Well good old Canada may have provided the inspiration for this website’s title (Don’t Stop Living was stolen from a High School Wall in Toronto back in 2001), but I haven’t been kind on blog posts about Canada, so here’s a post on the incredible Niagara Falls which is one of the Top 3 waterfalls from my travels.
Touring the awesome Niagara Falls in Canada with my family back in 2001.
On our travels, we meet many fellow travellers and always enjoy speaking to them. Often people have been to other parts of the world that we are yet to visit, so we are always keen to hear stories about those areas. Especially, about iconic destinations, like the Niagara Falls, these places are very much on our list, but because they are so popular, visiting them can work out expensive. The more we know before we travel the better our chances are that we will be able to experience them on a low budget.
While I visited the Niagara Falls in 2001, my girlfriend Panny just returned from touring the Canadian – US border for the first time. She hopped back and forth across the border to experience both countries.
The marvellous Niagara Falls in Winter
1. The Canadian and USA Horsehoe falls
Naturally, you should aim to visit it from both sides of the border. If you want a good viewpoint, splash out on a beautiful fallsview hotel. Their rooms have spectacular views of the falls, which makes for some truly stunning photos.
If you are staying on a budget in such a popular tourist destination finding a hotel room with a view is tricky. However, there is plenty of good quality accommodation available close to the falls and many of the hotels regularly offer special deals. You can always backpack if you’re stuck – there are hostels in Niagara (the town) too.
From the sounds of things, you can find deals at any time of the year. Even the big hotels offer them.
Canadian and USA Horseshoe Falls in Winter
2. Unusual Falls Experiences
We were intrigued to know more about the falls themselves and wanted to get up close – so get wet, most of them involved ponchos, which means you get really close to the falls.
3. Playing in the Falls
The Cave of the Winds tour sounds the most exciting. The attraction is so named because there used to be a cave behind the Bridal Veil section of the falls. Today, the cave is gone, destroyed in a rock fall, but a walkway has been built along the front of the falls. You can walk along the walkway and experience the force of the falls close up. The poncho that is provided is essential to keep you dry.
Get up close and personal to the Falls
4. The Maid of the Mist
Popular and epic and not even breaking the bank, the Maid of the Mist is a cool boat tour. Another way to get up close and personal with the falls is to take a trip on the Maid of the Mist. The boat tour begins in the calm waters of the Niagara River and takes you past the Rainbow Bridge, which from the photos we saw, is aptly named. You then travel past the Bridal Veil Falls followed by the American Falls and on into the curved Horseshoe Falls.
5. View the Falls From Above
If you are good with heights, seeing the falls from the observation tower is a great way to get a different perspective.
View the Falls from above
And yes, even if you are on a budget these tours are affordable. You can buy them as a package or just choose one and spend the rest of the time visiting the many free observation points. It’s a cool spot and I hope to backpack in Canada again someday.
Safe travels!