Surrounded by sandy beaches and snow-capped mountains, it’s very hard to beat Vancouver for sheer breathtaking beauty. Top that with numerous parks – including the huge forest-filled Stanley Park, superb shopping, varied nightlife, cultural and sporting offerings, as well as bright modern architecture and it's pretty hard to avoid the cliche ‘there’s no place quite like this’.
GENERAL FACTS
Canada is vast, stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It is further from Vancouver in the West to Toronto in the East than it is from Toronto to London, a 7 ½ hour flight away. Canada’s landscapes actually exceed all expectations – the Rocky mountains, rainforests, desert land, lakes, open grassland stretching as far as the eye can see, tundra, lush orchards, fjords and prairie wheat fields, Canada has them all and is completely unspoilt – over 90% of the country’s 30 million population lives within 100 miles of the US border.
- Exchange rate: in February 2004 was 2.17 Canadian $s to the British £.
- Vancouver’s official language is English, Chinese is second.
- Traveller’s cheques – in Canadian $s are accepted in most major
restaurants, shops and fast food outlets.
GETTING THERE
Air Canada and British Airways fly directly to Vancouver from London Heathrow. Having flown with both I would recommend British Airways, it’s a long flight – around 10 hours and I didn’t have a good experience with Air Canada either way but may be that can go in a separate review! A flight to Vancouver will set you back between £300 and £700 depending on the time of year – avoid ski seasons if you’re just going for a city break since
Vancouver airport serves Whistler as well. Vancouver is only a 2 hour drive/ coach ride from
Seattle so you could
pick up a deal from there and travel on by land.
On arrival you can either get a taxi into central Vancouver which doesn’t break the bank, or choose between regular public buses (involves changing – take bus no. 424 to the ‘Airport station’ and then transfer to no. 98 to Burrard station) or compromise with the Airporter bus – direct to major downtown hotels at a slightly hefty (if 2 or more of you, might as well get a taxi) $12 one way or £18 return.
GETTING AROUND
Vancouver has an excellent public transport system and I would advise using it rather than a car, since traffic jams in the city can be pretty dire – access to and from downtown Vancouver by car is by bridge from the suburbs so you can imagine it gets pretty busy, especially during rush hour.
Sky Train: This is an automated transit system which offers fast efficient service (daily, every 2 – 5 minutes) between central ‘down town’ Vancouver and the suburbs of Burnaby, Surrey and Guildford. As with most public transport in the city, Sky Train carriages and stations are wheelchair accessible (except Granville station).
Buses – cheap, efficient and frequent with an extensive service across downtown and suburban Vancouver. Make sure you have the right money though cos drivers don’t give change.
SeaBus – a passenger commuter ferry system which connects Vancouver from Waterfront Station with Lonsdale Quay on the North Shore (home to Vancouver’s mountains and Lonsdale market). The scenic journey takes just 12 minutes.
BC Ferries – there are two ferry terminals--Tsawwassen and Horseshoe Bay, providing access to Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast.
ACCOMODATION
For the traveller on a budget, Vancouver will seem like heaven. There are 3 excellent hostels in Gastown, Downtown and Jericho Beach. I recommend the latter since there can’t be many city hostels offering beach views and acres of grassland for barbeques and frisbee playing in the summer. For the more discerning traveller and families there are options aplenty. Vancouver is a major business town and commonly frequented by celebrities due to its popularity as a filming location so you won’t have trouble finding luxury hotels such as ‘the’ Hotel Vancouver, Pacific Palisades, Hotel Ramada, then if you want something in the middle choose between scores of 2, 3 and 4 star hotels. Be warned though Vancouver is a popular destination so it’s best to book before you arrive.
EATING AND DRINKING
As with accommodation, I could list hundreds of places here but you’ve got thousands of websites and guide books if that’s what you’re after so I’ll just name a few of my faves. Eating in Canada is a pleasure – large portions, small prices, friendly service. Smoking I believe is now banned, when I was there it was limited to ‘added-on’ conservatories but now as part of West Coast healthy living culture smokers may struggle not to be treated as outcasts …
Milestones – FAB restaurant of Robson street, does the best Bellini cocktails in the world – British bars don’t seem to realise they’re meant to be frozen not poured in a glass like Bucks Fizz. Also does great food, a real mixture from North American to South East Asian. If I had a few million to spare, I would get a franchise and open up loads of Milestones branches in Britain.
Earls on Robson – on Robson street as you may have guessed, also fab for cocktail and a failsafe tasty meal.
The Cactus Club – a Canadian chain like Milestones, but both have individual style. Cactus have more of a Hispanic flavour, second best place for bellinis!
Brothers – fab food, cheap and served by men dressed as monks – in Gastown.
IHOP – International House of Pancakes – outside the Metrotown shopping mall. Famous for pancakes as the name suggests but also does a mean t-bone steak.
Red Robin – traditional North American grub with ‘bottomless’ fries and soft drinks.
The Blarney Stone and Purple Heather – 2 lively Irish bars in Gastown – the former is more of a bar/ nightclub and the latter for more intimate Guinness drinking.
Rose & Crown – if you must visit a British style bar, popular with expats and working visa people like I was.
The Purple Onion – popular nightclub in Gastown, offers ‘oyster stands’ if you’re in need of an aphrodisiac!
Sharks – sports café – sometimes shows premiership football.
Luv-a-fair – slightly cheesy but fun for a dance with places to sit for the older and lazier people in your group.
Roxy – cheesy meat market, for those on the pull.
WHERE TO GO, WHAT
TO SEE AND WHAT TO DO
STANLEY PARK
Stanley Park is Vancouver’s oldest and largest park, an ‘evergreen oasis’ with 1,000 acres of
forest, open green spaces, superb mountain and city views, coastal cycle and walking paths,
tenniscourts, pitch & putt
golf course, lost lagoon – wildlife reserve, open air theatre, outdoor heated, ocean-side
swimming pool – all in all enough to merit several visits. This is a great place to de-energise young children – they will also love the children’s farm yard, miniature railway,
water park. Visit the park’s own website for more details on activities and opening times. There is a great restaurant, just outside the grounds too – The Fish House, which is nice for that slightly special meal out.
CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE
Being more of a fan of tierra firma attractions, I didn’t enjoy this much, but had to admit that the scenery was spectacular. Situated in a kind of suburban wilderness, you will walk 70 metres – 200 feet – above the gushing Capilano river on this 450 long wobbly bridge. Just avoid going over the
rope bridge at the same time as a hoard of school children who find it funny to jump up and down even in a torrential rainstorm!
SCIENCE WORLD
Kind of how the Millennium Dome could have turned out if they’d made it good … a legacy of the 1986
Expo which did so much to improve Vancouver (including the installation of the SkyTrain system and BC Place). Full of fun techie things to try out and interesting exhibits, great for kids and adults alike and something to put in the schedule for rainy days as Vancouver does have quite a few of them.
THE HARBOUR CENTRE
With the absence of cathedrals and
castle towers like
Europe, most
North America cities offer visitors a random tall structure to go up and admire modern city views and Vancouver is no exception, although not many others can brag that they were opened by
Neil Armstrong – the first man on the moon! The Harbour centre, at 581 feet is British Columbia’s tallest building and boasts a (reasonably priced) revolving restaurant which should not be missed. The spectator’s gallery at the top gives breathtaking views and being indoors is better for vertigo suffers than many similar attractions – although getting up in the first place via the glass bottom lift may not be so easy for them! Tickets cost from $4 to $10.
VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY
Ok you can’t join if you’re not a resident, but it’s worth taking a look at the building – a kind of replica of Rome’s coliseum but strangely not a tacky result!
GRANVILLE ISLAND
With its Public Market, theatres, quirky boutiques and
galleries, Granville Island is Vancouver's cultural core and like Yaletown it is a rescued victor of an ugly industrial beginning.
GROUSE MOUNTAIN
Accessed by the 100 person capacity ‘sky lift and open 365 years a year, ‘The Peak of Vancouver’ is from November to March a winter wonderland alive with skiers, snowboarders,
cross country enthusiasts, skaters and sleigh riders.
In summer, Vancouver’s most famous mountain is replaced with walkers, relaxed day trippers and wildlife lovers who come to spot the thousands of birds and other wildlife species, many of them endangered. In summer you can watch one of Grouse’s ‘world famous lumberjack shows’ – the ‘world famous’ bit is of course debatable but it’s good fun all the same and includes challenges for spectators such as log-rolling, tree climbing and axe-throwing. You can also take walking tours on Grouse, these last an hour and are available daily from June until
September, included in the price of you general Grouse mountain admission - $24.95 for adults, $22.95 for seniors and $8.95 for children. Admission also includes entry to ‘Theatre in the Sky’ – a documentary about the British Columbia’s mountains and the history of Grouse, in summer you can visit the ‘Refuge for Endangered wildlife and in winter your ticket also gets you free sleigh rides, snow shoeing and ‘The Magic of Christmas’ with Santa and his reindeer! Lastly of course, if you visit is in summer time you could if you’re feeling extra energetic do the ‘Grouse Grind’ a strenuous 2,9km (1.8 mile) hike right up the face of the mountain to a height 1 ½ times that of the CN Tower in Toronto! The world record for doing the Grouse Grind is under 27 minutes, so see if you can beat that! After which you’ll get a ‘I did the Grouse Grind’
t-shirt and no doubt need some food and drink in the very good (if a little expensive) Altitudes restaurant/
bistro.
WINTER SPORTS
Vancouver offers some great
skiing/ snow boarding and if you want more you’ve always got Whistler, just over a 2 hour drive away. Vancouver though probably has enough to occupy you if you want to just fit in a bit of skiing round a longer winter city break. Cypress, Seymour and Grouse mountains give some fine skiing, just minutes from Vancouver on her North Shore. Grouse offers all the activities detailed above with a variety of runs for skiers and snowboarders of all levels– 25 in total, a modern efficient lift system and night skiing. Lessons are also available and there are terrain parks for the more ambitious. The Cypress Bowl is likely to compete with Grouse in coming years though for recognition, especially since it has been named the location for the 2010 Winter Olympics freestyle skiing and
snowboarding events. As it contains 36 runs for all levels, again it has plenty to occupy you with for a good few days sightseeing break. All of these mountains offer good websites which are worth taking a look at as they give full details of prices – these vary between the different mountains and trail maps.
OTHER PLACES TO TAKE A WALK
- Take a walk across the stunning Lions Gate Bridge and pause halfway for a
panoramic view of Burrard Inlet and the North Shore mountains.
- Jericho Beach and Jericho Park – watch weekenders sailing and playing team sports, this is where Vancouverites unwind.
- Lighthouse Park – out west off Marine Drive, 185 acres of virtually untouched forest, with quiet coastal paths – great for a romantic stroll.
Regular tours take place in the summer.
- Queen Elizabeth Park – one of the city’s highest points, this park is best seen in Spring/ Summer when you will be amazed by the sight and smell of thousands of species of flowers and plants. There’s a great restaurant here too (a bit pricey but worth it) – Seasons in the Park.
- English Bay and Second Beach – popular with sunbathers and swimmers.
SPECTATOR SPORTS AND MUSICAL CONCERTS
Canadians are Sports Crazy and Vancouverites are the craziest of them all. Ice hockey, basketball and Canadian football (NFL) are the most attended spectator sports but
soccer, rugby and lacrosse also have their place. Vancouver has some great sporting venues that double up as concert arenas attracting big names – the 2 main ones are BC Place, home to the BC Lions, Vancouver’s Canadian
Football Team and
General Motors Place – home of the Canucks of
ice hockey fame.
SHOPPING
The shopaholic’s purse won’t get much of a rest in Vancouver – it has quality shopping to rival most major
capital cities. For rainy days, there’s your traditional North
American style mall – Metrotown in the suburban area of Burnaby (easily accessible by skytrain). Metrotown supplies you with all the standard Canadian and American chain stores, a large supermarket, cinemas, coffee shops and lots of bars and restaurants, plus the
Holiday Innhotel which does great cocktails if you need a break from all that retail exercise. Downtown Vancouver shopping is outside but more varied with quirky stores as well as designer outlets, chain stores, thrift stores (charity shops) and lots more. Robson Street is the place to expend most of your shopping calories and this crosses with Granville street for more bargain finds. Trendy bars, restaurants and cafés are strewn all around these areas.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
If you’re an exercise-hating teetotaller on a
diet, Vancouver STILL won’t leave you alone! You will have endless options such as the theatre – the Queen Elizabeth theatre is top class, ballet,
opera, classical and popular
music concerts, spectator sports,
art galleries,
museums and plenty else.
For the sporty, as well as winter sports and hiking/ walking there’s almost anything you can think of to choose from in Vancouver and its immediate surroundings – whale watching on Vancouver island, white water rafting, horse riding, sailing on the city’s shore, cycling round Stanley Park, roller blading – immensely popular due to the excellent facilities for it, swimming in the sea, lakes, open air ocean side pools or numerous indoor pools. I really can’t think of a sport or activity that you can’t do in the vicinity – I know there must be some but I honestly can’t think of any.
NEIGHBOURHOODS
As well as exploring the shops and eateries of Downtown Vancouver and the mountains and markets of North Van, be sure to leave time for some of the other areas of the city, each has its own quirky ‘feel’ and plenty to see and do.
------------ Gastown – the birthplace of the city, Vancouver’s first community, dating back to 1867 and named after John “Gassy Jack” Deighton.
Gastown boasts some of the oldest building in the city but was nearly demolished in the 1970s, only saved at the last minutes by the protests of residents and
heritage lovers. Gastown today has a dynamic mixture of restaurants, shops – including all the souvenir shops, well all tourist areas have their tacky side, nightlife and
trendy fashion outlets.
------------- Chinatown – less tacky than many city Chinatowns, you’ll find a delicious array of dim sum in the restaurants and food stuff in the Chinese supermarkets. In summer there’s a great night market selling lots of fake designer goods and don’t miss the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden , hidden away behind high walls, the only full-sized classical Chinese garden outside China.
------------ Yaletown – The formal industrial district, like the
docklands of London,
Cardiff and
Newcastle this area used to be rundown and poor, but after serious renovation and investment in the late 20th century it has experienced an urban renaissance, now boasting smart penthouse
apartments and countless trendy bars and cafes.
------------- Kitsilano – known for its sandy beaches and quiet leafy streets, the name ‘Kitsilano’ is also synonymous with healthy living, I have never seen so many joggers but I guess if you have to jog, this is the place to do it!
------------- West End – gateway to Stanley park, this is a lively ‘young’ area popular with the gay community and students.
------------- Little India – the Sikhs and other Indians who settled in Canada before 1914 suffered from the same exclusion policies that were originally directed at the Chinese. This probably encouraged them all to settle in their own cultural areas and consequently today cities like Vancouver benefit from such authentic districts where you can eat traditional food, buy traditional goods at the Chinese market in Chinatown or the Punjabi market in Little India and see local people go about their daily business in traditional clothing, in the case of Little India, colourful saris. Little India is by far the best place to go in Vancouver if you’re craving a curry, I found the Indian restaurants Downtown a little disappointing.
---------------
Little Italy – situated of Commercial Drive, this is where most Italian families settled and as a result is the best place to go for authentic Italian cuisine.
CLOSING TIPS
The Vancouver tourist office has a great website with
web cams,
electronic postcards and city
camera tours, well worth taking a look at beforehand.
In addition most of the cities main attractions from Stanley Park, to Grouse Mountain and Granville island have their own websites with all the information you should require. I would provide a list of links, but don’t think that is allowed on Ciao, Google seems to pick up all the main search requests though.
This is a very child friendly city and most places offer discounts for children, they certainly won’t get bored. It really is a city for all ages and interests and the people are understandably fiercely proud of their city so will mostly be eager to give you information or directions.
As the slogan says, Vancouver really is ‘Spectacular by Nature’, I defy anyone to go to Vancouver and not love it! I wrote this review before but didn't save it and lost it all on submission, never mind I love nostalgising about the place. Hope you all get a chance to go and don’t forget to tell me all about your trip afterwards.
Vancouver: Spectacular by Nature 
