Our July 2023 cruise ended in Vancouver, Canada. We were excited to explore this vibrant city and were not disappointed. After disembarking the ship we were able to walk to our hotel, the Hyatt Regency Vancouver. The hotel is in a great location for walking to many city sites. It also has a great bar with large windows that slide open to give a nice indoor/outdoor vibe in warmer weather. We ended or began each night with a drink (or two) sitting next to the window enjoying the views and people watching.
Our visit included food, food, and more food. Vancouver is a diverse city and we enjoyed a multitude of delicious tidbits including ramen, sushi, a tour of Chinatown, a fantastic affogato and a divine visit to Song by Kin Kao, a Michelin guide Thai restaurant. The ramen from Ramen Danbo was the best we have ever had and the affogato (espresso poured over gelato) was simply delicious. We didn’t have a bad bite. We did, however, have one most interesting bite which, per Trey, was “not as bad as expected”. There was nothing off-putting about it and it was something to try at least once in a lifetime. It was a “century egg” from Fat Mao in Chinatown. These are eggs (ours was a duck egg) that are preserved in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime and rice hulls from several weeks to several months. The egg white looked like black or purple jello and the yolk was dark grey. The taste was very mild and creamy.
During our Chinatown visit we toured the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. It was a tranquil oasis in the middle of bustling Chinatown. The tour was reasonably priced and the guide was very informative.
It is worth noting that we did feel a little nervous while leaving Chinatown to walk back toward our hotel. Travel guides had noted that this area has a high number of addicts and homeless people. It was the middle of the day and we were never threatened, there was just a ton of open drug use including people using needles and cooking heroin (or something). We just kept walking and didn’t make eye contact. It was an adventure that we probably wouldn’t repeat. Next time we would opt for a taxi or ride share.
On another glorious morning we visited Stanley Park. This park is a beautiful peninsula surrounded by Burrard Inlet and English Bay with gorgeous views and a waterfront path along the outer circle of the park. We rented bikes and rode around the peninsula.
Our last fun Vancouver activity was a trip to Granville Island Public Market. Granville Island, another Vancouver peninsula, is located in False Creek. We took a water taxi across to peruse the market and shops. There are tons of food stalls in the market. We looked at all of them, but resisted all but one…the reason we were there…Lee’s Donuts. Lee’s has been serving made from scratch donuts since 1979. These are the BEST donuts we have ever tasted. I’ll attach a picture, and it isn’t pretty, but don’t let that fool you. I can’t even describe the deliciousness. Just go. And for that matter, Vancouver was a lovely locale for a summer visit. Warm weather, sunny skies and plenty to see and explore!
