Niagara Falls - feel the rush of the gush

15 September 2022

About 700,000 gallons of water go over Niagara Falls every second. It would have been travesty to visit Toronto and not go to Niagara Falls, considering it is just 90 minutes from downtown. The four of us (together with Maribelle and Edwin) set off with me in the driving seat. In the end, it took us much longer because of the longish stop at an outlet on the way. We also decided to spend the night there and get the full Niagara experience.

Niagara Falls is actually made of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the US. The biggest of the three is Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side where the best views can be had. It is truly a spectacular sight and must be one of the great natural wonders of the world.

We were lucky as the weather was great and it was not too crowded. There are many ways to experience the Falls - you can buy tickets to walk under them, to zipline alongside them or take a boat right up close wearing a mac (as I did and was thoroughly drenched in a deafening roar of water). But the best thrill is to simply stand quietly at the railing and just watch. At night, the Falls are lit up in a dazzling multicolored spectacle.

Less romantic are the hotels, tourist traps and attractions in the rather tacky and overpriced border town around it. Still, that did not deter from the fact that this was a true highlight of our travels. A must-see experience.