“True friends are never apart, maybe in distance never in heart.” – Helen Keller

I've visited our neighbors in the north quite a bit in the past few years, from Vancouver to Quebec City to Montreal and Toronto and I’ve been able to create incredible memories in each city. I spent last Thanksgiving visiting my bestie Justine in Toronto. The last time I was in“the 6” was for Spring Break in 2010, so a trip was long overdue. The food, good vibes and reuniting with high school friends made the trip extra special. Though my trip was short, I was able to squeeze in quite a bit and I want to share those experiences to help you plan your future trip to Toronto. I visited from November 28 - December 2, 2019.

Four Things to do in Toronto

# 1 - Enjoy Good Food

I know this might seem super basic but during my trip to Quebec, I fell in love with the cheese croissants from Tim Hortons - like a low key obsession where I had to start my day with one. LOL. They’re so light, fluffy and delicious when paired with hot chocolate. This trip was no different but I added something new to the line up - birthday cake Timbits. Whew! What I would do for some right now.

Chubby's Jamaican Kitchen

The food here was absolutely amazing and the dancehall & reggae music made it the ultimate chill spot. Catching up with my old high school crew over ackee & saltfish bites, oxtail, cocktail patties, jerk pork, rum punch and getting the latest tea brought back so many memories of the fun we had growing up in Jamaica. I’d encourage you to try some of their meals and cocktails on the menu as they’d definitely satisfy your Jamaican food cravings!

Kinka Izakaya

So I finally got to meet the other Daniella in my best friend’s life and she did.not.disappoint with her choice of restaurant for dinner. An izakaya is a restaurant that specializes in small plates and alcoholic beverages. We ordered several plates for the table to share and I tried their lychee margarita that was so good I ended up ordering another! In addition to the delicious food, the atmosphere was also amazing as they had a DJ spinning the latest and greatest in dancehall, afro beats and hip hop! This would be a great spot for a fun girl’s night out!

Ramen Isshin

My love for ramen knows no bounds and I was on the hunt for some good ramen ever since I landed in Toronto. I finally got my fix on a snowy day - PERFECT ramen weather, am I right? The service was great as the servers provided recommendations and were extremely patient as I tried to decide on what to order. I started off with the Chicken Karaage and finished with the Spicy Red Miso Ramen which were both excellent choices.

#2 - Take a Dance Class at City Dance Corps

This was so much fun! It had been a while since I did choreographed dancing and this had me reminiscing on my dancing days in Jamaica! My friend and I opted for an afro beats dance class and I loved, loved, loved it. We paid $20 for a 1 hour session which was definitely a much needed workout after all the croissants and timbits I had. The instructor was fun and spent a little time with each student to ensure they weren’t being left behind.

#3 - Take a Waterfall Tour

Niagara Falls has been on my bucket list but I didn’t get the chance to go the last time I visited Toronto. Y’all know I love Airbnb experiences so I was excited to see that there was a waterfall tour that included pick up and drop off, wine tasting and visits to 4 different waterfalls for $128. We started at 8 am and got back to Toronto by about 6:30 pm. It was a day well spent and loved that I was able to truly enjoy the smaller waterfalls (Tiffany Falls, Sherman Falls & Devil’s Punchbowl Falls) and other sites we visited stress-free. I’d definitely recommend this tour and buying a bottle of ice wine from Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery! We had two stops along the way for a mid morning snack and for lunch and ended our trip with the beautiful & breathtaking Niagara Falls. TIP: You can take the Hornblower Cruise to experience the falls up close for an additional $30.

#4 - Book a Photoshoot

Alright, alright! You know I love taking pictures and a photoshoot was a must do while in Toronto. I found Bruno on Airbnb and his price was extremely affordable, had great reviews and I loved the quality of his work. I paid $38 for a 1 hour session and we took pictures at Union Station, CN Tower, Financial District and Nathan Phillips Square (Toronto Sign). In my opinion, it was well worth the price! I enjoyed shooting with Bruno and I received the final pics in about a week.

I thoroughly enjoyed all the delicious food, activities and overall good vibes in Toronto! Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions about this trip.

Until the next journey...