What to Do in Canada – According to Qantas Frequent Flyers
Natural wonders, world-class dining and epic outdoor adventures – Qantas Frequent Flyers share highlights from recent trips to Vancouver.
“The scale of the mountains – of everything – is incredible.” – Jonathan Tan, Bronze Frequent Flyer
“To me, Vancouver is about getting outdoors so my friends and I road-tripped from the city, camping along the way. Trails wind their way across rivers, glacial lakes and rainforests and the scale of the mountains – of everything – we saw was incredible.
Near Squamish, we hiked the Stawamus Chief, a 700-metre-high granite monolith. At the top, you can see the blue waters of Howe Sound and spot peregrine falcons. We explored British Columbia, reaching as far as Jasper, and saw a grizzly bear bathing in the river.
I loved Vancouver Island, a 90-minute ferry ride from the city. It’s wilder out there, with little communities tucked around rugged beaches, mountains and forests. I went kayaking to Quadra Island hoping to see orcas. I missed them but did get to meet some inquisitive seals!”
Jonathan flew Qantas from Perth to Vancouver.
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“Main Street isn’t a well-known tourist destination but locals love it for its cool shops and restaurants.” – Eunice Fung, Bronze Frequent Flyer.
“I used Qantas Points to upgrade to Business class for my night-time flight to Vancouver. It was the best sleep I’ve had on a plane and I woke up to pancakes for breakfast. From the airport, I took the SkyTrain to a friend’s house in South Main, just outside Downtown Vancouver.
The section of Main Street that runs from 2nd Avenue to 33rd Avenue is actually named Mount Pleasant but to locals it’s South Main or SoMa. My friend acted as my guide to the area, which has cool Brooklyn-style vibes, with lots of galleries, breweries and restaurants.
The tasting menu at East is East – inspired by the dhabas, or roadside eateries, on the Indian subcontinent – was a highlight. We also went to Spanish Banks, a stretch of beach on Vancouver’s western fringe where locals have picnics and ride skimboards.”
Eunice flew Qantas from Sydney to Vancouver.
“We tramped through the wilderness, past waterfalls and ancient cedars.” Ke Huang, Platinum Frequent Flyer
“On this visit to Vancouver with family, I finally made it to Whistler Blackcomb. It’s known as a snow-sport destination but it’s worth a daytrip, even if you’re not skiing.
There are plenty of snowshoe trails; we chose the two-kilometre Rainbow Falls Loop, a short drive from Whistler Village. We hiked down to a hidden waterfall before crossing a creek via a wooden bridge. It’s one of the easier trails and mostly used by locals.
When I’m in Vancouver, I always go to Stanley Park. At 400 hectares, it’s epic – with the city on one side, the Pacific on the other and the Rockies in the distance. A 10-minute drive away is Granville Island Public Market, where I shopped for cheese and artisan bread – an ideal Stanley Park picnic.”
Ke flew Qantas from Sydney to Vancouver.
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“Summertime in Whistler is bigger than wintertime” – Pip Moroney, Gold Frequent Flyer
“Some colleagues and I went to Whistler to do a photoshoot. I was lucky enough to fly Qantas from Sydney to Vancouver direct, 16 hours. The last time I flew was February 2020 – it was so nice to get back on a plane and feel the magic of aviation. The staff were wonderful and really made the whole trip so comfortable.
“Summertime in Whistler is bigger than wintertime. People go for mountain biking, kayaking, and hiking. I was blown away – I thought of Whistler as a winter destination. None of us had travelled for so long; it was just amazing to see different scenery. We even spotted brown bears!
“My two favourite spots were House Rock, where we were shooting right next to raging rapids, and picturesque Lost Lake. It’s possible to walk the entire perimeter of Lost Lake and there are long boardwalks and pontoons you can swim out to.
“It was funny – at Lost Lake it was 30°C and people were swimming. Half an hour later we’d taken the gondola to the top of Whistler and it was snowing. People were skiing!
“In the evenings we explored. My favourite restaurant was Araxi; the chef/owner was one of the pioneers around farm-to-table dining. The salmon and oysters were amazing, everything was super-local.
“We stayed at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler which is such a beautiful, grand hotel. We kept joking that work was getting in the way of our holiday.”
“Wilderness, bears and log cabins: it was a very Canadian experience” – Anne Sheen, Bronze Frequent Flyer
“I went to British Columbia in October 2022 to go on a horse-riding trip, which meant flying to Vancouver and taking a one-hour flight north to Chilko Lake. I spent a week there on a ranch in the mountains riding beautiful horses around the Canadian countryside, which was organised through an Australian company called Globe Trotting.
“It was a very Canadian experience – absolute wilderness, log cabins, beautiful lakes and ginormous mountains. Every morning we were fed a hearty breakfast – bacon and eggs one day, or pancakes with bacon and maple syrup the next. Then our group of eight would go out for a six-hour ride through forests and wilderness. Almost every day we saw bears, just metres away, catching salmon in the lake.
“I spent five days in Vancouver before flying back to Sydney. I absolutely loved it. I stayed in a gorgeous boutique hotel built in the 1920s which was covered in creeping vines. Every second place was a trendy little restaurant and it was really easy to get around. I also went whale-watching and saw orcas, humpback whales and lots of seals.
“I was very, very happy flying Qantas. From the minute I got on the plane to the minute I got off, I felt like I was being treated like I was at home… and they give you Tim Tams which never disappoint!”
“I skied for 23 out of 25 days” – Sophia Robinson, Bronze Frequent Flyer
“Earlier this year, I spent a month in Whistler which is one of my all-time favourite places. I was there for 25 days and I skied for 23 of those days.
“I flew out of Sydney on New Year's and the Qantas staff were wearing little New Year's hats, which was really cute. It was my first time flying Business Class, which I booked on Rewards Points. I loved it! I arrived in Vancouver at 3pm and got straight onto a shuttle to Whistler, which takes around two hours.
“I stayed at The Marquise, a ski in, ski out lodge. Our apartment had a beautiful window and we’d often watch the snow fall in the morning while we were getting ready.
“We’d ski all morning and at lunchtime maybe go to the Crystal Hut where you get these massive waffles with chocolate, whipped cream and banana all over them.
“Most of the lifts start closing at 2.30pm, so we’d often go to après at Black's Pub, where I became obsessed with poutine. If you're looking for something really special, I'd recommend Il Caminetto. I had the lobster and saffron linguini, which was very good.
“In the evenings, Vallea Lumina is a light show where you walk through the woods with all these illuminations and audio. There’s also the Fire & Ice Show where they get really skilled snowboarders and skiers to jump through a ring of fire.
“For skiers who want to really get to know the mountain, I'd recommend Extremely Canadian, who do a ski lesson, and then they take you down all the unknown routes of Whistler. So you get to improve your skiing, but they'll also show you places that you wouldn't take yourself.”
