Canada has been on our bucket list for many years. It is the perfect destination for those who love being in the outdoors. If the combination of pristine national parks, outdoor activities, and wild animals just roaming around is something that makes you happy, keep reading for some of our top tips.
Day 1-3: Vancouver
When taking long haul flights, it's always good to keep in mind that your body may need some time to recover from potential jetlag. We decided to start with a few days in Vancouver, which you may know has been voted in the top 5 of the most liveable cities for a while and we always wanted to experience it for ourselves. Once we arrived we could really see why. The city is beautifully located on the coast and apart from offering a great variety of shops, nice cafes and restaurants, it also has the right amount of nature and outdoor scenery: beaches and mountains in the vicinity of the city.
Vancouver is made for people who like spending time outside running, cycling, kayaking, stand up paddling, rowing, you name it!
Top sites to visit:
Stanley Park (10km seawall loop)
Coal Harbour Marina (at sunset)
Kitsilano (cute shops, cafes and Kitsilano beach)
Granville Island Public Market (a bit overpriced but very nice market and food options)
If you're short on time we recommend skipping:
Gastown steam clock (it chimes every 15 minutes, if you're into that sort of thing definitely go check it out but we found it a bit overrated).
How to get around (based on our experience):
E-bikes or bikes. Our hotel had complimentary e-bikes which ended up being our favourite mode of transport. We also were very lucky with the weather, which allowed us to maximise our time on the bikes.
SkyTrain is the fastest way to get from the airport to downtown Vancouver (only 25 minutes). During Thanksgiving weekend, our tickets were discounted.
Where to stay:
Listel hotel was really well located in downtown Vancouver. It's on Robson street, right in the hustle and bustle of the city and walking distance from many cafes and restaurants. They offer a wine reception for hotel guests daily from 17:00-18:00!
For the foodies:
Breakfast/coffee
Breka Bakery (more for the baked goods than the coffee)
Elysian Coffee
Kits Beach Coffee
Lunch/snack
Japadog (asian fusion hotdogs)
Uncle Tetsu (Japanese fluffy cheesecake)
Dinner
Marutama Ramen Westend (our favourite ramen place in Vancouver, love that you can choose the firmness of your noodles)
Kintaro Ramen (great ramen joint with huge portions)
Sushi Mugen (if you love trying creative sushi roll combinations, this is the place for you!)
Some recommendations from local friends:
Matchstick
Small Victory Bakery
Jam Cafe
Their There
Ramen Danbo
Miko Sushi
Thanks for reading our first blog post! Please leave us a comment below if you have any feedback.
It is so exciting to be able to visit the world with you guys.
Thank you for sharing🙏🏾 Seriously, thank you ❤️