Winter Escapes - City break in Vancouver

Michaela Twite, Cosmopolitan UK, January 2006

Why here, why now?
We wanted an outdoorsy non skiing holiday ( I had an injured leg). And Vancouver has recently been voted the best city in the world to live in - in the world!

First Impressions.
As we opened the curtains of our harbour-view room in the Pan Pacific Hotel, it was hard not to smile in amazement at the gorgeous mountains and beautiful Stanly Park rainforest.

Day & night.
Our first must-do was a sea safari with Sewell's Marina (www.sewellsmarina.com). Our high-speed boat tour of the Vancouver coastline took in bald eagles, seals and multi-million dollar houses.

Back on solid ground, we met up with Manfred (www.rockwoodadventures.com) for a guided rainforest hike around Stanley Park. We were blown away by the amount we learnt, and the gourmet picnic included. Stanley Park also houses an aquarium - well worth a visit for the white beluga whales alone.

That night, we ate out at Nu (1661 Granville St) one of Vancouver's trendiest restaurants. Amazing food and wine, along with a fantastic view, completed a relaxing evening.

The next morning we took a cable car ride up Grouse Mountain, on the city's North Shore. We went hiking, saw rescued grizzly bears and enjoyed the fresh air. Staying on the North Shore, we visited Lynn Canyon, which has some truly breathtaking waterfalls. That evening we headed off to watch the Vancouver Giants, the city's youth ice-hockey team, which was brilliant - even if we didn't understand the rules!

Afterwards, we had a romantic meal at Lumiere (2551 West Broadway), where we tried the eight-course vegetarian taster menu. To die for.

The next day we moved on to Opus, one of the city's achingly trendy boutique hotels, with a fantastic bar and restaurant attached, Elixir. It's frequented by celebs aplenty (rumour has it Jennifer Garner may have become pregnant with Ben Affleck's baby after an evening in the private dining room!).

Must buys.
Discover the city's shopping with a Shopabout Tour (www.shopabout.ca) with Donita Dyer. She'll help you find exactly what you are looking for.

Counting the Cost.
Flights to Vancouver are available through Flight Centre, starting from 420pounds return (with BA); call 0870 499 0042 or visit www.flightcentre.co.uk. Harbour view rooms at the Pan Pacific start from 217pounds in January (call +604 662 8111 or visit www.panpacific.com). Rooms at the Opus start from about 100pounds in January (call +604 642 6787 or visit www.opushotel.com).