A mixture of steaming Thai herbs pressed against our skin, along the “sen” energy channels, allowing the essential oils to penetrate, soften and soothe the underlying connective tissue of the skin.
We were inside a spa suite in a Baan Thai, an extraordinary building designed by the architect to Thailand’s royal family. Wanna and Tum, our Thai masseuses, draped us in sarongs, then over the course of the next two hours deftly transformed our bodies into stress-free vessels.
Who would guess we were in the wilds of British Columbia, at a ranch so beautiful and harmonious that the fusion of East and West made perfect sense. Elegantly “rustic” western lodges and cabins stand side by side with this graceful Thai-styled building, its delicate curlicues of western red cedar upturned against snow-streaked mountains.
The serene beauty of Echo Valley Ranch & Spa reflects the vision of the owners, Norm and Nanthawon Dove, whose nurturing of guests and staff extends to the unspoiled wilderness that surrounds them. The Doves see themselves as active and environmentally-conscious stewards of the land, and have created a sustainable and holistic vacation getaway that has become one of Canada’s most unique guest ranches.
We combined a three-night stay at this vacation paradise last summer with a two-day Banff to Vancouver rail trip on the Rocky Mountaineer.
Following a day of swooning at vistas of the Canadian Rockies and British Columbia through our Plexiglass dome car, we disembarked with our fellow passengers at Kamloops, where they would overnight before rejoining the train in the morning.
We had arranged to meet up with the next Rocky Mountaineer train to Vancouver four days later, sampling what has since become the new six-day/seven night Ranch by Rail package.
At Kamloops, a striking figure in cowboy hat and boots loped across the station to greet us. His rugged self-confident stride was reminiscent of Clint Eastwood, but this wrangler was named Flint. He was living out his dream on the range since trading in his career as a newspaper editor in Victoria, BC to manage Echo Valley Ranch.
We learned this and more on the scenic two-and-a-half-hour drive to the ranch. Over the next few days, Flint taught us city slickers some fly-fishing, while others on his staff took us horseback riding, birding, gold panning and hiking.
Brian Davies, resident naturalist at the ranch, wowed us with a raptor training demonstration. One of his falcons soared through the sky, only to make a thundering descent at almost 200 miles per hour on his whistle command. Davies raises and trains peregrines and the gyrfalcon, the world’s largest falcon.
The next day he guided a small group of guests through Fraser Canyon in a 4 X 4. The outback safari was rich in gold rush history in a remote and rugged desert canyon landscape of sagebrush, cacti and cliffs. The desert canyon is one of four distinct biomes encompassed by the ranch setting. Mountains, marshlands and forests comprise the three other geographical regions.
Meals at the ranch are communal affairs, where a diverse group of folks – both staff and guests -- became family for a moment in time. We dined with a couple of healthcare workers from Vancouver providing outreach to First Nation women in remote BC communities, a professor, blogger and Buddhist monk. The ranch draws families, seniors, honeymooners and all kinds of groups gathering for special occasions, from wellness retreats to Girlfriend Getaways.
Our meals were the healthful and delicious creations of Master Chef Kim Madsen, who once served as the private chef to Norway’s royal family. In an open kitchen, Madsen prepared his repasts from the beef, pork, turkeys and chickens raised on the ranch for organic meats and dairy products, and from the ranch’s organic fruit, vegetable and herb gardens. Artisan cheeses are sourced from nearby farms, and fresh-caught seafood from Oceanwise suppliers in Vancouver. An evening of authentic Thai food and entertainment is a cultural and culinary highlight of the week. A delicious Western barbecue is another.
Thai and western-style spa treatments round out ranch offerings, easing muscles that have stretched and strained through activities from riding, hiking and fishing to swimming, yoga, and fitness center workouts. Massages, facials, wraps and other wellness treatments are addictive, restorative and even divine, another important element in the transformative nature of a ranch stay.
Echo Valley Ranch is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. The 160-acre ranch, at an elevation of 3,650 feet, is located in Clinton, in BC’s scenic Cariboo Region. It is 270 miles north of Vancouver. A private paved airstrip makes the ranch accessible by small plane, including the Cessna piloted by Norm Dove who can arrange to pickup and drop off guests.
Visit the Echo Valley Ranch & Spa website at www.evranch.com or call 800-253-8831.
Westjet is one of many airlines that fly between San Francisco and Vancouver.
© Carol Canter, June 2011
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