Travelers consider this coastal Canadian city a port of call, not only because of its downtown but also for its surrounds. Bidisha Bagchi explores the metropolis' heart and outlying areas.

Our cruise ship anchored at Canada Place in Vancouver. We had loads of energy left for the next two days in Vancouver, which is a hot tourist spot mainly because of its proximity to the Canadian Rockies, its own gorgeous landscapes and, of course, as one of the prime ports of departure for all Alaskan cruises.

Stanley Park is recommended by anyone who has visited the city.

It's a huge area comprising gardens, landmarks, monuments, sculptures, totem poles and the brilliantly blue waterfront.

One can spend a whole day in the park and even visit at different hours to experience its splendor. That's what we did. Luckily, our hotel was near the park, so we could walk to it.

We woke up to a cold morning on our first day in Vancouver. Torrential rain lashed the windowpanes.

We wondered how long we should wait for the rain to stop. But the hotel concierge had plenty of umbrellas to lend to visitors like us, who wanted to go out.

The moment we hit the road, the heavy rain turned into a drizzle.