Cliff(y) Goes Travelling

SIN-FUK (5h 50m) Boeing 787-10 ETD: 1.20am (GMT + 8) ETA: 8.1 0am (GMT + 9) Here's the last post of 2019! It's apparently my third consecutive post on a flight experience, but this particular one shall kickstart the series of my December 2019 adventure in Northern Kyushu and Kobe, Japan. With my two BFFs, I left Singapore for Fukuoka with our flag carrier, one of the best airlines in the world.

HAN-SIN (3h 20m) Airbus 321 ETD: 10.30am (GMT + 7) ETA: 2 .50pm (GMT + 8) We've finally come to the last post on my June 2019 trip. After spending another night at Noi Bai Airport Hotel , I flew back home to Singapore with Vietnam Airlines VN663 in the Economy Class. At the point of writing, the airline serves 22 domestic and 29 international destinations.

HKG-HAN (2h 10m) Airbus 330-300 ETD: 5.45pm (GMT +  8) ETA:  6.55pm (GMT + 7) Hi, everyone! I sincerely hope that it's been a wonderful Christmas season for all of us. Now that I'm back in Singapore, I shall finish off writing about my June 2019 trip before moving on to something else. As a recap, I flew with Cathay Pacific CX855 from Vancouver, Canada to Hong Kong before flying with Cathay Dragon KA299 from Hong Kong to Hanoi, Vietnam.

Level 6, Near Gate 65, Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong Daily: 5.30am - 12.30am During the layover at Hong Kong International Airport, I spent most of the time at The Pier. It's not only the airport's largest, but also Cathay Pacific's most spacious lounge with a total area of 3,306 square metres. Originally inaugurated in 2001, it underwent a major renovation and extension in 2016.

YVR-HKG (13h 20m) Airbus 350-900 ETD: 9.40am (GMT - 7) ETA:  2.00pm (GMT + 8) I really had a blast in Canada, the country I thought I'd be settling down in when I was younger. Well, I'm certainly looking forward to exploring beyond British Columbia and Alberta. I flew back to Hong Kong in one of Cathay Pacific's Airbus 350-900 aircraft. It was my second time onboard its modern equipment, the first being a few years ago from Hong Kong to Jakarta, Indonesia.

5 Cox Terrace, Fort Canning Centre, Fort Canning Park, Singapore Daily: 9.00am - 9.00pm I'm almost done writing on my June 2019 trip to Canada, but for today, allow me to interject with something patriotic before the end of the year. This year is the 200th anniversary of Sir Stamford Raffles' landing in our Little Red Dot, one of the key turning points in our history as it marked the founding of modern Singapore.

Near Gate 71, Vancouver International Airport, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada Daily: 3.5 hours before flight departure Cathay Pacific unveiled its new lounge at Vancouver International Airport on 4 May 2016, adopting a contemporary and elegant design template that'd been rolled out in other airports in Hong Kong and Japan, but to name a few. Covering an area of 510 square metres, it has a seating capacity of 108 individuals.

3211 Grant McConachie Way, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada Vancouver International Airport is the second busiest airport in Canada behind Toronto Pearson International Airport. Did you know that it serves more direct flights to and from China than any other airports in North America or Europe? It's one of the few major international airports to have a terminal for scheduled floatplanes. 

YYZ-YVR (1h 25m) Boeing 737-800 ETD: 1.30pm (GMT - 6) ETA:  1.55pm (GMT - 7) Currently the second largest Canadian airline behind Air Canada, WestJet was founded in 1996. At the point of writing, the airline provides scheduled and charter flights to more than 100 destinations in Canada, the USA, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe.

2000 Airport Road NE, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Built in the late 1930s, Calgary International Airport is the busiest airport in Alberta and the fourth busiest airport in Canada. It's located roughly 150 km away from  Banff Downtown , making it the closest airport from there. The region's petroleum and tourism industries have significantly helped foster the growth of the airport.

1 Whitehorn Road, Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada Daily: 8.00am - 5.00pm Since all the trails were closed due to the unfriendly weather, my BFF and I spent most of our time at the Wildlife Interpretive Centre after taking Lake Louise Gondola . It's a small, but informative centre to discover what makes life in Banff National Park uniquely spectacular.

Whitehorn Drive, Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada Daily: 8.00am - 5.00pm Within Banff National Park, I was having a dilemma deciding between Banff Gondola and Lake Louise Gondola. I opted for the latter in the end, which is the gateway to one of the largest ski resorts in North America. I was in for a big surprise as I wasn't expecting snowfall at all in June 2019.

111 Lake Louise Drive, Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada Named Lake of the Little Fishes by the Stoney Nakoda First Nations people, Lake Louise is a glacial lake within Banff National Park known for its turquoise colour. In front of it is Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, a luxury hotel built in the early decades of the 20th century by Canadian Pacific Railway.

311 Cave Avenue, Banff, Alberta, Canada Daily: 9.30am - 5.00pm ( 17 May - 14 Oct) Wed-Sun: 11.00am - 5.00pm ( Other times) Cave and Basin is a site of natural thermal mineral springs around which Banff National Park, which is Canada's oldest national park, was established in 1885. Said to be the birthplace of the national parks in Canada, it's the lowest component of nine sulfurous hot springs of Sulphur Mountain.

101 Mountain Avenue, Banff, Alberta, Canada Daily: 8.00am - 11.00pm If you're looking for a place to escape from the crowds in Banff Downtown and smell the flowers, look no further than Cascades of Time Garden. The tranquil terraced garden, which underwent a  C$2.6 million (~S$2.68 million)  redevelopment project that was completed in mid-2018, is located across Bow River Bridge.

91 Banff Avenue, Banff, Alberta, Canada Wed-Sun: 9.30am - 5.00pm ( 17 May - 14 Oct) Sat-Sun: 11.00am - 5.00pm ( Other times) Banff Park Museum was established in 1895 to house an exhibit of taxidermy-mounted specimens of animals, plants and minerals associated with Banff National Park. From vintage stuffed bears to birds of all sizes, discover more about the wildlife inside western Canada's oldest natural history museum.

Banff, Alberta, Canada The town of Banff was incorporated as a municipality in 1990, which was the first one to be incorporated inside a national park. Situated at an elevation of 1,383 m, it's Canada's highest town. The bustling town centre covers an area of 3.93 square kilometres. The photo below was taken at a store called Cool as a Moose.

600 Banff Avenue, Banff, Alberta, Canada Located at the northeastern end of the town of Banff is Inns of Banff (3*), a mountain resort hotel that's the terminus of the Roam bus system. It's owned by Banff Lodging Company, a big company that manages 11 hotels, 8 restaurants and 2 spas at the point of writing.

Icefields Parkway, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada Here's the last post on the Jasper to Banff One-Way Sightseeing Tour by SunDog Tours. After experiencing the ever-popular Columbia Icefield Adventure, my BFF and I continued our journey to Banff, stopping by a few more points of interest along the way. One of them is Peyto Lake that's famed for its brilliant turquoise colour.

Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada How many of you've had the experience of walking on a glass-floor walkway? For someone who's afraid of heights, the idea seemed rather daunting to me. The cliff-edge Columbia Icefield Skywalk offers a spectacular view of Sunwapta Valley at Jasper National Park.

Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada Athabasca Glacier is one of the six principal 'toes' of Columbia Icefield, which is the largest ice field in the Rocky Mountains. It shares the same name with Athabasca Lake that means 'place where the reeds grow' in the Cree dialect, an aboriginal language with the highest number of speakers in Canada.

Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada One of the highlights of Jasper National Park is Columbia Icefield Adventure, which comprises a visit to Athabasca Glacier and an experience at Columbia Icefield Skywalk. The adventure starts from and ends at Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre, a destination in itself to learn about the largest ice field in the Rocky Mountains.

Highway 93A, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada It was time to say goodbye to Jasper National Park and leave for the next destination: Banff National Park. Too lazy to hire a car and drive, my BFF and I went for SunDog Tours' Jasper to Banff One-Way Sightseeing Tour. More details are given below, so do read on. Along the way, we first dropped by the mighty Athabasca Falls.

1 Old Lodge Road, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge (4*) is luxury mountain resort that wraps around the shores of the tranquil Beauvert Lake. Covering an area of approximately 283 hectares, it prides itself in being Canada's #1 golf resort course. I didn't stay at the hotel, but I'd registered online for an intimate planetarium experience there.

The Whistlers Trail, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada The Whistlers, standing at 2,470 m above sea level, is a mountain in the Trident Range of the Canadian Rockies. The easiest way to reach the summit is to take  Jasper SkyTram  to an elevation of 2,263 m and trek all the way up. Take note that the ascent can be pretty steep.

The Whistlers Trail, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada Daily: 10.00am - 5.00pm (22 Mar - 16 May, 3 Sep - 27 Oct),            9.00am - 8.00pm (17 May - 20 Jun),           8.00am - 9.00pm (21 Jun - 2 Sep) Built in 1964, Jasper SkyTram is Canada's highest and longest aerial tramway that ascends to a height of 2,263 m above sea level. In addition to providing access to Summit Restaurant for a dining-with-a-view experience, it leads to a hiking trail that's 193 m below the summit of The Whistlers.

Maligne Lake Road, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada Medicine Lake is a geological anomaly in the sense that it's not actually a lake, but rather an area in which Maligne River backs up and suddenly disappears undergrond as a losing stream. The lake aside, this post focuses mostly on the few wild animals encountered during the Premium Lakes and Wildlife Tour by SunDog Tours.

Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada Spirit Island is a peninsula that looks like an islet, which is located on a remote shore of Maligne Lake. Surrounded by high peaks and glaciers, it's a view many people associate with the Canadian Rockies. Most people get up close and personal with Spirit Island via cruise tours. Paddling on your own can take four hours one way.

Maligne Lake Road, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada Famed for its azure water and Spirit Island, an islet that's actually a peninsula, Maligne Lake is located 44 km away from the town of Jasper. It's the largest lake in the whole of Jasper National Park. Cruise tours run from sometime in spring to autumn every year.

Maligne Lake Road, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada Prior to the trip, I'd booked Premium Lakes and Wildlife Tour with SunDog Tours priced at C$174.00 (~S$180.20) per person. Maligne Canyon, the first destination in the itinerary, is the deepest canyon in Jasper National Park with a depth of more than 50 metres at certain points.

Jasper, Alberta, Canada Nestled in the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies that's Jasper National Park is the alpine town of Jasper. Situated within Athabasca River Valley, the peaceful town with its fair share of accommodations, shops and eateries covers an area of approximately 925 square kilometres.

400 Patricia Street, Jasper, Alberta, Canada Located in the heart of the peaceful town, Jasper Downtown Hostel (3*) offers not only dorm rooms with shared facilities, but also private rooms, some of which come with ensuite and/or bathroom. It's especially popular with budget-conscious travellers. The property doesn't serve breakfast at all.

Vancouver-Jasper (19h) ETD: 3.00pm (GMT - 7) ETA:  11.00am (GMT - 6) Let's continue to look at The Canadian transcontinental passenger train that brought my BFF and me from Vancouver to Jasper, departing close to midnight after a long delay. In Part 1 , I introduced the various cars of the train. Guess what time did I wake up in order to have the panorama car to myself, well, almost?

Vancouver-Jasper (19h) ETD: 3.00pm (GMT - 7) ETA:  11.00am (GMT - 6) June 2019 saw me taking a sleeper train for the first time in my life. Much to my excitement, I had the opportunity to experience The Canadian transcontinental passenger train. Though I didn't go all the way from Vancouver to Toronto, I was satisfied to spend almost a day onboard the train to Jasper in the Alberta province.

1150 Station Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Pacific Central Station is the western terminus of VIA Rail's The Canadian, a transcontinental passenger train running from Vancouver to Toronto and vice versa. It's also the northern terminus of Amtrak's Cascades running from Vancouver to Seattle and Portland in the USA.

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Vancouver is a coastal seaport city that's the most populous in British Columbia, the westernmost province of Canada. In addition, it's one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in the country with roughtly 30% of the inhabitants being of Chinese heritage.

350 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Mon-Thu: 10.00am - 9.00pm Fri-Sat: 10.00am - 6.00pm Sun: 11.00am - 6.00pm Established in 1869, Vancouver Public Library is the third largest public library system in Canada with a total of 22 branches at the point of writing. I took the opportunity to visit the the nine-storey Central Library, the largest branch that also serves as the administration centre, in the downtown area.

1204 Beach Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Situated at the mouth of False Creek, Sunset Beach Park offers a somewhat quieter beach experience in Vancouver. Lifeguards are on duty between late May to early September every year. At the park section, there are walking, biking and inline skating paths. 

False Creek, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Once an industrial manufacturing area created in 1916, Granville Island is now a hotspot for shopping and entertainment in Vancouver, Canada. Named after Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville of the UK, the island is said to generate more than C$215 million (~S$223.8 million) in economic activity every year.

3663 Park Road, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Mon-Fri: 10.00am - 5.00pm Sat-Sun: 10.00am - 5.00pm (Jun-Sep) or 12 noon - 4.00pm (Oct-May) Designed in the shape of a dogwood, which is the provincial flower of British Columbia, Canada, Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre was born in 1971. That was the time when the interest in the integrated science of ecology was beginning to move into the consciousness of the public.

3690 Park Road, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Daily: 7.00am - 6.00pm (winter) or 7.00pm (fall) or 8.00pm (spring & summer) If you're thinking of doing suspension bridge crossing without wanting to pay such a hefty price at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, you should schedule Lynn Canyon Park into your itinerary. First opened to the public in 1912, the park covers an area of 250 hectares.

North Shore, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Opened in 1977 to the public, Lonsdale Quay is a SeaBus ferry terminal that brings people to and from Waterfront station in downtown Vancouver across Burrard Inlet. Prior to its construction, the quay was the location of a ship repair dock. Nearby is a well-known marketplace called Lonsdale Quay Market.

690 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Mon-Fri: 10.00am - 4.00pm Christ Church Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral that's designated as a heritage building by the City of Vancouver. The first service was held on 23 December 1888 without a physical building at 720 Granville Street as the erection of the cathedral only commenced in 1889.

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Offering a breathtaking scenery, Vancouver Waterfront is a place of attraction not to be missed. From Canada Place with its fabric roof that creates the impression of a sailing vessel to Jack Poole Plaza that's home to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games cauldron, there are many things to see as you stroll around the area.

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Centred on Pender Street, Chinatown in Vancouver is among the largest in North America. In fact, it's Canada's largest, which is roughly bordered by Hastings Street to the north, Gore Street to the east, Georgia Street to the south and Taylor Street to the west.

Stanley Park Causeway, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Let's continue with the second part of Stanley Park, which is one of the major attractions of Vancouver. The 405-hectare park is about one-fifth larger than the 340-hectare Central Park of New York, the USA and close to half the size of the 960-hectare Richmond Park of London, the UK.

Stanley Park Causeway, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Surrounded by the waters of Burrard Inlet and English Bay, Stanley Park is Vancouver's first public park. Named after Lord Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby, a British politician who was appointed as the Governor General of Canada from 1888 to 1893, the park has a total area of 405 hectares.

1018 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada If you're looking for an affordable place to stay in downtown Vancouver, especially during summer, look no further than Samesun Vancouver (3*). The brand has been around for more than 20 years at the point of writing, running a few hostels across Canada and one in California, the USA.

8351 River Road, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada Fri-Sat: 7.00pm - 12 midnight (summer only) Sun: 7.00pm - 11.00pm (summer only) Summer is the time to go down to Richmond Night Market, which is the largest night market in North America that attracts over a million visitors annually. Founded in 2000 by Raymond Cheung, it celebrates Canada's diversity with around 120 stalls offering delicacies from all over the world.

7700 Minoru Gate, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada Mon-Fri: 9.00am - 9.30pm Sat-Sun: 10.00am - 5.00pm Located to the east of Minoru Park , Richmond Library and Cultural Centre is a one-stop destination to feed your cravings for art, culture and history. It also offers a weekly new immigrant orientation seminar with practical information given in English and Mandarin.