Student Travel Guide - Vancouver Edition
(photo - www.tourismvancouver.com)
Hello! My name is Tom Kelly and for my contribution to our new exciting travel blog, I’m going to be telling you all you need to know about travelling to Vancouver, Canada as a young financially challenged student. Does that sound like you? Well then keep reading!
But before I begin, I’d like to introduce myself so that you get to know a bit about me. As I mentioned before, my name is Tom and I’m currently in my final year of a commerce degree in University College Dublin. I was lucky enough to be able to travel to Vancouver in Canada last summer and spend some of my hard-earned cash exploring the city and so I now feel qualified to give you guys the ins and outs and all the top tips that you need to know before you travel to Vancouver yourself. To do this, I’m going to be delving into the ‘Top 5 Places to Visit in Vancouver’!
5 - The Pie Hole
(photo -www.josheats.com)
To kick start this Top 5 list, I’ve decided to include something that’s quite personal to me, The Pie-Hole. This is the shop where I worked for 3 months and it represents everything that is great about Canada, PIE! Located on both Fraser street and in the Burnaby area, these two bakeries serve the tastiest treats around. Check put their Instagram account if you want to whet your appetite, just click here if you want a quick link.
From savoury pies to dessert pies, The Pie-Hole serves them all with a smile. Over the course of the 3 months I spent working here, I managed to fit in very nicely and I got on great with all of the staff. Every pie is baked off fresh every day or if you want to take one home for later, they also sell frozen pies ready to be popped in the oven. As well as selling tasty pies, they also offer fresh coffee and treats! I have very fond memories of this place and I hope to return soon!
4 - Stanley Park
(photo - www.tripsavvy.com)
Stanley Park is situated just north of Vancouver and can be found within only a few minutes’ walk from the city itself. The park is filled with wildlife from raccoons to skunks and is a beautiful place to go explore. The perimeter of the park is covered on three sides by the sea and so a path will take you around the whole thing. I would highly recommend renting bicycles from one of the many rental shops and cycling around the ‘sea wall’ as it is very fittingly called. While renting the bikes will set you back around 10$ per hour, the rest of the experience is completely free!
The whole park transforms when night falls and that’s when the real fun begins. Once a week during the summer months, a spectacular outdoor cinema shows old classic movies for you and your friends to enjoy. As well as this, the famous drum circle takes place during the sun-set once a week on one of the beaches that Stanley park provides for you to enjoy. This involves drums, dancing, and more drums! If you would like to read more about Stanley Park’s range of activities available, just click here! Overall, I would highly recommend visiting Stanley Park!
3 - Whistler
(photo - www.whistlerdog.com)
One of the first places that popped into my head while I thought of ideas for this blog was Whistler Mountain. Located north of Vancouver city, a two-hour bus journey is all that separates you from this majestic mountain range. It is one of the most popular places to visit in the British Columbia area and can visited all year round. During the winter, snow transforms the town into a thriving ski resort while during the summer months, activities such as skydiving, mountain biking, white water rafting, and zip lining will be the highlight of your stay.
This is one of the more expensive suggestions that I’m going to make during this blog, but it was worth every penny. In my personal experience, we used the money that we earned during our holiday to have one last blowout in whistler. We made use of the summer activities and in the process, we made memories for life. If you have time to spare and a bit of leftover cash, this is where you need to go!
2 - Grouse Mountain
(photo - www.insidevancouver.ca)
Taking the number 2 spot is the Grouse Grind hiking trail which takes you up to the top of Grouse Mountain, located 4,000 feet above sea level. But let me warn you, there are over 2,000 steps between you and the end of the grind, roughly taking an hour for an athletic hiker. While this was arguably the toughest thing I did while in Vancouver, it was by far the most rewarding.
Waiting at the summit for you are a whole range of animals, from the two rescued grizzly bears to the large array of birds of prey who put on a mighty show for all to enjoy. While the cable car back down will set you back 15$, the rest of the experience is again completely free, perfect for those of you on a budget. Almost clinches the top spot, but in the end taking number two on my list of things to do in Vancouver.
1 - Kitsilano Beach
(photo - www.flightnetwork.com)
There’s no better way to finish this list than with Kitsilano Beach. In the summertime, temperatures reaching 30 degrees centigrade will leave you wanting to cool off and with the choice of the sea or the 137-meter outdoor pool (yes you read that right), there’s no better place to stop off. The beach itself is littered with volleyball nets and tennis courts, while the park accompanying the beach provides a more secluded area to chill out.
The best part about the beach? Its free. While the pool has a small charge of 5 Canadian dollars, it’s well worth spending at least one day by the pool, even if its just to see if you can get from one end to the other! Located within a 15-minute walk from the city centre, Kitsilano Beach sails into my number one spot.