Richard Godden, Canada and Latin America specialist spent the weekend discovering Ontario.

After a pleasant 8 hour Air Canada flight from overcast London Heathrow, I arrived at Toronto Pearson airport to be greeted with picture perfect blue skies. Autumn, or should it be fall, is definitely a good time to visit Canada and those who choose to travel at this time of year will be delighted to discover burnt orange and shocking red leaves coming through on the trees. Having caught a glimpse of downtown Toronto from the plane, I was keen to get into the city and have a look around. However, my itinerary was steering me north east towards the more remote surrounds of Rice Lake. For now, Toronto would have to wait!

Rice Lake is located in the Peterborough region which is about 2 hours north east from Toronto. The lake is surrounded by typical, small Canadian townships and offers its visitor the perfect opportunity to relax, take a boat trip, fish, horse ride, play golf and even go up in a float plane! I can highly recommend taking a float plane flight (it is possible to do this at many other locations in the province).

After Rice Lake I journeyed further north to the town of Haliburton (which is in a region by the same name) and then onwards to Huntsville in the Muskoka region. Huntsville is regarded as the jumping off point for adventures into the Algonquin Provincial Park and is one of your last chances to buy alcohol before entering the park where the sale (but not consumption) of such drinks is prohibited. The small towns of Haliburton and Huntsville are both within a reasonable driving distance of the park administration building and are surrounded by landscapes of colourful trees, tranquil lakes and some good accommodation options. Around Huntsville there are some well established resorts as well as more intimate properties in which to base yourself if you prefer to stay outside the park. Algonquin Provincial Park, located 3 hours north of Toronto, is about the size of Wales. Lakeside accommodations serve excellent food and provide a good base from which to embark on a canoeing trip. Such trips can be escorted or unescorted and can last for the whole day if desired. Other outdoor activities are also possible although, in this tranquil surrounding, the prospect of sitting in a traditional Muskoka chair and relaxing with a glass of wine is hard to resist. Around the park you may be lucky enough to spot a black bear, a moose and more likely a deer. The other place of note in the general area is Lake Rosseau which is located west from Huntsville. This area is regarded as the most exclusive of the many lakes in Ontario and is home to some of the countries best-loved celebrities. As with most of the surrounding regions, this area offers excellent outdoor activity options at the same time as being a great place just to sit and admire the views.

Having spent a few wonderful days in the more deserted parts of Ontario, I arrived in the cosmopolitan city of Toronto. During my time there, I dined at the revolving ‘360’ restaurant which is close to the top of the CN Tower. From the dining floor it is also possible to visit a glass-bottom viewing platform and take a lift to the Skypod viewing platform which is at a staggering 1,465 ft. (147 floors) high. Toronto also has an excellent choice of restaurants and shops – the fashionable Yorkville area is a good place to start. Toronto is also home to some interesting art galleries and museums where you can learn about the history and modern culture of the area.

Just south of Toronto is the world famous Niagara Falls. Here I took a short helicopter ride over the falls and also entered into the heart of the Canadian horseshoe falls on the Maid of the Mist vessel. This was one of the most exhilarating experiences that I have had on my travels to date. Also in the Niagara region is the pretty town of Niagara-on-the-Lake which is surrounded by vineyards that produce ice wine.

Ontario delivered everything that I expected and more. It’s an excellent value for money destination.

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About Richard Godden

Other articles by Richard Godden

Having studied Spanish at school, I have always been keen on the Latin culture. My passion for travel, and in particular Latin America, was ignited during a family holiday to Cuba in 2005. I joined Bales because they offered me the chance to work in an industry that I am passionate about. Since joining Bales, I have been to Colombia, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands in order to build up my product knowledge on these areas. I am currently studying to become a Canada specialist and as part of my training I spent 5 nights in the Ontario province.