I hopped on the new Singapore-Vancouver direct flight – here’s why you should too

“You guys brought the sun from Singapore!” said many a Vancouverite on our media trip to the notoriously rainy city this May. Indeed, things looked gloomy when we landed at Vancouver International Airport after a 14-hour direct flight from Singapore aboard Air Canada. My heart sank watching the rain beat down on the plexiglass, and we learned later that if the sky had been clear, we would have been treated to a magnificent view of the North Shore Mountains on the descent.

Luckily enough, what followed was five days of soft, yellow sunshine. Coming from sweltering Singapore, the spring’s sub-15 degrees Celsius weather was also bliss. As we drove down residential streets dusted with fallen cherry blossoms, dined on exquisitely fresh seafood, and explored the pristine nature on the city’s doorstep over the rest of the trip – rain or not – I was already thinking, “Now, how do I move here?”

Well, here are the top five reasons you should visit Vancouver pronto.

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It’s now just 14 hours from Singapore

As mentioned, Air Canada launched a new direct flight from Singapore to Vancouver just this April. On this new route, you can reach Vancity in just 14 hours. That’s almost as long (or short) as the trip to hugely popular destinations like London and Paris. It’s a significant improvement from the past when you would have taken anywhere upwards of 18 hours with a layover, too. This is a game-changer for someone like me, who’s long put off a trip to North America partly thanks to the ridiculous travel time.

Granted, a 14-hour flight is still no party, especially when you’re wedged between a large man and the window, as I was (the poor guy was doing his best to make himself small, to his credit). Thankfully, Air Canada has pretty affable service, satisfying food (particularly the chef collaboration meal on the return flight), and an extensive range of Hollywood blockbusters, Asian favourites, and Indigenous films to keep you entertained. 

But what makes any flight worthwhile is the destination on the other end. And Vancouver has a lot going for it.

You get a real city in nature

Located on the west coast of British Columbia (BC), the city is surrounded by astounding nature. One of the best ways to take in its beauty is on a seaplane tour, which we did with Harbour Air. Leaving from Vancouver Harbour, the Vancouver Classic Panorama flight gives you a stunning view of the North Shore Mountains on the left. This collection of rugged slopes and peaks forms a dramatic backdrop to the city and, as the locals like to boast, provides a ton of leisure activities under 30 minutes from downtown – from skiing and trekking to mountain zip lining and even grizzly bear habitats to visit. 

From the seaplane, you’ll also see Stanley Park, a 400-hectare public park ringed by a sea wall where locals walk, cycle, and enjoy the sea breeze. 27 kilometres of trails crisscross the park, shaded by ancient western red cedar, bigleaf maple, Douglas fir, and more impressive trees. We got to fully immerse ourselves in the rustic charm of Stanley Park during a forest bathing experience with Talaysay Tours. No actual bathing was involved – instead, we breathed in the crisp air, felt the grooves in tree bark, and stroked the soft moss in exercises of mindfulness and reconnection with nature. I started the experience feeling super self-conscious, but the key is to commit to it – you’ll be surprised at the memories and deep reflection the experience can evoke. 

Next to take your breath away are the shimmering blue waters of Burrard Inlet and Horseshoe Bay, carved through with white arcs from speed boats. Bowen Island and Gambier Island make for good day trip material, as they have ecological parks, scenic lookouts, accommodations, and even galleries and shops to check out. These islands flank the Sea to Sky Highway piercing north, a scenic highway leading to more BC treasures to explore. 

Whales, just whales

Speaking of BC treasures, we had a spectacular time on a Vancouver Whale Watch tour off the coast of Richmond. We were well within the March-October migratory season, which meant we had a high chance of spotting orcas and a lucky shot at sighting humpback whales, grey whales, and minke whales. The tour company has a 95 percent sighting success rate (and is so confident that, if you don’t see whales on your trip, it offers free tours for life until you succeed). I was still characteristically anxious about being the unlucky 5 percent.  

I needn’t have worried. After a bracing ride, the boat honed in on the location of a group of transient orcas. By rule, we had to stay 100 metres away from the animals but it was close enough to watch their antics. I stood willingly frozen cold on the exposed second deck of the boat to get a better view of their tall dorsal fins as they porpoised through the water. The pod had just caught some prey and was unusually lively – to our benefit. There was tons of activity: happy tail slapping, spy-hopping, and even one energetic leap out of the water (that I, of course, missed because I had chosen that moment to look away). Seeing a baby orca look adorably awkward as it flopped through the water was particularly amusing. 

A whale-watching tour lasts three to five hours and costs around S$180 for a large Zodiac boat. That might be prohibitively expensive for some. But Vancouver is one of the best places in the world to sight whales thanks to its food-rich waters, so I’d consider this an activity you cannot miss.

Downtown is diverse and laid-back

There is a significant Asian presence in Vancouver and neighbouring Richmond, so these cities feel familiar and welcoming for a travelling Singaporean. Those who tend to miss Asian food while overseas will not have this problem here. On our short five-day trip, we enjoyed a splendid Thai afternoon tea with curated tea pairings at Baan Lao Fine Thai Cuisine, snacked on light spring rolls and bahn mi at the homey Bahn Mi Tres Bon, and dined at Miku, which showcases the freshness of BC seafood in an elaborate kaiseki of sashimi, nigiri, and its famed aburi-style sushi. Of course, if you want something classically Canadian, there’s always OEB Breakfast Co. for hearty poutine by the marina.

After you’ve snagged your Lululemon fits and shopped the boutiques and indie shops at hotspots like Mount Pleasant, Main Street, and Kitsilano, head to Granville Island. Once an industrial plot, this peninsula is now one of Canada’s most popular attractions. On a Granville Island Uncorked Tour with Vancouver Foodie Tours, we learned that the iconic neighbourhood only houses family businesses (no chains!) – which translates to a plethora of food, sweets, produce, and handmade items with generations of devotion behind them.

I’m still dreaming of the fragrant cranberry bread from organic, artisan bakery A Bread Affair, and in the Public Market, the fine cheeses from Benton Brothers Fine Cheese and the pickles from Hobbs Pickles (which says a lot, considering I pick my pickles out of burgers). Also, don’t make my mistake: do buy back the maple-glazed smoked salmon from Longliner Seafood – it’s vacuum-packed for air travel and would make a great gift too. I would also recommend grabbing a crisp beer from Granville Island Brewing Co. and heading out to the scenic marina. You might be lucky like we were and get a beautiful live rendition of Edith Piaf’s “La Vie en Rose” to enjoy while on the deck.

There are artist studios and retail shops to explore in the rest of Granville Island too, including the multi-lingual bookstore Nooroongji Books, glass blower Vancouver Studio Glass, and even Granville Island Broom Co., which sells handmade brooms of all shapes and sizes. Needless to say, it’s easy enough to spend a whole day on Granville Island.

It’s the perfect gateway to the rest of BC

Don’t restrict yourself to Vancouver – not when there’s so much more to explore on day trips or even multi-day trips from the city. I had a hard time choosing where to go on our free-and-easy day but eventually settled on the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish.

The destination had all I was looking for: it was under one hour from Vancouver, had hiking trails of various lengths and difficulty, and scenic views all around. I arrived at 11am and found virtually no crowd, getting to hop immediately onto a 10-minute cable car ride to the top. With a solid 50 new pictures and videos on my phone, I then headed straight for the Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge for stunning vistas of Howe Sound and the surrounding mountain ranges.

The rest of the day was spent exploring the many trails at the peak. The Panorama Trail made for a relaxing walk through the forest, with scenic lookouts along a 40-minute loop; the Wonderland Lake Loop brought me to a tranquil little lake with benches where I sat and enjoyed a snack; while Alpine Alley is one for kids, but one I nevertheless found fun thanks to its educational animal cutouts and rope-assisted scrambles. The Spirit Trail is another favourite – it’s super short (just 20 minutes), but it has a lookout with well-placed seats looking out onto the gorgeous peak of Sky Pilot Mountain. Be there before lunch, and there’s a high chance you’ll have the spot to yourself.

You could, like my travelling companions, head to Whistler instead. A two-hour drive from Vancouver, it’s best known for its winter activities. But when the ice melts, you can also hike high alpine ridges, cross the sky-high Whistler Suspension Bridge, or embark on mountain zipline adventures.

Keen to stick closer to the city? There’s always Capilano Suspension Bridge Park in North Vancouver, where the star is a 140-metre suspension bridge strung 70 metres above the glittering Capilano River. This one’s a great family destination – besides the suspension bridge, kids will love to challenge the cantilevered cliff walk, meet the raptors (between April and September), and explore the trails in the temperate rainforest.