July | 2014 | Born and Raised Traveller

So it’s been far too long since I’ve posted, but my excuse is exams and a very spontaneous trip to visit my friend in Vancouver for two weeks.

Vancouver is a beautiful city and in my opinion, seriously underrated as a North American city! Now I have travelled all over the world but in no other place have I experienced such a variety of landscapes, cultures and activities. Alongside the hustle and bustle of Downtown Vancouver is the green expanse (1000 acres) of Stanley Park – the third largest public city-owned park in North America. With three beaches within the park and the famous English Bay just outside, it is possible to go from a job in the city straight to the park for a bike ride along the impressive 8.8km seawall or for a dip in the Pacific off English Bay beach.

What makes Vancity so underrated to me is it’s versatility in what it has to offer throughout the year. The peninsula of Downtown is backed by the spectacular snow-capped mountains offering a range of ski slops within easy distance of the city and the gondola up Grouse Mountain. The famous ski resort of Whistler is only an hour or so drive away. SO whilst Vancouver’s park and beaches thrive in the summer, it’s proximity to the mountains with exceptional ski facilities makes it an all round unique city experience.

I’ve written an article on the city so I can’t repeat myself too much but one thing I didn’t go into detail on is the variety of culture. With the minorities making up 52% of the population (Lonely Planet 2014) the array of cultures and cuisines was so vast that in two weeks I didn’t have enough time to try them all. Although I’ve visited Asia before, a lot of people years ago migrated from Japan, Korea, China so the range of food was very different from what I’d tried in India and it meant I was in my element as I love to try new things!

The arts scene in Vancouver was another aspect I loved. The city is so new that is is constantly changing and it’s liberal outlook means there is a space for every cultural, artistic and linguistic expression. From the sleek-city-living in Yaletown with it’s high-end boutiques and restaurants to the hipster-cool vibes of Gastown and it’s vintage shops and quirky hidden bars.

I don’t think it’s possible to do my trip justice in pictures or to convey how much it meant to me to visit my friend but here are some pictures to give you a taster of the city.

Has anyone else who’s visited Vancouver have any stories or best bits?

Helena x