The fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a great tourist destination too. There is a sheer variety of things you can do when you travel to Toronto. The multicultural population has added to the vibrancy of the place.

Here are the local activities you must do in Toronto:

Chinatown

You will see a few Chinatowns all through metro Toronto. However, the main Old Chinatown lies west of downtown Toronto. The population comes from Hong Kong and southern China, but you will find families from main China, Vietnam, and Thailand as well now. The streets are full of graffiti murals, public art, flowers, and more. One can have a great time here relishing rich Peking duck, dim sum, freshly baked sweets, herbal tea, and fun items.

Izakayas

For a night out, visit Izakayas. These are Japanese pubs that offer contemporary and traditional foods, including beer, sake, and innovative cocktails. The two most famous ones are Kink and Guu. The evenings are noisy and completely enjoyable. It is the best place to be out with friends or groups.

Graffiti Alley

It is also known as Rick Mercer’s Alley or Rush Lane. Grafitti Alley runs for about a kilometer displaying pieces of street art. You will find variation in the murals from basic to intricate. These are creative, colourful, and thoughtful. These can be seen from foundations to the roofs and along each side street. Several pieces of art are put together all wrapping around the corners. You need a lot of time to admire this beauty.

Allan Gardens Conservatory

Allan Gardens Conservatory is more than 100 years old. It has glass domes, symmetrical geometry, and steel framing. It sprawls over 5000 meters and comprises of five greenhouses linked. It displays tropical plants from across the world. It is the largest, central and oldest dome, the Palm House. It has pine and bananas, cactus house citrus trees and orchids. It is open throughout the year and offers seasonal exhibitions.

Distillery District

Thirteen acres of land stretching in Toronto showcases Victorian industrial buildings. It is an amazing place in Toronto with several shops and restaurants including sake brewery, microbrewery, and the chocolate factory. Only pedestrians and cyclists can traverse this place. It is distinctive of the cultural and artistic community of Toronto with events taking place all through the year. It is picturesque, and one must not miss visiting it.

Ripley’s Aquarium

It is an impressive underwater activity. With ten galleries displaying different themes or habitats, more than 20,000 animals and 450 species, Ripley’s aquarium is one to watch out for. One gets to travel via the Dangerous Lagoon, and various species of raya and sharks swimming over the head.

Canada’s Walk of Fame

Canada’s Walk of fame covers 13 non-continuous blocks and honors Canadian entertainers. These are accepted by embedding stars in the sidewalk just like you would see in Hollywood. These cluster about the entries to the most prestigious theatres in the Entertainment District and vary from singers to actors and athletes besides others.

There are many more local activities that you can be part of Toronto, but the ones mentioned above are the most revered ones. And don’t forget to use the local currency. Get it exchanged at Toronto currency exchange.

 

Do you know that there is a right way to do some whale watching? There are some people who have done some whale watching in different areas wherein they were allowed to touch the whales as if they were in petting zoos.

You should remember that there are millions of people who would like to see whales. If these million people would touch these whales every chance that they get, they might end up hurting the whale. There is a way for you to meet up with whales in a nice way. You can check whale watching San Diego for some details.

Whale watching activity will allow you to go on a guided boat tour or there may be instances when you can go kayaking and see the whales when they are at their natural habitat. No matter what type of whale watching activity you would choose, you need to know a few tips to make whale watching a success.

• Always check the whale’s behavior before you decide to get in the water.

There are a lot of whales that are considered to be gentle but there may also be some instances when they can show signs of distress. When this happens and you are in the way, you might seriously get hurt. You can leave the area immediately if you think that the whales are acting strangely.

• Keep your distance from the whales.

It will be tempting to get as close as possible to the whales but you also know that this is not as safe as people make it out to be. When you check the tours that are recommended by Next Level Sailing, you will notice that they are very careful about your distance to the whales. If you find yourself being too close to a whale, try to move away from the whale and get out of the area.

• Approach the whales from the side.

If you want to get a view of the whales, it is best if you would join them from the side. This will allow you to keep your distance but see them clearly. Whales will probably want to get into deeper waters. Make sure that you are not stopping them from doing that.

With all of these things in mind, whale watching will not be very hard to accomplish for sure.

Have you been splitting hairs deciding over what type of bicycle to get for yourself or your kid? Why not just find a hybrid bike? Hybrid bikes take some of the best features of all the different bikes so that you can do it all with a single bike that meets all your needs for all terrains and surfaces.

Well, you can build your own bike too, if you fancy. And you can do that at Six Three Zero. With their unique Customizer feature, you choose your color, speed and accessories, just like a canvas but for your bike, and Six Three Zero will build it for you and deliver it to your doorstep.

A hybrid bike is a good choice if you’re mainly using your bike for commuting to and from work, maybe with the odd bit of recreational riding during the weekend. Hybrid bikes are ideal for riders just getting in to cycling: the best hybrid bikes will be good enough to cope with all sorts of terrain and surface without fuss, hopefully helping you to enjoy your cycling and get more involved in this great sport.

But what should you be looking for to make sure you get the best bang for your buck?

Features to expect on a hybrid bike include:

1. Compared to road bikes, the best hybrid bikes will come with wider tires. The width will vary, but it will generally be something between 28mm and 42mm. Not only will this help to improve comfort, ironing out any rough surfaces, but will also add to the level of grip when the roads are wet.

2. All of the best hybrid bikes should come with eyelets in the frame that will allow it to take a pannier rack.

3. You should also find a hybrid bike that has plenty of clearance between the frame and the tire to enable you to fit mudguards, as well as eyelets so you can fit ones with better coverage, rather than flimsy clip on ones.

Bicycles are freedom. They provide everything that you need – exercise, fun, transportation, and meditation all in one. Before you head to the bike shop to choose your favorite bike from a range of city bikes, hybrid bikes and mountain bikes, it’s helpful if you equip yourself with all the little details that will make the bike buying process easier.

Owning and riding a motorcycle is an electrifying and enjoyable experience for those who enjoy travelling the road on two wheels. Donning on their mens motorcycle jackets with the cool wind blowing their face and getting the adrenaline rush gushing in their body, these are just some of the thrills of motorbiking for some people.

While riding a motorcycle can be a fun and faster way of getting around compared to taking a car, it presents distinct disadvantages and advantages compared to using a car as you everyday vehicle. For some people, just wanting a motorcycle is good reason enough for buying one. However, there are other benefits to owning a motorcycle other than fulfilling a wish. The following reasons may help you convince others that buying a motorcycle is more than just getting what you want.

Cost: It is obvious that a motorcycle is a much more cost- efficient purchase compared to a car. This is true across various brands and models of moped motorcycles unless you’re looking to buy a superbike, BMW bike or a Harley Davidson. Even the cheapest car costs almost 10 times more than a brand new, typical motorcycle. When it comes to servicing the bike, one can just go to a motorcycle tire shop, which shouldn’t cost a bomb, unlike servicing a car.

Better Fuel Efficiency: With the price of fuel rising, driving a motorcycle can save a substantial amount of money, while being better for the environment. A mid-sized motorcycle usually burns about 35 to 60 mpg, depending on whether you do most of your driving in town or on an open road.

Environmentally Friendly: Motorcycles use less fuel and produce less carbon emissions than four-wheeled vehicles. Enjoy the fresh air in your face while feeling pleased that you are contributing to cleaner air while driving a motorcycle.

Tolls: If you live in a state with plenty of tolls, you can save quite a bit of money by driving on two wheels.

Insurance: Motorcycle insurance is considerably lower than automobile insurance. For those with a good driving record, motorcycle insurance averages a couple hundred dollars a year, while car insurance can easily cost over a thousand dollars. That’s a lot of savings there!

A note of advice: while you ride on your mean machine, don’t forget to don on the appropriate motorcycle apparels for your own safety. These are your motorcycle helmet, jacket, gloves and boots. See more of motorcycle gear by clicking on the link.

Even if some people might not think it is practical to own a motorcycle, riding one is a whole lot of fun besides reaping all the benefits stated above.

One of the loveliest places to live in California is Venice, a neighborhood in Los Angeles. Venice is incredibly walkable. Groceries on Lincoln, dinner and drinks on Rose or Abbot Kinney, the beach, the canals, the boardwalk, the pier, the skate park, the boutiques, the outdoor vendors — everything is within 30 brisk minutes of everything else.

Finding a home away from home makes your vacation in Venice extra special, and it takes much more than just a room with a view. There are plenty of Venice beach homes for sale and a replete of hotels that offer a variety of accommodations to suit every preference, from elegant boutique properties for pampering and relaxation to quirky hot spots to heat up the night.

The Venice Beach Boardwalk stretches over two miles and hosts hundreds of street vendors and performers along with numerous privately owned restaurants and food venues. The Venice Beach Recreation Center offers various activities including but not limited to basketball, paddle tennis and handball tournaments, body building at the world famous Muscle Beach Venice gym, and other special events.

Venice Beach also offers a fishing pier, a world renowned skate plaza, bike path, two children’s play areas and provides a variety of services for the culturally diverse population that visits throughout the year. Film productions are also very popular at Venice Beach and occur year round. All of the sports courts, skate plaza, pier and other amenities are open to the general public on a daily basis.

If you are in Los Angeles for a vacation, be sure to also visit Santa Monica Beach, which averages more than 300 days of sunshine a year and offers some of the best sunsets on the West Coast. If you love the sunshine and the beach and want to consider Santa Monica your second home, you may want to google condos for sale Santa Monica to help you find your dream home in this walkable and bike-friendly town, making it super easy for you to get around and experience the haven of shops, restaurants, attractions like the Santa Monica Pier and Third Street Promenade, and more.

Venice and Santa Monica are both different sections of the same, long stretch of beach. They are next to each other so you can easily stay in one and visit the other when you are there for a vacation. It is very easy to rent bikes and pedal on the bike path which runs along the beach from Santa Monica to Venice and (after an inland detour around Marina Del Rey) to the south bay beaches beyond.

If you have decided to make either Venice or Santa Monica your new home or second home and are looking for condos for sale, do check out MaserCondoSales.com to help you find your dream home.

If you would like to learn more about travel from Action Life Media, check out our travel tips.

 

 

Travelling to a foreign country is always an exciting thought especially if you are planning to have your vacation and enjoy the tourist attractions. However, before booking an overseas flight, you need to make sure that you are ready to travel without hassle. Here are some essential tips that most people seem to forget when going out of the country.

Check your passport for its validity

Make sure that your passport and visa will not expire anytime soon to avoid getting into trouble with the immigration and airport officials. Passport renewal should take approximately one week only, so if it is about to expire in the next few months better secure a new one.

Get clearance from your doctor

If you are pregnant, diabetic or diagnosed with high blood pressure, it is better to take precautionary measures by visiting your physician before going on a trip. Wait for your doctor to issue a clearance before booking a flight to avoid wasting money on an expensive plane ticket.

Get vaccinated

There is nothing wrong with seeing your doctor about getting protected for certain viruses such as influenza, measles and chicken pox. It is better to be safe and protect yourself from possible infection. Getting up to date with your vaccines will protect you from getting ill in a foreign country. Feel free to ask your physician about the recommended shots that you have to complete at least one month before leaving the country.

Bring your medicines

If you happen to take some maintenance medicines for diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension and other medical related illnesses, it is best that you bring more than enough supplies with you rather than buying medication in other countries. Your safety should always be your number one priority, so better secure all the medicines and over the counter drugs that you might need in a handy travel kit.

Book tickets in advance

To get discounted rates or find special promotions, book your flight in advance. Most airlines give big discounts to passengers who reserve plane seats six to nine months prior. You can use your credit card for booking online transactions.

Look for an affordable place to stay 

It is not practical to book an expensive hotel if you are planning to sleep and rest. You can seek more practical options by checking out Native Apartments for their rates and amenities.

Research your destinations in advance

Write down the places that you are planning to visit ahead of time. It is better to organise your plans from day one of your arrival so that you can make the most of your trip. Upon arrival at the airport, you can go straight to the tourism department, and the staff can give you ideas about places that you can visit. You can also get entrance tickets in advance to avoid wasting time in long lines along with other tourists.

When travelling to unfamiliar territory, it is always best to be prepared for anything that might happen. Make a checklist of the things that you need to bring and the errands that you need to finish before your scheduled departure.

If you’re looking for useful travel tips, which are suitable for all travelers, you’ve come to the right place!

6 Travel tips for everyone:

1. Wear sunscreen every day

In some parts of the world, even if it’s not hot or sunny, you may get burnt. So it’s a great idea to get into the habit of applying sunscreen on a daily basis when you travel.

Also, make sure to apply sunscreen if you embark on a ski trip as sunlight reflecting off snow can actually cause sunburn.

2. Pack earplugs and a sleep mask every time you travel

Earplugs are essential if you want to sleep on a plane, train or bus. Or end up sleeping in a hotel which is located in a noisy part of town. While a sleep mask is also handy if you want to enjoy quality sleep on your long haul flights.

3. Travel with more than one debit card or credit card

In the event that one of your banks puts a block on your debit card or credit card, thinking that your card was stolen and used overseas, it’s a great idea to travel with more than one debit or credit card. So that you’ll never be caught without a form of payment, whilst you’re traveling abroad!

4. Carry emergency cash in your daypack

It’s well worth carrying a bit of spare local cash in your daypack, in the event of an emergency or if you want to eat or shop at an establishment which doesn’t offer credit card facilities. As electronic forms of payments are not as readily used in remote parts of the world, where cash is definitely still king.

5. Keep your cool, when things don’t go to plan

As not everything will go to plan, when you travel, remember to keep your cool and to remember that the little misadventures which you’ll face are part of travel and will make great stories when you get home.

6. Make sure to make a note of the address of your accommodation, when you travel

When you enter a new country you may need to write down the address of your intended accommodation on your arrival card. So it pays to make sure to jot down the address of your accommodation, in full, on a piece of paper or on a note on your phone.

So if you’re an avid traveler, it’s well worth trying to remember all six travel tips listed above.