Vancouver as an exchange student

Hey there, 

Welcome to my first blog post! I’m excited to tell you more about my studying abroad adventure in Vancouver. Hidden places, highlights, insider tips, things to avoid… This is your place to be if you are planning to go to Vancouver, whether as a student or just as a traveller. 

First impression

Arriving in a place where everything is different is quite overwhelming and eye-opening. A place where every person you meet can make your adventure a totally different experience. A place where equality and tolerance are at a surprisingly high level. A place where you are not able to count the money you are holding… A place I got to call home for the next four months. And I can tell you, Vancouver is a beautiful place to call home.

Living in an Airbnb property for four months was quite challenging [and expensive] but also very educative and entertaining. You see people come and go, people from Brazil and Montreal, but also from Singapore and Germany. Students, travellers, mothers, business people… I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to share a suite where all these cultures could come together. Late night talks, trying other cuisines and teaching each other about our own culture are some of the highlights. I also would like to thank Jamie for being such a caring and hospitable host and his wife for helping me doing my laundry every single time.

Vancouver Downtown

Make sure to visit Downtown and all the beautiful districts it has to offer. If you like shopping I would recommend you to start with Granville street and Robson street, the two leading shopping streets of Vancouver. If you prefer to avoid the crowd, you should better go to Stanley park, which is a beautiful and peaceful place adjoining West-End. I rented a bike and did the entire area by bike, which was magical. Make sure to bike to prospect point, where you have a breathtaking view over the mountains and the Lions Gate Bridge. It’s quite hard to climb that mountain, but it’s worth it.

After putting all my energy in biking through Stanley park, I went to the English Bay Beach in West-End. An amazing place to enjoy a good talk with friends on the beach, watch the sunset or having a cocktail on a terrace.

Another part of Downtown is Gastown, one of my favourite parts of the city by the way.  I enjoyed it mostly at night because it is so cosy with its little lights and the fabulous steam clock. It just feels like Christmas… If you have a small budget and you like cheap drinks, you should definitely go to 131 Water Kitchen and Bar. Friendly staff, nice atmosphere and free games! I enjoyed a few amazing nights over there.

If you are gay-minded and want to discover the gay scene in Vancouver, then you should go to Davie Village. Davie village is well-known in the North-American gay scene because you have plenty of gay bars, restaurants and nightclubs. They even have crosswalks painted in the gay flag colours.

Are you looking for a nice place to take breakfast and up for a challenge? Then I can recommend you The Elbow Room Café on Davies. Their motto is: “Come for food, stay for the abuse”. Instead of being friendly, they abuse you in a funny way. And if you don’t eat all your food, you have to donate money for a good cause. You are warned, the food is delicious but you need a good sense of humour.

Some of my other favourite places in the city to have a snack or just a good coffee are Breka Bakery on Bute Street and Purebread and Bean Around The World on Hastings. Nice venues, friendly staff and delicious food.

By the way, try to avoid East Hastings. Vancouver, in general, is very safe and nice, but this area was a bit sketchy and scary.

North Vancouver

Northern Vancouver has some beautiful spots you should check out. To hike, unwind or just enjoy the breathtaking views. Let’s start with the most famous one, Grouse Mountain. You can take the SeaBus at the Waterfront Station and once you arrived in North Van you can take a bus to Grouse Mountain. You can hike the mountain [that’s what I did] or just take the gondola who brings you to the top in just a couple of minutes. Once you’ve reached the top, you can even go higher to have a beautiful view over Downtown Vancouver and the ocean, or just enjoy a drink in the bar.

Besides Grouse Mountain, I also did a hike in Deep Cove. You have a beautiful view on top, and the birds come so close you can even touch them. Deep Cove also has a beautiful lake and a pretty little harbour.

Local Travels

I have spent the first weekend of my Vancouver adventure in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. Victoria is located on Vancouver Island, so you have to take the ferry in Tsawwassen to get there. The city has beautiful architecture, with the Parliament Building and the Fairmont Empress hotel as the two highlights. Make sure to visit Butchart Gardens, located approximately 30 minutes driving from Victoria. These beautiful gardens receive close to a million visitors each year. If you don’t get that far, option two is to visit Beacon Hill Park in the city itself. If you like to connect with the ocean, then you should do the Eagle Wings Whale Watching tour. But be aware that it is very expensive and the chances are that you won’t see any whales. Do you feel like having an afternoon tea? The number one place is definitely the Fairmont Empress hotel!

During my field trip with BCIT, I also visited the famous ski resort Whistler. There was no snow because we went there in September 2015, but nevertheless, it was a beautiful place to visit. On our way to Whistler, we made our stop at the Sea-to-Sky Gondola where you have amazing views and a suspension bridge. Whistler itself has a few excellent and beautiful hotel resorts, represented by Four Seasons, Fairmont and Hilton.

In the beginning of October, I also visited Seattle, which is located within a 3-hour drive from Vancouver. I spent the weekend with a lovely French girl, Sophie, who was studying a semester at BCIT too. A pretty city, well-known for the world famous Space Needle, Pike Place Market, and the first Starbucks ever. Exploring the city by bike is nice, but I would not recommend the Pronto Cycle Share service because their system is crap. You have to put the bike back in a station every half an hour, which I think is not very practical. You should also definitely go to Kerry Park, where you have an amazing view over Downtown Seattle.

BCIT Student Life

Besides discovering British Columbia and the West-Coast, I also had to go to school, of course. BCIT, one of the best institutes of Canada, brought my professional career to a higher level. Studying in a totally new environment and in a language which is not your mother tongue is quite exciting, as well as very challenging. BCIT is a school full of hard-working, inspiring and friendly students and instructors. I really want to thank all these people for making my adventure an amazing one, for all the support and their hospitality. Attending BCIT as an exchange student is not easy, because of the heavy workload, but the return you get is so much worth it. I have had the opportunity to compete in a case competition, to go to IMEX Future Leaders Forum in Las Vegas, to attend amazing seminars, and so much more. My BCIT Tourism crew has a place in my heart, forever.

The Hardest Part

Studying abroad also has its difficult parts. For me, the hardest part was saying goodbye to the people who were just classmates in the beginning but became true friends very soon. It was not my first time spending a few months abroad and saying goodbye to people, but this time was exceptionally difficult to me. These people gave me so much positive energy and inspiration, I wish I could keep them forever with me. I will never forget my last weekend in Vancouver when I was dancing with a friend in a nightclub and she started to cry because I had to leave soon. So you are warned, studying abroad is something I would recommend everyone, but you also have to be aware of the difficult and challenging parts of it.

California Travels

Besides Seattle and Las Vegas, I also went to other parts of the USA: Los Angeles & San Francisco. I travelled just by myself, and I think this is something everyone should do at least once in a lifetime. You easily meet new and like-minded people, you can find yourself and you can go wherever you want to. I’m not gonna go into detail on my travels through California, but I will definitely write another blog about it very soon.

Talk to you soon.

Love,