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travel blog for budget travelers

rashport

Canada Alberta Banff Moraine Travel Blog Budget Traveler Backpacker
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CANADA

 Places Visited 

 Toronto 

Activities, tours and attractions

  • In my opinion, Toronto lacks premium tourist attractions (I love the city though). Limit your visit to 2-3 days

  • Toronto is the best gateway to Niagara Falls

  • When I first walked on the edge of CN Tower, I was wondering why I paid money to frighten myself, I got to say that it was a special, unforgettable and unique experience. CN Tower EdgeWalk can be booked in the same day (I booked mine on site instantly in July which was the peak season). EdgeWalk includes a complimentary entrance to CN observation deck. Two complimentary photos are provided: one individual and one for the group. If you want all the photos + videos, you need to purchase the USB. Use bathroom before the activity

  • Visit Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), if you’re lucky, you’ll be randomly picked for free admission ticket (happened to me). The gallery includes some interesting interactive games as well

  • Visit Kensington Market: it is a bohemian neighborhood with vintage boutiques, artistic spaces, avant-garde cafes, groceries and specialty stores
    Go shopping for souvenirs in Chinatown

  • Visit Rogers Center (if a fan of Blue Jays)

  • Don’t waste time in Lawrence Market. It’s a small 2-story building for meat, poultry, cheese, fruits, vegetables, flowers, candies and overpriced souvenirs

  • Walk the cobblestone streets of the Distillery Historic District, a haven for art lovers and galleries, with numerous modern restaurants and cafes  

Restaurants and cafes

  • Independent City Market has excellent healthy food options and a salad bar

Accommodation

  • Planet Traveler: kind and helpful staff, delicious breakfast of various types of cereal, bagel and jams. Coffee, tea and hot chocolate are always available. The property has a nice communal area with modern Mac computers, washing machines and iron. There are daily in-hostel activities on the rooftop. It has a good location next to Kensington Market. It is clean with modern bathrooms. Reception closes at midnight until 7 am to provide a quiet environment and less drunk guests. Rooms are small, some had no space to move around or put luggage, the only option was to latch it under the bed… there were no tables, chairs or hooks

  • Don’t stay at Hotel Carlingview Toronto Airport. Toilet flooded when I first checked in and everything was in the toilet got out on the floor. There was no housekeeping service at 2:30 am so the bathroom remained unclean and I had to shut the door and use the public toilets of the hotel. The hotel refused to refund me and only offered me a breakfast voucher

  • Two Peas Pod: cool idea of sleeping pods, friendly staff, modern and clean rooms but small and don't have doors, sleeping pods equipped with a light, fan, socket, TV with headset, breakfast is good with a waffle cooker, location is central, cozy sitting room with a nice terrace, towels provided daily for free, toilets inconveniently located in the basement so the guest needs to go up and down, no sink in the kitchen, the fridge located in the sitting room

 Useful Information 

  • Canada is a massive country. Plan ahead

  • Canada is relatively undiscovered. Even major attractions in Toronto such as CN Tower was not crowded when I was there in July

  • There are so many national parks in the country with Banff and Jasper being the most famous (with highest number of tourists). There are so many other national parks, almost in every state and probably with very few visitors

  • Budget travelers can live on Tim Hortons for all meals

  • I personally prefer Toronto to Montreal and Vancouver although I had been told otherwise

 Niagara Falls 

Activities, tours and attractions

  • Niagara Falls are better viewed from the Canadian side where you get a full view of the falls, unlike the American side where the onlookers happen to be behind the falls

  • The best place to view the waterfalls (and for free) is the sidewalk (from Niagara Scenic Parkway)

  • Don’t fall into tourist traps such as “Journey Behind the Falls”; boring, a waste of money, it’s about walking in crowded, dark and damp underground tunnels, you see nothing but water pouring from above

  • If you want to soak some spray from the waterfall mist, take the Hornblower Cruise from the Canadian side, or Maid of the Mist from the American side: boat tour ticket is general admission at any time for the selected date, boats roughly sail every 15 minutes, if you want to get close to the falls, board first to occupy a spot around the handrail

  • Remember: bring your passport if you decided to cross the border to the American side. It is a regular border checkpoint

Transportation

  • Mega Bus offers daily trips between Toronto and Niagara Falls, departs from Toronto Bus Terminal at 610 Bay Street and arrives in Niagara Falls Bus Terminal. Ticket is around CAD 20 with a plenty of timings to choose from. Check the website ca.megabus.com

  • Do not sign up for Niagara Falls tour from Toronto. It is a waste of time and money. Some tours make a stop at Niagara-on-the-Lake, a little charming town famous for wineries, however it limits the visit time to the falls

 Montreal 

Activities, tours and attractions

  • Climb Mont Royal (the place where Montreal takes its name from), so you can see the city's horizon from the lookout, hiking trail is easy, well signposted, and well paved so you don't need hiking shoes, water fountains available throughout 

  • Montreal Botanical Garden (Jardin Botanique Montréal) constantly has different exhibitions on various botanical topics. Take the garden’s map from the entrance. It could be confusing to navigate your way around

  • Insectarium is a rich edutainment center about insects and bugs located in the botanical garden, suitable for kids, teenagers and adults, admission ticket combines the botanical gardens + insectarium, admission ticket is cheaper for Quebec residents and students with ID

  • Sample delicacies of fresh fruits, honey, cheese and chocolate at Marché Jean-Talo (Jean-Talon Market) or have lunch at one of the restaurants surrounding the market (I had lunch at the Mexican restaurant and it was yummy)

  • The Biodome or Biosphere is located at Parc Jean-Drapeau (Jean-Drapeau Park), it houses the the environment museum. The park is a venue for concerts and events in summer, I thought the park was boring, nothing much to do or see

  • Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Major Exhibition) offers half-price ticket on Wednesdays after 5 pm

  • Museum of Contemporary Art (Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal): personally, thought it was below expectations

  • Petite Italie is a captivating district with cafes, bakeries and specialty stores

  • Notre-Dame Basilica located in the Old Montreal district has an admission ticket of CAD 8, so I decided not to go inside!

Transportation

  • Metro has excellent connection to main districts of Montreal 

Accommodation

  • HI Montreal Hostel: good location in Montreal Downtown, very friendly and helpful staff, spacious room, breakfast food is old and tasteless, dining area is not very clean. Generally, rooms and furniture are old and room floor is unclean and dusty

 Quebec City 

Activities, tours and attractions​

  • Quebec City was the most beautiful city I visited in Canada. I made a day trip from Montreal and thought it was sufficient.
    I simply strolled the old town around Chateau Frontenac, enjoyed the green fields, flowers, fountains, family picnic and European architecture. Try the Canadian maple syrup popsicle and learn how to eat it

Transportation

  • Orléans Express runs buses daily between Montreal and Quebec City, every hour, between 6:00 am and 11:00 pm. Ticket is CAD 25, with 15% for students. Buses are very modern and comfortable, equipped with WiFi. Book your ticket on www.orleansexpress.com

 Banff National Park 

Activities, tours and attractions​

  • Visitors to Banff National Park must purchase a pass for their stay duration. You need a valid park pass for each day you enter any of the Rocky Mountain National Parks, including Banff, Jasper, Kootenay or Yoho. There are also charges for camping, fire permits, dump station and fishing. Visit the official website, it has all essential and updated information related to Banff National Park, www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/banff/visit

  • I highly recommend hiring a car if visiting Banff and Jasper National Parks even if you are a solo traveler. The tours are ridiculously expensive, the natural attractions are far from Banff town, public buses are limited and mainly go to Lake Louise and less frequently to Lake Moraine

  • Bring your own hiking gears beforehand as they're very expensive in Banff. There is a hiking rental store in town but renting is also expensive

  • Hike in Johnston Canyon, follow the signs to Ink Pots, it's a picturesque area of five pristine colorful pools, a stream and views of pine forests, swimming is "unfortunately" not allowed, pack your lunch as there are no canteens or food stalls

  • Beehive hiking trail around Lake Louise is well signposted. Up to lake Agnes, the trail is relatively easy to moderate but it gets a bit steep halfway up to climb to reach the top to have the full panoramic views of the lake. It took us four hours to finish the hike but we stopped to take pictures and enjoy the sceneries 

  • Go early in the morning to Lake Louise, the carpark gets full by 8 am, otherwise, you park in the outflow carpark and take
    a free shuttle to the lake

  • The impressive color of Lake Louise comes from the melt-water from the surrounding glaciers

  •  Kananaskis is a hidden gem. Tourists don’t flock to this trail so often, we were alone at the top after 2.5-hour hike, including
    1-hour of exhausting steep climb, wear sturdy hiking shoes and pack light, some snow was still covering some areas in mid of summer

  • To climb the hill to have a full view of Lake Moraine, you must cross the lake on wooden logs. Be careful, some of them are afloat. I actually fell down and half of my body submerged in cold water, my phone got “unconscious” for three days but worked after leaving it in a rice container to absorb the moisture

  •  Canoeing in the emerald water of Lake Louise is once-in-a-lifetime experience, unfortunately, it is exclusively run by Fairmont hotel so rates are quite expensive: for non-hotel guests, it is CAD 125 for one hour, and CAD 115 for 30 minutes per boat (maximum 2 persons), opt for 30 minutes as it is sufficient to get the overall experience. Alternatively, other lakes such as Lake Moraine offer cheaper rates for boating

Transportation

  • From Calgary Airport, take the shuttle bus to Banff town. The bus will drop you to your hotel/hostel doorstep. Ticket is roughly CAD 70. Visit the website banffairporter.com

  • I repeat... I highly recommend hiring a car if visiting Banff and Jasper National Parks even if you are a solo traveler. The tours are ridiculously expensive, the natural attractions are far from Banff town, public buses are limited and mainly go to Lake Louise and less frequently to Lake Moraine

  • In summer, buses run between Lake Louise and Lake Moraine

Restaurants and cafes

  • The Bear Street Tavern: Best pizza I have ever had! I ordered the Big Bird pizza which is chicken with vegetables, big pizza for 2 persons is around CAD 20

Accommodation

  • Banff International Hostel: two-story dormitory, 3 bunk beds in the first floor and 3 separate beds in second floor, I had a separate bed in the second floor and it was lovely, I had enough space to stash my backpack under the bed and a locker in the first floor. The second floor was a bit dark though even during daytime because it had no windows. The bathroom was new and clean with the sink being out so residents can use it without occupying the bathroom. Breakfast was good. Staff were very helpful and cooperative. There is a pretty communal area between the rooms with barbecue

 Vancouver 

Activities, tours and attractions​​

  • Overall, I didn’t like Vancouver. It felt it was a big city with heaps of homeless people in every corner. I felt unsafe with dozens of syringes left on the streets in the downtown (Granville Street)

  • There is a slim chance to spot a grizzly bear in wilderness. Alternatively, hike Grouse Mountain or take the cable car where there is a grizzly bear sanctuary on top. It’s called a sanctuary but looked more like a cage to me

  • Vancouver is a bike-friendly city, therefore, it’s best seen on a bicycle. Rent one from any of the shops around Stanley Park. Take a map of the park to find the attractions within the park, such as Totem Poles. There are designated bicycle lanes in most parts of the city so you can safely explore big parts of it on a bicycle

  • Visit Granville Island Public Market for various eateries

  • I recommend visiting Vancouver Aquarium for quality edutainment time. I spent 4 hours learning about animal and marine life. Staff and volunteers are very friendly and willing to explain about animals life and behaviors. Discounts available for students on admission tickets. Look for marketing brochures and fliers to the Aquarium in your hostel/hostel for a discount on admission ticket

  • Vancouver Lookout is old and boring, the views from the 360-observation deck are mediocre

Restaurants and cafes

  • Fresh Donair serves good middle eastern food with reasonable prices and big quantity 

Accommodation

  • HI Vancouver Central: dirty, unclean floors, unclean bedsheets, crowded, no space for all guests in the morning for breakfast, old amenities, spacious rooms

Feel free to leave a question/comment below in English, Arabic or Spanish (hablo un poco de español). I will reply as soon as possible OR leave a comment on my Instagram page 

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