Where to get delicious food in Vancouver?

Food, food, food – today it’s all about food.
Believe it or not, there’s more than A&W and Tim Hortons in Vancouver 😉

This blogpost is especially for the ones who love good food and maybe even in a place that is not completely crowded with tourists…and of course for everyone else.
Maybe these places do not offer the best food in the city but the mix of price, quantity and quality makes them a great place to visit if you are on a budget.
Have a look at the variety of interesting food spots i’ve prepared for you guys, and at some point, the time will come where we’re able again to try them out.

Let’s start with a Greek speciality. Stepho’s Greek Taverna is located right in the middle of downtown with locations on Davie and on Robson St. It’s amazing barely being able to see the dish for the food; this describes the restaurant pretty well. You get good food at a great price and huge portions – definitely the perfect match.

Anton’s Pasta Bar:
Who loves good pasta as much as i do?
If you do, Anton’s Pasta Bar is definitely the place to be. Since it is located in Burnaby on Hastings it is a bit more difficult to reach but absolutely worth it. They offer legendary portions of freshly made pasta where you can get a real Italian feeling. Check it out 🙂
Tip: If you prefer staying Downtown try the Old Spaghetti Factory for amazing pasta variations as well; not as good but still good.

Let’s continue with another noodle house.
Hon’s Noodle House: It’s one of the many Chinese restaurants in Vancouver that is seen by most Vancouverites as their “go to” over the last 40 years. Even if the original in Chinatown closed down the one on Robson St is going strong; here is their ridiculously large (and very affordable) menu: http://hons.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Hons-Robson-menu.pdf

Floata Dim Sum: Have you ever heard of Dim Sum? Not me. But maybe you’ve heard of dumplings which i think is probably more familiar to some of us and similar to Dim Sum.
Dim Sum is a kind of Chinese food that many people may not have tried; it is a breakfast or lunch food with small portions for sharing with your family or friends. Mostly there are steamed dumplings, buns and a hefty dose of seafood.
No worries for those not enjoying seafood that much there are still a lot of non-seafood options.
Floata Dim Sum is located at the start of Chinatown on Keefer St.

Rio Brazilian Steakhouse: Last but not least; what would this list be without an all you can eat steak place? This Steakhouse offers a huge variety of meats including pork, chicken, beef, ribs and many more. Therefore, I am sure there is something for everyone.
Additionally, next to the amazing salad bar they have a happy hour every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 3-6pm with delicious food and drinks. You can visit Rio’s just off Davie on Denman st at the downtown west end.

What else to say than Enjoy your meal 😉

– Tatjana

INTERNeX International Exchange
2005-689 Abbott St., Vancouver, BC, V6B 0J2
Web: http://www.internexcanada.com
Email: pr@internexcanada.com

What to Do in Vancouver?

New week new “What to Do in Vancouver” inspirations 🙂

What is Canada without hiking? Do not miss the chance to explore the beautiful hiking trails in the Vancouver area. In this blogpost I will give you some insight into the huge variety of hiking trails with amazing views and the most beautiful nature you have ever seen.

Grouse Grind, Grouse Mountain:

If you fancy a hiking trip right on your doorstep take the Seabus to North Vancouver or a bus ride over the famous Lions Gate bridge to start your adventure on Grouse Grind. It’s a 3-kilometre trail to the top of Grouse Mountain.

From my own experience I can say that this is very exhausting but definitely worthwhile. The view over the city on top of the mountain is unbelievable.
Additionally, have a look at how fast some people have climbed this mountain – there’s a list on top it’s kind of crazy.

Lynn Canyon Park & Suspension Bridge:

This Park features several hiking trails in addition to the main attraction, Lynn Canyon Suspension bridge. It’s smaller than the famous Suspension bridge but it’s free and a beautiful place which is definitely worth a visit. There are trails suitable for every hiking level so just find your perfect trail and enjoy. It’s also a nice opportunity to spend your day in the refreshing 30-foot pool; a nice spot for swimming, having a picnic and of course taking a lot of pictures. There’s a lot more to discover, but you’d better explore it yourself. 😉

Quarry Rock Hike in Deep Cove:

This trail starting in Deep Cove at the Baden Powell trailhead is a really popular hike in North Vancouver and definitely a place where you’ll meet a lot of tourists from all over the world. It’s around 4 kilometers long so it is possible for most hikers. Even if it’s a slightly shorter hike the view leaves nothing to be desired. On this all-season hike you’ll have an amazing view of Indian Arm (that’s why it’s sometimes called Indian Arm Lookout Trail).

St Mark’s Summit:

As a part of the Howe Sound Crest Trail this 11km round trip hiking trail gives you the opportunity to take a longer walk (around 5 hours) and experience Canada’s amazing nature while enjoying spectacular views of e.g. Howe Sound. So, if you’re ready for a more challenging hiking trail; this is certainly a good option.

Joffre Lakes Provincial Park:

Maybe you’re thinking about which trail you have seen on the countless pictures with the crystal-clear blue lakes on Instagram? That’s definitely Joffre Lakes Provincial Park.

For this hike you should plan more time, like a whole day, since it is a bit further away from Vancouver and you need a car. It’s one of British Columbia’s most beautiful hikes where you can pass and discover all three beautiful lakes in one trail.

Hope you will enjoy your hiking trips when you get to Canada. 🙂

– Tatjana

INTERNeX International Exchange
2005-689 Abbott St., Vancouver, BC, V6B 0J2
Web: http://www.internexcanada.com
Email: pr@internexcanada.com

What to Do in Vancouver?

Welcome to Part 2 of the “What to Do in Vancouver” edition…
There is so much more to Do in and around Vancouver. Let’s continue with further amazing attractions.

Granville Island: take the Aquabus to Granville Island, a large market where you can enjoy good food and drinks as well as arts, culture and shopping. There is a huge public market open every day 9am-6pm. It’s kind of a hotspot for tourism and entertainment. Have a look what we did here on our March 9, 2020 blogpost. But that’s not the only market worth a visit. There’s the Richmond night market with a lot of Asian food. You can try many types of food you may not have experienced before. Some are really exotic but it’s definitely a great experience to taste something new.

Museum of Anthropology at UBC: Attention all culture lovers and those interested in history. Plan your trip to this museum to find out more about the First Nations people as well as other cultural communities in British Columbia. There are several exhibitions that invite you to explore new cultures.

English Bay and Sunset Beach: beautiful beaches to relax with friends or have some action while stand up paddling or taking a refreshing dip in the sea. There are also nice restaurants like the Cactus Club Cafe.
As the name already mentioned it is an awesome place to watch the sunset.

Directly next to English Bay is Stanley Park, Vancouver’s largest park in the middle of the city. This place invites you to relax and cycle or skate the seawall. Enjoy an amazing view of Lions Gate bridge, the mountains, and the sea. Additionally, it’s a good opportunity to find out more about local wildlife, plants and visit the Vancouver Aquarium with over 50,000 marine animals. Sometimes there’s an open-air cinema as well which is really fun.

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Queen Elizabeth Park: Just a few minutes by bus from downtown is Queen Elizabeth Park which is almost full of activity. It’s located a bit higher so you can also enjoy a quiet minute while having a nice view over the city. On your way to this park, I can definitely recommend to stop at La Casa Gelato. They offer more than 200 ice cream flavours and of course some are unusual, but I would give it a try. To make this hard decision ( 😉 ) easier, you can try a spoon of any flavour you like (of course, except in this pandemic).

China Town: Explore the vibrant culture, taste the exotic food or visit classic Asian speciality stores in Vancouver’s traditional China Town. When you enter this part of the city through the magnificent gate, you will feel like you are in another world.

Hope i could give you some inspiration 🙂

Cheers,

– Tatjana

INTERNeX International Exchange
2005-689 Abbott St., Vancouver, BC, V6B 0J2
Web: http://www.internexcanada.com
Email: pr@internexcanada.com

Candidate Exposé – Helena Lauterbach

Wouldn’t it be great to share stories of previous INTERNeXers and see what they have experienced so far? I definitely think it is. So i want to introduce you to a good friend of mine who had the unique opportunity to get to know beautiful Canada (with me) a couple of years back. This is Helena, 22 years old from a small town close to Bochum in Germany. She’s currently studying environmental engineering which she started after her stay in Canada. She definitely decided to come to Canada for multiple reasons. On the one hand she wasn’t sure what exactly to study , so she decided to go abroad for a gap year. Yes, she stayed in Canada for a whole years which i think is absolutely amazing. She also had the aim to improve her language skills and since people in Canada speak English and French it was a great way to learn both languages. Moreover, she also wanted to meet new people from many different cultures. Additionally, she had heard a lot about really friendly people and the gorgeous landscapes in Canada which made the decision for Vancouver much easier. Who would say no to live in a country that has so much to offer?

During her stay in Canada it was kind of a “half and half”. Initially she participated in the practicum program where she did an unpaid internship for 6 months. She stayed at a staffing company based in the middle of downtown Vancouver. Maybe you can spot the big “W” when being there. That’s the building she worked in. Her tasks were to support this company with employing people and organizing promotion events.
Since she wants to work in an international company and speak English more fluently, this practicum was really useful for her career goals. She also became more independent in handle new and sometimes even challenging situations with different kinds of people.
After her practicum, she participated in the work and travel program. During the winter months she worked as an lift operator in Mount Seymour which came with the free ski pass for the whole season and for other locations such as Cypress Mountain as well. This was a really great experience and is highly recommended by her.
She told me that she made countless beautiful memories in Canada, but the Rocky Mountains trip was definitely one of her highlights. In addition, the view from Mount Seymour over the whole city Vancouver while lateshift was pretty amazing.

Of course, she also joined a few of the INTERNeX organized events. At the beginning of her stay she participated in the most because through these she got the nice chance to get to know people more easily and to establish contacts with people from around the world. She would have liked to take part in more pubnights, but as an 18 years old it wasn’t always that easy.
Side fact: In Vancouver you’re an adult from the age of 19.

But she could enjoy a few and also many other activities such as the open air cinema, a biketour in Stanley Park – yes as you can see in the picture we had a lot of fun – and beautiful hiking trips. Of these she liked the Garibaldi lake, Squamish Chief and the Joffre Lakes Provincial Park the most. She also went skiing very often (because of her job 😉 ), had BBQ’s at lakes and visited Vancouvers beaches. On the weekends she exploited the opportunity to go to Vancouver island, including Victoria and Tofino to explore the beautiful area out there. This definitely sounds like a great time and an incredible stay in Canada. After these experiences Helena told me that she’s highly motivated to travel more. She also wants to say thank you to the INTERNeX team for the help in preparing her time abroad especially with the work permit but also for the great opportunity to meet amazing people and see new wonderful places.

Hope you enjoyed our first Candidate Exposé after such a long time.

Cheers 🙂

– Tatjana

INTERNeX International Exchange
2005-689 Abbott St., Vancouver, BC, V6B 0J2
Web: http://www.internexcanada.com
Email: pr@internexcanada.com

INTERNeX Canada: How was your weekend?

Our weekend was pretty amazing! I don’t know you guys, but we spent a very nice evening in Stanley Park the last Saturday.

As you maybe know, this weekend was the Stanley Park 125^th Anniversary. So we decided to go there to take a look. So many activities were organized in the park! Fortunately, the weather was amazing and we could enjoy the beautiful park more than ever.

I went there so many times but I have to say that it was definitely the better one. The entire place was full of people and you could find interesting things to visit everywhere!

The first thing that we saw was the Vintage Car Display just next to Lost Lagoon.  I’ve never been interested in cars, but here in Vancouver I’ve become a fan. There are so many beautiful vintage cars! I’m so jealous about the people who can afford that.

Then we visited the Rose Garden, where we could see a group of children making a Shakespeare show. Then we almost made a walk tour (there were like three different tours at the same time), but finally we decided to go to Beaver Lake.

It’s such a beautiful place. It’s a little bit hidden; so many people usually skip it. But definitely is a must-to-go inside Stanley Park. It’s completely full of vegetation, and surrounded by trees.

Talking about beavers, we continued our route through the park and we found a place with many stuffed animals, in the ecological center. We saw an enormous stuffed beaver called Rob. The guide told us that it was one of the biggest beavers found in Canada. I’m still trying to decide if it was scared o terribly funny.

And that’s was the end of the cultural part of the day. A music festival was organized in Second Beach, so we went there to have fun. It was the best part for me. We could see some people playing Giant Jenga (if you are a Big Bang Theory fan, you must to know about what I’m talking). After enjoy a couple of concerts and eat some food, we decided to go to buy an ice cream and go back home.

And we have some amazing ideas for the upcoming events, so stay tuned! And of course if you want to make a suggestion about what we can do together, leave us a comment below!

Cheers!

Clara.

INTERNeX International Exchange
International Village,
Suite 2077, 2079 – 88 West Pender Street
Vancouver, Canada -V6B 9N9-
Web: http://www.internexcanada.com
Email: pr@internexcanada.com