VANCOUVER
Area: British Columbia
Country: Canada


Location:
On Pacific coast, in SW corner of mainland Canada, in province of British Columbia; Vancouver Island lies just off shore. 80 mls S of Whistler ski-resort. 145 mls N of Seattle, USA. International airport 9 mls S of downtown Vancouver.

Telephone code from UK:
1 604

Website:
http://www.tourism-vancouver.org

Position:
Downtown concentrated on low, 1­-ml-wide hill. City and suburbs extend over coastal area with scattered islands and inlets.

Description:
Founded in the mid-18th century by Captain George Vancouver, the city that took his name has expanded into a truly cosmopolitan, modern, vibrant city of 582,000 inhabitants, burgeoning to 2 million people in the Greater Vancouver area as a whole. It enjoys Canada's mildest climate and a genuinely spectacular coastal setting, surrounded on virtually all sides by water, with forested mountains to the N and E. Although the wider Vancouver area covers 1,830 sq mls, the city's busy, bustling downtown _ with its high-rises and historic buildings _ is compact, stretching for some 2­ mls from Stanley Park in the NW to Chinatown in the SE. Stanley Park itself comprises 1,000 acres of mature forest, lake, picnic areas, water park and miniature railway fringed by 6 mls of seawall footpaths. A major Pacific Rim commercial hub and popular port of call for cruise ships, Vancouver and its environs offer visitors the choice of beauty, history and diverse culture _ the latter dominated conspicuously by the very big, long-established and largely affluent Chinese community, predominantly from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Suitability:
Something for everyone and every pocket. Largely business orientated, although a particular favourite with middlemarket American, Canadian and European couples and older families _ many using it as a sophisticated stopover on their way to skiing in nearby Whistler.

Accommodation:
Broad mix of properties; predominantly middle- to upmarket hotels in downtown area; most within easy walking distance of prime shopping, dining and entertainments. Additional cluster around airport and suburban neighbourhoods. Many have conference space, underground garages and comprehensive fitness/spa facilities.

Shopping:
Spoiled for choice. Epicentre of downtown dominated by Canada's most famous department store, Eatons, and Pacific Centre shopping mall; fashionable clothing outlets and boutiques along Robson Street. Chinatown and Little India offer ethnic specialities; antiques on South Granville Street and artisan works can be found in the markets of Granville Island.

Entertainments:
Daytime: popular touring base for mountains, forested hinterland and boat trips to and around Vancouver Island and smaller gulf islands; wide choice of museums includes Museum of Anthropology, Canadian Craft Museum, H R MacMillan Space Centre and Vancouver Art Gallery; Imax cinema (a Canadian invention) at Canada Place, beside cruise-ship terminal; planetarium. Outdoor activities in Stanley Park include walking and cycling trails, miniature railway and children's zoo. Nightlife: varied sophistication, with selection of theatres, concert halls, opera and sporting events; myriad bars and nightclubs, with ethnic alternatives in large Chinatown.

Eating:
Something for every taste and budget. Abundant fresh seafood, particularly Pacific rock salmon, lobster and crab. Vast range of oriental and ethnic cuisine befitting multicultural city. Fine array of bistros and restaurants along fashionable Robson Street and inside Pacific Centre. Plenty of pavement hot-dog stands, McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut etc.

Public-transport:
Efficient bus service plies length of Seymour, Howe and Granville Streets, terminating opposite trade centre at Canada Place. Connections W to Stanley Park. Plentiful taxis. Skytrain loop serves outlying areas. Seabus ferry links downtown with N Vancouver.

Local-excursions:
Full day: Whistler ski-resort; scenic drives along Northshore to Horseshoe Bay and ferry to Vancouver Island or E through rich farmlands to Fort Langley and Harrison Hot Springs resort; whale-watching (May_Oct); Grouse Mountain adventure resort. Two days: Victoria, Vancouver Island and Seattle, USA.