Day 2: 11 May 2017, Thursday

Today, our agenda in the morning was a simple but exciting one – to ride the Hornblower Niagara Cruise to get really up close with the Niagara Falls. For breakfast, we popped by the T.G.I.F. restaurant beside our hotel. It was the typical Western breakfast consisting of eggs, toast, bacon, potatoes and pancakes with coffee or tea. We only ordered two mains to share, and added an additional portion of two pancakes. It was a very good breakfast but it wasn’t cheap though.

Using this meal as a sample of the prices here in Canada at a typical diner/restaurant, the two mains (the 2-egg breakfast and the omelette) cost CAD$17.99 each, while the two pieces of pancakes cost CAD$5.99. Coffee and tea were charged additionally at CAD$3.99 each, but it was refillable. On top of that, you have to add a whooping 13% of HST (harmonized sales tax, i.e. consumption tax).

The consumption tax rate varies across Canada but the rate for Ontario is 13%. It is called the harmonized sales tax because it is a combination of the PST (provincial sales tax, which is levied in some provinces) and GST (goods and services tax, a value-added tax by the federal government). Some territories only charge a GST, while the tax rates differ across the different territories as well, so it’s very confusing.

Studying the receipt for this meal at T.G.I.F. more closely now, I just realised that on top of the PST, there is an additional tax slapped onto the bill called NFDF. It doesn’t look like a consumption tax so I just did some research and discovered that it stands for Niagara Falls Destination Fee. Apparently, it is NOT COMPULSORY to pay for it but they just quietly snuck it into the bill.

According to this article and this article, the purpose of the fee is to improve tourism in Niagara Falls. However, it is not clear where the money goes to, with no proper accountability. The NFDF is charged at 8% (not exactly a small amount), and worse still, the 13% HST is being compounded on top of that, so it adds up to a lot. As a result, our T.G.I.F. meal came up to CAD$65.83 (S$68.13) altogether. Not to mention tipping, which is mandatory and typically adds another 10% to 15% on top of the total amount. So eating out is really expensive in Canada, especially at the touristy areas.

I can’t seem to find a definitive word on whether this NFDF is compulsory or not, but if you are visiting Niagara Falls sometime soon, be sure to ask the restaurant beforehand whether they charge the NFDF, and whether it can be waived off or not. If not, you may wish to visit another restaurant instead.

After breakfast, we proceeded to Hornblower Niagara Cruises for the boat ride. We arrived at 9am, just as it opened. There are different opening hours depending on the season, so check the website (click here) for the sailing schedule. By the way, Hornblower is the only boat tour operating from the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls. There is another company called Maid of the Mist but it operates from the USA side of the Niagara Falls. Up until 2014, Maid of the Mist operated on both sides but in 2014, the contract to operate on the Canadian side was awarded to Hornblower Tours. So today, Maid of the Mist refers strictly to the American side only.

The price of an adult ticket for the Hornblower cruise costs CAD$25.95, or CAD$29.32 after 13% tax (S$30.35). The boat departs every 15 minutes (according to the website) and the ride lasts for 20 minutes. We had to go through a security check before going to the landing point to board the boat. Disposable ponchos are provided for free. However, even with the ponchos, be prepared to still get wet from the ride!

The boat was big and it could carry up to 700 passengers. We were one of the first in line so we immediately went to the upper deck to get a good spot. From the departure point, we sailed past the American and Bridal Veils Falls first. As there were rocks at the bottom of the two falls, the water did not cascade down vertically all the way but crashed upon the rocks, creating a huge mist that partially obscured the view of the falls. Even from up close, it was hard to spot the Bridal Veils Falls because it sort of just blended in with the American Falls as one.

As impressive as the two falls were, it was nothing compared to the mighty Horseshoe Falls. As our boat inched ever closer, we could hear the thunderous roar of the falls getting louder and feel the massive power of the water crashing down. At 57m, the Horseshoe Falls is not that tall but it is one of the most voluminous, with about 2,000 tonnes of water flowing over the falls every second. It is simply amazing how much water there is at any given time.

The Horseshoe Falls are so-named because its shape resembles that of a horseshoe, like a giant ‘U’ shape. As we hovered at the centre of the horseshoe, it was like being in the middle of a huge storm, with the winds howling and water spraying everywhere. You could really feel the power of nature right there. The ponchos weren’t of much use as we all got wet from the spray. After about five minutes being in the middle of the “storm”, the boat turned back towards Rainbow Bridge before heading back to the dock. It was a very thrilling experience and we enjoyed it thoroughly. The cruise ride is one of the most touristy things to do, but you definitely have to try it.

After the ride, I originally wanted to do the Journey Behind The Falls but decided against it because we had already gotten up close to the Horseshoe Falls already. The Journey Behind The Falls allows you to descend 150 feet and explore 130-year-old tunnels through the bedrock before emerging at an observation deck near the foot of the falls. It was also quite a way out and time was a bit tight. If you have more time to spare, you can consider getting a Niagara Falls Adventure Pass, which is a package of the most popular attractions in the area.

As we walked back towards our hotel, we stopped at various points to take photos of the colourful and pretty tulips that were in bloom all over the place. We also stopped and to take photos of Niagara Falls whenever there was a new vantage point. The vibe around the area was pleasant and it was a very enjoyable stroll back.

After checking out of the hotel, we took a taxi to the Enterprise office at Stanley Avenue to pick up our rental car. As we were slightly early, our car was not ready yet, so we went to a nearby diner called AlMacs Buffet for lunch. Strangely, there were no “lunch” hours but the breakfast hours were 7am to 2pm, and dinner hours were 3pm to 11pm. The breakfast buffet was much cheaper, at CAD$6.99 (before taxes), so it was good for us. It served the usual toast, hash browns, waffles, bacon, eggs and more. And it was so much cheaper than what we had at T.G.I.F. earlier!

At about 1:30pm, our car was ready for collection. I had booked an SUV because I thought the car boot would be large enough to fit our three big suitcases, but turns out it could only fit two of them, so we still had to place the third luggage on the backseat. If I knew, I could have booked a normal sedan car, which was cheaper. However, after a few days of driving, I would later realise that the SUV was a much better car for driving long distances at high speeds because it was very stable, so it turned out to be a good choice eventually. At about 1:45pm, we set off from Niagara Falls and headed towards our next destination, Toronto, about 130km away.

The cars in Canada are left-hand drive, so it took some time getting used to driving on the opposite side of the road. The SUV was also bigger than the cars I am used to driving, but it was more powerful and very smooth. Before the trip, I had borrowed a Tom Tom GPS navigator from KP, but I had difficulties inputting the correct address location on the Tom Tom so I gave up and used Google Maps on my iPhone instead. Thank goodness for the portable wi-fi router for wireless Internet connection.

After driving for a while, I got used to the car and the driving conditions, even though I tended to drift slightly to my right once in a while. On the expressway, the speed limit is 110km/h but everyone was driving so fast and I had to keep up with them, so I averaged between 120-130km/h most of the time. Once out of the city area, there were much fewer cars so it was easier to drive. The drivers in Canada are also very friendly so it was very safe and I did not feel much pressure while driving.

At 3:15pm, we stopped at the Toronto Premium Outlets for a spot of shopping. It was way better than the Canada One Brand Name Outlets for sure. All the big brands were here – Oakley, Nike, Adidas, Calvin Klein, Levi’s and a lot more. We shopped till 5pm before heading to the city.

Our Airbnb apartment in Toronto is a heritage house overlooking Clarence Square. It took us a while to find the small road leading to the carpark behind the house, and then to figure out where the owner had hidden the key to the apartment. After finally getting it sorted out, we carried our suitcases up two flights of stairs and entered the apartment. I loved it immediately. It was spacious and very well furnished. It also had a large outdoor balcony with a delightful view of CN Tower. A nice place to call home for the next two nights.

Airbnb apartment
Address: 9 Clarence Square Apt 5, Toronto, ON M5V 1H1
Price: S$448 for 2 nights

 

At 8pm, we headed out to check out the neighbourhood and to get some dinner. We didn’t venture very far because it was dark and many of the shops were closing already. We settled on A&W for a simple and cheap dinner before heading back to our apartment at 9:30pm. It was meant to be a relaxing vacation so we just took it easy. End of Day 2, so far so good!