My TripAdvisor Review No.577: Lonsdale Quay Market, North Vancouver, Canada.

Transit Hub, Market Place And Sightseeing Attraction.

The Lonsdale Quay Market was the most visited place in North Vancouver for us as tourists. Staying at an Air-B&B in North Van we would have to pass through the market to and from Vancouver Downtown. The SeaBus terminal is located at Lonsdale Quay and the local buses are also available at the bus bays on the landed side of the market.

There are many shops inside the indoor market selling gift items, curios, jewelery, clothing and local handicrafts. Most of all we liked the Food Court where we could sample a variety of delicacies from all over the world. We even found an Indian Food restaurant, Halima Grill, where we satisfied our cravings for home-cooked food. We enjoyed some Gelato from Frux Gelato and bought some pastries from a bakery, Ross Crepes and Café.

In the evening we wandered around the quay landing and climbed the Q-side platform tower to enjoy the grand views of the Burrard Inlet waterfront and Vancouver City.

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Date of experience: August 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

My TripAdvisor Review No.576: Club Mahindra, Virajpet, Kodagu, Karnataka.

Our Favourite Club Mahindra Resort.

We have stayed in Club Mahindra Virajpet Resort so often that I am losing count. I think this is the third or fourth time we were visiting. Lets just stay that this has become our favourite resort in the Club Mahindra stable.

As usual we drove down from Bangalore via Mysore, Hunsur, and Gonikoppal and Virajpet town. The last part of the road, about 4 km, was still in a bad condition even though it had been under repairs on our last trip. Again we chose a room overlooking the plantation so that we would be woken up by real bird song, not an alarm bell. At first we were allotted a room overlooking the central walking area facing towards the pool, but since we had arrived early and there were rooms available looking towards the forest, Mr. Sanil who was our guide and is also the musician of the resort, helped us to find one.

Our ac studio room was well furnished with a king size bed and another folding bed. There was an LCD TV, microwave oven, electric kettle, and crockery and cutlery in the dry kitchenette. There is a round dining table with three chairs, and we could rustle up a quick meal with some of the ready to eat food packets we had brought with us. Once we ordered a meal which was delivered to us by their ‘Gourmet Express’. Of course there was the option of two good restaurants as well, one serving buffet (Aromas) and the other ala carte (Coorgenburg). The house keeping service was excellent. There is a nice big swimming pool and a fun-zone with plenty of activities for the kids. There is a gym and spa, and a shop named ‘Wolf-Pack’ where we bought some souvenirs. There are many activities organised for the mornings, and entertainment in the evenings, and one can never get bored even if you don’t go out for sight-seeing.

We enjoyed our stay in Club Mahindra Virajpet. It is more a like place where you can come, switch off your digital devices and just chill out, enjoy the beauties of nature, and go for long walks into the plantations.

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Date of stay: November 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.575: Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge, Vancouver, Canada.

Suspension Bridge Leads Into A Nature Park.

The Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge gains you entry into Lynn Canyon Park for free. It is similar to the Capilano Suspension Bridge but smaller and not so high. But one has to pay to enter the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. The height of the Lynn Bridge is about 50 meters above the canyon bottom.

The bridge is quite narrow and when we stepped on to the bridge and walking along it started shaking and swaying from side to side. So we walked gingerly taking smaller steps. It is best to avoid crossing if there are already too many people on it. It is then difficult to take photographs also when the bridge is shaking.

After crossing the bridge we entered the park which has many trails leading into the forests, streams and pools of the Lynn Valley. One can take a dip in the waters or sit and relax on the boulders in the stream. The forest is densely wooded with a lot of old growth Douglas Firs, Western Hemlock and Western Red Cedar Trees. We sat down on the boulders next to stream and relaxed for a while.

The park is open from 10 am to 5 pm in the summers when we visited.

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Date of experience: August 2019

My TripAdvisor Review No.574: Club Mahindra Cherai Resort, Kerala.

Idyllic Beach Holiday.

We had a very relaxed and idyllic beach holiday at Club Mahindra’s Cherai Beach. Located on Vypin Island just north of Fort Kochi it would be difficult to locate if we did not have Google maps. It is situated on a narrow strip of land between the vast Arabian Sea on the western side and the backwaters in the east. There is sufficient parking space in the resort.

The resort is well spread out with plenty of greenery and palm trees. There are beautiful water bodies inside the resort, which include a swimming pool and a pond where they raise their own fish to be served in the specialty seafood restaurant, ‘Meen Kada’. There were deck chairs around the pool and separate towels provided.

In addition to ‘Meen Kada’, there are two more restaurants, ‘Yavanapriya’ which serves buffet and Malabari cuisine, and ‘Aromi Di Italia’ which serves Italian dishes. There is a Spa and an Activity Centre for the kids both young and grown up. A house boat is on stand-by and can be rented for a pleasure ride on the backwaters.

All the cottages are in Tharavadu style and are heritage structures which give a traditional and classical look to the resort. The rooms are sufficiently large and well maintained with good air-conditioning and soft mattresses and furnishings, a large flat-screen TV, cupboard, tea/coffee maker with sachets provided, a bottle cooler, dressing table, a large bathroom and a sit-out balcony where we enjoyed our morning cuppa. There was no microwave oven though.

The service was very friendly and efficient, and the food was reasonably spicy and tangy. We did not go for the buffet but ordered ala-carte. On the first night we had Appams with the ‘Karimeen Pollichathu’, a fish caught from the pond and slow cooked in banana leaf. “Meen Kadu’ is an open air restaurant with an open kitchen and the fish was prepared in front of us. It was an unique dining experience.

The swimming pool was very clean and well maintained by the enthusiastic pool attendant, Madhav. It was almost like an infinity pool with one side overlooking the backwaters and the houseboat. We would walk out to the beach in the evenings to witness a glowing sunset.

All in all we had a good, relaxing and rejuvenating stay at the Cherai Beach Resort, and would love to visit again.

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Date of stay: December 2019

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

My TripAdvisor Review No.573: Acacia Palms Resort, Colva, Goa.

Friendly Staff Made For A Great Stay.

Acacia Palms Resort at Colva is now affiliated with the Club Mahindra Group, but compared to the other resorts it is relatively small and does not even have parking inside the gates. We had to park in the lot with other cars and cabs, though it was under the watch of the hotel security, so there was no problem. There is no direct access to the beach and we had to walk past a cluster of shops and restaurants for about 5 minutes to get to the seashore. All the rooms here are standard hotel units with an extra convertible sofa to accommodate an extra person.

However, the rooms are sufficiently large and well maintained with good air-conditioning and soft mattresses and furnishings, a large flat-screen TV, cupboard with electronic safe, tea/coffee maker with sachets provided, a large bathroom and a small balcony where we enjoyed our morning cuppa. Our balcony had a sea view since we were on the first floor, but not all the rooms in the resort could boast about a good view. Between the resort and the beach there is a canal and an internal road leading to the beach. There are nice lawns and gardens in the resort and a small swimming pool which was quite well maintained. There were deck chairs around the pool and separate towels provided.

The service was very friendly and efficient, and the food was reasonably tasty though we did not go for the buffet but ordered ala-carte. Whenever the Activity Centre arranged some show by the poolside the restaurant staff laid the tables outdoors so that the diners could enjoy the same. In spite of there being so many nice restaurants around the resorts we decided to dine in and enjoy the Bollywood Nite and the Magic Show Nite.

All in all we had a good relaxing and entertaining stay at Acacia Palms and would love to visit again.

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Date of stay: December 2019

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

My TripAdvisor Review No.572: Lynn Canyon Park, North Vancouver, Canada.

Nature Park With A Suspension Bridge.

We visited the Lynn Canyon Park one afternoon and enjoyed the verdant greenery and forests after crossing the suspension bridge across the Lynn Canyon. We took a public transit bus from the Phibb’s Exchange and it dropped us close to the entrance of the park and the suspension bridge.

The park is a municipal park in North Vancouver, covering the Lynn Valley Forest, and is more than a 100 years old since it was established. The entrance to the park is free. It is densely wooded with a lot of old growth Douglas Firs, Western Hemlock and Western Red Cedar Trees. There are plenty of trails leading into the forest. There are some natural pools of water where we saw youngsters enjoying a swim. The trail was going down towards the pool and was a bit steep. We sat down on the boulders next to stream and relaxed for a while.

There is a Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre near the entrance which displays exhibits about British Columbia’s Natural History and has a small gift shop as well.

The park is open from 10 am to 5 pm in the summers when we visited.

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Date of experience: August 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

My TripAdvisor Review No.571: Steam Clock, Gastown, Vancouver, Canada.

Precision Of Steam.

The Steam Clock of Gastown in Vancouver is an iconic monument of Downtown Vancouver. The clock mechanism is powered by the steam emanating from the grate of the distributed underground steam heating system of Vancouver. It was installed there to prevent people from sleeping on the grate in the cold weather.

We walked in to Gastown from the Waterfront Station to have a look at the clock at the corner of Cambie and Water Streets. As such it is not a very impressive structure, and we almost missed it but for the small crowd standing nearby. It is fascinating to watch when it blows it’s musical whistle and sounds like a hissing Big Ben. We had to wait for some time before it blew and then it was indeed fascinating to watch. Do not get too close to the clock with your cell-phone otherwise you are likely to get a spray of steam on yourself.

The clock itself is not an antique as it was built in 1977, much after the settlement of Gastown, one of the earliest settlements of Vancouver, came into being. But there are very few such steam clocks in existence around the world as their mechanism is not very precise. This one too has an electrical back-up to keep it going. We could see the working mechanism of the clock which was enclosed in a glass casing, and the working was explained briefly on the plaques installed at the base.

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Date of experience: August 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

My TripAdvisor Review No.570: Gastown, Vancouver, Canada.

Good Old Vancouver.

We walked in to Gastown from the Waterfront Station to have a look at the Steam Clock. It is fascinating to watch when it blows it’s whistle and sounds like a hissing Big Ben. We had to wait for some time before it blew so we had a small walk around Gastown.

Gastown is one of the first settlements which gave rise to the city of Vancouver around the 1860s. Since then it has metamorphosed a number of times from a centre for trade and commerce to an area of warehouses to load logs and timber. Later it became the centre for the city’s wholesale produce distribution, and also the centre of the city’s drinking life. After the depression the area went into decline and came to be known as the Skid Row. After the 1970s Gastown has been slowly rehabilitated and now has a number of respectable businesses like fashion and interior décor boutiques, restaurants, nightclubs, bars as well as professional offices of law firms, architects and computer firms, music and art studios and film and acting schools, and a few art galleries. Of course, there are still some areas in Gastown where we saw some destitute people begging or just hanging around the streets. It is best to avoid these areas after late evening.

We enjoyed our short walk and had a good look at some of the old heritage buildings lining the cobbled sidewalks. We then came back to see the most important tourist landmark of Gastown, the Steam Clock doing it’s hourly job.

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Date of experience: August 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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My TripAdvisor Review No.569: Vancouver Harbour Sightseeing Cruise, Canada.

Amazing Cruise Of The Harbour On A Paddle Wheel Boat.

We joined this amazing one hour cruise of the Burrard Inlet and Vancouver Harbor in a paddle wheel boat run by Harbor Cruises. We booked it online to avoid disappointment in case it was full, but on weekdays or for morning cruises one can just turn up at their quayside at Denman Street near Downtown and hop on to their quaint ship. We went for the 12.15 pm cruise. Seniors get a discount on the ticket. Drinks and snacks can be purchased on the ship.

We went up to the top level deck which was open air. There were about 30 other tourists on board which included some Indians, Chinese, Hispanics and some Americans as well. We had plenty of space to move around from one side of the ship to the other, to see the wonderful sights in all directions. The ship chugged along at 6 knots with a paddle wheel type of propeller churning up the water behind. We saw cruise ships, container ships, seaplanes and freighters along the harbor. We got excellent views of Stanley Park, North Shore mountains, Canada Place, Waterfront station and more. We saw harbor seals at one end of the harbor. There was a sulfur factory and the dry docks at the other end. We saw the Sea Bus catamaran ferries going to North Vancouver and back, and innumerable seaplanes taking off and landing on the water.

It was a 1 hour cruise from 12.15 to 1.15 pm, and we enjoyed it immensely.

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Date of experience: August 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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My TripAdvisor Review No.568: TransLink SeaBus, North Vancouver, Canada.

Short Ferry Ride To North Vancouver.

The TransLink SeaBus is the quickest way to cross the Burrard Inlet between Waterfront Station at Vancouver Downtown, and Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. These are passenger-only ferries and there were two of them in service when we took a ride in one of them. They are actually oval shaped catamarans that do not need to turn around at the quay. They generally operate at 15 minute intervals during peak hours, and do the crossing in about 11 to 12 minutes.

They are part of the integrated public transit system of metro Vancouver, and we used our Compass Card Day Pass to board the ferry from Waterfront Station after alighting from a SkyTrain, and again to catch another bus from the Lonsdale Quay bus station. So we traveled seamlessly from the Vancouver International Airport to our lodgings in North Vancouver, using the SkyTrain, SeaBus and motor bus, and reached our destination in an hour and a half.

The views of the harbor from the ferry are incredibly beautiful, especially in the evenings around sunset. Lonsdale Quay on the North Shore is a tourist destination by itself, with a lot of shops and restaurants at the landing area.

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Date of experience: August 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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My TripAdvisor Review No.567: Canada Line, Vancouver.

YVR Airport To Downtown In Quick Time.

We used the Canada Line of the metro SkyTrain quite a number of times to get from Vancouver Downtown to the International Airport (YVR). It is a very convenient form of transport even if you have just arrived on a flight and are loaded with luggage which you can handle by yourself. There are elevators and escalators at all the stations so that you do not even have to lift up your wheeled luggage which you would have to do to put it in the boot of a cab. The metro station is within the airport itself and volunteers will guide you if you cannot find it yourself.

There is an additional fare to be paid (CAD$5) if you are boarding the train at the International Airport or at Sea Island Centre or Templeton Stations, but the same is not applicable if you are coming to the Airport from Downtown, or if you are using a Pass. One can buy a single use ticket or a pre-loaded Compass Card which one can load as a Day Pass or Monthly Pass or any stored value from the Compass Vending Machines located at all the SkyTrain stations or some select London Drug Stores.

The Canada Line has blue coaches which look very attractive. They are driverless and run very smoothly over the tracks. Much of the journey is underground. We had a very good experience of using the SkyTrain, especially the Blue Line in Vancouver.

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Date of experience: August 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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My TripAdvisor Review No.566: SkyTrain, Vancouver, Canada.

Fast And Cost Effective Way To Travel.

The SkyTrain of Vancouver Metro is a very quick and cost effective way to zoom through the city. It covers many parts of the city and the outskirts including the International Airport, Richmond, Surrey, Burnaby, Langley, Coquitlam, Port Moody and Maple Ridge among other places.

SkyTrain cuts through the traffic of Vancouver, and even if you have luggage it is very easy to board a skytrain as there are elevators and escalators at all the stations so that you do not even have to lift up your wheeled luggage which you would have to do to put it in the boot of a cab. We did use the skytrain instead of a cab to and from the International Airport and the Pacific Central Rail Station a couple of times.

One can buy a single use ticket or a pre-loaded Compass Card which we can load as a Day Pass or Monthly Pass or any stored value from the Compass Vending Machines located at all the SkyTrain stations or some select London Drug Stores. There are other convenient ways to buy and reload Compass Cards including at the two BC Ferry terminals in Vancouver, as well as the online method for reloading. We paid a deposit of CAD$6 for a Compass Card which got refunded to our credit card account after returning to India. We used the card for buying Day Passes on a couple of occasions.

While buying a ticket one must keep in mind that the city is divided into 3 zones for the purpose of fare calculation. This is shown on a screen at the ticket vending machine. If you are crossing from one zone to another the fare is higher. So have a look at this screen before buying your ticket otherwise the gate will not open when you try to tap out. Keep your ticket with you till you have exited the last SkyTrain station of your destination.

We had a very good experience of using the SkyTrain to get from point A to point B and toured Vancouver by the buses, Skytrain, and even the SeaBus ferry service.

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Date of experience: August 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

My TripAdvisor Review No.565: TransLink - Metro Vancouver, Canada.

Integrated Transit System

TransLink is responsible for the various modes of transportation in Metro Vancouver. It encompasses the buses, the Skytrain, the West Coast Express, and the SeaBus. All transit fare holders are permitted unlimited transfers within a 90 minute period on a bus or the SkyTrain or the SeaBus.

As tourists to the city of Vancouver it took us some time to understand the System and how it operates, but once we started following it we found out why it is known to be one of the best and most efficient transit systems in the world. The website of TransLink was very helpful in our trip planning to get from one place in Vancouver to any other place within the city and it’s outskirts.

When we boarded a bus we could either pay with the exact coin change, CAD$3, or a contactless credit card, but not with currency notes or debit cards. One could buy a pre-loaded Compass Card which we could load as a Day Pass or Monthly Pass or any stored value from the Compass Vending Machines located at the SkyTrain or SeaBus stations or some select London Drug Stores. There are other convenient ways to buy and reload Compass Cards including at the two BC Ferry terminals in Vancouver, as well as the online method for reloading. We paid a deposit of CAD$6 for a Compass Card which got refunded to our credit card account after returning to India. We used the card for buying Day Passes on a couple of occasions.

We had a very good experience of using the Public Transit System and toured Vancouver by the buses, Skytrain, and even the SeaBus ferry service to take us across the Burrard Inlet from Downtown Vancouver to the North Shore at Lonsdale Quay.

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Date of experience: August 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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My TripAdvisor Review No.564: Vancouver Seawall, Stanley Park, Canada.

Great Way To Spend Time In Vancouver.

Stanley Park is the largest urban park in Vancouver city, and must be the most visited tourist spot in Vancouver. It is bordered on all sides by the well known Seawall which has a length of about 9 km around the park.

As we walked along the path from near the public transit bus loop to the Prospect Point we were treated to many exquisite sights along the Coal Harbor section. We could see many take-off and landings of the ubiquitous sea planes. There were huge cargo ships stationed in the harbor. We saw a couple of local fishermen catch a small shark in their net. There is a lighthouse near Prospect Point, and a panoramic view of the Lion’s Gate Bridge spanning the Burrard Inlet to the harbor.

It can take up to 2 or 3 hours to walk the full perimeter of the seawall around the seawall, but one can also do the wall by bicycle, and these are available for hire at many outlets near the park. Some people were jogging and others roller skating.

All in all, a visit to Stanley Park is a must if you are a tourist in Vancouver, and even if you are a resident, the park and the seawall are great ways to exercise and spend some quality time in the fresh air.

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Date of experience: August 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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My TripAdvisor Review No.563: Prospect Point Lighthouse, Vancouver, Canada.

Historical Lighthouse.

The Prospect Point Lighthouse is a historical landmark of Stanley Park. It was established in October 1888, just four days after Stanley Park was opened. Three months earlier, on July 25, 1888, the steamship ‘Beaver’ had slammed into Prospect Point. The current lighthouse, established in 1948 is a square pyramidal cement tower painted white with a single red horizontal stripe.

We visited the lighthouse while hiking along the seawall to Prospect Point. The entry to the tower was closed, but we got great views of the stunning surroundings of the harbor and the Lion’s Gate Bridge spanning the Burrard Inlet.

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Date of experience: August 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

My TripAdvisor Review No.562: Stanley Park, Vancouver, Canada.

Iconic Landmark Of Vancouver.

Stanley Park is the largest urban park in Vancouver city, and must be the most visited tourist spot in Vancouver. It is a gigantic park covered with huge old growth trees and plenty of natural greenery. It is bordered by a 5.5 km circular sea-wall and trail running around it and hugely popular as a cycling, roller blading, swimming, jogging and walking destination.

There are a lot of small gardens and attractions like the aquarium, lighthouse, beaches, small lakes, totem poles, a mini railway, jungle trails, beaches and a few restaurants and cafes inside the park. In fact, as we found out, one day is not enough to explore the entire park really well. We walked from the Bus Loop to the Beaver Lake and further to the Prospect Point Lookout part of the way via the Sea-wall, and spent more than an hour and a half admiring the beautiful views.

We would love to come back here if and when we visit Vancouver again.

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Date of experience: August 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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My TripAdvisor Review No.561: BC Ferries (Tsawwassen), British Columbia, Canada.

Another Scenic Voyage Across The Strait Of Georgia.

BC Ferries are the best forms of transport to get from the mainland to places on Vancouver Island and other smaller islands on the west coast of British Columbia. This time we did the sailing from Duke Point at Nanaimo to Tsawwassen which is south of Vancouver compared to Horseshoe Bay, which is north of Vancouver. This voyage is a bit longer than the Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay trip and takes about two hours.

We boarded the early morning sailing of the MV Queen of Alberni which is an old vessel of 1976 vintage and has been through quite a few mishaps. On board they have the ‘Coastal Café’ cafeteria which serves good burgers and sandwiches, a gift and souvenir shop, a video arcade, clean washrooms which can be accessed by the disabled as well, elevators and a lot of free tourist literature on deck. It can carry 295 cars and 1200 passengers and crew.

Foot passengers do not need to book in advance and can simply walk on after buying the ticket at the terminal. Oversize luggage can be checked in before boarding with no extra charges. Vehicles generally have to be booked in advance and there is a long queue of cars waiting to board the ferry.

Once on board we relaxed in the comfortable chairs on the upper level deck and enjoyed the views from the broad glass windows. One can go up to the sun deck for better views and the cold breeze in your hair, and one can take better pictures from there.

Refreshments are readily available on the ferries, and the regular passengers would rush to queue up for the tasty meals on board. One can buy a hot meal as listed on the menu or simply go for the snacks like burgers, sandwiches, pastries or chips in the racks. Cold drinks, tea and coffee are available on tap.

Washrooms are clean and well stocked with liquid soap, tissue and napkins. There are some work stations, a video arcade, kids playroom, gift and souvenir shop and racks from where you can pick up free tourist literature.

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Date of experience: June 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC