Vancouver and Antarctica: Plan & Book Beautiful Holidays

My Bucket List: Vancouver & Antarctica

Two very different holidays, but two must-do holidays. Vancouver’s bustling cityscape attracts thousands of tourists each year. Similarly, but for different reasons, Antarctica is just as popular and also falls into the category of best holiday destination.

Vancouver, Canada

Best time to explore Vancouver

I believe from March to May and from September to November, the weather is mild and you can get hotel accommodation at cheap rates. July and August are more expensive.

However, August is my choice because it’s the driest month. No umbrellas to fuss about! And the perfect beach weather.

May and September are the best time to go if you want to avoid the crowds.

Places of interest

I’d like to see Canada Place and the Vancouver Aquarium. Chinatown is a must for souvenir shopping. I love having art in my home bought in different countries, so the Vancouver Art Gallery is a must – for that bit of inspiration. Vancouver Lookout has some amazing views at 168 m above street level. Lastly, the Skyride at Grouse Mountain with its stunning panoramas.

What & where to eat

I love street food and the JapaDog is a top priority. JapaDog is Vancouver’s authentic and oh so famous food cart that serves Japanese-inspired hotdogs.

And then lunch at Prospect Point, a setting with a lovely view.

For dinner, definitely west coast oysters. It’s a must.

Travel Tips

English is either a first or second language, together with French.
Time zone UTC−08:00 (PST)
Summer (DST) UTC−07:00 (PDT)
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is about 15 km (9 miles) from the center of the city.

Antarctica

Best time to see Antarctica’s wildlife

The Antarctic summer is from November to March with 24 hours of daylight. This is also the time when Antarctica’s wildlife is the busiest. With temperatures ranging between 4°C and 8°C, the weather is quite “pleasant”.

December is known for its warm weather, by Antarctic standards.

October to March is the sailing season.

Places of interest

A scenic cruise on the waterway of Paradise Bay is a must. Port Lockroy is known for its penguin colony. Also, the remote Cuverville Island with its amazing icebergs (and penguins). Mount Erebus is the second-highest volcano in Antarctica. Lastly, Blood Falls. It’s a spectacular sight with iron oxide coloring the glacier stream. Subsequently, the stream looks like blood! From there its name, Blood Falls. Don’t forget the Lemaire Channel with all the icebergs lined up. There are earless seals and leopard, and penguins to see at Pleneau Island.

What & where to eat

Unless you count the penguins, Antarctica has no native population. Therefore, there are no recipes that were passed on from generation to generation. So, Antarctic cuisine basically consists of seafood. In particular, shellfish.

The cruise ships provide full board because restaurants are almost as scarce as chicken teeth. That said, Pen Island Cafe‘s small setting is cozy and a popular venue.

Travel Tips

Time zone (GMT+13)
Antarctica does not have an international airport like any other country. Charter flights using fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters are used in tourism. In some instances, it forms part of a cruise package.