Catoro Cat Cafe

 

If you enjoy the company of cats but can't have a pet at home, a Cat Cafe is the perfect place to visit. Catoro Cafe in Vancouver has been around for about 6 years and provides a cozy place for the cats. 

The staff work hard to get the rescue cats ready to find their future families. They are knowledgeable about all the kitties, telling us about the cats preferences and personalities. 

You can book your 50min visit to the Cat Cafe on their website up to a month before your planned visit. Anything later and you can contact the cafe for help to book.

When you arrive, you can take shoes off and borrow one of the cafe's slippers. The staff will explain the rules and will show you around and give you a nice introduction.

The cats are usually adopted out after a few weeks, which means the cats you see during your visit will likely be gone if you visit the next month. 

The cafe, unfortunately, doesn't have snacks but they do have Bubble Tea, which you can order when you arrive! They will bring it to you inside the cat area. Just be careful to watch your drink. The cats can be curious!

There are cat toys to play with and some of the cats really enjoyed the attention. A few were sleepy and the staff will let you know which ones prefer to be petted only on their head or left alone entirely. 

Kids 5 and up are allowed in the Cat Cafe but they need to visit with an adult. 

The cafe also has some souvenirs at the front and hosts different events like movie nights!

If you're in need of some cat therapy, looking to adopt a new furry friend or just want to spend some time with the cats, visit Catoro Cat Cafe! We had a good experience and enjoyed our time with the cats!

Don't forget your snacks!

Catoro Cafe

666 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5T 1X6

Check out their website for more info.

Tanabata Japanese Market Festival

Free outdoor festivals with shopping, food, even kids activities, this is what Summer is about! The Tanabata or "Japanese Star Festival" Market took place in Burnaby recently and we enjoyed our experience. 

The Family-friendly Japanese Market was located over the lawn and inside the Nikkei Museum and Cultural Centre. 

We enjoyed checking out the various vendors. The Craft market and Flea market area indoors had everything from second hand items, soap, candles, traditional Japanese formal wear and jewelry.

The market featured a number of Food vendors too. Most of them were Japanese small local businesses offering delicious Japanese food and desserts, like Secret Ice Cream, Wa-Bagel, Rice Bowl Association and eF & Be Bakery. We enjoyed discovering new local and indie places!

It wasn't possible to try just one thing! We appreciated that there was an indoor eating area for older people or kids. Festival goers could sit inside to take a break from the heat at the tables and chairs. 

The Kids Corner offered some Origami crafts like making ninja stars. The staff at the kids tent were very patient with the kids! 

There were also some performances at the stage indoors!

We enjoyed our visit to the Tanabata Market which celebrated its 25th year this year! We are looking forward to the next one.

Don't forget your snacks!

Tanabata Market 

Check out their website for more info.

Noah's Cafe Japanese Tapas Bar

Open at 5pm daily, Noah's Cafe on Denman Street in Vancouver offers Japanese style tapas and has a nice cocktail list for the perfect Happy Hour or dinner 🍻 

We enjoyed a few different dishes and the staff was friendly and recommended various items. 

Our favorites were the Negitoro Foccaccia and Tuna Tataki!

Portion sizes vary so it's nice to get a few items to share.

We definitely recommend getting a dessert to share. The Chestnut cheesecake with Amaretto foam and Earl grey ice cream was soo delish.

We also enjoyed the Japanese cocktails! 

There is window seating and a few tables. Be sure to make a reservation as it can busy. No outdoor seating available and it did get warm in the restaurant. 

Drinks, food and dessert, there is a lot to try at Japanese Tapas Bar Noah's Cafe. We really enjoyed our visit!

Don't forget your snacks!

Noah's Cafe

1096 Denman St, Vancouver, BC V6G 2M8

Check out their website for more info

Serita Beach Hotel Crete

At Serita Beach Hotel & Spa in Crete, guests receive great customer service as soon as they arrive!

We were served welcome drinks when checking in and they helped us with our all-inclusive wristbands. They also helped with our luggage and took us to the room. The room had a balcony and faced the pool area.

Whether asking about towels, the restaurant, or printing a document, if we had any questions we could ask at reception and everyone was helpful.

The little ones enjoyed the kids club and they did crafts, games, even some water activities since it was so hot.

Parents could enjoy some spa time while kids were busy having fun as well. They did offer massages but unfortunately, there wasn't a Spa sauna or hot tub. 

Staff all around the resort especially the Waffle and Crepe bar were friendly and welcoming. Such a great idea to have a Creperie and Waffle station open till late for guests looking for snacks!

For pools, there are a few different pools at the hotel. A kids pool, the water slide and two main pools. They are open 9am-6pm with lifeguard. People swam outside of this time and this was fine. The hotel doesn't rope off the area. 

Bathrooms are available in the main lobby area and next to the snack bar down by the pool. 

There is one a la carte restaurant that all guests can reserve for a night otherwise you dine at the main restaurant for buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We had a variety of options at the buffet but mostly only had lunch and dinners there. It was nice that breakfast was on until 10:00am so you could sleep in if you needed. We skipped breakfast a few times.

It's possible to walk along the waterfront from the hotel for a morning walk. There are a few souvenirs shops and restaurants. There is beach access but not much sand to sit and water could be wavy. 

After checking out, they said we can put our luggage in the luggage room then still have lunch, get a drink, use the pools, enjoy the resort like an all-inclusive guest. That was a pleasant surprise and very appreciated.

We really enjoyed our time at Serita Beach Hotel & Spa! It's especially great for a family getaway. If you're in the Northern area of Crete looking for an all-inclusive option, check out the Serita Beach Hotel & Spa.

Don't forget your snacks!

Serita Beach Hotel & Spa

Beach Road, Anissaras 700 14, Greece

Check out their website for more info.