This has got to be the best hostel to come to in Cape Breton and Nova Scotia as a whole. Carman is incredibly helpful and was great to hang out with as well whenever he was free. He went out of his way to help us out and make us feel settled. And also went out of the way to... More

Stayed in the dorm room for one night. The whole place was very clean and welcoming. Carman runs it fantastically, was a great help for other accommodations in the area as well as pointing out good trails and moose spotting areas. The hostel is perfectly located at the start of the cabot trail with gorgeous views over the lake. Would... More

Really enjoyed my stay here, I had one night in the dorm room, which was super clean and then moved up to one of the private rooms upstairs - beautiful decor, fabulous views, comfy bed & pillows, it was a perfect end to my holiday. Carman is a fantastic host and the house has a great atmosphere for mingling with... More

I stayed at Bear on the Lake on two different occasions in June and July of 2012. My times there were unique in that I was hosting groups of 15-20 young teenagers and their chaperons. We filled every room. It's the cleanest hostel I've ever stayed in (and I stay in many of them because of my work). Quiet. An... More

Originally I wanted to stay just one night to do the Cabot Trail, but because of bad weather and Carmans helpful hints of what to do in the area, I decided to stay two nights. It was almost being at home: Familial, clean, friendly, not too big dorms (the first night I was even alone in the room because of... More

Carmen runs a fantastic, picturesque Guesthouse. Waking up to coffee overlooking the scenic Bras D'or Lakes is very easy to get used to. After arriving late, (don't miss the 4:30 pm ferry from PEI!), we found Carmen and the whole household still awake playing games, socializing and swapping travel stories around the table and we were welcomed like we were... More

Me and two friends just stayed at Bear on the Lake for three days. We're all from mainland Nova Scotia, but we wanted to spend a weekend exploring the rugged trails and waterfalls in Cape Breton. We decided to stay at Bear on the Lake because it was more affordable than a hotel room, and we are so glad we... More

My husband and I, two kids and the lovely Auntie Anne stayed for three days. This is a fantastic place for families. We enjoyed the large kitchen and spacious suite upstairs. Great views on a very nice property that gave our kids lots of room to play. Nice campfire at night where we met people from around the world. Carmen... More

Still writing up my diaries from my backpacking year, sadly now too long ago. I remember the Bear very fondly having passed through twice in July '08 (TripAdvisor won't let me select a 'date of travel' older than one year), touring Cape Breton with the Salty Bear buses out of Halifax. Our driver Matt and the hostel manager (the lovely... More