Although Vancouver is regularly among the top five of the "world's most livable cities" list, I don't recall reading about how this Canadian city is a "must-visit". So when I went there for a holiday with my family in the summer, I didn't know what to expect. And I didn't have an answer for my daughter's oft-repeated question: "What will we do there?"
As it turned out, there was a lot to do.
The picturesque Butchart Garden in Victoria
Situated on the western shore of Canada in the province of British Columbia, and at the foot of the imposing Coast Mountain ranges, what makes Vancouver unique is its proximity to the ocean and mountains. You can go sailing in the morning and drive up to the mountains in the afternoon for skiing.
From our charming bed-and breakfast lodgings in North Vancouver, we made the journey downtown by the Sea Bus, a ferry that takes 10 minutes to cross the Burrard Inlet. It deposited us near Canada Place, whose striking white sails has made it a prominent landmark. It's from the ship terminal here that most of the cruises to Alaska originate. Almost every time we took the Sea Bus, we would gaze in envy at the huge cruise ships docked there.
Downtown Vancouver is like any other big city, with its tall buildings and crowded streets. And yet, just a stone's throw away is the sprawling 1,000- acre (400ha) Stanley Park, where you can spend an entire day in peaceful isolation amid towering trees.
It's fun to cross the Capilano Bridge, suspended high above the Capilano Canyon.
The park also houses the Vancouver Aquarium, where you can watch beluga whales splash the audience by slapping their giant tails on the water, frisky Pacific dolphins that leap several feet high and the sea otter, which lies on its back and munches on the fish thrown to it by the trainers.
Also worth checking out in the city is Granville Island, which has a mix of restaurants, specialty shops and an array of local arts and craft. The bright and cheerful Granville Island Public Market is where locals shop for fresh produce, seafood and cheeses. The food stalls sell everything from Greek to Chinese to Indian to Japanese cuisine, so schedule a stop here around lunch time and tuck in, like we did.
Our adventures continued with attractions like the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver. The 450-ft high cable bridge that is suspended high above Capilano Canyon took some courage to cross, especially when it started swaying just as you got to the middle and people in front and behind started shrieking.
Thrills and chills of a different kind awaited us on Grouse Mountain. It's a winter wonderland with skiing, snowboarding and sleigh rides. In the summer, though, we had to be content to be whisked up the Skyride to the top of the 4,100-ft high mountain, watched two orphaned grizzly bears romping in the Refuge for Endangered Wildlife, caught the Birds In Motion show, which featured eagles, hawks and owls, and laughed heartily at the slapstick antics of the performers in the Lumberjack Shows. Snowploughs were still clearing the snow from the paths, though it was almost June, and it was cold enough for us to be grateful for our thick coats.
A grizzly bear romps in the snow in its refuge on Grouse Mountain
Day trips to Victoria, the capital of British Columbia on Vancouver Island, and the Whistler ski resort and a full day whale-watching sojourn trips cost well over C$1,000 (S$1300) for the three of us. But it was worth every penny.
We travelled for an hour by coach to reach Tsawwassen. From there, it was a 90-minute ferry ride to Vancouver Island, where we visited the picture-perfect Butchart Gardens, a riot of colour and beautiful landscaping.
In a few hours, we had walked around the city, visited the Waxworks Museum to marvel at the lifelike images of the British Royal Family and the particularly gruesome recreation of medieval torture methods, and the Miniature World, with its wonderfully miniaturised scenes from Charles Dickens' works, exquisite doll houses, circuses and railroads.
To get to the Whistler ski resort, the coach took the scenic Sea to Sky Highway through mountains, past waterfalls and shimmering rivers. We even saw a black bear and its cub feeding on the hill slopes by the road.
Open arms indicate that visitors are welcome
The resort is a ski haven, and even in the summer, on top of Blackcomb Mountain, there was enough snow for skiers and snowboarders to slip in and slide on.
The resort will host the 2010 Winter Olympics along with Vancouver, and all the talk is centred on the upcoming Games, with souvenirs already on the stands in all shops.
But the highlight of our visit, if I have to pick just one, was the trip to spot killer whales, or orcas, which are not really whales at all but dolphins. We were out on the open seas all day, cruising along at a fair clip and even crossing into American waters at one point, as we chased the orcas. Finally, after about four hours, we reached the spot where they had been seen.
Sure enough, as we kept our eyes peeled, first one, then another, glided smoothly through the water, popping up at intervals. We saw about six, and one swam just in front of our boat. You're lucky, said our guide. We felt so too. Wide grins stayed on our faces all through the ride back to shore.
This article was published in The Straits Times' Travel Treats 2008, produced by the Special Projects Unit, Marketing Division, SPH
