Vancouver British Columbia: Nature, Culture, and Culinary Delights

Today on Go Nomad, we journey to Vancouver, one of Canada's largest coastal cities stretching across the Burrard Peninsula on the western edge of British Columbia.

According to writer Susmita Sengupta, the ideal way to kick off your Vancouver vacation would be to head to the University of British Columbia campus at the tip of Point Grey, just a scenic half hour bus ride from downtown.

Wander through Canada's oldest university Botanical Garden and take an aerial tree walk across a coastal temperate rainforest.

Snap photos of the sweeping ocean and mountain views from UBC Rose Garden if visiting between June and September.

And don't miss the serene Nitobe Memorial Garden, a traditional Japanese oasis with a tranquil tea house.

The museum houses an extraordinary collection of indigenous art and artifacts with special focus on the peoples of the Northwest Coast.

But nothing quite defined Vancouver like Stanley park.

It's a green haven with more than 3,000 rose bushes, vibrant rhododendrons in May and a Shakespeare garden.

It's a thousand acres big.

From bird watching, a jubilee fountain to scenic outlooks like Siwash Rock and Prospect Point, the park offers an endless outdoor charm.

You won't feel like you're in the city at all.

A walk or cycle on the Stanley park seawall, part of the world's largest uninterrupted waterfront path, gives you an intimate look at the city's stunning shoreline.

She crossed in about 15 minutes and then explored Treetops Adventure, a series of suspension bridges connecting centuries old Douglas firs.

Finally, the Cliff Walk offered breathtaking views as she hung on above the granite walls of Capilano Canyon.

Back in the city of Vancouver, she visited the iconic Vancouver Chinatown, Canada's largest and a national historic site starting at the Millennium Gate, a striking triple pillared arch built in traditional Chinese style.

Dive into history at the Chinese Canadian Museum in the Wing Sang Building and soak in the tranquility of Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese garden modeled on on Ming Dynasty's Scholar Gardens in Suzhou, China.

Her visit ended with dumplings, of course.

Whether you're up for a dim sum tour or a dumpling making class, Chinatown in Vancouver offers delicious cultural experiences.

In the Falls Creek neighborhood, she reached the former Olympic Village via the Aquabus ferry, Wind in Our Faces, Science World's geodesic Dome and Sight.

Today, the area is a swanky hub of restaurants, boutique hotels and public art, including the Birds, two giant sparrows that soar near Olympic Plaza.

Don't miss the Olympic Cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza, a towering torch sculpture framed by Vancouver's harbor views.

While exploring Vancouver's downtown neighborhoods, the city's contrast stood out.

Shimmering towers besides heritage buildings and the street level, visible housing crisis 10 encampments and people experiencing homelessness are just part of the urban landscape.

Like many major cities, Vancouver's beauty exists alongside deep social challenges.

Now it's a hip neighborhood with boutique shops and great coffee houses.

And with that, her vacation in Vancouver due to a close, she'd call it a vibrant mix of city bustle, nature's grandeur and cultural richness.

Visit Vancouver and read more about it on gonomad.

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