Why do we do it? If too many people talk about a thing, exalting it too highly too many times, then we balk. At least, some of us do. It’s partly, I think, a symptom of the desperate human desire to stand out in a crowd – even if it means missing out on something good. We hesitate to conform (even though most of us do it all the time in little ways we probably don’t even consider). But if we can hold out, if something comes up that the whole world seems gaga over except for us – then we are different. We are our own person. And we’re proud of that.

It’s also the common what-about-me syndrome. No matter how cool a thing sounds, if it doesn’t connect with some part of ourselves, some specific interest or dream, then it won’t register on our must-experience list. After all, tons of people want to visit Paris one day, but each person who would say that probably has some personal connection to the idea. “I’ve wanted to ever since I saw that musical,” “My great-great grandmother was from there”, “I’m into fashion,” etc. And, I would venture to say, many popular destinations for student tours fall into this list of cool places that you’ve heard about so much you feel kind of indifferent to actually experiencing them for yourself.

For me, one of these amazing things that had earned its place as a must-experience location but that so many people had declared as such that I wanted to be different and ignore it, was Niagara Falls. I was extremely indifferent to this powerful, magnificent display of water rushing over a cliff. Extremely. (I actually did the same thing with Hawaii and the Caribbean Islands – so perhaps I had an aversion to classic honeymoon cliches?) Anyway, all this changed when I actually saw the Falls for myself.

It helped that I was sort of “in the area”. It helped for, you know, the casual factor. I was staying in Buffalo, New York, and a few us made the trip to the falls both at night and during the day. And it. Was. Breathtaking. I’ll never forget the way they looked by the lights at night. I’ll never forget the way you can feel the water splashing on you even from hundreds of yards away. (I’ll also never forget that pretty much everyone standing nearby heartily declared, ‘But it’s so much better from the Canada side,’ which is something I actually do want to discover for myself.)

So – all I’m saying – is don’t rule it out just because it’s so completely awesome that it’s become a travel cliche. Most things become a cliche for a reason, and Niagara Falls is one of them. This gorgeous natural destination really is, though, perfect for students. Niagara Falls student tours offer tons of exciting ways to actually experience the beauty, the power, and the adventure of the Falls. None of them include going over the Falls in a barrel, but they are thrilling. Think helicopter tours and boats like the famous Maid of the Mist. And, seriously, consider this amazing destination for your next student tour.