Solo Toronto | Guest Blog Post Series
/So I’ve done something slightly different. I participated in my own guest blog post series. This is not to say that there won’t be an official blog post on Toronto and the things to do, but it’s more so that Toronto was also my first solo trip and I felt the need to answer the questions that I have on the series. This is still open and I would love for you to participate. If you wish you can enter your answers on this Google form, or you can also drop me a line and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Here it goes:
Tell us a little bit about yourself - who are you; how your blog came about; anything else you'd like to add:
I am Mili, and I’m now again officially based in Auckland, New Zealand. I run this travel blogging site along with my YouTube channel that also focuses on my travels.
What is your preferred style of travel?
I don't have a preferred style of travel as I love being on the road whether it's with family, friends or as a new addition just by myself. Ultimately I love luxury travel as I do enjoy the finer things in life but I’ve over the years had a mix of travel styles and I’m up for traveling and being on the road regardless of how it is. However I'd like to focus this blog on my recent solo trip to Toronto.
Do you get to travel quite often?
This year has just turned out to be so, with a mix of travel for work and leisure with a couple more trips pending in the year. But as such I tend to travel maybe a couple of times or so in a year.
For the purposes of this blog - think of a destination where you travelled that you'll give us some hot tips on in this blog and tell us the destination below:
Toronto, Canada
When was this trip (month and/or year)? Do you recommend this time of year to visit this place?
In July and yes, summer is a peak travel time to Toronto. The weather is nice (if you prefer the warmth).
How many days did you stay in this place?
3 days
What was your choice of accommodation?
Hotel
What was the name of your hotel/motel/backpackers (if this applies to you)?
Courtyard Marriott Toronto Downtown
Was this accommodation conveniently located from public transport and/or major tourist spots?
Yes and no - it is located in Toronto downtown. In general Toronto downtown is massive. You will need a taxi or some form of public transport to get from one end to the other. This was located on Yonge street which is somewhat at a distance from tourist spots such as the CN Tower, Ripleys Aquarium however Yonge street is a shopping district and the Hockey Hall of Fame is at the other end of the street from where the hotel is (roughly a 20 minute walk).
What was your experience staying at this accommodation? Highs, lows, what made you choose to stay here - would you recommend staying at this place?
I, personally, really liked it. I will be doing a review of this hotel on my YouTube channel. There's no reason why I wouldn't recommend this place, however Toronto accommodation is expensive and you may be able to find cheaper accommodation elsewhere.
If you were to go back to this destination, would you stay here?
Maybe
Did you book (group) tours or see the city by yourself?
Combination of both
Give us a glimpse into some of the sights you saw - (what did the sights entail, how long should they spend there etc.)! How should one plan their day when selecting certain sightseeing options?
I walked around the city centre quite a bit and there's still a lot more that I could have seen. I did the CN Tower, Hockey Hall of Fame, Ripley's Aquarium of Canada and of course the Niagara Falls tour.
Speaking of sightseeing - What do you recommend an absolute must do?
Niagara Falls - I would recommend looking into all the tour options as the one I did, all of the activities that it included up until we got to the falls, wasn't the best and could have easily been avoided in exchange for more time at the falls.
Depending on your style of travel (i.e. solo, group, family, luxury, budget) is there a tour or an attraction that you would recommend to someone who's looking to travel like you, should do?
Regardless of how you travel, go to the Niagara Falls. It is an absolute highlight. This year to celebrate 150 years of Canada, there are also fireworks over the falls which is just illuminating.
Food - that's the important stuff! What were your favourite restaurants/food joints etc. to go to? Tell us all about where we should and shouldn't go?
If you do the Niagara Falls tour and have the option of upgrading to include dinner at the Sheraton FallsView Hotel - one hundred percent do it! Within Toronto itself, I really liked The Pearl (if I'm not mistaken with the name) restaurant which is located just by the inner harbour.
What was the highlight of your trip? Whether it is related to the destination or the way you travel is up to you (maybe both)
It was the first time I had taken a solo personal trip and I was very anxious about it all. That in itself was a big highlight and a big fear that I've conquered. But ultimately the Niagara Falls trumps it all.
What was an absolute low of your trip? And how can one be prepared to avoid it if they are visiting this destination?
There was a lot of construction work going on around Toronto downtown making it difficult to navigate our way around. There's not a lot you can do in this aspect, but what I will recommend is that if you have to be somewhere at a certain time and Google Maps is giving you an idea of how long it would take to get there, I would say add an extra 10 minutes or so depending on your walking pace.
Any hot tips or extra information that you'd like to add before you sign off?
There's free Wi-Fi at most if not all (major) tourist spots in Toronto. If you struggle with data whilst roaming this is really good as you can quickly access the internet if you need to. But note that these aren't secured networks so do not try and access personal information whilst connected to any of these public networks.
What’s your next destination?
Fiji in December (not sure I’ll add something to the list sooner ;))
What are your social media and/or other links where people can find you?
Twitter: www.twitter.com/milgos
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MiliTravels
YouTube: www.youtube.com/TheMiliGoswami
Instagram: www.instagram.com/milgos