Exploring The Magnificent World Class City Of Toronto

Toronto Travel Tips

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario, home to over 2.5 million people and an amazing place to visit. This article will help you get the most out of your vacation by explaining some of the most popular and well-loved sights in the Toronto area. 

Art And Culture 

Toronto is considered to be the arts capital of Canada. There are numerous musical, theatrical and artistic festivals happening throughout the year. A must visit for any art lover is the ‘Art Gallery Of Ontario’ located in Toronto’s Chinatown area. This impressive gallery houses over 64,000 pieces of contemporary and modern art. Here you can view spectacular pieces up close, from the likes of Andy Warhol, Vincent Van Gough and Pablo Picasso. Special exhibitions are held frequently featuring art from up and coming and established artists – check the museums website for up to date information. 

Toronto Zoo 

A great place to visit on a family day out is the Toronto Zoo. Since opening in 1974 this zoo has grown in size and popularity to become one of the world’s largest zoo’s. Not only is it a fun place to view over 16,000 different species of animals from around the globe, it also is educational experience. There is a special ‘Splash Island’ water park area where you can cool down on a hot summers day whilst learning about wildlife and geography. There are great discounts rates available on family tickets, just make sure you book in advance to save yourself some cash! 

Sports 

If you love sports then you are in for a treat, Toronto practices almost every sport under the sun. With the city currently representing home teams in 5 major league sports, including: baseball, soccer, football, hockey and basketball. You can go and watch a real life game in the huge Rogers Centre, a multi-purpose built sports stadium. Formerly known as the dome, this stadium can hold over 65,000 sports fans . It also puts on exclusive concerts from famous musicians, and in the past musical greats such as Madonna, The Rolling Stones and AC/DC have all performed here. 

The Toronto Waterfront 

Take in the amazing skyline from Toronto’s famous waterfront, located on the shores of the massive Lake Ontario this is a must see for anyone visiting the city of Toronto. The waterfront spans a huge 46 kilometres, but there a several specific places of interest along this shore. The first being downtown Toronto waterfront, here you can get a postcard perfect photograph of Toronto’s skyscrapers. To get the best view it is recommend to go on a tourist boat trip just before sunset. Another place of interest is the beautiful Scarborough Bluffs. These are 
stunning limestone cliffs which tower over the lakes below – a beauty to behold. 
So take your pick for any of the activities above, but don’t forget Toronto has so much more to offer including fine dining experiences, up-market fashion districts, amazing botanical parks and gardens as well as vibrant nightlife. Have a great trip!

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Travelnowsimply.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to Entrepreneur Journey site. This article originally published on the above website on Feb 25, 2010.

Lessons From a 3rd World Country

Bangladesh Travel Lessons

My recent trip to a 3rd world country was quiet fascinating. It gave me a chance to compare some socio-economic issues between two worlds (1st world and 3rd world). A 3rd world country is obviously not in the same situation to be compared with a 1st world country. But from time to time, I analyze the similarities and differences between countries just to reenergize my thinking capability. That’s exactly what I was doing when I was visiting Bangladesh last month. It did not take me long to discover two stunning improvements this small country was able to achieve. Many developed countries have not yet been able to match these accomplishments.

Telecommunications
Bangladesh entered the era of modern telecommunications at the speed of light. I have not seen this many people using cell phones in America and Canada. SIMcards, phone sets and service plans have become unbelievably affordable. I did not meet a single person without a cell phone. I find it expensive to have a cell phone in North America due to phone company regulations and the high price ceiling. In Bangladesh the picture is different. Subscribers in Bangladesh reached 10.8 million at the end of January, up by 180% from 3.8 million at the end of 2004. It is expected that this number will double to over 20 million by 2007. In Bangladesh, cell phones have added $650 million to gross domestic product (GDP) and created 240,000 jobs. When I drove more than an hour from cities in America or Canada, I often lost the signals. This did not happen in Bangladesh. I traveled North to South on trains and always had strong signal. The whole country is covered and subscribers are able to make and receive calls without being charged roaming and long distance fees. There are malls in Bangladesh which sell only cell phones. When I mentioned this to my Canadian friend, he looked at me in disbelief.

Environment friendly and biodegradable shopping bags
I was in a shopping centre and was expecting my items would be put in a nice looking plastic bag as I am used to it in Canada. Instead, I was given a shopping bag made of some kind of fibre. Later I found out that it was made of jute (cotton like natural fibre).  Jute grows abundantly in Bangladesh and is totally environment friendly and biodegradable. The reason I was never given plastic bags is  Bangladesh has banned the manufacture and use of plastic bags, which many industrialized countries have not been able to do. Department of the Environment  has taken the plastic bag situation seriously, due to billions of bags being dumped into rivers, canals, drains  and other water bodies, over the years, creating a serious environmental threat.

Lessons we take
Theses are just two observations I came across. I am sure a lot more like these can be found in other 3rd world countries. Industrialized countries are hundreds or even thousands of years ahead of poor 3rd world countries. But sometimes it is hard or even impossible for rich countries to take steps to protect their environment and provide technological benefits to their populations. Whenever I notice steps taken by poor countries – which are miles away from ordinary and beyond expectations, it makes me pause to think. Rather than teach the developing world, perhaps it is time for developed countries to take lessons from them.

November 16, 2008. Originally published on www.adawn.net. I will be transferring all my articles from Canada’s Personal Finance Website to Ahmed Dawn Dot Com. Thanks.

Vietnam - The Land Of Hidden Charm

Where To Travel In Vietnam

Vietnam is a country that offers uniquely breathtaking scenery, with mountains, rice fields, and islands surrounded by clear waters. Vietnam also has a deep history and significant cultural wealth, as well. Here, you will find that agriculture is a mainstay, and that traditional methods still exist.

When you travel to Vietnam, you will want to notice which region you are planning on visiting so that you can pack accordingly. Southern Vietnam is warm and dry during the months from March to June, then rainy from June to November. The winter months are typically cool and dry. If you are visiting during the rainy season, remember to pack both warmer and cooler clothing, since the temperature may change quickly.

The Northern section of Vietnam has traditional four seasons, with the coolest months running from December to March and the warmest months running from May until September. Monsoon season in Central Vietnam is the country’s most harsh, with cold, windy weather from September until February.

If you want to travel to Vietnam during its busiest season, then the holiday of Tet is the most important one to choose. Tet is the Vietnamese New Year, which occurs on a date that can be anytime from late January until March, with dates ranging from year to year. If you are visiting an urban area of Vietnam during Tet, you may find that there is a large amount of traffic.

For those looking for a relaxing spot on the beach, Nha Trang is the spot to visit. This small resort village is home to dozens of tourist attractions, although the beautiful clear waters of the beach are definitely the most popular. You will find that there are hotels and dining establishments for any budget, as well.

When traveling in Vietnam, you may be able to use a wide variety of international currencies, such as the US dollar, but the national currency is the Dong. The exchange rate between the dollar and is the dong is about one dollar US to eighteen thousand Vietnamese dong. You may want to consider carrying along both your own currency and the Vietnamese currency, even though both may be accepted locally.

The language in Vietnam is diverse, with Vietnamese being the official language. There are also large populations of people who speak English and Cantonese, as well. Visitors may find that signs are in both English and Vietnamese, making it simpler for English speaking tourists to find their way in large urban areas.

When traveling in Vietnam, you will inevitably want to enjoy traditional Vietnamese food. There are plenty of street vendors selling everything from spring rolls to pho, traditional dish of noodles, spices, and lime. This delicious dish is available everywhere in Vietnam. If you are lucky enough to be in a seaside town in Vietnam, then you will want to try the local seafood, which is freshly caught and prepared daily.

Vietnam is a scenic country, so take the time to enjoy the sights on a motorbike tour is the weather permits. There is plenty to see and do in any region of the country.

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Travelnowsimply.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to Ahmed Dawn Dot Com site. This article originally published on the above website on Dec 20, 2009.

Taipei to Singapore - Eva Air Business Class | Flight Review

Toronto to Singapore via Taipei Nov 23, 2018

I talked about my Toronto to Taipei journey before. Today, I will write about the rest of my trip from Taipei to Singapore. Because I am flying the same EVA AIR business class, I will skip some of my experiences to avoid redundancies. 

Transfer Experience at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)

I already had my boarding pass from Taipei to Singapore, but I still needed to go through airport security. The overall experience was pleasant. It felt like it was an expedited security procedure for transfer customers and was completed very fast.

The Star Lounge

EVA Air has 4 business class lounges at Taipei’s airport. I had the option to take either the Star Lounge or the Infinity Lounge. I chose Star this time. It has a shower facility and a variety of food.

I found some exotic Asian dishes, which I videoed. The lounge was nicely designed with a bright blue sky ceiling mural.

Inside the Business Class Cabin

This trip (TPE - SIN) was only 4 hours and 30 minutes, which was much shorter than YYZ to TPE (15H 40M). I saw lots of empty seats in business class on this segment. It was the same Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and the same configuration of my previous trip.

The Amenity Kit

There was no amenity kit or pajama set provided this time. The flight attendant offered a blanket and I took it, as it will get colder once the ship is in the air.

Food & Drinks

Food and drink selections were not as great as my previous flight. I guess this was due to the short flight. I didn’t write down the food and drink names, but you will be able to see the menus I tried in the video.

The Washroom

The washrooms were extremely clean and well-maintained like last time. However, the amenities were lacking. I didn’t find one-time toothbrush & toothpaste, mouthwash, and other female necessities like last time. But there was lotion, handwash, cologne, and face spray in containers.

Entertainment System

There were fairly recent movies and TV shows; I watched Mission Impossible Fallout. Eva Air does not provide free WiFi in business class like Turkish Airlines.

Final Thoughts

 My flight had a night mode feature on the ceiling, creating stars in the night sky. It looked really good when all the lights were out and I liked it a lot.

My overall business class flight experience with Eva Air was pleasant and satisfactory. This is my second time flying EVA AIR and I am looking forward to my future trips returning to Toronto on EVA AIR.

Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Moorea; Heaven on Earth

Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Moorea

The world is full of beauty, and beautiful places are always attractive to tourists. There is probably no greater advertisement for a country’s tourist industry than a non-captioned picture showing beautiful scenery, unspoilt land and smiling faces. And perhaps more than any other region, the South Pacific has all of this in great quantities. Nowhere is this more in evidence than in Tahiti, the largest island in French Polynesia, and an attractive proposition for any sun-seeking tourist with an interest in living the relaxed life. If you had to put a visual picture to the word “holiday”, then perhaps the most immediate one would be one which corresponds very directly to what you will see in Tahiti – palm trees, sandy beaches, the whole nine yards.

In fact, Tahiti is a series of islands, and also the name of the larger island which makes up most of the landmass of the small French protectorate. The island of Tahiti, in fact, does not quite have the same beach lifestyle as the rest of the country, but what it does have is a lot of holiday resorts which feature the aesthetic beauty of the South Pacific in all its glory, along with the capital city, Papeete. Papeete makes for an excellent base from which to see the rest of Tahiti. Also on the main island are some volcanoes which form part of the breathtaking natural scenery of the area. Off the main island you will find, though, some of the most heartbreakingly beautiful scenery that you have ever seen.

Bora Bora is recognized as being among the most desirable locations for a honeymoon that the world has to offer. In the holiday resorts of Bora Bora you will find the immediately recognisable overwater bungalows, wooden huts raised on stilts over the lagoon which surrounds the island. These range from some very affordable accommodations which will suit the pocket of any visitor and serve perfectly well as a marvellous setting from which to see the area, to more luxurious bungalows which make for the ideal setting for a honeymoon. Anyone who could look at Bora Bora, its tropical lagoon, coral reef and the overwater bungalows and not want to visit, must surely have seen everything in their life.

Moorea is seen as the more exclusive sister island to Bora Bora, but is in truth not that much different to it. This is not to denigrate its charms, which are extensive and very clear to anyone who pays a visit. In fact, on Moorea the main selling point is that it is simply something different to Bora Bora – equally beautiful in a different way, with stunning views over any of its two gorgeous bays. The overwater bungalows are also present here, as are garden bungalows and apartments which are set among a relaxed atmosphere which would make not just honeymooning couples but also any casual traveler feel absolutely blissful. Beyond these two islands there are still others, making a package deal a worthwhile choice for anyone looking for a break in the sun.

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Travelnowsimply.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to Ahmed Dawn Dot Com site. This article originally published on the above website on Oct 11, 2009.