Waterfalls, wonderful waterfalls all over the world: America, Argentina, Australia, Canada, England, Malaysia

The Americas
This week Google has been sending me wonderful waterfall pictures of Iguazu Falls in South America. When I think of big waterfalls, I think of the big three, Niagara, which I have seen from both the Candaian and american sides, the Victoria Falls in Africa (now renamed something I cannot remember) and the South American waterfalls. Each continent has something special to see.

Niagara - Canada
Canada has the all jumping exciting side of the falls with all the museums. Marilyn Monroe made a film here. I have been several times. I never managed to time it right to see the Houdini museum.

Niagara - USA
If you cannot leave the USA, you can see the Falls from the American side.

The three things I remember are:
1 The noise
2 The wet spray - on some excursions you will be asked to wear waterrproof covering, or might be given it.
3 The prices.

The boat journeys come and go. They are allowed. They are banned. They are allowed again.
If you are the nervous type and prefer to stay at a distance, instead of spending your money on the attractions, you might prefer to indulge in a hotel room overlooking the falls.

What would you do if stuck indoors? Watch marilyn Monroe in the film Niagara.

As with all these attractions, in a tur group, I miss a lot of the commentary because of the noise or I am delaying to take a photo. Since you might miss half the commentary, it helps to resarch the place in advance, even print off your own guide from Wikipedia or Wikivoyage or the local tourist board.

If you have the chance, go from the USA to South America to see the Iguazu Falls.

Iguazu Falls - Brazil/Argentina

England
For me, South America is still just a dream. I remember reading about a boy who set out to visit all the major waterfalls. The minor waterfalls are numerous. We have been on hikes along paths to waterfalls in England's lovely Lake Distict, which is a pupular honeymoon destination.

I once rang up the local tourist board and asked, "Can you find me a hotel with a four-poster bed?"

She said, "You'll have to be more specific. Almost every hotel in the Lake District has a four-poster bed. Some of the hotels have three or four."

The Lake District is on the green and rainy west side of England like the Scottish lakes around Glasgow. You will find the same in many countries and islands. the wet part is green, with waterfalls, in rainy season.

Rain brings gushing rivers, waterfalls, great photos, also muddy paths. We turned back on our way to the waterfall.

Then we avoided the rain by going back in high summer. However, we found the drought had dried up the waterfall!

Australia
The seasons are opposite down in Australia. On the Great Ocean Road, we unexpectedly found a path leading to a waterfall. We took a detour, after some debate. Why? I said, "What's the problem? Because it's only half an hour."

My husband replied, "Yes. Half an hour there, would be an hour, return, plus time spent at the fall."

The signpost writer's idea of a half hour walk extended to an hour, as I hobbled along in unsutibale shoes, watched my step and took photos.

We were just about to turn back. I stopped. My husband carried on to the next corner. He came running back.

"We must be near - I can hear it!"

Yes, we heard it. And for the next half hour we continued to hear it. We finally made it.

We did not reach our hotel by lunch time but by dinner time!

We felt like explorer Livingstone - even on a marked path with wooden steps and railings.

What about rhe real Livingstone country?

Africa
The statue of Livinstone looking at the Victoria Falls.

David Lingstone Statue.

I hope the statue stays and does not disappear in a wave of political correctness.

Contrast the falls in raining season and the falls in dry season.



Asia - Malaysia
I live part of the year in Singapore. From Singapore many honeymoon couples go to the Kota Tinggi waterfall in Johor, Malaysia, just across the causeway, for romantic photos, often taken there by photographers.

Kota Tinggi Waterfalls, Johor, Malaysia (side trip from Singapore)

Asia - Singapore's Artificial Falls
Jewel Mall - free
Singapore itself has two magnificent artificial indoor waterfalls. The one in the centre of Jewel Shopping Mall (the old airport car park, domed and converted into a mall, with the central waterfall designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie).





I went to the pre-opening, and several times after it opened.  It is great when you arrive at mid-level, great from higher floors, different again from the basement when it thunders behind a transparent barrier.

But Covid-19 measures are in place, so check opening times before setting off. It could be closed evenings, opening late, timed free entry, or not open at all.

The other huge waterfall and huge tourist attraction is in the Gardens by the Bay. One of the two main attractions. One is the Flower Garden (a series of gardens).

The second is Cloud Mountain.
This contains the large waterfall. Walkways zig zag up several floors. You can take the lift to the top and walk down.


Get tickets for both attractions at a reduced price if possible and allow several hours.

If you want something free, the free Botanic Gardens has a tiny waterfall which you can walk behind, refreshing on a hot day. You do get wet. You have to shield your camera or mobile phone with an umbrella. I started by taking photos from the outside. Then I ventured into the short tunnel walk behind the fall, which has an  window behind the noisy spray.

Water, water, everywhere. Wonderful waterfalls.

Useful Websites
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_(film)
Niagara Falls movie locations:
http://www.themoviedistrict.com/niagara-1953/2/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Falls

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iguazu_Falls

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kota_Tinggi_Waterfalls

https://www.lakescottageholiday.co.uk/blog/lake-district-waterfalls/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_waterfalls_of_Australia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_waterfalls_of_New_Zealand

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_waterfalls_of_England

About the Author
Travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Visitor Friendly Historic Houses and Hotels? Four-posters and one honeymoon couple's surprise.

I have spent 48 hours trying to work out what I like and dislike about venues. Some people like natural venues, no signs, discover it for yourself. I like visitor friendly venues.

Some people are outraged if they go to a beauty spot and see a sign to the toilets, photo spot or car park. the same goes for stately homes.

I like either a friendly person who greets me and tells me where to find food, toilets, sights, gifts. Or signs.

That was why I was unnerved and felt unwelcome at Brocket Hall and Auberge du Lac. I could not find the way. We were all arguing with each other and phoning each other with directions.

On arrival I felt as if I were intriguing by sitting by the lake. I felt like an intruder going upstairs and looking for the toilet. I've been in places where there are no signs to toilets and when you go the wrong way by mistake the staff are there to bar your way and tell you which areas are off limits.

I like a shop, a postcard, a book on the history of the property, something about the venue in the menu. Rooms named after guests or ancestors.

Staff happy to tell you the history of the building.

Yes, I can see that too much questioning could be seen as intrusive. Happy birthday - how old are you. Goodness you are older than you look. Where did you come from, different directions, so you are not married but having an affair? Anybody close to you died, on drugs, divorced? I see you've been in trouble recently.

The way to avoid this is to talk about neutral topics. But showing an interest in the person you are addressing and being positive.

For example, 'Welcome to ...(historic house, whatever). ...Enjoy your stay/evening/meal.'

You have a lovely day/evening for sailing, sitting by the pool/lake).

Yes, you booked online/ I spoke to you on the phone earlier / my colleague / our manager, Simon/name told me you booked a table for three.

Would you like a table by the window  with a view of the park / lake ? Now you've had cocktails by the lake we have a quiet corner for you, secluded in a nook.

I'll be back with coffee later. If you want anything just raise your hand and wave and I'll be right over.

If the venue is running fancy dress party, some people will have not had the time or money or inclination to buy or make costumes, or work out what fits the theme. It took me days to work out what to wear for a fifties party, the right skirt length, neckline, shoes, jewellery, hairstyle.

The venue/ organisers should off a cheap paper hat for those who are willing but don't have cash to splash, as well as some really fancy costumes available as last minute purchases for last minute guests, those who have more money than time, or missing luggage!

If you don't want huge banners ruining the yesteryear atmosphere your historic stately home, nor blocking the view and smiling photos, a discreet plaque which is smaller and therefore cheaper. Please save your desperately looking-for-the-loo guests from running up and down four flights of stairs, taking lifts down to spooky basements, down endless corridors, into private bedrooms interrupting outraged couples, hit on the head by falling objects in broom cupboards, walking onstage in piano recitals or worse.

(I've experienced most of these. The entrance door used to send latecomers who couldn't get taxis on rainy days into the museum, alongside the speaker at the former museum in Singapore. Lifts in hotels and shopping malls taking you down to deserted basement car parks. The stairs at the far end of the corridor from the sports centre into the Tanglin Club take you into the Car Park (the loos are hidden behind reception in the lobby).

The manager of a hotel in Lisbon, Portugal once took a group of camera-wielding journalists into the supposedly unoccupied honeymoon suite, to find a honeymoon couple in bed. A 'do not disturb sign' or occupied sign operated from inside might have helped warn. The punchline to this true story is that the manager went back to reception and said, send a note of apology and a bunch of flowers up to the honeymoon suite, not now - later!

Large Beds - The Great Bed of Ware, V and A
If you want to see the four-poster above, it's the Great Bed of Ware, in the Victoria and Albert Museum. (If you are going specially to see it, ask if it's on display.) It supposedly slept three couples. Or was it more?

Honeymoon Hotels and Anniversaries in the UK
If you want your own four-poster, look for any old inn in the centre of a British city, check if they have a four-poster, and if it's free on the date you choose. (Usually a suite at a higher price.)

Lake District
Or try the Lake District.  Some hotels have two or more four posters. Many hotels have several. At least one hotel all the rooms have four-posters.

Grimsdyke Hotel
In North West London try the Grimsdyke hotel.  The main house has at least one grand old style room. Old beds might have posts, with or without drapes, a covering above, or just a half-tester like a tray over the pillow, with or without a curtain to conceal the face of the lady (or the lord's ladyfriend).

Angela Lansbury, BA Hons, travel writer, author, raconteur, humorous speech winner and speech trainer.
See 'Angela Lansbury Author' and 'Angela Lansbury Poet' on YouTube reading comic poetry and explaining grammar, spelling and restaurant etiquette. 

How I started my hunt for honeymoon suites with four poster bed

I was at the height, the heyday, of my career as a travel writer, on the fringes of a freelance career, writing about honeymoon destinations and romantic hotels. It has started on my honeymoon in Morocco when we shyly failed to announce in advance that we were honeymooners, and were given twin beds. The following summer, for our anniversary we toured England and Scotland. At every hotel I asked to see the honeymoon suite, although almost every one was beyond our budget, I got to see it, enjoy the oo - ah surprise of opening the door and being delighted. Then Brides magazine invited readers to send in their stories. I sent in my pictures and text, and was invited to write more.

From then on every time I entered a hotel, whether as a journalist on another assignment, often just having a meal, or attending a drinks reception, I asked to see the honeymoon suite. I acquired hundreds of photos of honeymoon suites around the world.

The biggest tourism surprise was my conversation with the PR for England's Lake District. I was invited up for an event and asked the PR lady if she had a hotel with a honeymoon suite with a four poster which I could see. She went silent.

I thought I had embarrassed her because she could not think of one. Honeymoon suites were my speciality. Often the hotel PR did not even think about them. They were too busy showing off the conference centre microphones, the restaurant's new stainless steel kitchen, the size of the car park. They did not know the hotel's main bedroom had a four poster bed in the attic, until I pointed it out in the hotel brochure from three years ago, before they'd added the new conference centre with the spa and 100 identical new bedrooms.

'You don't have a hotel with a four poster bed?' I queried. 'Is that the problem?'

'No,' she answered. 'In the lake district almost every hotel has a four poster bed. Most hotels have two. Some have several.'

You can imagine that I came home from that trip with lot of photos.