This week’s “Top Ten Tuesdays” comes to us from the beautiful Canadian provence of Ontario. Having been on my “to visit” list for quite a while I came to really appreciate this post and I hope you can enjoy it too! As usual, this post is filled with loads of great ideas so get out your travel planner and take some notes!
Niagara Falls
The largest waterfall in the world is passed over by a staggering 168,000 cubic meters of water per second. Simply watching the phenomenon of this much water cascading up to 34 meters from the crest is simply mesmerising. Go upriver and hop onto one of the many pleasure boats that ply the mighty Niagara River.
Whale Watching
Head to Hudson Bay and enjoy a thrilling encounter with one of nature’s most charismatic creatures, the Beluga Whale. This marine animal spends most of its summers in this beautiful part of the world. These ten meter-long, seven ton mammals are a joy to behold and thankfully their population is stable enough to make them a common sight.
Pukaskwa National Park
Incredible vistas of the largest fresh water lake in the world, Lake Superior, the ancient forests of the Canadian Shield and total of 1878 square kilometre of timeless landscape are here to experience in this national treasure of a park. Visitors can spot black bears, caribous, snowshoe hare and even – and if they are very lucky – the elusive lynx.
CN Tower
Canada’s most iconic building is over half a kilometre tall which provides views from the top that on a clear day allows visitors to see up to 160 kilometres away. The 360 Restaurant caters for the view and the tastes of its clientele – as well as a superb fine dining experience the entire restaurant rotates once every 72 minutes, just enough time for a three course meal.
Blue Mountain Ski Resort
Ontario’s largest mountain is home to one of the most developed and best catered for resorts for both snowboarders and skiers in the country. For those who want to take things at a more leisurely pace, but still want to make use of the spectacular setting it is also possible to make use of the world-class golfing facilities.
Waterfront trail Lake Ontario
Over 900 kilometres of paths ring the jewel in the province, Lake Ontario. Whichever mode of transport you choose, whether it’s walking, bicycling or even skating the incredible opportunities for exploring the diverse landscape is not to be missed. Don’t forget to try boating on the lake while there.
Algonquin Park
The countries’ oldest natural park is 7,500 square kilometres of vast and largely unspoilt land. A trip here is rightly billed as the ultimate Canadian wilderness experience. Camp out and experience the traditional Canadian way to get around, by dog sled. But if you fancy a stroll into the mountains, make sure you strap on the snow shoes first.
Visit the Muskoka region
Muskoka is located roughly two hours north of Toronto by car, and is the perfect adult playground. Muskoka is home to numerous small villages and the area is known for fishing, boating, sailing, and water skiing in the warm months and snow skiing and snowmobiling in the winter. The area also has multiple spas and places to kick back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
Georgian Bay
The world’s largest freshwater archipelago and over 30,000 islands cover this area of exquisite natural beauty. Parry Sound is the most famous island and the most settled. It hosts the annual Festival of Sound in these outstanding natural surroundings.
Black Creek Pioneer Village
Have you ever wondered how the Eighteenth Century pioneers survived harsh winters and sweltering summers to settle the huge landmass that is Canada? Then learn all about it at the centre where the pioneer lifestyle is authentically recreated in impressive historical detail.
If you want to know more, visit mydestination.com/ontario
This post is by Leon Levy. Leon is a British writer specialising in travel, the environment and current affairs. He has a particular interest in the Middle East and South Asia. The content and photos of this post are not the property of BackpackingWorldwide.com but are used with permission.