CANADA TORONTO DESTINATIONS


w NIAGARA FALLS No trip to Toronto would be complete without a visit to Niagara Falls. At an hour and a half’s drive away, it’s easily accessible, and it’s also nicely commissionable, thanks to tours offered by ticketing providers including Do Something Different and Attraction World. Every minute, the equivalent of six million bathtubs of water crash over the falls’ three sections: the American, Bridal Veil and Horseshoe Falls. Admiring it all from the platforms above was every bit as spectacular as I’d imagined, with luminescent blue water rolling mesmerisingly over the edge, thundering down in incomprehensibly powerful torrents, while a bright rainbow pierced through puffs of ethereal mist. A host of family-friendly attractions


built around the falls makes it something of a theme park. Most exhilarating was the 20-minute Hornblower cruise, which took us almost directly beneath two of the falls and had me drenched so much from the spray I looked like I’d just rafted the thing. Despite the squeals, it’s definitely worth recommending, with prices from £14 for adults and £9 for children (under-fives go free); open April 1 to November 30. Equally impressive was Journey Behind the Falls, a series of underground stone tunnels built in the 1800s from which visitors can watch the water tumble, surrounded by thunderous sounds and atmospheric vibrations (from £7 for adults and £5 for children aged six to 12).


FIND OUT MORE


l batashoe museum.ca


l cntower.ca l mariposa cruises.com l niagara parks.com l ripley


aquariums.com l rom.on.ca


There’s also the MistRider Zipline, which takes you whizzing over the water at 40mph during a 35-second thrill with panoramic views (from £33). But for those wanting to go all out,


suggest a helicopter ride. Niagara Helicopters’ 12-minute Classic Tour isn’t cheap (£79 per adult, walk-in only) but it is extraordinary, with


Tried & Tested CHELSEA HOTEL, TORONTO


ABOVE: Toronto


harbour cruise BELOW:


Niagara Falls


The biggest hotel in Canada, with more than 1,500 rooms and 26 floors, the Chelsea is something of a labyrinth. But once you’ve got your bearings it’s a big box-ticker, with a hard-to- beat location just off Yonge Street in the heart of downtown and facilities including a health club, indoor pool, kids’ centre, casual restaurant and


cocktail bar. Rooms are comfortable with excellent views over downtown and its surrounding skyscrapers, and the renowned Eaton Centre – North America’s busiest shopping mall – is just a five-minute stroll away. Book it: Rooms at Chelsea Hotel Toronto start at £101 a night. chelseatoronto.com


miniature flashes of emerald-green water unfolding below, so small and perfect-looking it didn’t quite feel real – which took me back to dangling off the edge of the CN Tower. It seems there’s something about Toronto and its surroundings that brought out my head for heights, and I won’t be forgetting either in a hurry.


19 April 2018 travelweekly.co.uk 47


PICTURES: TOURISM TORONTO; ONTARIO TOURISM MARKETING PARTNERSHIP CORPORATION


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