My Travel Diary: The Magnificent Niagara Falls
Travel recommendations for your trip to Niagara Falls, ON
After recently moving to Toronto, visiting Niagara Falls from the Canadian side was number one on my travel list. I have previously seen the falls from the US side and has been one of my favorite destinations ever since.
My friend and I decided to drive down to Niagara in the evening so we can experience the night view of the falls. As we were searching for parking about 2 miles away from the visitor centre, I saw a huge cloud rise up in the sky. As we approached closer, I realized it was the mist rising from the enormous horseshoe falls.
At dusk, the American Falls and the Horseshoe Falls are transformed by a multi-colored array of light patterns and turn into an artistic masterpiece. This special illumination display features colour palettes and movements inspired by nature, including the sunrise, aurora borealis, rainbow and sunset. The mighty American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls even don the American and Canadian flag colours respectively.
The next morning we decided to take the ‘Journey Behind the Falls’ tour. This tour took us down by 125 feet via elevators. As we walked through the 130-year-old tunnels below the bedrock, we could feel the thunderous vibration of the Horseshoe Falls. The observation deck stands at the foot of this 13-storey-tall wonder. I was breathless at the first view. The mist falls leaves you drenched (thank god for Ponchos!). It was a serene experience standing so close and embracing this natural wonder.
There are various activities around the Niagara Falls area. The 20-minute boat tour offers stunning views of the Niagara Gorge, American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, and the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. For the adventure seekers, a zipline tour is available that takes you on a thrilling ride into the gorge, towards the base of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. The downtown is bustling with vibrant eateries, casinos and gaming parlors.
Our next stop was the ‘Whirlpool Aero Car’. This ride offers beautiful views of the Niagara River while swirling over Niagara Whirlpool with Class 6 rapids. During this ride, due to the structure of the Niagara River, we crossed Canada and the US international border four times!
Due to the time crunch, I couldn't cover all the attractions in and around the Niagara Falls area. I look forward to planning another weekend getaway to this majestic natural wonder!
