Originally published 24 September 2012

Vancouver waterfront

We had always wanted to visit Canada but for some reason or another had found other countries to visit first. The promise of wonderful scenery and wildlife had long been there but it was the purchase of a new camera that finally convinced us. We booked a two-week trip to take in Vancouver and the Rockies, which we felt would satisfy our love of the great outdoors and give Bryan the chance to put his new toy to the test.

We'd been told we’d like Vancouver and, although not really 'city people', we thoroughly enjoyed the three nights we spent there. It really is in a lovely spot, and a real delight to walk around.

We were fortunate to time our visit with Canada Day, which meant that there were plenty of concerts and live music, and a real sense of community spirit. We found ourselves enthusiastically waving a Canadian flag as we became caught up in the city parade. It was great fun. We did find eating out in restaurants was quite expensive though, so headed to the suburb of Granville Island, the home of local markets, independent delis and street food vendors. There was a good choice, including one of the finest sausage sandwiches we’d ever tasted!

The highlight, though, was a fantastic seaplane excursion, recommended by Audley. As a nervous flyer I wasn't totally convinced but the thrill of taking off and landing on water has to be experienced. Our pilot guided the plane out over the harbour, soaring over boats and up the coast past million-dollar waterfront homes and hundreds of inlets and coves. It was magical, and gave Bryan the chance to take lots of photos.

We left Vancouver agreeing it was one of the nicest cities we’d been to, and a great start to our adventure. And agreeing we were going to get our money's worth from the camera.

Learn more about tailor-made holidays to Canada and Vancouver with Audley

Canada

Book a holiday to Canada and experience the natural beauty of the Icefields Parkway, abundant whale and polar bear watching opportunities as well as the cosmopolitan cities of Vancouver, Toronto and Québec.

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Vancouver

This cosmopolitan city basks in a glorious natural setting, surrounded by the Coast Mountains. It has some of Canada’s finest restaurants, shops, entertainment and museums.

Read more about Vancouver »

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