Hello everyone! May
has been a crazy month of flights for me and I’ve barely had a second to catch
my breath let alone power up my laptop but now that I’ve got a moment to myself
I can get on with the latest blog and this time I’m headed to the Great White
North- Vancouver!
Both sides of my
family have roots in Canada (my grandmother has two sisters that live in Canada
and she goes fairly frequently to visit) and although I had never been until
now, I always felt a sense of camaraderie and connection with the Canadians.
The reality did not disappoint. From the moment I caught a glimpse of the Rockies
as we were coming into land I knew I was going to love Canada. Sadly my little
glimpse of the country was not much more than that but I still managed to
squeeze a lot in (heavily fuelled by the god’s at Tim Hortons!) and now I’m
ready to share how to do Vancouver in 24 hours!
Start your day by
fuelling up right on De Dutch breakfast (my favourite one is down at the
waterfront, sit outside and get a great view of the seaplanes taking off and
landing). I’ve had many a ‘big’ breakfast on my travels but nothing matches up
to De Dutch-pancakes, hash browns and maple syrup in excess- what’s not to
love? Get caffeine hit from the Nutella mocha, you won’t be disappointed. After
breakfast, take a walk around the waterfront, on a clear day the view is
amazing you can see right across to West Vancouver and all the way over to
Stanley Park. My favourite quirky little part of the waterfront is the
digital-Orca made of Lego!Here you can get seaplane tickets to Whistler and
other islands around Vancouver for reasonable prices but if you only have a day
to enjoy the city then I recommend staying put. There’s always lots of hustle
and bustle going on in this area from the convention centre to the Olympic flame
pit and city wide events so you don’t want to miss it on your city adventure.
From here head over to
West Hastings Street to the Vancouver Lookout. It truly wouldn’t be one of my
blogs unless it featured a tall building to scale for views of the city. As
tall buildings go, the Vancouver Lookout requires a lot less effort than some
of the others I’ve mentioned in previous blogs however the way up to the
viewpoint features a glass lift that is not at all restrictive in its views of
both the city and the lift shaft! For around 15 dollars, you can get to the top
of the tower and get a great panoramic view of the many areas of Vancouver,
from the water to the stadiums, high rise buildings to lush forests it’s
amazing to take in how one place can have so much diversity. In some ways it’s
like looking at the city version of a patchwork quilt, things that look like
they shouldn’t work well together sewn together seamlessly to create a
beautiful metropolis. Up here you can also take the time to grab your souvenirs
in a little gift shop that (miraculously) won’t break the bank.
When you’ve taken in
all the views and read up on your Vancity trivia, head back down the lift (it
is no less scary going down than coming up) and make your way over to the Hyatt
hotel. Don’t worry I’m not including a
tour of the cities hotels in my itinerary, this is just the location for
getting the free bus to the next stop on the tour- Stanley Park.
Stanley Park is hands
down not only my favourite place in Vancouver but also my favourite place in
any of the new cities I’ve visited lately. The free bus takes around 20 minutes
and takes you on a crazy journey from the heart of the city centre out into a
lush green park with lakes and animals. The bus will take you to the entry
point of the world famous Capilano Suspension Bridge. This is definitely an
activity that is NOT for the faint of heart. Entrance to the bridge and the
surrounding areas costs around 20 dollars (free if you’re cabin crew!) and it is
worth every penny.
When you step on the bridge, it can be a little leg-wobbling at first, seeing the whole river beneath you and feeling the bridge move from all other tourists walking along it. The view from the bridge is amazing, it’s pure nature all around and feels like a million miles away from the city you woke up in that morning. Maybe it’s just because I’m a city girl at heart but it is so crazy to be able to take a 15 minute bus ride from the heart of the busy metropolis and be in the centre of a huge lush forest surrounded by nature!
At the end of the
bridge, head over to the Tree Top Trail for a little in the trees adventure. If
you’re travelling with kids or someone with a kid-like personality, this is a
fun little activity, with swinging wooden bridges to walk over and animals to
spot. Also there’s another stamp to collect to add to your passport, taking you
a little closer to your certificate. When you cross back over the bridge, there’s
one last test of your nerves in the form of the glass bottomed cliff walk, with
views underfoot of the rocks and melting glaciers. Head away from the exit of
the cliff walk towards the exit station to collect your certificate for
finishing! Maybe it’s because of all the heights or because I’m secretly still an 8 year old inside but
getting that certificate was definitely the most exciting part of my trip.
Grab the 'inside park'
bus out now to Prospect Point for more gorgeous views of the city from above.
At this point (weather permitting) sit down on the grass and have a little
picnic while you soak in the views. In spring/summer, when the flowers are in
full bloom it’s really beautiful to walk amongst them out to the furthest point
overlooking the sea and the bridge leading back into the city. The whole park
is really beautiful and you could so easily spend days and days exploring it
but I would definitely say that Prospect Point is my favourite spot.
Heading back into the
city, get off the bus a few stops early on Robson St. and take a stroll around.
If the weather up at Prospect Point wasn’t great, grab lunch at one of the
little cafes or restaurants. One of the amazing things Vancouver has to offer
is its wealth of different cuisines, from Italian to all over Asia, and for
surprisingly low prices, there’s something for whatever mood you happen to be
in! My top recommendations are the Banh Mi’s in any of the Vietnamese places or
sushi from Blue.
After lunch, take a
bus over to China Town and have a stroll through all the
little shops and stalls. Head into the gardens if you have time although be wary as they close early! The china town area of Vancouver is one of the biggest I’ve visited and well worth a look.
When you’ve got all of
your souvenirs and had a nice long walk through the city, head back to your
hotel and change for dinner. As mentioned earlier, Vancouver has abundance of
amazing food places but for a really great night out head into Gastown. With
all of the restaurants, the cute old fashioned streets and the great relaxed
vibe, there’s really no contest for where you should spend your evening. Each
different eatery has something different to offer and there’s no wrong choice.
So there you go, a
whole 24 hours in the home of Ryan Reynolds and the most beautiful views!
Hope you enjoy!