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Trip Reports

Dan, AJK here and here , Chapshnell, UshDadude, sam28, YudiG, Tzfas, mochada, jagstangz, Neil, dpk4588, BKYW, tzifanya54, stever, mordechain, nafnaf12, SLMYRCB, Friars500


Flight Options (as of 04/18)

Cathay Pacific flies directly to/from JFK (777-300ER).         

Final date for this route, 02/23/20

Economy:
12.5K BA OW
17.5K AS OW
20K CX OW (30K RT)

Premium Economy:
25K BA OW
20K AS OW
24K CX OW (36K RT)

Business Class:
37.5K BA OW
25K AS OW
25K CX OW (50K RT)

First Class:
50K BA OW
35K AS OW
40K CX OW (70K RT)
Air Canada flies directly to/from EWR (787-800).
Economy:
12.5K SQ, UA, AC OW

Premium Economy:
20K AC OW

Business Class:
20K SQ OW
25K UA, AC OW

There is also a Delta flight direct to/from JFK in the summer months (prices vary as expected from Delta).   

DP01 (07/13): CX availability becomes better closer to the flight. (MEIR613)
DP02 (04/18): CX availability disappears 3-5 days out on BA and AS. (SLMYRCB)
DP03 (08/18): CX availability can only show up on BA or AS if there is more than 1 seat remaining, if it's only 1 seat, it will only be available on CX.com Use CX.com to see actual # of seats available. (@Yehuda)


Food - BC Kosher List

Cafe Forty One (dairy - cholov yisrael) formerly Shuk Eat/Play
5750 Oak Street
Vancouver, BC
V6M 2V9, Canada
Tel: 604-563-4141
Delivery Service via Skip The Dishes (Fairmont Pacific Rim is not within the deliverable area)
"Really great, everything tasty good value, best Caesar Salad ever, and order pizza in advance for good "camp" like homemade yummyness." (shiframeir)
"Nice selection of pastries in addition to their dairy menu. The pizzas and sandwiches are very good." (SLMYRCB)

Nava Creative Cusine (dairy/pareve - non cholov yisrael)
950 West 41st Avenue
Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 676-7579
Located at the JCC - right around corner from Cafe Forty One

Omnitsky's Kosher (meat)
5775 Oak Street,
Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 321-1818
Just across the street from Cafe Forty One

Sabra Bakery (meat)
3844 Oak Street
Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 733-4912
Two miles down Oak Street near the Sharei Tzedek Shul

Maple Grill (meat)
1967 W Broadway
Vancouver, BC
V6J 1Z3, Canada
Tel: (604) 568-4885

Mount Royal Bagels - North Vancouver
701 Queensbury Ave
North Vancouver, BC
V7L 3V9, Canada
Tel: (604) 904-1116

Real Canadian Superstore
Marine Drive
Has kosher products

Kosher Food Warehouse
612 Kingsway (rear)
Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 709-9889


Shabbos

Chabad Downtown - walkable from many hotels, no Eruv, Shacharis on Shabbos followed by Kiddush, Friday night Minyan last weekend each month.
TheKollel - in the community, yes Eruv, Holiday Inn Vancouver Centre only points hotel in the Eruv, Airbnb options, all Minyanim, free Shabbos meals. Some hotels downtown (outside the Eruv) are about an hour walk.
Eruv - https://goo.gl/maps/D2oLBC39GT72


Activities

Stanley park - trolley, rent bikes at Bayshore Bike/Spokes/lots of other places (Westin Bayshore provides 2 hours of free bikes), playground/water are, 9 o'clock gun
Aquarium in Stanley Park
Capilano suspension bridge - also tree walk and cliff walk
Capilano Salmon Hatchery
Lynn Canyon suspension bridge and hikes (Twin Falls, 30 Foot Pool) - free
Grouse Mountain - gondola up, can take chairlift even higher, then an elevator to top of windmill, view of Vancouver, ziplining, parasailing, lumberjack show, see grizzly bears, Grouse Grind - way to hike up the mountain instead
Granville island - market, street performers, kayaking, stand up paddleboat, false creek ferries, brewery tour, kids play area, rent a boat, can bike to here
Seaplane around Vancouver harbor or to Whistler -  http://www.harbour-air.com/index.php 
Whale watching
Victoria Island - ferry to the island/back, Butchart Gardens (expensive, underwhelming), Miniature World, Fisherman's Wharf, oldest Synagogue in Canada. Victoria seems to be very expensive, ferry $30, to bring a car $100, gardens $30.
Bowen Island
Seabus - cheap ferry across harbor and back
Deep Cove kayaking
UBC Garden - Greenheart TreeWalk (look for Groupon)
Zoo
Harbor boat tours - boatrent.ca, Harbor Cruises was terrible - dpk4588
Sea wall
Watch sea planes
Cypress Mountain
Seymour Mountain
Art Museum
Science center imax
Pacific Center Mall
See Olympic torch
"Tour Guys" free walking tour
Rivers to see salmon spawn (swim upstream)
Robson street
Denman street
Vancouver Convention Center - Olympics memorabilia
Kitsilano Beach
Kids Bowl Free
Takaya golf centre
Poets cove
Elizabeth gardens
Van dusen gardens - better than Elizabeth gardens
Canada Place - fly over canada ride experience
Brittania Mine Museum
Vancouver Lookout
Gastown - steam clock
Chinatown
Yaletown
http://scenicrush.com/ - exotic car drive up the Sea to sky highway
Dr SunYatSen Chinese Garden (Dan and a DDFer said not worth it)
Free Chinese Garden
Lighthouse park
Safari Eco Boat Tour and Seaplane flight  Sewellsmarina.com

On the way to Whistler: (see Whistler Master Thread)
Sea to sky highway
Sea to sky gondola in Squamish, can hike up and take gondola down
River rafting in Squamish
Shannon Falls
Brandywine Falls
Panorama Ridge Hike in Lake Garibaldi in between Squamish and Whistler

« Last edited by pointer on February 16, 2020, 11:32:24 PM »

Author Topic: Vancouver Master Thread  (Read 330850 times)

Offline smart brit

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #420 on: May 30, 2014, 05:40:23 PM »
BUMP
the Hilton in Whistler seems to be very nice!
But it's a 2 hour drive from yvr

Offline Super Speed

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #421 on: May 30, 2014, 05:45:54 PM »

the Hilton in Whistler seems to be very nice!
But it's a 2 hour drive from yvr
I'll probably be there for a day or 2 so that'll be nice. Thanks!

Offline edjack

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #422 on: May 31, 2014, 02:04:36 PM »
I'll probably be there for a day or 2 so that'll be nice. Thanks!
I stayed there for 2 nights, and I got a suit for really cheap. (in the summer)

It was very nice, and in a great location.

Offline @jack123

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #423 on: May 31, 2014, 09:54:04 PM »
I stayed there for 2 nights, and I got a suit for really cheap. (in the summer)

It was very nice, and in a great location.

anyone know if the fairmont chateau is significantly nicer to be worth an extra $80-100, and how the location compares to hilton?

Offline Ergel

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #424 on: May 31, 2014, 10:47:05 PM »
anyone know if the fairmont chateau is significantly nicer to be worth an extra $80-100, and how the location compares to hilton?
Hilton is in the middle of the village. can't get a better location. don't recall where the Fairmont is
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Offline sam28

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #425 on: May 31, 2014, 10:58:45 PM »
Is 8 night to much if not how should I divide my days I won't to go from Sunday till the next Monday ? .going with a kid age 7 and a baby of 6 months.

Offline @jack123

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #426 on: May 31, 2014, 11:02:02 PM »
Know if hilton gold get free breakfast there by any chance?

Offline @jack123

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #427 on: June 10, 2014, 11:58:12 AM »
any problem bringing any food from america into canada, at yvr - are there any laws prohibiting, does customs check/ care at all?

Offline AJK

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #428 on: June 10, 2014, 12:01:31 PM »
any problem bringing any food from america into canada, at yvr - are there any laws prohibiting, does customs check/ care at all?

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Offline Ergel

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #429 on: June 10, 2014, 12:17:32 PM »
The short of it is, short of fruit you can bring up to a certain amount of meat/dairy per person. No chance you;ll get near those maximums for a five day trip. No one will give you a problem. I have declared many times that I am bring stuff in. They wave you right through.
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Offline Yitz

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #430 on: June 10, 2014, 02:51:07 PM »
Yup, forgot to include that.

Way there was Regal (Volova Chasidish hechsher). Food tasted old and not fresh. Regal on LH always felt fresher. Not sure what it is. It looked like a regular economy meal. Potatoes, chicken IIRC, Matabucha, orange juice, little cake, and roll.

Way back was from Omnitzky, I didn't touch it, because it looked bad. I think they need to use better packaging, not sure what made it look bad. I didn't even wait for the hot meal, I was ZZzzzzz'ing away.
Would you know which hotel chains are walking distance to Chabad

Offline @jack123

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #431 on: June 13, 2014, 12:01:30 AM »
how useful/ necessary is a car in vancouver? will I be ok with fairmont car & bikes, and maybe a cab or two to see stanley park, granville island, gastown, chinatown, maple grille, or would having car make it much easier/ more convenient to warrant paying for rental + expensive parking?
on google maps it seems like things are close enough that could either bike or get around inexpensively, but do people who've been there think otherwise? alternatively, does anyone have experience parking near fairmont pac rim and being able to avoid $43/day?

Offline Ergel

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #432 on: June 13, 2014, 03:08:55 AM »
Not planning on going to grouse mountain and the canyon thing
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Offline @jack123

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #433 on: June 13, 2014, 10:12:08 AM »
ya i will but on last day in vancouver before whistler, and then ill rent a car anyway just for the last two days and not have to pay any vancouver parking.

Offline Ergel

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #434 on: June 13, 2014, 10:15:18 AM »
The only thing you'd need a car for is granville island and maple grill.
If you're not planning on going to shacharis you will probably be fine without the car. That's assuming the weather is nice, though.
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Offline @jack123

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #435 on: June 13, 2014, 11:09:36 AM »
There is a dependent shachris in or near downtown? How close?

Offline Ergel

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #436 on: June 13, 2014, 01:08:49 PM »
There is a dependent shachris in or near downtown? How close?
Closest shacharis is in the kollel on top of maple grill
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Offline @jack123

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #437 on: June 13, 2014, 06:24:24 PM »
Hmm... Close call on daled mil there

Offline aygart

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #438 on: June 13, 2014, 06:27:40 PM »
Delete
Feelings don't care about your facts

Offline @jack123

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #439 on: June 14, 2014, 09:49:46 PM »
?