Fear and Loathing at the Vancouver Olympics

It is easy to find your way in Vancouver. Beautifully located on the Pacific Ocean, the snow-capped mountains in the background dominate the northern horizon, and may well inspire dreams of adventure and wilderness. This winter, this appeal will be heard by the best athletes of the world at the Olympic Winter Games, from the 13th to the 28th of February 2010. It is never too early to book for this period! Already several cheap hotels and hostels in Vancouver are full! At HostelsClub.com, we still have places where you can stay low-cost but hurry! Two excellent discount hotels, the Waldorf AAE Vancouver near the vibrant Commercial Drive and the AAE Hotel Vancouver English Bay near the famous Stanley Park both have rooms still available during the Olympics. Similarly, the American Backpackers Hostel has beds in dorm rooms for only 20 EUR / night!

In such proximity to the ocean, and thanks to its high immigration rate (33% of the inhabitants were born outside of Canada and 52% of them do not have English as their first language!), Vancouver is the best place to discover delicious and fascinating cuisine, often at affordable prices! Sushi at will, authentic Chinese cuisine, Vietnamese soups bursting with flavor ... While eating at a good price is easy in the public markets like the great big one on Granville Island, do try the night markets in Richmond and Chinatown for authentic Asian street food.

Passing through the town, be sure to take a coffee in the Italian area of Commercial Drive, to buy spices in the Indian neighborhood of South Main Street, take a stroll in Stanley Park, go see the Vancouver Aquarium with more than 60 000 exotic animals from all corners of the world, and then hit Granville Street for the parties!

Even if the temperature usually stays above the freezing point in town, the wonders of winter are just a short bus ride away. In the mountains, snowboarders and skiers play in the powder in Whistler (2.5 hours by bus), and Big White or Silver Star (4.5 hours by bus) among other ski resorts dotting the Rockies. If you go there, HostelsClub recommends you stay at the SameSun Backpackers Lodge in Kelowna, offering free transportation to the ski slope! Besides Kelowna also, surrounded by vineyards and on the shores of Lake Okanagan offers more than its share of adventures and unique vista! Ask the team at the Kelowna International Hostel!

No matter when you come to visit British Columbia, there are always lots of adventures to be had! Book your accommodation with Hostelsclub in Vancouver!

After the Olympics, it might be a good idea to take the opportunity to cross the border into the U.S. and see Seattle, only 20 mil away, one of America's nicest places to live according to many Americans. Seattle is of course known to be the birthplace of Starbucks Coffee, but don’t stop there: tons of independent coffee shops line the streets and that sweet aroma is everywhere! Also known for its rainy weather in winter, Seattle has a great alternative music scene! It was there that grunge music was born in the early 90s and there are always new bands to discover in town. Stay at the American Hotel, right in Chinatown, or at the Green Tortoise, which offers adventure tours in the region and get wired! ;p

Book your accommodation with Hostelsclub in Seattle