What You Must Check Before Taking A Rental Car

Simple Checks You Should Perform Before Driving Off A Rental Car | Best Car Rental Tips

Don’t rush to leave the rental car station once you get the keys. Spending 10 more minutes to do these simple checks will save you a lot of hassle and time.

I will go over some basic checks for you in this article. If you think I missed something, definitely add it to your list next time you rent a car and drive off the parking lot.

Vehicle Registration and Insurance Papers – These should be in the glove compartment, but don’t assume they are always there. Check and make sure your rental car has all the required documents you need.

Tire Pressure and Flat Tire Tool Kit - Check the tire pressure by kicking them and also make sure the trunk has a flat tire tool kit such as a jack, a wrench, and a fully-inflated spare tire. Also, ask the associate what their policy is in case of a flat tire. Some rental companies don’t allow customers to change a flat tire (you have to call their provided emergency # in that case) and some want you to try changing the tire first before calling for help.

Also, get the emergency # to call from the associate and save it on your phone.

Check & Record for Damages – Check the whole car inside and outside, including the trunk for any damages and scratches. Better yet, video (using your phone) the car as proof, which will be hard to dispute in the case of the rental company blaming you for something which was done by the previous renter. This simple video trick helped me a lot when I discovered scratches after exiting the parking lot and didn’t notice it before.

Gas Metre (Fuel Gauge) – Take a picture of the gas metre, as you will need to refuel it to the same point it was when you took the car.

A bonus tip is to check where the gas tank release button is located. It happened to me in the past that I couldn’t find the release button, as it was hidden.

Exotic Travel Destinations – 2 Continents

Trips to Asia & Africa | Coming Up

I have a trip to Asia this year planned months before, but what was not on my itinerary was the Africa trip, which was unexpected.

I had a change of work – forcing me to change my 1-month Asia trip to a half Asia, half Africa trip. As I was close to my departure, I spent countless hours 4 days in a row searching online, calling the airlines, and calling the travel agent to design a new one-month long trip to 2 continents.

I am not mentioning any names of the countries because I would like to disclose it once I am at the airports or at the destinations. What I can tell you is that both places are exotic and different.

You can follow the full trips on my YouTube Channel here: Ahmed Dawn

While most YouTube channels want you to stay in the box with a specific topic, my goal is to break out of the box. As such, on this one-of-a-kind rare hybrid channel, I am always trying new and different ideas to take you beyond such boundaries.

If you are into thinking outside the box, this is definitely the channel for you. And there is a lot more to come from across the globe for viewers like you who are not afraid to try something new and different.

My flight leaves Toronto, Canada on this Saturday, September 10, 2022. To stay updated, please follow the YouTube link above.

Where to Rent A Boat in Toronto | Cheapest Small Boat Rental In Toronto

Best Place to Rent A Boat in Toronto

Today, I will talk about where you can rent a small boat in Toronto for 1 to 4 persons. I am not talking about yachts or big boats costing $400/$500.

When it comes to renting a basic powerboat in Toronto, options are limited. After searching online and asking here and there, it looks like there is only one place you can rent a small boat in Toronto for cheap.

Harbourfront Centre in downtown Toronto, offers various sailing, powerboating, and kayaking rentals. Their website and address are below:

https://harbourfrontcentre.com/program/sailing-and-powerboating/

Harbourfront Centre
235 Queens Quay West
Toronto ON M5J 2G8
(416) 973-4000

However, you can't book on their website, so call them first to book before you go to pick up your boat.

Harbourfront Centre is not really cheap, but it is cheaper than others where renting boat costs have skyrocketed, as they only offer big boats and yachts with captains to rent.

When I rented my boat, a Paradise F13 was going for $109 per 1 hr (up to 2 people) and a Lund was going for $129.00 per hour. Fuel is included, so you don’t have to worry about anything else.

All their boats are too old and rundown. I think that because of the fact they are the only place where you can rent a boat, they are not interested in upgrading and offering better prices and services; customers have no other choice.

Still, I go there to rent once in a while and will put up with their old boats until I can find better options.

$600 Per Night Luxury Westin Harbour Castle Toronto Hotel by Marriott

Luxury Hotel Review | Westin Harbour Castle Toronto Hotel by Marriott

I always wanted to spend a night at the Westin Harbour Castle Toronto Hotel, which is known for its stunning views. An opportunity was presented when I got a deal from Marriott – so I didn’t have to pay the full prices. 

When I checked in on Friday, my penthouse room on the 35th floor was going for $600 or more. Once I was inside the room, I came to the conclusion that it was worth paying for just for the view.

In the lobby or other areas of the hotel, it looks like just another Marriott hotel for $200 per night. However, when you get in the room and see the view, that makes the stay worthwhile.

I had a full lake view overlooking the Toronto Islands, Billy Bishop Airport, the pristine blue waters of Lake Ontario, and you even have far-off, shimmering views of Niagara Falls and the US border. On my right side I also had a partial downtown Toronto city view, including the CN Tower. It was like the best views of all sides.

The fun part was watching planes landing and taking off and seeing cruise boats and other boats crossing the waters. I did several timelapses and videos for my YouTube Channel. 

The sunrise and sunset added an extra charm to the views and they were awe-inspiring. At night, the views totally changed. The Islands had some lights in the evening, but later on only a few lights remained. The airport runway looked amazing with all the different colored lights.

I was content having lots of photo and video opportunities in such a short time. I hope to return to the Westin Harbour Castle Toronto Hotel again in the future when an opportunity presents itself. 

Cottage Country Canada Trip | Huntsville and Orillia, Muskoka, Ontario

Huntsville and Orillia, Ontario Trip | Cottage Country Travel, Canada

I am back from my cottage country trip to Huntsville and Orillia. It was a 3-day trip full of activities and excitement.

I was busy the whole time documenting my travel experience, which is available under the below YouTube Travel Playlist I created for this trip. This playlist will feature travel videos from Canada's popular cottage country locations in Huntsville (Muskoka) and Orillia (Simcoe County).

Cottage Country Canada Trip Challenge

I visited Huntsville and Orillia, popular cottage country destinations in Ontario, Canada.

Huntsville – Located in the famed cottage country district of Muskoka, Huntsville is the largest by population and land area.

Huntsville is a vibrant small town nestled amongst many lakes and the iconic Algonquin Provincial Park. Huntsville is located 215 km or 134 miles north of Toronto.

I visited Lions Lookout, the Muskoka Heritage Place Train Ride, Stubb’s Falls in Arrowhead Park, and the Town Dock waterfront in downtown Huntsville.

Orillia – The birthplace of famous Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, Orillia is located in central Ontario – just 1.5 hours from Toronto.

Known as the sunshine city, Orillia is nestled between two lakes and is a popular tourist destination. A large waterfront and Casino Rama are some of the many attractions in Orillia.

I visited Couchiching Beach Park, the Port of Orillia, Mariposa Market, and the Orillia Peter Street Arts District in Orillia.

This 3-day trip was like a warm-up trip, as I have a bigger 1-month trip to Asia coming up shortly. You can follow all these trips on my YouTube Channel right here: www.YouTube.com/ADawn