I read on  Matt’s facebook that he was headed out to Oktoberfest in Munich and it reminded me of our journey there. Two years ago Dee, Karen, Steve and I went to Munich and Oktoberfest. What an amazing time!  We wore out our drinking arms lifting the 1 liter and stared in amazement the beer garden ladies holding 5 in each hand! We had some of the best food there, pulled wild boar on a bun, goose with dumplings and weisswurst. Plus the rollercoaster – 5 loops that happen so fast your stomach doesn’t have time to get rid of all the liquid you just drank. The Germans know how to eat, drink and party!

Luckily Dee told me today that Vancouver actually has it’s own Oktoberfest party. Tickets are $30 held at Deutsches Haus Restaurant.. which sounds like a legit German name. It’s held by the Vancouver Alpen Club and should be a good time. It may not have a parade like New York‘s Oktoberfest, but it sure is closer!

Make sure to check out our post Our dream Oktoberfest experience. It made it onto our top 10 list of most memorable experiences of 2009.

Prost!

Prost!

Are you doing anything for Oktoberfest this year?

Not the toilet your hoping for when Montezuma's revenge comes calling. Photo courtesy SpecialKRB

The website for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reads like a horror story for prospective globe trotters.

Anything from Chikungunya Fever to Schistosomiasis could put you on the sidelines (or worse) when you venture out into the world. Of course, with some simple preventative actions – up-to-date vaccinations; maintaining proper sanitary conditions; or even paying attention to what you touch, eat, smell, etc. – most travelers enjoy good health as they explore foreign lands.

The somewhat daunting list on the CDC site is there for a reason, though.

Different parts of the world are home to different bacteria and viruses that our bodies aren’t prepared to combat.  Chikungunya Fever might be fun to pronounce, but modern-day outbreaks of this mosquito-borne illness have affected millions of people from India to Italy with many deaths attributed to the virus. How do you prevent yourself from Chikungunya? Insect repellant.

In Canada, there aren’t many native diseases that foreign travelers have to worry about. As a Canadian pharmacy with years of experience, we haven’t really seen a demand from travelers for drugs that fight common traveling-related illnesses.

For Canadians, our lack of exposure to relatively exotic foreign illnesses is all the more reason to research your travel destination as there are often ailments that are specific to a region. Some health issues are prevalent no matter where you go. Here are a list of five common travel illnesses and how to avoid them:

1. “Montezuma’s Revenge”: Also called Traveler’s Diarrhea (TD)– a name that doesn’t leave much to the imagination. An estimated 10% to 50% of international travelers (or 10 million annually) are struck with TD. While diarrhea itself doesn’t sound too threatening, it can disrupt your vacation at the least and send you to the hospital at the worst. Treatments range from staying hydrated in minor cases to heavy antibiotics in serious cases. The best way to avoid TD is to stay away from sketchy food or beverage and maintain quality hygiene.
2. Cholera: A much more serious type of Traveler’s Diarrhea, cholera is most common in areas of the world with poor sanitation, crowded conditions and famine. Treatment usually involves the administration of fluids (orally or intravenously) to replenish electrolytes. As with TD, you want to avoid questionable food and/or drink and pay attention to sanitary conditions in your area. There are vaccinations for cholera, but they have not proven effective during outbreaks of cholera.
3. Hepatitis: A virus that attacks the liver, Hepatitis is most prevalent in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. There are different types of Hepatitis that vary in severity (from temporary sickness to lifelong disability), but the common thread of conditions that lead to exposure while traveling are contaminated water and food sources. Again, maintaining quality sanitary conditions can greatly reduce exposure and contraction of Hepatitis. There are vaccines available to combat Hepatitis and have proven quite effective. It’s best to research your destination to see if and what type of Hepatitis might be prevalent in that area.
4. Malaria: Another mosquito-borne parasitic illness, Malaria is very widespread. From the U.S. National Library of Medicine: “The disease is a major health problem in much of the tropics and subtropics. The CDC estimates that there are 300-500 million cases of malaria each year, and more than 1 million people die from it. It presents a major disease hazard for travelers to warm climates.” There are anti-malarial medications that you can take prior to traveling to problem-areas, the severity of which depend on where you are headed. Avoiding mosquitoes is one of the best ways to avoid exposure to malaria.
5. Meningitis: Whether bacterial or viral, Meningitis is the inflammation of the lining of the brain. For those with a solid immune system, viral meningitis usually runs its course in a week or two. Bacterial meningitis is far more serious and, untreated in time, can cause irreversible damage or death. Fortunately, there are immunizations against meningitis. According to WorldNomads.com, “Clearly, those traveling to areas know for meningitis risk should do a review of the immunizations and discuss the need for a meningitis vaccine with their health care provider.  Even with vaccines for bacterial meningitis already taken, precautions such as hand washing and not sharing food or drinks are sound advice as the bacterial forms typically spread via saliva and mucous.”

From the serious ailments to the less severe (but still potential vacation-disrupters), there are steps that you can take to avoid having your travels derailed by illness. Very simply, keep yourself, your belongings and your surroundings as clean as possible. Avoid suspect food or beverage. Bring insect repellant. These simple precautions can keep you safe from these five illnesses and more.

Additionally, you should always research the area you are traveling to and review your immunization record if necessary.

I think good old Montezuma’s revenge hits most of us on the road but I haven’t met too many travlers that got HEP or Malaria on the road. What precautions do you take?

I was quite excited for Hoi An, Vietnam and it’s renowned tailors with well over 400 shops chomping at the bit to create custom clothes for me. But, I’m a female! How could I not get excited for that? Espcially, when I continually come up in tears inside the dressing rooms back home due to items just never fitting quite right. Something that happens to many girls of all shapes and sizes. We are not all the same shape but the factories think we are. It’s just a fact of life that I like to call the Goldilocks syndrome.

Okay, Okay… end rant.

In retrospect, maybe I shouldn’t of gotten myself so excited for Hoi An. It just lead me to disappointment. Can you believe that!?! Yes, I was even disappointed while shopping for custom tailored clothing! What is wrong with me?

To avoid being disappointed yourself. Here are my tips I wish I fully figured out before I got there.

credit: gisela gerson lohman-braun

1. Pick sample styles you see in the shops

All the shops will have samples of clothing they can do on display. If you want the best and easiest experience, just pick one of their sample styles to be tailored for you in the colours you want. They know how to to whip up these items like you know how the sky is blue. Possibility of being disappointed is very very low.

But, what if you don’t like anything you see and/or have something else in mind? Then…

credit: Dominik Siedlecki

2. Know EXACTLY what you want.

The person you talk to in the shop is not your tailor. They are just sales people who will send your order to a hole in the wall location filled with sewing machines being worked by shirtless vietnamese men who don’t speak english. (I was taken to the actual tailor location by a saleslady when my adjustment requests were not being met, so this is just the deal with 1 of the 400 shops but I’m sure they all mostly operate the same). So, when you tell your chosen shop what you want it is then told in a bad game of telephone to the tailor. Take the time to print out many pictures, write down specifics, draw images, etc before you step into a shop and then again take the time to sit down with your sales person to go over every detail to make sure they 100% understand before they go relay the information onwards. If you don’t do this you will be delivered an item your not happy with.

3. Don’t be too creative.

I have a unique fashion sense. My dream wardrobe items are not found inside big name retailer catalogs. Instead all my dream items are usually unique handmade designs usually found in the vendor section of a festival and definitely all over etsy.com. The sort of clothing they don’t often see in Hoi An which was my main demise. Most of the samples and woman’s items they are used to creating is dress clothes and really simple clothes. You will see lots of dresses, blouses, simple skirts, regular pants and shorts, cute tops, and nice winter jackets. Nothing too out of the norm and everything inside their books are pictures ripped out of designer catalogs. So, when I showed them the images of the items I found on etsy most of the shops looked at them like they were kryptonite.

4. Bring clothing you already love

This is a bit tricky to do for RTW backpackers due to limited space in your pack. But, if you have an item or two at home that you love bring that to get remade exactly the same way but in a different color and/or fabric. With a physical sample of exactly what you want it’s next to impossible for them to do a mistake. We did not do this ourselves but will for sure next time.

credit: Alan Travers

5. Get a good vibe from a shop

With over 400 shops it pretty over-whelming to decide who to go with. Scott found a great shop from doing some research online on who to go with but when we arrived I soon learned they mostly work with mens dress clothes and a tiny bit of women’s. The sales lady seemed really reluctant when I showed her my ideas to the point I didn’t want to get my clothes through them. It’s not often you get a hesitant person trying to sell you something in “BUY SOMETHING!!!” land. So I took that as a huge sign to shop someplace else for myself and be very picky about it. Pick somewhere that has samples of clothing as similar to what you want as possible, a good fabric range, and most important sales people that give you a good vibe.

credit: nikolieau

6. Understand Fabrics

It’s one thing to know what color you want for your tailored clothes. But there is tons of different types of fabrics that all react differently. They look different from a swatch to completed garment or react different from hanging on a roll to off your body. Study your clothes at home and understand what type of fabric it is you prefer to wear. Or what type of fabric is typically used for certain styles. Is it stretchy? Silky? Textured? Etc. I have a couple items I wish I got in a different fabric type. I ordered a dress with an image I had from etsy. Since it was a dress they assumed it be a silky and shiny dressy material and told me to pick something from that section. So I did. Low and behold, the style of dress just didn’t work well with that fabric type. It is too slippery of a material for the wrap around tie and just hangs funny. I should of gotten it made in some sort of cotton instead. (which low and behold the majority of all my fav clothes back home is made out of)

7. It’s the little details that count

Does the picture of your jacket show pockets? The one I had sure did. The model even had her hand in the pocket. But, did my jacket come with pockets? Nope. Could they add them after? Nope. (so they say) Anything you can do about it? Not really. “You never told us to put pockets.” Whatever! What jacket doesn’t have pockets?? Augh. Make sure you describe and point out every single detail. Even the ones that are obvious to you. Pockets, zippers, buttons, collars, embellishments, etc.

8. Be assertive in your fittings and give yourself enough time in the city for multiple ones.

Chances of the item fitting perfectly the first time you try it on are low. When you tell them what needs to be changed make sure they understand. I wanted the collar wider in a jacket. Tell them and show them. They say no problem. Get it back again and it feels like there was no change. Did they change it? They say they did. Does it feel like it? Nope. Hmm… Don’t settle and just accept it not being perfect. Make sure you get something that fits the way you want it. Only problem is you are usually on a time limit and they know this. Plan to have at least 3-4 days more in Hoi An after your first fitting just in case.

9. Size does matter

Have you lost weight in your travels? Or maybe gained weight? Do you have a usual size you are back home but are not this while shopping in Hoi An? For myself, I gained a bunch of weight in Europe and was just starting to loose it by the time we hit Hoi An. I also left for my trip a little heavier then I wish myself to be and soon after arriving back home put myself on the healthy road that resulted in even more weight loss. Most of my clothes I got tailored in Hoi An are way too big for me now. Now I feel like that was a bunch of money wasted. Same deal can happen if you lost weight while traveling and then gain it back when you get home. Suddenly, you can’t fit into your clothes anymore. Something to consider before you even think about getting yourself tailored clothes.

10. Bring your own sewing patterns

This is another idea I just thought of to actually make it to 10 tips (I originally only had 9). But, I think this one might actually be gold! Hit up a fabric store for some patterns before you head to Hoi An. I think sewing has started to become hip again. It’s not just for your great aunt anymore! You can find modern, edgy, artsy, designer, etc etc patterns. Basically any style now a-days is getting into the pattern business. They are also fairly cheap and will provide every single detail you will probably forget to mention to create your piece. The pattern might even suggest a fabric type! I think this is much more helpful to those shirtless tailors then a picture printed off of etsy or ripped out of a magazine.

All in all, I did end up with some great pieces from Hoi An. It’s just the experience was not at all what I was expecting and I had high hopes of what I could get. I do want to go back one day and get more items made but that time I will come very prepared and/or just shop the sample styles they have on display only. But for now, it’s time to take those good pieces I have to a tailor out here to get them resized for my smaller body.

Ladies! Have you been through the Hoi An tailor experience? Did you experience a Goldilocks syndrome like me or was it a home run for you? I’m interested in other female experiences especially. Sorry guys, suits are pretty straight forward and a topic Scott will be posting about separately real soon.

Tripbase started a great project a few months back. Or, that is at least when we were nominated by 1000 fights to join in. Maybe it’s been around for longer? None the less, it’s about time we finally took part!

The project is meant to connect travel bloggers together and give them a chance to show off some of the amazing content from their sites by sharing 7 links.

Scott and I have been running Dream a Little Dream since April 2008! That’s 3 years!! We’ve been around off and on for the last year. But still, choosing 7 links in the following catogories have been quite a challenge. We have tons of posts from a long time ago we love and didn’t get much exposure due to being a new site in the travel world. On the flip side however, all of our more recent posts are just at such a higher calibre due to everything we’ve learned in these past 3 years to create better content and get more exposure.

Anyways, after much hard thought here is what we came up with:

OUR MOST BEAUTIFUL POST:
Christmas ornaments from our RTW trip

http://dreamalittledream.ca/christmas-ornaments-from-our-rtw-trip/

We’ve seen some beautiful things across the world but nothing quite compares to grouping all those beautiful memories together on our Christmas Tree to ensure they last a lifetime!

OUR MOST POPULAR POST:
Banksy vs the Bristol museum

http://dreamalittledream.ca/banksy-vs-the-bristol-museum/

If we look at our site stats this one post gets the most hits day in and day out. This paticular exhibit ended a long time ago but still Banksy continues to pull in the numbers for us. It really is quite remarkable how popular street art is.

OUR MOST CONTROVERSIAL POST(s):
1. Cairo from a women’s perspective 2. The Valve Sound System Show Down – Epic Fail 3. Netherlands soft drug policy – is it working? 4. Contemporary Museum in Vienna: Mak

1. http://dreamalittledream.ca/cairo-from-a-womans-perspective/

2. http://dreamalittledream.ca/the-valve-sound-system-show-down-epic-fail/

3. http://dreamalittledream.ca/netherlands-soft-drug-policy-is-it-working/

4. http://dreamalittledream.ca/a-contemporary-art-museum-in-vienna-mak/

Okay, I cheated and listed 4. What are you going to do about it? The reason I listed 4 as we don’t really have any posts that have caused any heated discussions or debates. It was really hard to figure out exactly what of our topics is controversial to people. Thus, I’ve chosen 4 topics which I think can lead to a variety of opinions if people actually commented or is a touchy subject.

OUR MOST HELPFUL POST:
How to care for a second degree muffler burn in Thailand

http://dreamalittledream.ca/how-to-care-for-a-second-degree-muffler-burn-in-thailand/

Step by step instructions on how to care for one of the most popular injuries that can happen on the tropical islands of Thailand.

A POST WITH SUCESS THAT HAS SURPRISED US:
AK-47′s and naughty squirrels

http://dreamalittledream.ca/ak-47s-and-naughty-squirrels/

Just a simple post about our time in Riga, Latvia that continues to soar high in our site stats. Maybe it’s the title that is causing all the attention. Guns and naughty things. Yup. That has to be it!

A POST THAT DIDN’T GET THE ATTENTION IT DESERVED:
Scott the hero

http://dreamalittledream.ca/scott-the-hero/

An epic and heroic tale of how Scott saved the day after crashing our scooter and causing me to get a second degree muffler burn. Complete with crash video!! How can this not be popular??

THE POST WE ARE MOST PROUD OF:
Our Canadian Thanksgiving experience in Germany

http://dreamalittledream.ca/our-canadian-thanksgiving-experience-in-germany/

We are proud of that entire day that ended with the great success of that amazing meal!! May not be as interesting to others but to us this was a very special moment during our travels. In the top 5 for sure.

Okay, we hope you got to read something from our site you might of missed before. Thanks for reading!

Here are our 5 nominations to other travel bloggers to share their 7 links. Be sure to check them out in the following weeks to see what they shared. It was hard to pick as there have already been so many nominated. Check out this list to see the others.

1. iStopOver
2. The Departure Board
3. Lives of Wander
4. Dan’s Adventure
5.  Across and Abroad

Last year Scott and I had a great opportunity to attend our first folk music festival. We’ve been to many music festivals over the years however they’ve all been related to the electronic bass music culture. We didn’t know any of the artists on the Vancouver Folk Music Festival line up. The only thing we did know was it was a very popular festival that is named one of the 10 best outdoor concerts in North America.

So, how are two electronica bass heads supposed to have a good time listening to folk music? To our surprise it was quite easy. With 7 stages it’s impossible to not find something to make your ears happy and even possibly make your bum wiggle. We were even surprise to find an act or two that used electronica memes during their performance!

Music festival or beach day? Why not both?

As much as this festival is all about the music to the die-hard attendees that line up night after night while the grounds are closed for cleaning to get in first thing in the morning and stake that perfect spot at the main stage with their blanket. This festival is also just about being a diverse community of individuals looking for a good time. Vancouver Folk Music Festival has to have the biggest range of festival attendees I’ve ever seen. It really doesn’t matter who you are or what your into, attend this festival and you’ll find yourself smiling all day long.

Million dollar views for the artists.

On top of this the Vancouver Folk Music Festival makes your experience even better with all the little extra details.

• Amazing vendors with handmade items and wares from all other the globe
• Very child friendly with even a whole section dedicated to the little folks
• Secure bike lock up for just $1
• Location, location! Jericho Beach Park with amazing views of the city, ocean and mountains.
• Pristine grounds. Green grass to sit on, large pond, lots of trees for shade, and no garbage on the ground.
• Beer gardens to enjoy a cold one in the sun
• Workshops to better yourself
• Great place to people watch
• Delicious food options or they allow to bring your own
• All food court plates are a hard plastic and have a mandatory $2 deposit. Return your plate to get washed and re-used to get your $2 back
• Recycling centres with staff working them to help you organize your waste appropriately. Nothing that can be recycled ends up in the trash.
• Free Water!! Just bring a refillable container. (no bottled water is actually sold on the grounds to limit waste.)

The Vancouver Folk Music Festival is on July 15-17 located on Jericho Beach Park, Vancouver. If your in the city and like to have a good time you should defiantly attend. Purchase your tickets online or at the gate. Full weekend pass or single day available. OR, if your on a budget and don’t want to miss out another option is to just head to Jericho Beach and listen to the music from the other side of the fence. The beach is guaranteed to be filled with a great array of people chilling and relaxing. You can even get into the vendors area to buy yourself something unique without a ticket. Check it out.

1. EAT! Vancouver did not give passes to every single TBEX attendee interested. Instead of giving some free tickets to be handed out by a TBEX rep as a first come first serve basis, EAT! Vancouver should of just allowed anyone that showed up to Will Call with a TBEX pass to be allowed in. Teasing is mean.

2. Early wake ups. 9am start? Really? On a weekend? Bah!

3. Those ear piercing sounds at the beginning of every movie played on the screens.

4. Our bums started to hurt from sitting and learning such great things all day long.

5. The sun was shining. Thus, making it hard to sit inside most of the day in a conference room with no windows.

6. Didn’t get into any of the special after party events or special tours due to limited space as we were too late to sign up for anything. See number #2. We are late for a lot of things that can end up resulting in a travel day from hell and finding out what happens when you over stay your Thai tourist visa.

7. With so much constant #TBEX Twitter activity going on non stop all day it was hard to pay attention sometimes in class. Especially when there were so many contests going on! (Which we even won one! Thanks @WheresAndrew for the great #TWITTERHUNT. We won the complete National Geographic – every issue since 1888 on DVD. Wowzers!)

8. It was only two days.

9. Way too many awesome people there being awesome in so many ways. Seriously. Stop it!

10. Do you have any idea how hard it is to write a Top 10 list for why TBEX sucked? Geez!!

So yeah, TBEX 11 did NOT suck. It was quite the opposite of that!! Much awesome sauce was had by all. But, we just had to make the post to practice some ideas we learned this past weekend. Hope you found the humor!

Cudos to the Community Panel: Tell it like it is with Spud Hilton (San Francisco Chronicle), Jim Byers (Toronto Star), Rich Beattie (Travel + Leisure), Don George (Gadling) and, Mike Yessis (World Hum) for the tip on post titles.

Thanks for the great time at TBEX everyone! Hope you all enjoyed our lovely city and leave us with a happy.

If you’re in the travel industry, blogging or PR, and haven’t been to TBEX you should consider hitting it up next year! Registration has already begun. Check out TBEX 12 in Keystone, Colorado!

Were you at TBEX 11? Have anything you’d like to add to list?

Welcome to Vancouver everyone attending TBEX ’11! There’s a crazy amount of things to do while traveling here for a weekend and little time to do it. I’ve created a brief description of a few of the communities that would make a great walking tour while your here. You can piece them together or try for an epic walk one day, the choice is yours.

Photo Credit: caseyyee

DOWNTOWN (map)

The downtown area of Vancouver is from Burrard to Howe, West Hastings to Georgia and has a huge variety of stores. You can eat some delicious street food that’s available or hop into a sushi shop for some great cheap eats. Robson St has the most variety of stores lined up on a great walking street leading you straight to the beach / West End. Granville St is another great choice that is full of unique alternative shops and night clubs that will lead you to the bridge that takes you into Kitsilano or if heading the other direction, towards the Vancouver Conference Centre for TBEX.

Photo Credit: Danielle Bauer

WEST END (map)

The West End has a huge residential area and starts at Burrard St until Stanley Park. You can walk along the seawall and get a great feel for the daily life the locals lead and of course enjoy some beach action yourself. English Bay is a popular beach and during late July and August an international fireworks competition is held each year. Head up any of the streets surrounding the beach for great food or to find that perfect latte. Sushi shops are everywhere and all of them are pretty good.  Life in the West End is pretty good with a strong and highly supported gay community that also loves to spend their time in this part of town. Life is pretty chill here. You can either walk into Stanley Park from here or go a bit across downtown to the Convention Center and on to Gastown for a big walk.

Photo Credit: deymosd

GASTOWN (map)

Named after “Gassy” Jack Deighton who opened the areas first saloon, it’s turned from skid row with ‘Blood Alley’ to a hip and edgy area filled with restaurants, nightclubs, pubs and hipster clothing stores. Surrounding by tree lined streets, cobblestones, and historic buildings there’s great photo ops everywhere. There’s even an old steam clock that still works with great accuracy. If your into street art check out some of the alleys in the area for a nice visual treat. Or, if alleys scare you there is a great street art inspired gallery located inside Tinsel Town Mall on the third floor. On top of this all, Gastown is perfectly situated right next to the Convention Center making it the perfect place for after TBEX drinks. A great place to grab a beer is at Steamworks Brewing Company who make excellent seasonal beers. One of my favorite being the Ipanema Summer White.

Photo Credit: Helen.Ailsa

CHINATOWN (map)

A popular tourist destination and not only Canada’s largest Chinatown but one of the largest in North America. An easy walk up from Gastown you’ll find things in the markets that you can’t find anywhere else. There’s quite a few historic buildings, a huge list of stores, and a fantastic traditional Chinese Garden. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday head down here between 6:30 and 11pm for a Summer Night Market filled with traditional asian handicrafts, other made in china wares, and of course lots of food. So, enjoy some food and shopping and if your feeling thirsty and a little fancy, you can head to Yaletown drinks.

Photo Credit: YoavLerman

YALETOWN (map)

Vancouver’s trendy and yuppy area, here you’ll find overpriced drinks, 5 star restaurants with tiny plates and people walking small dogs on the seawall.  You might even spot the odd celebrity or two spending their evening after doing a shoot in the city. The area used to be an neglected warehouse district but after The Worlds Fair – Expo ’86 it was revitalized with building restrictions. There’s great architecture and people watching, plus some of the best food (although expensive) in town. Even with the high prices, every place is also packed so book a reservation if you can.

OTHER COMMUNITIES OUTSIDE DOWNTOWN

Photo Credit: Stephen Hui

GRANVILLE ISLAND (map)

Just across from Yaletown and a short 3 minute ferry ride is Granville Island. Named one of the 60 greatest places in the world it’s visited by tourists, Emily Carr Art Students and locals looking to eat, shop and watch the buskers. The Public Market is filled with all sorts of amazing top quality fresh foods to eat there or take with you. Or walk around the island to find an interesting mix of shops filled with that perfect gift for anyone. In the evenings you can find some nice restaurants for great seafood and even catch yourself a great improv comedy show. For the best fish and chips in Vancouver (and in my experience, the world) walk along the pier to Go Fish. It’s a small hut right on the pier and you can sit on the seawall looking at the boats while eating your snack. DO NOT GET DISTRACTED by the other fish & chips shops or the long line, it’s worth the wait. If your not standing in front of the fishing boats your in the wrong place.

Photo Credit: bruce…

KITSILANO (map)

If you walk along the pier from Granville Island you’ll walk into the friendly neighbourhood of Kitsilano. You can follow the water and beaches up as far as you want until you feel like grabbing a drink or looking at some local shops. Just head up one of the streets south to 4th Ave. If the hockey game is on when your there check out one of these top pubs to watch the playoff games. When you finish up you can either catch a cab downtown ($10) or if you have energy walk across the Burrard St Bridge back into Vancouver.

Photo Credit: SpareChange63

COMMERCIAL (map)

Known to the locals as “The ‘Drive” , Commercial Drive can easily be considered to have the largest counter-culture demographic in Vancouver. Expect to walk by a vast array of hippies, punks, artists, hipsters, political activists, interesting cats, whatever. However, what truly makes Commercial Drive unique is the large immigrant population. Italians, Asians, Latin-Americans, East Indians, Africans and more have set up amazing and authentic cafes, delis and restaurants with some of the most delicious food that cater to their individual specialties. The majority of these eating establishments are also kind on your pocket book. Love to shop? Be prepared to find many artisan shops, one of a kind items, vintage clothing, green friendly products, antiques, and anything else considered fun & unique. Once the sun goes down it’s quite easy to find a little spot to have a few drinks and listen to some live music in one of the many pubs found along the street.

To get here just hop the Skytrain from downtown to Commercial St Station. Worth dropping by and checking out for sure.

So there’s my list of some local communities to check out here in Vancouver. Let me know if you hit up any of these places and where you went!

The many parks and beaches are one of the main reasons any local will give you for why they love living in Vancouver, BC. Doesn’t matter where in the city you are, it’s always an easy trek to a nearby park or beach by foot, bike, or transit.

TIPS FOR ENJOYING VANCOUVER’S BEACHES & PARKS TO THE MAX

Conceal your booze.

As free and laid back of country Canada is, we are still in the stone ages when it comes to alcohol. Drinking is 100% not allowed in public. But, if you like to enjoy a cold one while relaxing at the beach don’t let this silly law hold you back. Just do what the locals do! Purchase your chosen poison (and mix if required) then, find yourself something to hide it in that is far better then a paper bag. Pouring it into your travel water bottle or coffee mug is a grand choice. We tend to favour the coffee mug as you get the added bonus of keeping your drink cold for longer. Since many locals can be spotted drinking coffee from one of the hundreds of cafes around, you will fit right in! PS: Be sure to recycle your packaging evidence before arriving and DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK.

How about some tunes?

What makes chillaxing under the sun even better then the above? Some awesome tunes! Pack a travel size speaker and a mp3 player filled with your favorite tunes. Just be sure to watch your volume level. Us Canadians will probably be too friendly to complain directly at you, however if your near a nitty-bitty they will jump at the chance to complain to some authority to go speak to you instead. Instead, be like us and ask your neighbor if the music is too loud for them.

Sunscreen? Yes!

Yes, your not in the tropics but our sun can still do some serious damage to your skin. It’s main weapon to trick you is that cool ocean breeze making you think your skin isn’t getting hot. So, be smart and always wear sunscreen!

Comfort is key.

Why do we all love to chill and relax in our own homes? Because it’s filled with comforts. So, why not bring that feeling with you to the beach or park? Pack a beach towel or small blanket with you to sit/lay on. Even better, bring along a small pillow for supreme luxury.

Photo Credit: dzungvo

Arrive by bike!

Vancouver’s sea wall is one of the best places in the world to take a casual stroll or leisurely bike ride. It’s nice and flat with spectacular views of nature and city melded together in a beautiful way. Most of Vancouver’s beaches and best parks are connected by the sea wall with intriguing art installations in between. Having a bike with you just makes it all that more easy to see it all. You might even catch a street art performance or two while cruising along the sea wall to the next beach. Do a search on google with the terms “vancouver bc bike rentals” to get a good list of all the available rentals shops in the city.

Photo Credit: spalla67

Stay for the sunset.

Pretty much every single beach in the main part of Vancouver has an amazing view of the sunset. Its our favourite time of the day to witness something magical.

WHERE TO GO: BEACHES

Photo Credit: autumnlight

West End Beaches: English Bay & Sunset

Probably the most accessible beaches for any traveler to Vancouver as they are both located right downtown and beside each other. No more then a 30 min walk from the core. Due to this, its quite popular with tourists and celebrities and of course the locals that are lucky enough to live in the condo buildings lining the bay. Great location, mixed aged crowd, lively and vibrant.

Photo Credit: bruce…

Kitsilano Beach

This is our friendly neighbor beach. Mostly adorn with a younger crowd of locals and known as one of Vancouver most popular beaches. It has a range of views from an open bay, to the North Shore Mountains / Stanely Park, and the downtown core. Lots of action if you want it or also just a great place to relax and people watch. There is also a massive heated salt water pool to get your swim on and if your up for a nice dinner The Boathouse restaurant will serve you up some amazing seafood.

Photo Credit: Julien

Jericho Beach

An endless sandy strip with even more boasting views of the North Shore mountains and downtown core. Known as a great family beach with bbq and picnics, sailing and kayaking. A more quiet spot then the two above.

Photo Credit:respect_the_architect

Spanish Banks

This is the beach to truly get that ‘away’ experience yet still have an gorgeous view of the city. Our least crowded beach making it the perfect escape from the pace of the city life.

Photo Credit: nredmond

Wreck Beach

We’ve talked about Wreck beach before in our guest post on Got Saga. But, this is Vancouver’s famous clothing optional beach. Secluded at the bottom of over 500 steps it’s a haven for Vancouver’s alternative lifestyles.

WHERE TO GO: PARKS

Stanley Park

One of Vancouver’s top tourist destinations but also a locale that is highly cherished by all the locals. Doesn’t matter what type of person you are, Stanley Park will have something for you. Just look at the size of it! Hiking / biking trails, old growth forest, great beaches, one of the best parts of the sea wall, epic views, swimming pool, water park, gardens, totem poles, miniature train, lagoons, concerts, restaurants, horse & carriage rides, and the one of my favourite places, The Vancouver Aquarium. 1000 acres of natural awesome and 3 times the size of New York’s Central Park. All, conveniently located right next to downtown.

Photo Credit: DennisSlyvesterHurd

Trout Lake

Situated just south of Commercial Drive. Trout Lake is East Van’s most popular outdoor location to soak in some sun. Tranquil fresh water lake with a mini beach and gorgeous mountain views. A farmers market is also here on Saturdays from 10 – 2.

Photo Credit: Arlene Gee

Queen Elizabeth Park

Vancouver’s second most visited park next to Stanley Park. A horticultural gem filled with world class displays of flower filled gardens and breath-taking landscaping both outdoors and indoors at the Bloedel Floral Conservatory, home to tropical plants and 100′s of birds. The peak of the park is a plaza with panoramic views of the city and dancing fountains.

Hopefully your visit to Vancouver for TBEX’11 will be a lucky one with blue skies and sunshine making a stop at one or more of our many beaches and park a definite good time.

Do you have a favourite beach or park your already like to visit in Vancouver?

Photo Credit: Sandydog

We’re also pretty excited that this years Travel Blog Exchange is held here in Vancouver, BC on June 11th. If you haven’t heard of TBEX, it’s a conference for Travel Bloggers, Media and travel businesses to meet face to face rather than over the illumination of computer monitors. Both Dee and I grew up in the suburbs of Vancouver and currently live right in the heart of the city. Since, we have a lot of insider knowledge about things to do in Vancouver, it seemed appropriate to write a series to help out all of you who may be coming down for TBEX’11.

Vancouver is a beautiful city that was just ranked the #1 most livable city in the world for the fifth year in a row. It’s quite easy to see why it keeps winning too. Nestled in a picture perfect sunset ocean bay, with an elegant skyline of a metropolitan city complete with the epic backdrop of some majestic mountains.  Right downtown is 1000 acre Stanley Park and within 3 hours is the world famous Whistler Blackcomb ski hills or head in the other direction towards the Rocky Mountains. Inside Vancouver there’s a plethora of various communities all with their own unique vibe, making it easy for all walks of life to find a hang out spot to love.

We want to make sure all of our readers attending TBEX’11 or that plan to visit Vancouver in the future have the best possible time. This is why we’ve created your ultimate guide to Vancouver – Travel tips from the locals. So, stay tuned for our series leading all the way up to TBEX’11 on June 11!

Are you attending TBEX’11? Let us know!

While beating the heat relaxing by the pool with a fruit shake in Koh Phi Phi I caught this little kitten who was just about to steala sip of my drink!

Shortly after spotting the kitten it started to lick it’s lips… I suddenly felt the feeling like maybe I caught it a few seconds too late!

Happy Furry Friday!!