Naturally Vancouver: How to Get the Most out of Studying in VancouverCategory: Travel & Holidays
Article added by: Paul Collins
Vancouver has always been right up there with the most desirable places to live. For starters, it’s arguably the hippest city in Canada, and it’s packed full of vibrant neighborhoods. It’s also got a couple of attractive old quarters, is packed with culture, museums and galleries, shopping, great restaurants… However you look at it, it comes across as a pretty attractive place.
But if there’s one thing that really makes it stand out – and is partly responsible for attracting so many student travelers looking to take an English course in Canada – it’s the extent to which Vancouver is a city for lovers of the great outdoors.
Here, then, are five ways to get out and about and really make the most of a period of studying English in Vancouver:
1. Stroll through Stanley Park
Few places in the world are as well-integrated into the surrounding countryside as Vancouver, and just north of downtown Vancouver, Stanley Park is a huge area of unspoilt (virtual) wilderness. Given how close it is to the city, it’s the perfect place for a student on an English course in Canada to escape their studies for a while, stretch their legs and get some fresh air into their lungs.
2. Hop Over to Vancouver Island
Not that much further away, Vancouver Island is a genuine nature-lovers’ paradise. Quite apart from the miles of stunning shoreline, still pine forests and rising peaks, the island is home to skunk, moose and grizzly bear, and is also a great destination for whale-watching. A genuine highlight of a trip to Vancouver.
3. The Grouse Grind
The ‘Grouse Grind’ is a Vancouver institution: a 3km hike up to the top of nearby Grouse Mountain, it’s yet another treat for those who like to keep active. A steep climb, in summer the temperatures can make it quite hard work, while during the winter months, heavy snow can limit it to all but the fittest and most determined. Having reached the top – whatever the time of year – the magnificent views undoubtedly make it all worthwhile.
4. Kick Back in Kitsilano
After a hard day’s studying there’s nothing like stripping off and lounging on the beach. Beaches? In Canada? Well, yes, in fact – contrary to popular misconception, Canada has a wonderful climate, and the beaches of British Columbia are fantastic.
Locarno, Jericho and Spanish Banks are all top-notch places to get a bit of well-deserved R&R, while out to the west, in the wild and wonderful Pacific Spirit Park, Wreck Beach is one of the world’s most famous ‘clothing optional’/nudist beaches.
5. Hit the Slopes
Vancouver’s also one of the very best places cities in the world for another, altogether chillier, activity: skiing. Just a couple of hours’ drive from Vancouver, Whistler is one of the most prestigious ski resorts in the world and is one of the city’s most treasured assets.
And the great skiing brings other benefits to Vancouver: the city is currently in the process of sprucing itself up even further for the Winter Olympics in 2010. Which means that it could hardly be a better time to choose Vancouver as the place to take your English course in Canada!
Posted By: Paul Collins
Contact: e-mail
| About the Author: |
| Paul Collins is a travel writer and former English language teacher. Having lived and taught in Vancouver, he rates it as one of the very best places to take an English course in Canada. |
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