Things to do
Vancouver attractions
Attractions
Vancouver Aquarium is the largest aquarium of Canada. It’s home to more than 70,000 sea creatures like anacondas, dolphins, sharks, sea otters, and so on. A special program takes the kids behind the scenes and lets them participate in the feeding, playing, and training process of the animals. Penguin Point, Tropic Zone, Leatherback Turtles are only a few of the many sections.
Dr. Sun Yat Sen is a classical Chinese garden, which includes breathtaking ponds and pagodas. The style of the garden dates back to the trends of 15th century China. The area also hosts events with oriental themes.
Vancouver Art Gallery owns more than 10,000 artworks of local and international artists. However, only 3% of the collection is on display. The collection of this 80-years-old museum also includes photographs and posters as well.
VanDusen Botanical Garden includes a collection of 255,000 individual plants that belong to climates like the tropics of South Africa and the mild temperatures of British Columbia.
Museum of Anthropology contains thousands of ethnographic and archaeological items. The museum is also a training and educational center; it provides courses in anthropology, archaeology, conservation, and museum studies. By the way, the museum is located on the campus of the University of British Columbia.
Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge is a part of Lynn Canyon Park, which features fantastic hiking trails. The suspension bridge hangs 50m high. If you’re afraid of height, don’t try to step on it. Besides the bridge, the park also contains ponds, waterfalls, and lakes.
H.R. Macmillan Space Centre is an astronomy museum opened in 1968. In fact, Gordon MacMillan Southam Observatory is right next to the museum building.
Besides the attractions mentioned above, you can also visit the Grouse Mountain, Gastown, Deep Cove, Whistler Blackcomb, Sea Safari, and so on.
Eating and Drinking
>Apart from the international cuisine served in numerous restaurants, Vancouver has a lot of places offering Chinese and Japanese cuisines.
>Granville Island has a variety of restaurants and cafes, while famous Chinese restaurants like Kirin Mandarin Restaurant should be sought in Chinatown.
>Budget cafes and restaurants are Trilussa Pizza and Pane, La Brasserie Street, Cake-ya, Revolver, Pho Central, Chad Thai, Bob's Submarine Sandwiches, Brown Dog Cage, Moii Café Cambie, etc. Some of the more expensive options include Ask for Luigi, Burdock & Co, Cuchillo, and so on.
>If you’re determined to try Canadian food, then go for Poutine (French fries with sauce), butter tarts, anything involving bacon and maple syrup, BeaverTails (pastry), Nanaimo Bars (non-baked sweets), and so on.
>The legal drinking age in British Columbia is 19, however, drinking under parental supervision is allowed.
Shopping in Vancouver
Vancouver is much to offer when it comes to shopping. The question is where to start. Robson Street is perhaps the most famous place to go shopping. Many stores, places to eat and to relax and drink a coffee. All types of stores can be found here ranging from music stores, souvenir shops to luxury boutique shops. No matter what's on your shopping list, chances are you can find it here.
Canada Place
Vancouver Cruise Terminal
About the Port
The Port Metro Vancouver is the largest port in Canada. It has two cruise terminals - Canada Place and Ballantyne Pier. Both are equipped with the best available tourist facilities.
Canada Place terminal, which is located near Vancouver downtown, was recently enlarged to host four megaships. It receives around 900,000 passengers annually.
Ballantyne terminal can host two megaships, and it is a bit far from the city center. It’ll take you a taxi drive of 15-20 minutes and a fare of $20 to get there. Walking is not the best option. Both terminals are filled with taxis and tourist information centers.
About the City
Vancouver is a Canadian city located in the British Columbia, near the Mount Seymour, Grouse Mountain, and Cypress Mountain. It’s the third largest city in Canada, after Toronto and Montreal.
Vancouver was recognized as the World’s Most Livable City in 2009, and, interestingly, almost half of the population (around 40%) is from other countries or cities. By the way, the population of the city is 603,502 (as of 2011). The population of Greater Vancouver exceeds 2 million.
The city is very gay and lesbian-friendly. It even hosts one of the biggest gay parades in the country.
Transportation
The SkyTrain is an automated rapid train that consists of three lines - Expo, Millennium, and Canada. They all run from downtown and every 2-5 minutes. Blue Buses belong in the western part of the city, but are used to connect it with the eastern part. There is also the Coast Mountain Bus that operates in the entire city. When boarding the bus, make sure to have the exact amount as no change will be given back.
The SeaBus is a ferry service that connects the Waterfront Station to Lonsdale Quay. Another ferry called AquaBus that will take you to the shopping area of Granville Island every 20 minutes.
You can hail a taxi everywhere, however, be aware of the high fares. All taxis have meters.
The city is suitable for bikes; there are many bicycle rentals in the city.
Facts & Figures
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Population: 600.000 (2010), great Vancouver 2.4 Million
Language: English, French, Chinese, German
Currency: Canadian Dollar
History
An aboriginal tribe called Musqueam populated the area around 3000 years ago. Europeans started to inhabit it in the 18th century. Captain James Cook arrived here in 1778, but never went ashore. The attempt was repeated by Captain George Vancouver in 1792, so the city’s history began. The Great Fire of 1886 entirely destroyed the city center in 20 minutes; the area was rebuilt later.
Culture
Vancouver is considered to be one of the best cities to be in. The city has more than 200 parks and a pleasantly mild weather. In fact, the Greenpeace organization was founded here.
This 126-years-old city hosted the Winter Olympics in 2010. It’s also the Canadian version of Hollywood, the capital of entertainment, TV shows, and films. Famous people like Michael Buble, Pamela Anderson, Jason Priestly, Margaret Trudeau, David Suzuki, Michael J. Fox, Raymond Burr, and Douglas Coupland were born here.
Climate
The climate is very mild. The temperatures range from 20 to 25°C in summer and 2 to 15°C in winter. The rain seasons lasts from October to March.
Language
English and French are the most common languages. Other than these, Chinese, Cantonese, and Punjabi are also spoken by some of the locals.
Internet Connection
The vast majority of cafes, restaurants, and coffee shops have free WIFI connection. The list includes Our Town Café, Prado Café, Blenz Coffee, JJ Bean Coffee Roasters, The Frog and Nightgown, Ricky’s All Day Grill, etc.