Gransville Island is a small enclosed island peninsula accessible via link-way bridges and has a rather industrial looking setting given its industrial and manufacturing past. Today, it is a Vancouver tourism and entertainment hotspot, though you may notice a couple of remnant industries like a concrete mixing plant still operating in the area. Notable shops includes Granville Island Public Market, home to a marketplace serving fresh produce, meats, vegetable sand flowers, as well as the speciality stores devoted to brooms and umbrellas.
Volunteers do daily tours just check out the Vancouver “Foodie” Tours. In all, the place is good for 2-3 hours and a recommended place for a lunch meal and walk-about for the afternoon, but do note that the place is still largely a tourist trap and things here are relatively expensive, also considering that this is the heart of affluent Vancouver and also home to the Granville Island Marina.
Richmond night market
Cosmopolitan Vancouver has plenty to offer from each of its ethnic groups, a staple Asian event will be the annual Richmond Night Market. Richmond is home to one of the largest concentration of Asian population in Vancouver, the market is held through the summer months, is opened only on weekends till late and closes mid-Oct during the winter months. It is within a walking distance from Bridgeport Skytrain Station and near River Rock Casino Canada in Richmond.
Richmond night market 180 degree panorama
It is large similar to the travelling Pasar Malam (Malay for Night market) you get in Singapore. First held in 2000, Richmond Night Market had over 400 booths selling mostly Asian cuisine, merchandise, and entertainment. A large rubber ducky greets you are the entrance of the night market, with a pirate style taking nuances to the in the Anime “One-piece”, kiddy areas. Entry is $2.50 CAN a pop into the enclosed market and parking is free. Wares of the trade here includes a combination of typical Asian goods such as hand phone cases, accessories, clothing, stage performances, carnival game stores and there are even stores devoted to knives and BB guns. As Asian wares are considered exotic imports here in Canada, prices of things sold here are on average 2-3 times more expensive than the night markets in Singapore.
The highlight of the market will have to be the food. The selection is excellent too- Japanese ramen, Taiwanese hawker food (sweet candy, sauages, etc), and an intentional flair of German pork knuckles, Indian roti-prata, baby lobsters/seafood grills to name a few. You can even get Durian and Durian pudding at the market, but one frozen seed will set you back $6 CAN a pop. No Ramly burgers here though! There are several spin-off of common foods we know too, such as giant Takoyaki balls, fancy repackaging of potato sticks known as “Rotatos” and smoking drinks served with dry ice.
Typical dinner here with items from 3-4 food stores can set you back a reasonable $20-25 per person on average. The market overall is one of the must-see when you are in Vancouver, it’s a adaptation of what we love most about open night markets into a highly commercial western setting. But don’t expect to find anything too fascinatingly different from the markets in Singapore.
Next: Nature in Vancouver, Stanley Park, Lynn Valley and Cyprus Peak.
View more photos of Gransville Island and Richmond night market.
