Reviews of Island Römer Adventures (Travel Agency)

Silvia Rossi

Our 7-hour kayak tour to DeCourcy Island with Richard was the highlight of our Vancouver Island trip. Richard is knowledgeable, friendly and enthusiastic, and he did a wonderful job of engaging our 15-year old daughter. On our tour, we saw quite a few seals, two kinds of starfish, kelp crabs, otters, kingfishers, cormorants, and sand dollars. Amazing! The sandstone formations we saw along the coastline were just incredible. Our lunch stop in Pirate's Cove, complete with a swim in the warm water, was perfect. We were slightly nervous about doing the full-day tour since we had never kayaked for longer than about 2 hours, but it was fantastic. (Not sore at all the next day!) I was sad when the tour ended, actually. We would do another tour with Richard in a heartbeat!

Mike Witteveen

Big Thanks to Richard my guide for making my first kayaking trip a huge success. His calm demeanor made me feel amazingly comfortable trying something new for the first time. I have lived on Vancouver Island my entire life and this was a very unique view of my hometown. I would highly recommend this for anyone

Rod Szasz

Great experience. One of the best around. Richard is one of the most capable and comprehensive guides out there. His personality and communication are rarely equaled. Additionally he knows not only the technical aspects of which he speaks, but also all the great spots and experiences that make the difference between and a good and a great experience.

Erin Sowerby Greene

Enthusiastic, kind and knowledgeable staff! The best kayak tours around!!

Wendy Gaskill

Five stars for Island Romer Adventures. Super professional, knowledgable and safe, and a whole lot of fun, too! First class gear. Highly recommend Richard and Cecile!

Robin Morrice

Very beautiful experience with amazing and helpful tour guide. Great price for the experience and would love to go again. Our guide also takes lots of beautiful pictures and sends them to us after!

Darlene Huff

I participated in Richard’s introduction to kayaking. I was thoroughly impressed with his professionalism, knowledge and ability to engage everyone in our group. I learned so much and extremely grateful for his hard work and care. HIGHLY recommend!

Dave Bare

Richard truly is an outstanding guide and will deliver you an outstanding experience!

Uriel Lopez

Had booked a tour for four of us around New Castle Island for my partner's birthday. The 4-hour tour was quite amazing! At all time Richard was look out to make sure we could continue and follow along. He shared with us some history about the island and helped us spot some wildlife along the way.

Klara Langeloo

My husband and I went on a 7 hour long kayak tour with Richard from Island Römer Adventures this past weekend (April 2021). We had an incredible time! We launched our boats from Cedar Boat Launch and Richard took us around DeCourcy Island. This Island is absolutely beautiful and thanks to Richard we learnt so much about the history, the animals and the plants of this area. Even though it was our first time ocean kayaking, with Richard's guidance we felt confident navigating our kayaks both on the open water and in shallow, rocky waters. We will definitely be going on more trips with Island Römer Adventures and I will be recommending it to my friends as well!

Sammi Song

Great view and prop level equipment, and, professional, knowledgeable guide and coach Richard! 4 hours tour is fun as a half data activity, I guess 7 hours would be even better if you want stay longer on water.

Ashley Burton

I had a great time on my kayak tour with Richard. He is knowledgeable about the area, safety conscious, and a lot of fun! I would highly recommend any tours with him!

Karen Bolton

My afternoon out kayaking with Richard was awesome! We saw islands and lots of cool rock formations, seals, sea lions and eagles - it was a most excellent day! Richard was very knowledgeable and friendly and I highly recommend Island Romer to anyone from beginners to experienced paddlers.

Molli Shaw

HIGHLY recommend Island Romer Adventures for your next sea kayaking tour!! If you’re thinking about going anywhere else; think again! You won’t find a better experience in Nanaimo than this. We called day-of and we were lucky enough to get a spot! Richard is experienced, kind and charismatic. He knows so much about the area, the history and the environment! It was such an interesting tour filled with local history and information about the nature and wildlife around us; and not to mention beautiful! (It was raining and cloudy but still had some incredible views) I have to say that Richard is the most dedicated guide I have ever experienced. I dropped my phone in the water about 10 feet under, and Richard dove into the freezing water to get it for me. I was assuming I’d have to cut my losses and leave my phone, but Richard came to the rescue! I never would have done that myself. I should also note that it was a very stupid slip up on my part, and Richard did not make me feel stupid or silly for a moment. He was kind and continued to treat us with respect. We consider ourselves lucky to have gotten a tour with Richard! If you’re on the fence about booking; trust me, BOOK THE TOUR!!

Salley Swett

Island Romer gave us the best paddling experience, came prepared, gave good safety instruction, and excellent equipment. The guides, Richard and Lucille are professional, experienced, and personable. A wonderful evening on a quiet sea.

rachael perry

Pleasing three teenagers is not an easy feat, but my entire family loved this tour! Richard is a confident, knowledgeable and patient guide. He showed us where to see seals, otters, sea stars and he guided us through beautiful rock formations. We'll be back!

Shanon Kelley

Richard provides all the equipment and it is all top notch, he knows exactly what he is doing and where to go and makes sure it is what you want. Definitely great value for the dollar, highly reccommend!

Karey Reilly

My husband and I went on a fabulous 4 hour kayak tour with Richard last week. He is knowledgeable and professional and I would highly recommend him; we're looking forward to returning next summer.

Alaya Yassein

Richard took my husband and I on a full day kayak tour in late October (he kindly agreed to take us even though the regular season had passed). It was definitely the highlight of our trip! We saw so much wildlife - bald eagles, seals, sea lions, sea stars. He was so knowledgeable about the local geography and geology and we definitely soaked in all his facts and our family has been sick of hearing us recount what we learned. We also appreciated how flexible he was with changing around the route depending on the weather. My husband and I are both pretty active but have no kayaking experience and Richard was a great teacher so we were able to stay out the whole day. We would definitely recommend any kayak tour offered by Island Romer Kayaks and if we make it back out to Nanaimo, then we will certainly do another!

Melanie Massinon

Richard was an amazing guide. We made a booking 24 hours prior to our outing and he was prompt and professional. He had all the equipment we needed and gave a refresher on the basics before we took to the water. As for the actual kayaking tour, he was very informative of the native flora and fauna to Nanaimo. I found myself recalling the facts he shared throughout our stay. We got to explore Newcastle island all the way around, kayaking 12.2 km! Richard took pictures of us during the adventure and shared with us the next morning. I would highly recommend this locally owned tour company run by Richard and his wife.

G Appleton

I did the Kayak Basics course with Richard and John and had an all around great day! They were very knowledgeable and efficiently addressed all our individual goals and needs. And they were just fun to be around, the kind of people that you hope to encounter again. I look forward to my next lesson!

Andrew Gustafson

Richard, of Island Romer, made an amazing experience for our family. Would recommend this sea kayak adventure to any casual to seasoned outdoor adventure seeker. Newcastle island is a very accessible and approachable half-day adventure and my family of 5 thoroughly enjoyed it. Richard is very knowledgable, safety oriented, patient and friendly. 100% recommend and we'll book again for another adventure next time we're in Nanaimo for sure!

Jessica Saari

We had a wonderful time kayaking with Richard! He was great at gauging our comfort level for wind/waves and brought us on an awesome adventure. He also has great knowledge on the nature and local history of the area.

Roger Roy

We had booked our tour with Island Romer a week in advance. The day before our tour Richard called us to suggest a change in the date of our tour as the marine forecast was for gusty weather. Richard explained that it would be less dangerous to kayak two days later. I appreciated his concern for our safety. I had been on three previous kayak tours and I found Richard’s pre-trip instructions the most complete I had ever received. I appreciated his diligence and concern for our safety. I also found that Richard’s kayaks were the newest and nicest kayaks I had ever used. Our party included our 19 year old son who has autism. Richard consistently encouraged our son throughout the trip. At one point our son capsized his kayak. Richard tended to my son within minutes as his PFD kept him afloat. I was impressed with Richard’s calm demeanor while coaching my son back into his kayak, and encouraging our son to continue the voyage. During the trip Richard gave us some history about Newcastle Island, as well as interesting information about the unique vegetation and rock composition of the island. All in all I found Richard to be a very professional guide. He was concerned about our safety and made every effort to ensure we had an enjoyable tour. I would definitely book another tour with Island Romer.

Frances Bewza

What a fabulous day-long voyage! Richard and Cory were the very best of hosts. Most of our group were inexperienced paddling in the open ocean. At no time did I feel unsafe or underconfident thanks to their professional guidance. And they made the whole day fun and adventurous! Richard constantly injected local interesting facts as we paddled around Newcastle Island. What a privilege to have been part of this tour.....thank you Richard.

Karen Olearnek

We had the most amazing night with Richard and Cecile. I would recommend these two to anyone wanting to go for a paddle. They are so much fun and very knowledgeable.

Kristie Pankuch

This was by far an amazing adventure! Richard the tour operator was incredibly knowledgeable. He was friendly and went out of his way to help. He was very very responsive and an absolute delight!

Ola Adamski

Richard was a great tour guide for our 4 hour adventure. Highly recommend he will show you extra special things you would likely miss if you were without a guide!

Katherine Tang

We had a fun trip and learned a lot of west coast ecosystem. We loved it

Shauna Craven

Had the best time ever paddling with Richard & enjoying a beach picnic at Pirate’s Cove

Jessica Henderson

I was highly impressed with my tour with Island Romer Adventures. I took a tour with my family for a father's day gift. I have to say that Richard ( the tour guide) made our trip a memorable one. He has a lot of knowledge about the area, and adds humour and fun to your tour as well. Richard is also someone who is caring, and understanding of where everyone's pace is at. He has a great sense of this, and adjusts the tour as needed, and encourages feedback from his clients. I would recommend this company to my closest friends and family anyday. If you are looking for adventure, beautiful sights, laughs and increased awareness of the area, this is the company you choose.

BrynaD

Our family did a sunset tour with Richard and his partner. Such lovely people and incredibly knowledgeable of the area and the sea life. They were able to engage our teens and motivated them when they started getting tired (first ocean kayak). Seals popped up around us to say hello during the tour. Then we were lucky enough to watch the sun set and the moon rise over the calm water and it's an image we will all remember.

Charlee Touchette

Go kayaking with Richard from Island Romer Adventures. You'll have an excellent time, get out in the fresh air, and get in some excercise! You may even see some cool animals. When I went, we saw seals, otters, eagles, and turkey vultures. We did the half day paddle around Newcastle - it's amazing what you can see so close to Nanaimo! Before setting off, he thoroughly went over safety protocols (covid and kayaking), and ensured that the kayak and life vests were properly fitted. Can't wait to go again!

Tatyana Kraeva

Amazing day-trip around De Courcy island with Island Romer Adventures. Two relatively fit 50+ year olds with no previous kayaking experience were very comfortable within first few minutes under Richard’s guidance. By the end of the trip we learned a lot about the history, geology and biology of the islands. Full immersion into beautiful BC nature, it felt like we spent a day with an intelligent, knowledgeable old-time friend. The kayaks and equipment are first class, clean and in perfect shape. Highly recommend!

Jacqueline Zin

Richard, our guide was fun, knowledgeable and safety conscious. We had a wonderful day exploring the wonderful rock formations and seeing all the different intertidal sea life. We had three seniors in our group and we never felt like we couldn’t do it..Richard was encouraging to us all. It was a long day, but satisfying and so much fun… he even towed one of our group for the last couple hours because of her taking ill.. Highly recommend for a day of kayaking fun whether one is new to kayaking or experienced.

Bobbi Tatoosh

Richard took my daughter and I out for a leisurely evening paddle around New Castle Island in a double kayak in June and then myself in a single for a couple of hours again in June. Richard is absolutely amazing at what he does. Besides top-of-the line kayaks and the amount of safety training he has, the knowledge of local history, wildlife and vegetation is astonishing. We've lived in Nanaimo for six years now and learned more in our paddling about New Castle Island and the surrounding areas than we have living here. I can't recommend Island Römer Adventures enough and hope to one day take advantage of his multi day excursions.

Frédérick H.D.

(Translated) Very nice experience! Ultra safe even with children. The complete equipment provided was practically new. Great guide well organized. We were a small group of 6 which was perfect. I highly recommend this company to you. (Original) Très belle expérience! Ultra sécuritaire même avec des enfants. L'équipement complet fournit était pratiquement neuf. Super guide bien organisé. Nous étions un petit groupe de 6, c'était parfait. Je vous recommande fortement cette entreprise.

CAROLINE GOSSELIN

We had the best day touring with Richard around Newcastle Island! Neither of us had ever been sea kayaking before and he really took care of us. He was very patient and kind and made us feel very comfortable. Really fun way to spend a morning on holidays, easier than we thought.

Rachel Auras

The Neck Point Roaming Game was the highlight of our trip! My husband and I saved the city and were able to do some sightseeing in the midst. The game is extremely well designed (with a great back story / props) and was the perfect level for us - we were engaged the entire duration of the game. Throughout the entire game Richard was available to us, in case we needed any hints. We saw more of the park than we would have been able to otherwise (there are some relatively hidden areas in the park that are hard to find for non-locals). I would highly recommend this game to anyone from the Nanaimo area or visiting - especially if you love games and the outdoors (never have we been able to experience both of our hobbies together). I wish I could experience every city this way!

Michael Gorkow

My girlfriend and I changed our travel plans in the morning and we had to look for an activity for the afternoon. Richard immediately answered my mails and three hours later we were on tour. The weather wasn’t really nice at the beginning but it turned out to be a beautiful afternoon when the sun came out. In addition to a very professional introduction to Kayaking, Richard explained a lot about the environment, animals, even history facts. He really loves what he’s doing and we can highly recommend to book a tour with him. Thank you Richard for this fantastic tour and see you next time! Michael + Melanie

Sylvain Desy

We had a tremendous tour of the islands around Nanaimo with Snake Island as the highlight! Richard is not only a real professional but is so knowledgeable about the geology and the marine species. We absolutely loved it!

Robert Parker

Nice sunny March day, perfect for some BC coastal adventures. My wife and I contacted Richard to do the Neck Point Roaming escape game in the morning, then go out with him on a 4 hour afternoon kayak trip around nearby Newcastle Island, from Departure Bay point. The Neck Point game was great fun, sorting through the clues and running around the park to figure them out, and get into the various treasure chests Richard left us, which contained more clues. We must have been on our game, as we figured it out and got done in about 1hr 45 minutes - but that was without running into errors or missteps. But it doesn’t really matter if you finish or not, it is doing the adventure hunt as a way to see the park that is the fun. We have done indoor escape rooms which were fun too, but this was great to be outside. Would be great for families to entertain the kids and get them exercise, but fun for adults too. We are 62 and 58 years old and pretty active, but the paths at Neck Point are very level and accessible for all. We then left Neck Point at 11:45am, and did the easy 13 minute drive around Hammond Bay road, to the Brechin boat launch just down from the Departure Bay ferry terminal. We had time to have our packed lunch and change into our kayak gear, and Richard arrived promptly at 1:00pm. We decided to go with a double kayak for my wife and I, as it was going to be a bit windy on the far side of the island facing the open ocean - but we have done some ocean kayaking before. As it was early season, we wound up getting a private tour as just us and Richard. Very safe, all safety gear present and explained. We did a clockwise circuit North through the inner island channel, then north across Departure Bay, to see a couple of north seal rock haul outs, with lots of sunning and active seal in the water. Then very close by, a number of much larger sea lions , lolling about in the water, swimming close by the kayaks - very cool! We then heading south across the bay again, for the north outside shore Newcastle Island. We pulled into a little protected lagoon and sand beach, for a stretch at about 2 hours in. Then it was back in the boats, and finished heading south down the outside of Newcastle Island, then around the southern end into Nanaimo harbour, and back up the inside channel - getting back to the start point just before 5pm. So a great day all round. Richard is great to deal with, prompt, replies with all needing information, and is experienced on the water, essential for any kayak guide. We’d heartily recommend either adventure - the Neck Point game or the kayaking. We are thinking of our next kayak trip and doing a multi-day one, and will be contacting Richard again as he does some of those, to other west coast island spots.

mattycolbourne

Richard Island Romer provided one of the best experiences I have had out on the water! His knowledge and safety oriented approach to paddling made for a relaxing and fun day on the water, I Absolutely recommend checking them out! Can’t wait to get out with them again. Thank you Richard!!

Katrin van der Leeden

I have taken two incredible kayaking tours with Richard, and each one was an experience I won't forget for a long time! His tours and day trips are very well organized, and both Richard and Cecile are outstanding guides and very experienced kayakers, who are extremely knowledgeable of the area and attentive to their guests' individual needs. Safety is their first priority, and they both have an innate ability to put everyone at ease; however, having fun together as a group is definitely high on their list as well, and if you book with Island Römer Adventures you sure will have an unforgettable experience in the great outdoors of the Pacific West Coast! Highly recommended!! ????

Iain Macphail

We had an amazing day on the water with Richard! He is safety-oriented, and provides high-quality gear in excellent condition. He is well-planned, a patient instructor, and offers interesting and client-centered information about local history, geology, wildlife, and adventure. He loves what he does, he cares about protecting nature, and he is an all-round great guide! Island Römer exceeded our expectations in every way. Highly recommended.