visiting nigara fall in US/. cananda

[song]

Hi clubsnapper,

i would be visitng nigara fall in 2 weeks time. I need advise as to where and what to do there? of course, would like to know where is the best position to shoot nice pic? Cananda side vs US side?

in addition, any recommendation for accomodations?

what other places do i need to visit for good pictures?

by the way , would 2.5 day or 3.5 days be ok duration to stay ?

thanks
song

 

[yehosaphat]

Canada site has the better view. Jus abt few hrs drive from toronto IIRC. Was there few years back but it was in winter... dam cold so nv really did have a chance to shoot so just enjoyed the view

 

[Mountainlight]

Last visited umpteen years ago, and Canada side has a better view. During the day, if your wide angle can't take in the whole scene, use a tripod and take a series to stitch a panorama later in software. Quite spectacular. If you intend to ride the Maid of the Mist, make sure you waterproof your gear (lots of plastic bags!) or use a waterproof compact and leave the SLR in the hotel/car.

Certain nights/times of the year, they light up the falls with colored light, creating an eerie (but cool) glow to the falls and mist. Not sure if they still do that. Bring a good tripod out at night, or better yet a clamp-pod thingy so you can clamp your gear to the railing for long exposures. If you're unlucky someone might bump your tripod and mess up your photos, or worse, send your gear into the falls! Then again if someone starts shaking the railing, you'll have the same problem.

Oh, and dress warm. After several 30 sec exposures at f8-f22, I could hardly control my fingers to change camera settings (this was manual film cameras back then...). Come to think of it, I was using a mechanical camera back then, I have a feeling any battery operated camera won't last long in -20 Celsius temperatures!

Be prepared and have fun.

 

[qing02051981]

Hi clubsnapper,

i would be visitng nigara fall in 2 weeks time. I need advise as to where and what to do there? of course, would like to know where is the best position to shoot nice pic? Cananda side vs US side?

in addition, any recommendation for accomodations?

what other places do i need to visit for good pictures?

by the way , would 2.5 day or 3.5 days be ok duration to stay ?

thanks
song

You can walk over to either side. Canada and US are just linked via a bridge. Buy a all ride coupon booklet so you can visit all rides and take all the picture you want.

The Cave of the wind and the Maid of the Mist is really exciting!

Its fun, so enjoy your stay there!!!

 

[guanlim]

Stayed in Toronto for 6 years. Definitely the Canada side offers better view, depending on you embarkation point, the crossing of immigration can be a real pain in ass. Maid of the Mist is a must take, though be careful in water proofing your gear.

The casino is pretty good too.

 

[song]

what is the problem with immigration? i am flying into buffulo from JFK. do you all suggest i stay in the cananda side? any budget hotel to recommend?

 

[TheStig]

what is the problem with immigration? i am flying into buffulo from JFK. do you all suggest i stay in the cananda side? any budget hotel to recommend?

I used to live in Seattle and often went to Vancouver for sightseeing and shopping (before the CAD$ appreciated). The officers in the immigration office at the border can be real a$$holes. The wait was long, especially since my friends who traveled with me required some kind of special registration thingy (We're Indonesians). Tourists shouldn't have that kind of problem, though, especially if you're a Singaporean (Singapore has good relationships with Canada and US). Unless of course if you bring stuff that are prohibited (like too many duty free cigarettes, like we once did lol).

And yes, the view from the Canada side is much more beautiful. My friend went there before, and he showed me his pics. I went to Niagara Falls before, but at the US side only. There was nothing much to see besides the waterfalls. At the Canadian side, there's a tower and if I'm not mistaken, even casinos. When I went there, the falls were lighted with different colors, like red, green, and blue. It was beautiful. Reading this thread makes me wanna go back there and take pics now that I've learned how to do it properly :bsmilie:

My suggestion is, bring a tripod. It's a must! And remote shutter release too. The wind was kinda strong when I went there. You may have to hang your camera bag to the tripod to add weight lol. When I went there in 2003, the only camera I had was the Sony T1. It died on me during that trip :bsmilie:

 

[guanlim]

what is the problem with immigration? i am flying into buffulo from JFK. do you all suggest i stay in the cananda side? any budget hotel to recommend?

Canadian immigration are usually okay. Problem is with the US side. Since you are crossing by land, Singapore passports on the Visa Waiver Program might have to subject to some charges if you are crossing back to the States. At least that's what I had to go through during my times 5 years ago. Just stay calm and keep a pleasant smile if you run into one of the nasty one.

There are plenty of motels and hotels in the area. If you have extra time to spare and are into wines, check out the vineyards. They are only about 30 minutes drive away.

 

[song]

wineyard at which side? cananda or US. Actually i will be flying in from JFK into buffalo. do you guys suggest i straight away cross to Cananda side and book a motel there? i have 4 days there. on google maps, i see only hotel around the area. any website to book motel around the area on both US and cananda side?

 

[buddha baby]

you can take the 'greyhound' from buffalo to city of niagara falls (canada), & book at the budget motel like marriots' residence inn ...http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/iagcy-courtyard-niagara-falls/
the maid of the mist, i'm sure its ceased operations by now...
the fireworks is during the 'winter festival of lights'...usually in november yearly...

if you have time, you should also do the trekking in the usa side, before going to the canada side...the trekking may just produce good pics too!

i can pass you some old brochures i had (canada's niagara falls)....

 

[guanlim]

Vineyard is at the Canada side. There are at least a dozen different winery there. Inniskillin is famous for its ice wine. If you want to try something different, You can try the bed and breakfast listed on this site.

Since you have 4 days to spare, you can consider renting a car and pop by Toronto. 90 minutes per trip driving at 100km/h. Try not to drive during peak hour though, QEW highway is not fun during rush hour. CN Tower is a good place to take photos. Don Valley park offers good view for maple leafs during autumn time. A restaurant in Korean town serves the best :thumbsup:Gam Ja Tang(Pork Bone Stew) in the world, including Korea, according to my Korean mates.

I didn't know that maid of the mist has ceased operation. Where did you get the info? The website is still up though.

I don't know how interesting Buffalo is as I have only drove through that area en route to New York or Boston.

 

[buddha baby]

I didn't know that maid of the mist has ceased operation. Where did you get the info? The website is still up though.


i mean, its closed for winter....

 

[rnb65p]

I didn't know that maid of the mist has ceased operation. Where did you get the info? The website is still up though.

The Maid of the Mist closes during the winter time because of ice.

This is from the website: The boats are currently scheduled to run from October 4 to October 25 from 9:45am to 4:45pm.

 

[raydio]

You are so lucky!!! I am sure that you will thoroughly enjoy your trip to Niagara Falls. You are also going at a time that is less expensive when the summer tourists have left and hotels are looking for customers.

I am a Canadian citizen and I used to live only an hour from Niagara Falls in a Toronto suburb called Mississauga. I used to go to Niagara Falls fairly often. Here are some suggestions that I have to make your trip more pleasant:

1. Make a bee-line to the Canadian side. Most of the sites and hotels are located there. There is very little to see on the American side and you will find yourself going through the border often. The border crossings can be tedious as it is Canada/USA's busiest crossing. Ques can be excessively long.

2. The temps this time of year can be cool during the day (12 to 20) and quite cold at night (0 to 10). Bring some warm clothing.

3. Sights to see in Niagara Falls: Skyon Tower, Minolta Tower, various casinos, Clifton Hill (great to photograph at night, Marine Land, local winery's (they offer tours and free samples), museums, bird aviary, butterfly aviary, white water rafting (not an exhaustive list). You will not be able to see everything is just 4 days... so pick the ones you want to see and focus on those. This is the official tourism website which will provide you with a comprehensive list of must-see sites and will help you to find a hotel/motel room: http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/.

4. I would also highly recommend driving to Niagara-on-the-Lake which is just 20 minutes away by car. It is a very picturesque town and you will find much to photograph there. Very beautiful!

5. If budget is a concern, I would recommend booking into a motel about 15 to 20 minutes walk from the falls. There are many of them and at this time of the year, should be reasonably priced. There are also hundreds of restaurants at all price points with foods from all over the world. Please note that there are "authentic" Chinese restaurants as opposed to "North America" Chinese restaurants.

6. Since you only have 4 days, I will not recommend places to see in Toronto (only 1-1/2 hours away). However, if you want to see the "fall colours" which can be spectacular at this time of the year, then I would encourage you to drive 2 hours north towards a small village called Belfountain. Here is the village website: http://www.belfountain.ca/. The leaves would have fallen by the end of October. Best time to see is between the 1st and 3rd weeks of October.

Sorry to make this so long. Enjoy your trip!

 

[s3ntient]

I'm so jealous! I'm stuck here in Singapore as I have to complete my internship. )):

Can you like smuggle me in your luggage through the customs pls!

 

[2evans]

Canada side of the falls for sure. If you look online or at postcards, all the photos are from the Canadian side. One thing, if it's windy, you'll get a lot of spray even standing at the top, which can get pretty chilly. Went on a tour at the Inniskillin winery. Very nice little winery and the guide was very nice. It has an interesting story behind it.

Oh, do make sure you fill out that online travel form for the US before flying.

 

[kreative_expression]

Hi,

I live in Canada about 1 hr away and will be going there this weekend. I agree with what raydio has said. There are cheap deals now at motels near the Falls. The deals are usually listed in the saturday Toronto Star travel section, you can check the paper online. It would be good to rent a car and go to Niagara on the lake and also some of the nearby wineries. There is also an old wood fort near there to check out.
Get ready for wet and cool weather!
Good luck!

 

[song]

fsfsdfsdfsfdsfs