping in the UK, it was as basic as it sounded and literally just a yurt and a bed. I must admit I was hoping for a few more luxuries but I think my hen do spoilt me.

The setting was absolutely idyllic up amongst the trees and so incredibly peaceful, so much that you could hear the local wildlife buzzing about their business. Bears in Canada are the real deal so we were warned about not cooking, washing pots or even spitting toothpaste outside of our yurt, as they are attracted by the smells. I secretly psyched myself up for bear encounters every time I had to use the washrooms but as it turned out, it was the wolves that were encroaching on the site that week.

The site was located within a five minute walk of the Whistler Olympic village so we freshened up and set off for a walk and some much needed dinner. We opted for Mongolie Grill which smelled amazing and offered bespoke stir fries, with rows of fresh ingredients from vegetables, to fish and every kind of meat. It was then weighed to give you the price of your meal and all cooked on enormous hotplates in front of us. Yummy is the only word to describe it.

We finished off the evening at a great apres ski little bar called The Brewhouse with a few rounds of beer.

We woke with dawn and the sound of bird song in our ears and rushed outside to breathe in the morning air. The rest of the campsite was still sleeping and it felt special to have this place to ourselves.

We took a lovely long hike up into the woodland trail and, with our new found bear knowledge, kept the chitter chatter up so as not to surprise a bear. We also stumbled across this stunning emerald green lake purely by chance, which we soon found to be a common experience in this part of Canada. It has these stunning views in absolute abundance and we parked ourselves on the jetty to soak it in for a few minutes.

We caught occasional sightings of things indicating a bear had been nearby recently which was adrenaline pumping and although we did look into getting bear spray, it was insanely expensive and we're from Yorkshire - nuff said! And most people felt it was a bit unnecessary and cruel, so we hoped they were right. After exhausting the conversation and any songs we knew off by heart, we were ready to head back for some relaxation.

We'd booked into Spa Scandinave on a recommendation from our friends and just happened to be inside the same site as our yurt by a happy coincidence. Oh my word, when we walked in we thought we'd gone to heaven. Okay, at first having to sign a promise of silence seemed a bit hokey and we wondered if we'd stumbled into a monastery but after half an hour, we were sold. You really do relax when the pressure to fill silences is removed and I can't remember ever feeling so at peace.

You're not supposed to take pictures either so I can't show you just how bloody amazing this place is but please look at the website and you will see why I did not want to ever leave. We lapped up the warmth of the sunshine in the 40 degree heated pools, followed by 5 minutes of the freezing cold plunge pool, and then five minutes of the solarium or sauna. There were so many pools, steam rooms and beautiful quiet areas to enjoy that the afternoon absolutely whizzed by and soon night was drawing in. It is open until very late and we were tempted to just stay but hunger called eventually and we sadly had to leave.

We doubted we'd ever find a spa as nice as this again - it really was the Disney world of all spas and I really hope we get to go back some day.

We lounged by the lovely fire while enjoying a glass of wine and scrumptious food chatting about our amazing time in Whistler but the main topic of conversation was about the awesome spa and how we would one day make the trip back there to once again enjoy this silent mountain top retreat.

Have you had an amazing spa experience at home or abroad? I'm building a book-it list of them for the future as it's one of my favourite ways to relax.