Cliff(y) Goes Travelling

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.

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.

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.