With a plethora of parks, a backdrop of coastal mountains and elegant long fingers of land reaching into the sea, Vancouver, like Sydney, has a setting that’s near perfect.
Since the Canadian Pacific Railway arrived from the east in 1886 it has grown into Canada’s third largest city. Its population has doubled to about 2.5m in the past 17 years and, come 2010 when it plays host to the Winter Olympics, doubtless the metropolis will have swollen even more. Still with a slight frontier feel to it, Vancouver is a young and vibrant city, rather at odds with the otherwise staid Canadian scene.
Downtown Vancouver is hospital-clean and user-friendly, with Robson Street a favourite shopping destination. There are plenty of other attractions too such as the Vancouver Art Gallery, the bars of Gastown and the opulence of the malls and restaurants on the waterfront.
If you ask me there’s plenty of space already, but the city fathers are so determined to keep the place green and clean that they’re planning to create 50% more parks. This should please residents and visitors alike as Vancouver’s most popular spot is Stanley Park, a 1,000-acre haven filled with forest paths, cycle trails, clear lakes and grassy meadows. Families stroll and couples jog or rollerblade along the shore and enjoy the splendid views back to the city skyline. It ’s a remarkable urban space, the size of New York’s Central Park, with a six mile seawall walk and an aquarium that houses beluga whales. However, avoid the temptation to call it the lungs of the city, as that would cast aspersions on one of Vancouver’s most remarkable features — the lack of pollution.
If a stroll among giant cedars is too leisurely then take a walk on the wobbly side. The Capilano suspension bridge spans a 450ft-wide ravine and is supposedly strong enough to take the weight of a jumbo jet. Keep repeating that to yourself as you sway along the footbridge 230ft above the ground.
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Adrenalined out? Try something more sedate. There are few finer spots to spend a civilised afternoon than the spectacular Butchart Gardens. Each year about a million people visit the 100-year-old gardens just outside Victoria, British Columbia’s capital, on Vancouver Island. Other attractions here include the Royal London Wax Museum, the oh-so-British Empress hotel, a replica of Anne Hathaway’s cottage, and Craigdarroch Castle, a 19th-century mansion built for the Dunsmuirs, Scottish immigrants who made a pile from coal mining in Canada. Does it all sound a bit cheesy? Well yes, that’s because it is. While our North American cousins love it, you’ll probably baulk at the Disney-style rendition of Britannia-Out-West.
There are ferries to Victoria but, to travel in style, hop on a float plane from Vancouver. The 35-minute flight takes you over the mouth of the Fraser river and will afford the sort of Canadian wilderness scenes you associate with Sunday afternoon films from the 1970s: vast tree trunks float down wild water, you may even glimpse a bear and checked shirts are de rigueur.
As well as a whiff of wilderness, Vancouver can offer real urban delights, particularly in the freshly made-over district of Yaletown. Not long ago this area was just a collection of abandoned warehouses. Today, it is the centre of eclectic high fashion and functional art, as well as an oasis of designer pubs, cafes and restaurants. And oh, the restaurants. They’re reason enough to sit through the 9Å-hour flight from Glasgow. The Pacific Rim cuisine is among the best in the world, reflecting the fact that about a third of the city’s population is Asian. Take time out to sample the best Japanese food outside the Orient and try many other international dishes.
Chinatown is also a must-do. For lunch, take dim sum in any one of the dozens of restaurants advertising it, then investigate the garish red and gold shops where jade Buddhas, pungent incense and tatty souvenirs for C$5 (£2.10) instantly transport you to Hong Kong or Beijing. The Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden on Carall Street is worth a visit. Behind high walls, these Ming Dynasty-style gardens, all flowing water and meticulously planned plants and trees, are the perfect haven to escape from the bustle. Guided tours and complimentary tea are included with admission.
Prices for hotels, eating out and shopping will bring a smile to a canny Scot’s face. Expect to save around 40% compared with American cities. It also pays to stock up on cheap CDs at the main Virgin store.
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One of the hippest places to stay is the boutique Opus hotel. Next door is the in-house Elixir restaurant — a French brasserie, not unlike the Cafe Rouge chain, only better. There’s also a complimentary hotel car service (a Mercedes S430 no less) to all downtown locations.
Across the water, directly beneath Granville bridge, is Granville Island where you’ll find a world-class food market and craft centre. It’s a quality enclave. Quality souvenirs, quality of life, but then, all in all, Vancouver’s a quality place.
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Details: Zoom Airlines flies from Glasgow to Vancouver from £129 one way plus tax. Call 0870 240 0055 or visit www.flyzoom.com to book. Opus hotel (322 Davie Street, 001 604 642 6787, www.opushotel.com) has rooms from £70 a night. For further tourist information contact Visit Canada on 0906 871 5000