http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18993 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18993 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18389
Buses, SkyTrain and ferries are all great ways to explore. Take a ferry to Victoria and look out for killer whales!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18389 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17280 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17280 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12389 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12389 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11911
People always ask about a good place to take the family to ski or learn to ski. I think Vancouver is perfect. People always think of Whistler but don't know that there are three great mountains in Vancouver itself - Cypress Mountain, Grouse Mountain and Seymour Mountain.

For beginner skiers or families of skiers this has a lot of great advantages. By staying in the city there is a much wider range of accomodation (cheaper than Whistler to extravagant). There is also a lot of other activities on your doorstep so maybe when mum, dad or one of the kids gets tired or bored of every day skiing they can venture into the city easily and cheaply and take their minds off the sore muscles. Shopping, aquarium, Stanly Park, golf, sailing, nightclubs means there is always something to do.

All the mountains offer a great range of snowsports from beginner to advanced terrain and terrain parks. Whistler is little over an hour away for an extra day out. All the mountains have stunning views of the city and as a bonus Cypress Mountain will be holding some events in the 2010 Winter Olympics. The mountains are easily accessible by highways so there are no tricky mountain roads and the instruction at Cypress Mountain in particular is excellent for the whole family. They have also had a record winter of snowfall.

Plus, as the exchange rate is currently nearly two Canadian dollars to the pound it's not as expensive a destination as you may think.

All in all, a great place for everyone to go and enjoy on many different levels.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11911 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10995
The line up is always refreshing, especially in a city that is finally being given the notice it deserves in terms of up and coming bands.
It is a members bar but guests are welcome, there is no pretention as the crowd tends to be music junkies so any attitude is left firmly up the street. The staff are friendly and the bouncers considerate, what more can you ask for?

It is small and loud, so not ideal for a first date but a great venue to come and hang out, listen to some great new bands and have a good time.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10995 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10342
We found the location excellent to visit the city's most popular sites such as Stanley Park, English Bay and the aquarium.

The staff were super friendly and the suites felt like home. Highly recommended and I hope to visit them again soon.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10342 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10277
Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve - try the Rice Lake loop after a snowfall - paradise. Catch the 228 from Lonsdale Quay.

Seymour Provincial Park - there are snowshoe and X-country trails for free public use. Public bus service to Deep Cove.

Cypress Mountain - as well as the X-country trails you pay to use ($17 for the day, $13 for floodlit night skiing) there is a snowshoe and X-country trail that takes you up the side of the mountain. Take the Cypress Snobus.

Grouse Mountain - costs you to get up in the gondola to all the activities that are up there (movies, sleigh rides, zoo etc, all included in the price), but once you're there, the X-country skiing and snowshoe trails are free. To save money you could carry your skis up the 'Grouse Grind' and get extra exercise! Public bus service to the gondola.

Squamish - many trails running along the dyke where the eagles roost, and into the backcountry. Take a compass or GPS!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10277 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9013
The tour was guided by a naturalist, very knowledgeable about marine life and the area, using underwater hydrophones to capture the noise of the whales in their pods communicating with each other. There were also related books and articles from the National Geographic on board. You get plenty of time to walk around and stand in the back part of the un-enclosed boat and watch the whales and the otherwise unreachable parts of Canada's coastline.

I recommend this tour wholeheartedly. There are many whale watching tours advertised in Vancouver, most of them picturing speedboats with tourists in wetsuit outfits! If your thing is more laid back, to walk about the boat and photograph what you see, appreciate the stunning environment and relax (in your own clothes!) then this is the tour for you.

We were lucky enough to see three pods of whales travelling close to each other, killer whales and sea lions (respecting the regulations of distance of boats by law) and part of the money you pay for the tour goes to the research and protection of these amazing creatures.

My top tips: hats, gloves, a bottle of water and a snack bar for your pocket (you travel a long way out and are gone a few hours), leave the digital camera at home in favour of your old APS film camera (I had much better pictures on that than my mum on her digital camera- the shutter speeds are too slow on digital to capture the best of shots). And on that note, as our guide poignantly pointed out - don't miss what you are seeing because you are watching it through the camera lens. You can download brilliant pictures from the website!

I did this trip with my mum. I am planning to return to Vancouver and would happily do this excursion alone as a single traveller so don't be put off...]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9013 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6903 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6903 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6750
The view stretches from the cruise ships on the horizon off to Alaska to the mountains to the city.

The atmosphere of couples and families just relaxing is unbeatable. Truly the best way to see the city's beauty.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6750 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6749
Go to Kits beach for the early evening, then walk towards the restaurant, have dinner then get back to the beach for a summer sunset.

Top items:
Organic Blueberry Milkshake
Naam fries with Miso Gravy
Buddha's Feast stir-fry

The Miso Gravy is so popular locally that you can buy it in many shops and the restaurant itself.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6749 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6736
This is not for the faint of heart, but think of the memories. Also, if you are really green, why would you fly?]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6736 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6680 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6680 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6679 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6679 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6677

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You can get a bit down with how healthy everybody is in Vancouver but a visit to America makes one feel so much better about themself.

Seattle is a fantastic city though. It has more of an edge to it than Vancouver, with a really interesting music scene (it's not just grunge by the way). The Pike Place Market is a must, check out the beautiful campus of Seattle Catholic Uni, the arboretum, the sound garden etc etc. A great weekend break.

It's also worth considering checking out the price of flights to Seattle as these can be cheaper than flights to Vancouver.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6597 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6596 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6596 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6595 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6595