Walkable neighborhoods, drink-and-dine delights and memorable cultural and outdoor activities framed by dramatic vistas – there’s a glassful of great reasons to love this lotusland metropolis.

Since we had a five hour stopover at Vancouver airport and this was my first time on Canadian soil, we decided to head out to the city. By the way, Canada is my 80th country that I have visited so far. From the airport, it was really convenient to take the airport express – Skytrain (https://www.translink.ca/Schedules-and-Maps/SkyTrain.aspx) – which provides the only direct rapid transit public service downtown, in 25 minutes. The fare from YVR to Vancouver is currently $9.00, which includes the two-zone base fare of $4.00 plus a $5 surcharge (the “YVR AddFare”) incurred on cash fare tickets purchased from vending machines at the airport. The $5 surcharge only applies on trips starting at the airport, not on trips going to the airport. You can buy your ticket at the ticketing machine using cash or credit card.

It was a quiet Sunday morning when we reached downtown Vancouver and there was a slight chill. We saw huge cruise ships docked at the port. The downtown area looks like any North American city with skyscrapers. Many of the city’s landmarks and historical buildings can be found downtown. Canada Place, with its distinctive sails, the Vancouver Convention Centre located just beside it, the intricate Art Deco styling of the Marine Building and the old luxury railway hotel of the Hotel Vancouver are in the central business district. We also passed by the Holy Rosary cathedral in the downtown area.

Due to time constraints, we could not see everything in the city. We skipped Chinatown as we had just come from Hong Kong and there was no need to have Chinese food on the first day of our trip. On the map, Granville island looks quite near, so we decided to head there by walking. It turned out to be further than expected because we had to walk up one of the expressways to cross over to the island. We had a good view of the harbour and luckily the weather was good for walking.

In the early 1900s, Granville Island was home to factories, plants and sawmills. Things are a little different today—Granville Island is both a locals’ favorite and a huge draw for visitors. Technically a sandspit and not an island, the neighbourhood sits just south of the downtown peninsula, right under the Granville Bridge. The Granville Island Public Market acts as a hub of activity, but it’s also one of the city’s most important cultural districts with theatres, artisan workshops and craft studios.

We arrived at Granville Island just in time for lunch. The market was buzzing with activity, from locals going about their grocery shopping to tourists trying out one of the specialty coffee stalls or queuing up for the famous fish and chips. It is indeed a food lover’s paradise with stalls offering the gamut, from cheese, charcuterie, bread to fresh produce.

With a great waterfront dining area, we bought some food to share. I had the Mexican burrito while Hubert had some Greek food with side dishes. The food was tasty (needless to say) and we soaked in the sunshine while enjoying the view of the harbour. Perhaps one day someone would invite me on one of those yachts for a party?

I felt pretty much at home in Vancouver because I see many Asians around and I do not stand out. It is quite easy to navigate around the city with the public transport system. After our lunch, we headed back to the airport by taking a bus to the nearest metro station, then changing to the train back to the airport. Vancouver is clean and the mountains are not too far, so I hope to be back again soon to explore those mountains or even go skiing along the snowcapped peaks.