Vancouver: Eat. Gaze. Love.

I gazed out across the bay from the bathroom of my luxuriously appointed 17th-floor suite at Vancouver’s Pacific Rim Hotel, and it really was a marvellous view. My room was positioned at the apex of the hotel, so I could see a 180 degree expanse of Vancouver’s majestic Pacific harbour.

There were numerous vantage points within the capacious room. The lounge afforded me exceptional panoramic views across the bay, where vast ships and pleasure boats sailed on the calm and expansive waters. But my favourite view was from the Japanese Zen Tub – a square upright bath with a small stool fitted within it, rather like a bench, so I could simply sit and watch the Pacific Northwest to my heart’s content.

It wasn’t the view alone that endeared me to the tub though. The cavernous fixture doubled as a jacuzzi, offering one of the most relaxing experiences on Canada’s west coast. It was also equipped with an even-more-relaxing light therapy system, which turned the water from red to blue to orange to yellow and back again, so at night time I floated away into a state of relaxation.

I sat chest-deep in steaming water until the tiredness of my Transatlantic flight dissolved into the warm, soapy water. Seaplanes came into view as I sat and admired the vast expanse of clear blue water. One small four-seater craft took off and landed in the Pacific harbour less than 50 metres from the Pacific Rim, their yellow rudders directing them toward the clear blue. Other planes took off as I sat and soaked, whisking Vancouver’s jet-setting businessmen to their homes on the north and west shores following a productive day in their skyscraping office blocks.

Were it not for dinner, I might well have stayed in the Zen Tub all night. But my companion was waiting to meet me in Oru – one of the hotel’s impressive restaurants. The Pacific Rim Hotel’s kitchen is the workplace of some of Vancouver’s finest chefs – a highly skilled and talented troupe, famed for sourcing the best local, seasonal and ethically produced ingredients.

Oru was an absolute treat, showcasing the food of the Pacific Northwest and the flavours of the Pacific Rim. We were shown to the chef’s table, where we enjoyed a chef’s degustation that began with deliciously fresh sashimi and finished with a decadent black cod dish. Fresh ingredients, innovative cooking techniques and impressive flavour combinations made for a thoroughly enjoyable evening. We’d have happily stayed longer – or returned the following evening to do it all again.

The Pacific Rim Hotel was built in 2009 and was at the centre of the city’s Winter Olympic celebrations. Vancouver, however, has many buildings and hotels that are far more traditional, like the imperious Fairmont Hotel Vancouver – a magnificent building set in the
heart of the city. It retains its old-world grandeur, and sits in a prime downtown location, like a castle in the heart of the city. Indulgent, high-pedigree architecture sets it out from other buildings, and it was a delight to spend a further evening there.

The lobby was like a small upmarket shopping city, with boutiques from Louis Vuitton and a host of other designers providing an opportunity for visitors to indulge in some retail therapy. Mavis and Beau, the hotel’s famous dogs, were also present. The two yellow Labrador-golden retriever dogs shook paws and posed for pictures with gleeful guests. They are the city’s best-known ambassadors.

The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is within walking distance of more shopping on Robson street, as well as a formidable array of galleries. The Vancouver Art Gallery was my favourite, offering the chance to enjoy historical and contemporary collections of painting, sculpture and graphic arts by regional, national and international artists.

I was fortunate that my visit coincided with an exhibition of works collected by the Cone sisters of Baltimore. The gallery featured numerous works by Matisse, Gustave Courbet, Pierre–Auguste Renoir, Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh among others. I stood, completely star-struck, before the great works, taking inspiration from the best of avant-garde art.

The city comprised distinctive districts, including Gastown, Chinatown, Yaletown, False Creek, Stanley Park and the West End. Gastown is a delightful destination, offering a glimpse into Vancouver’s past. Modern 21st-century buildings are juxtaposed alongside the various well preserved buildings from the city’s proud past.

It’s an extremely interesting area, offering a taste of trend and tradition. Vancouver is a stunning city, surrounded by natural beauty. The Coast Mountains and Pacific Ocean hem in its bustling downtown area, which has helped it to make regular appearances on the list of the world’s best cities to live in.

Food, environmental responsibility, sport and culture are high on the agenda, and before leaving I enjoyed an evening production at the Bard on the Beach Festival, which celebrates Shakespeare and is held on the river bank. A wonderfully comedic production of The Taming of The Shrew was showing at the event, which welcomes 100,000 visitors each year. The festival started as a humble sideshow for Vancouverites, before growing over many years to become one of North America’s greatest celebrations of culture.

The highlight of my time in Vancouver, however, was a food tour with Edible Canada. I was shown around an incredible market at Granville Island, where I met producers and enjoyed a taste of the region. It was simultaneously delicious and educational. Slithers of unpasteurised cheese were delivered by knowledgeable artisans who explained where and how they had been produced.

Teas were blended with dexterity and skill by vendors, who proved knowledgeable and adept at creating new mixes. Patisserie was served in generous portions; a doughnut kiosk at the market being a case in point. The stand, well known across the country, offers a tempting array of flavours, from cinnamon to honey, through chocolate and fruit. Others had been fried and dredged in sugar.

There were other treats too, and my guide and I spent two long and happy hours talking to producers, before eating small yet delicious samples to get a true taste of Canada’s western seaboard. Vancouver sits in the heart of British Columbia, and one of the region’s best known tourist destinations is Whistler Blackcomb. The resort is connected to the city by the Rocky Mountaineer train – one of the world’s best – which carries travellers on the sea to sky climb. The train hugs the coast, offering incredible views of Howe Sound and the Coast Mountains.

As we rode, many passengers made their way to an open-topped carriage that afforded them unrestricted views of the green, blues and slate greys of the landscape. Cameras poked through the safety bars and youngsters shrieked their excitement as the train took sharp corners as it curved its way ever higher up the mountain.

Whistler, meanwhile, was simply stunning. Equipped for sport for 12 months of the year, I arrived at a peculiar time. The mountains played host to golfers, mountain bikers, ramblers, glacier skiers and other daredevils. I stayed at the Fairmont – a ski-in, ski-out hotel during the ski season – and enjoyed two adrenalin-pumping pursuits.

Ziptrekking – flying through mountain gorges along thick steel cables – was great fun. Our group of six were led into the mountain and we climbed high into the canopy before attaching ourselves to the cable. Then we took a leap of faith, taking a step into the blue, and then speeding along to distant trees many hundreds of metres away. Some whistled their approval, others closed their eyes and one particularly brave man managed to cockily turn a somersault while somehow retaining his grip on the ziptrek.

Later, I booked in for a mountain biking session. Whistler is a mecca for mountain bikers, and thousands were on the slopes, enjoying a white-knuckle ride through woods that lay beside black ski runs. A two-hour lesson with a friendly guide helped me to familiarise myself with the bike and the tracks. After that, it was time to make a series of solo descents. It was exhilarating and thrilling.

Down the years, I’ve visited too many cities to remember in more than 50 countries. However, I’ve never previously encountered such a rich combination of diversity, hospitality and genuine warmth from one city’s residents. With world-class facilities, exceptional hotels and restaurants and scintillating nature right on the doorstep, Vancouver has something for everyone.