Niagara – not what I expected …

Now tis’ the season to be jolly, and I am here smack bang between Christmas and New Year so I am seeing Niagara at its commercial best.

I guess I thought Niagara would feel a bit more natural and untouched … I knew it would cater for tourists, but I was thinking Sugarloaf not Great Yarmouth pumped up with steroids and throw in some falls, or the Gold Coast in minus 10 with Iguacu in the middle of it, the restaurants are mainly cheap chains and all you can eat buffets, I feel quite sad saying that, but.. that is what it feels like.  If you are after a falls experience I would suggest Iguacu by a long shot....

To ‘do the falls’ takes 1 day max …. I promise ... do not EVER book a holiday just for this ...

If you are planning a trip to the falls and if that is all you want to see .. attach it to a day trip from NYC .. almost every hotel in NY will offer you a two day / 1 night in Niagara, to see the falls this is plenty. I made the mistake of flying NYC (Newark) to Toronto … the falls is 1.5 hours from Toronto and costs circa $120 US to get from Toronto to the falls (average price between bus and cab)..hire a car.. spend a day, then get out and look around ...

So to the falls, the nightly illumination makes it feel quite different from during the day, I visited both times and it felt like a different place, alsoa visit to one of the local greenhouses which was quite spectacular, tour of the tacky Christmas lights and a tour through Dufferin islands (night and day), night to see the lights, day for a different perspective, journey behind the falls which takes you even closer and is quite deafening, (maid of the mist and whirpool cable car not operating).. 

Niagara has a population of 82k, they receive over 5 million visitors a year, tourism since 9/11 has dropped by 76% (americans did not need a passport before then, now they do) ... 75% of tourists are now Korean, Japanese and Chinese and Niagara definitely caters for this.

Pics here .. Niagara falls,  Greenhouse,

Tacky lights, Niagara at night

I really don't know what else to say ...  this has been THE disappointment of the trip.

oooh oooh look at the link on the right - my you tube videos - so you can see Niagara

CBT - x