Guide #12494
Hello, I'd love to meet you and to have the pleasure of showing you my home town, Vancouver, and its surrounding areas. I have a unique perspective of seeing Vancouver's change from a little town of 250, 000 into its present status as a world-class city. I have experienced the history of the past fifty years: Expo 86 and the Winter Olympics in 2010, the building of Granville Island and now the revitalization of its downtown core. I know how important it is have a memorable yet fun and relaxing day, so you decide the pace. You can savor the day with delicious local food, artisan shops, or walks by the beach. You can specialize your tour. I am an experienced and good photographer, know some of the best spots, and how to make your pictures great. I've always loved travel, and from 2008 to 2011 spent three years roaming the globe, visiting and living the life. I've visited around 70 countries. This included living for two years in South America, fifteen cruises, and every type of travel you can imagine, from sleeping in the jungle to five-star hotels. I've spent my life with people, and am easy-to-be-with and flexible. I design your tour around your interests, while showing you our local highlights. I wrote The Laughing Boomer: Retire from Work - Gear Up for Living, as well as other books. I give presentations on how to live your travel dreams. Seeing the world and experiencing cultures are my passions. My interests and knowledge include art, architecture, Vancouver's Urban Planning, city highlights, people and cultures, food, nature, the environment and birding. I have excellent knowledge of eagles and the local nests, and if you are in Vancouver while they are nesting, I can take you to some nests. (need to plan this!) My Virgin River tour includes stunning nature sights, and we can visit these independently. I love showing visitors the amazing natural beauty that surrounds Vancouver. I was a post secondary educator and a music teacher. I am the volunteer education director of a local naturalist society, on the board of the Hancock Wildlife Foundation, and involved with the Cmolik Foundation, where I mentor university students. Tourism Academy: Be a Better Guide Passenger Transportation Board License and Insurance (PT 75441), Master of Education, M.Ed., Simon Fraser University Author: The Laughing Boomer: Retire from Work - Gear Up for Living (2011)
Vancouver

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196 reviews
There were 2 of us. The guide was very professional and knowledgeable of the area. We were very comfortable in her Tesla. It was a very enjoyable tour
Absolutely loved this tour which was the highlight of our stay in Vancouver. Mahara took us to many locations we wanted to see in the Netflix series ‘Virgin River’. Engaging host , comfortable transport and excellent photographer. It was evident it had took Mahara time and research to plan the tour. Very knowledgable and flexible . Mahara pointed out wildlife and as we’d...
Replied from the guide, Mahara S.
August 2026Hello Karen and Beth, Thank you so much for your kind comments. It was wonderful to meet both of you, and I'm glad we spoke to the weather gods and they came through for us. It was a fun day, and I hope you found more special events for your last day in Vancouver. Your photographs will prove the sun and your visit to Jack's Bar. All the best, Mahara
Mahara is a real pro. We enjoyed our day with her and learned a lot about Vancouver. She was flexible about changing the itinerary to avoid duplication with another TBL city tour we had also booked. Covered a lot of ground in 6 hours and we were very happy.
Replied from the guide, Mahara S.
August 2026Hello Ivan and Karen, Thanks for your kind comments. I enjoyed meeting you and sharing our perspectives on life today. We did see a few different things, and I hope this was the start of a wonderful trip to Canada. All the best. Thanks again, Mahara
We absolutely loved this experience. Mahara is a great guide to all things Virgin River. We enjoyed seeing all of the set locations. Jack’s Bar and Mel’s cabin were standouts and so surreal to see them and be there. Mahara also provided great info related to Vancouver and its history which was informative and interesting. We also enjoyed her knowledge of nature, birds,...
Replied from the guide, Mahara S.
July 2026Hi Barrie and Bob, Thanks so much for your wonderful review. It was great to meet both of you and share our mutual interests. We did have a fun day. Thank you so much for booking with me, and I wish you every success in your future endeavours. All the best, Mahara