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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 332300 times)

Offline ushdadude

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1000 on: July 05, 2018, 08:59:18 PM »
Anywhere downtown have shabbos meals like the kolel does?

Offline elya

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1001 on: July 05, 2018, 10:40:13 PM »
Also, if anyone has any input on how the following Vancouver hotels stack up against each other I would greatly appreciate it!

 Pacific Rim
 Westin Bayshore
 Westin Grand
 Marriott Pinnacle
 JW
Definitely Pacific Rim.

Offline ludmila

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1002 on: July 06, 2018, 01:26:59 AM »
Also, if anyone has any input on how the following Vancouver hotels stack up against each other I would greatly appreciate it!

 Pacific Rim
 Westin Bayshore
 Westin Grand
 Marriott Pinnacle
 JW
I have only been to Vancouver once, stayed at the JW, liked it a lot, sorry did not try the other hotels .
I was the Best,still the Best, and will always be the Best.
Pele Good,Maradona Better, George Best.

Offline wonderlust

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1003 on: July 08, 2018, 06:46:29 PM »
I have only been to Vancouver once, stayed at the JW, liked it a lot, sorry did not try the other hotels .
Thanks- is the location ideal? It’s like $500 usd or 13k Spg...

Offline ludmila

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1004 on: July 08, 2018, 10:31:56 PM »
Thanks- is the location ideal? It’s like $500 usd or 13k Spg...
Yes good location, easy access to  the marinas and waterfront, and within walking distance of downtown, Chinatown, Gastown,Yaletown .
I was the Best,still the Best, and will always be the Best.
Pele Good,Maradona Better, George Best.

Offline wonderlust

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1005 on: July 09, 2018, 11:01:19 AM »
Yes good location, easy access to  the marinas and waterfront, and within walking distance of downtown, Chinatown, Gastown,Yaletown .

Thanks!

Offline ushdadude

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1006 on: July 09, 2018, 11:13:19 AM »
Anywhere downtown have shabbos meals like the kolel does?
bump

Offline asks

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1007 on: July 16, 2018, 10:33:34 AM »

Offline shiframeir

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1008 on: July 16, 2018, 04:13:59 PM »
Anywhere downtown have shabbos meals like the kolel does?
ask chabad at cafe 41, i think they have a big kiddush at least.

Offline GAM Z.

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1009 on: July 16, 2018, 05:28:52 PM »
Are there any hotels that are near minyanim and kosher food?

Offline tzifanya54

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1010 on: July 16, 2018, 09:31:17 PM »
Are there any hotels that are near minyanim and kosher food?
yes most of the downtown hotels are.

Offline GAM Z.

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1011 on: July 16, 2018, 09:48:24 PM »
yes most of the downtown hotels are.
Thanks

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1012 on: July 20, 2018, 11:54:41 AM »
Has anyone done Vancouver on Shabbos with a baby? What did you do about no Eruv?

Offline ushdadude

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1013 on: July 20, 2018, 12:12:52 PM »
Has anyone done Vancouver on Shabbos with a baby? What did you do about no Eruv?
ask anyone who lives in brooklyn ;D

Offline wonderlust

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1014 on: July 22, 2018, 03:41:44 PM »
Below are the following activities I’m looking to do in Vancouver & whistler, any recommendations tips, & input will be  greatly appreciated:

In Vancouver:
whale watching on a Zodiac from Vancouver (not Victoria).

In whistler:
1- class 4 rafting
2- Zip Line
3- atv
4- seaplane tour
5- glacier climbing
6- rock climbing


Thank you!

Offline shiframeir

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1015 on: July 22, 2018, 03:59:19 PM »
Has anyone done Vancouver on Shabbos with a baby? What did you do about no Eruv?
there is an eruv, though if u NEED to stay in a hotel outside the eruv thats an issue. there are great cheap airbnb's near thekollel (where they have minyanim and meals above maple grill), and iirc the holiday inn further down the block is also within the eruv. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1lvDpkRo5LvxYoHtnPy4197dw8UU&ll=49.25148992717316%2C-123.13754705344235&z=14

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1016 on: July 22, 2018, 05:22:43 PM »
there is an eruv, though if u NEED to stay in a hotel outside the eruv thats an issue. there are great cheap airbnb's near thekollel (where they have minyanim and meals above maple grill), and iirc the holiday inn further down the block is also within the eruv. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1lvDpkRo5LvxYoHtnPy4197dw8UU&ll=49.25148992717316%2C-123.13754705344235&z=14
Thanks, since I posted that I found out about the kollel. When I said no eruv, I was referring to downtown, as I hadn't considered staying in the community. I hadn't seen any Airbnb under $250 for my dates. But thanks for the Holiday Inn info - it is in the Eruv! It hasn't come up in my searches. Oh boo, no availability.

Offline shiframeir

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1017 on: July 23, 2018, 11:28:40 AM »
Thanks, since I posted that I found out about the kollel. When I said no eruv, I was referring to downtown, as I hadn't considered staying in the community. I hadn't seen any Airbnb under $250 for my dates. But thanks for the Holiday Inn info - it is in the Eruv! It hasn't come up in my searches. Oh boo, no availability.
what are your dates? we stayed here for bupkis and it was just what we needed, a few blocks from thekollel (but no availability in the next month or so) https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/14568192?wl_source=list&wl_id=199288103&role=wishlist_owner&guests=6&adults=6&children=0&infants=0

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1018 on: July 24, 2018, 12:13:28 PM »
what are your dates? we stayed here for bupkis and it was just what we needed, a few blocks from thekollel (but no availability in the next month or so) https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/14568192?wl_source=list&wl_id=199288103&role=wishlist_owner&guests=6&adults=6&children=0&infants=0
August, so that won't work.

@Ergel my trip would be the same days of the week as yours (Weds night flight, return Monday night). Did your trip work out well in regards to the itinerary you posted? Looking back, would you still do Vancouver before Shabbos and Whistler afterwards or perhaps swap?

Offline Ergel

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1019 on: July 24, 2018, 01:09:01 PM »
Definitely wouldn't swap. When would you go to Whistler? In the middle of the night Wednesday? Or Thursday morning and then have to come back right before shabbos?
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