Quebec City looks really good for just having turned 400 on July 3rd. If I had to guess I would say the city is not a day over 250. In celebration Quebec City has plans all summer and fall to make year 400 a memorable one, so even though the official day has past, [...]
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This is the second in a three-part series on beating jet lag after a long flight to Australia. If you’re touching down in Sydney, read our tips for overcoming jet lag in Sydney. This installment is all about beating jet lag after an arrival in Melbourne. The third post will focus on Brisbane arrivals.Beat jet [...]
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Editor’s Note: Loyal readers will remember Jeff Gates’ posts from last summer, when he took his family on an all-American vacation to Yosemite, Las Vegas and the Sierra Nevadas. Happily Jeff is hitting the road again, this is his first post (of many, we hope). In case you forgot, Jeff is the New Media Lead [...]
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If you’re going to go somewhere, first you have to leave somewhere. Makes sense don’t it. To get to Belgium first I had to get out of the Netherlands. And the Netherlands is a funny place, all flat and below sea-level, 10 metres of dikes holding back the ocean to the north and all these [...]
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Imagine my surprise: I got on a train in Bratislava, Slovakia, bound for Vienna, Austria — the land of mountains and snow, high lakes and skiing skiing skiing!Austria: More than just AlpsBut out the window all I saw was flat land. As far as the eye could see, it was flat. And covered in wind [...]
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Editor’s Note: Recently we’ve been hearing a lot about ’staycations’. So we asked Viator’s founder (Rod) and one of Viator’s most travel-loving staffers (Kelly) to ponder the following resolution. Resolved: That staycations are the new hot trend in travel. In true Lincoln-Douglas debate style (what, you didn’t take debate in high school?? Shame on you) [...]
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I used to think that “Northern Lights” was just an exotic name for nasty skunk/plutonium-powered hydroponic weed from the boffins back at the Smoking Lab in Amsterdam. Turns out its more than just the stars you see on the back of your lids when you’re belly-up in a back alley outside a “coffee shop” after [...]
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For almost everyone in world getting to Australia takes a long time. Sure, it’s no longer necessary to hang your head over the ship’s rail for a month or more, as visitors from the mother country (that’s England, for the history-challenged among you) routinely did until just 40 years ago. But a flight time that [...]
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It’s wrong to buy designer ripoffs, right? But when they are being sold as ‘original copies’ do the same rules apply? Because that is the sales pitch of the guys in the markets of Istanbul. Sincerity abounds as they shake Dolce and Gabbana shirts and Prada boots and Versace jeans in front of you: ‘Original [...]
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London is brimming with life, from the pounding underground nightclubs (catering for every music taste known to mankind) to the chic boudoirs bustling with sparkling Russians in Bond Street. Tourists and natives alike are spoilt for choice on how to spend their days, but rest assured the majority will cost you an arm and a [...]
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The kids got it sortedIf it’s hot, the kids have got it. Like yellow T-shirts this summer. They are “it”.It’s taken me a few years, maybe ten, but I have just started to get used to mobile phones in movies. Y’know like the villain is out doing some villainous thing and then the goodfella finds [...]
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Uluru from a helicopter, Ayers RockThe iconic Australian Outback - kangaroos, the Red Centre, akubra’s, four-wheel drives, Ayers Rock (Uluru). I always thought that it was something I would do when I “had more time”. But whether it’s 2 or 3 days out of your trip to Australia, or a long weekend from Sydney for [...]
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Traveling further afield from Amsterdam? You can try the well-known tourist destinations in Belgium like Bruges and Ghent, or Antwerp and Brussels. Yet there are several options for quicker day trips within the Netherlands, whether your tastes lean towards modern urbanism or pastoral tulip fields.Amsterdam Day Trips: RotterdamCube houses in RotterdamRotterdam, less than 90 minutes [...]
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Try this with your friends: say the name of a city they’ve been to and most likely they’ll come up with a one-word, sensory delight that sums the place up for them. For example, Lisbon – ‘oh, the fish; Munich – ‘ah, the beer’; Paris – ‘ooh, the croissants’. Well here are a few of [...]
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The Disillusioned Dubliner isn’t usually one for giving romantic advice but here’s a pearl of wisdom for all you lonely hearts out there: Get yourself a lover from somewhere else.Katie Lincoln comes from a small, fishing village (I know every village says that, but you can take my word for it, people fish there) called [...]
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Editor’s note: Anthony Lye has been traveling around Spain, checking in with us as he goes. His last post was about short breaks in Madrid.Casa Cervantes in Valladolid, SpainSet amidst the desolate, sweeping rural plains of Castilla, the small bustling city of Valladolid boasts a population of over 300,000 with an energetic ambience to match. [...]
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Editor’s Note: Read the latest on the Optimistic Fools preparation for the 2008 Mongol Rally. Viator is pleased to be a sponsor of the Optimistic Fools rally team, on their journey to complete the 2008 Mongol Rally from London to Ulan Bator, Mongolia. The race starts July 19, so the next time we hear from [...]
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So the south of France, the Cote d’Azur. I know what you’re thinking: expensive, clichéd. Think again.I agreed to go there for a week’s holiday with a friend mainly because I’d never been and it’s one of those famous places that’s in all the books and movies and gossip magazines. Oh, and because I really [...]
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Thessaloniki, Greece’s second city, is a mélange of culture and activity. Though a Turkish city until1912 (as part of the Ottoman Empire), Thessaloniki is now most definitely Greek. It is a major destination and port entry to the Balkans, specifically the former-Yugoslavia. There is a hint of South Beach in the atmosphere, and a 2007 [...]
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Dima from Russia, the 2008 winner Would it be wrong to base future travel plans on the Eurovision song contest?Come on, would it be really really so wrong? Isn’t the entry of each country saying something important about that country, representing the popular face of the nation, its culture and its current popular heroes? And [...]
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I had just completed my sophomore year in college, and made up my mind to skip the fall term. For some time I had been feeling trapped in California, and I strongly suspected the entire state was a bland fantasyland compared with the rest of the country. Having filled my head with Kerouac and photographs [...]
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Hit the Road in Style this Summer!Viator has partnered with Lonely Planet for this summer’s One Tank Getaways contest. Lonely Planet has put together an assortment of travel prizes to make your next road trip unforgettable.If winning $500 worth of tours and activities from Viator isn’t enough incentive to enter, Lonely Planet is also kicking [...]
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Next Stop: Ancient RomeMost visitors to Rome want to scratch beneath the surface of the Roman Empire, probably the most important historical aspect of Rome. That’s why an itinerary exploring Rome’s ancient past is something that should be a part of every visit to Rome. Here are a few of ancient Rome’s essential highlights.Colosseo - [...]
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Editor’s Note: Jordan Digby lives in Baan Pluai (aka “BP”), Roi-Et province, Thailand. If you want to find it on a map, the coordinates are 15 degrees 39′ 34″ N, 103 degrees 56′ 45″ E. Please, no ICBMS. Lesson 1: The 10-Ticket BusSo we’ve lost the use of the neighbour’s pickup, due to her daughter [...]
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I had dinner in New York with a mate of mine last week. He told me he’d been to New York lots of times, but it turned out he’d never been below 34th Street or thereabouts. Frankly, I’d be happy enough if I never went above 34th Street; in any event, it made me realise [...]
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We all know that a stopover in the middle of a long-haul flight does not really count in the “how many cities I have been to” stakes. If it did then everybody would claim to know Singapore like an old friend that you continually run into, Frankfurt as that sort of straight place that’s close [...]
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One of America’s oldest cities, Baltimore is often in the shadow of its more flamboyant neighbors: Washington DC, Philadelphia and New York City. But Baltimore hasn’t been nicknamed Charm City without reason - “Bawlmore” as the locals call it is known for its many attractions, its rich ethnic and maritime heritage and its quirky, [...]
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Beginner Scuba Diver in AcapulcoA devout snorkeler of many years I didn’t see much reason to try scuba diving. All that equipment and training seemed like a lot of hassle, and for what? Getting a couple of feet closer to some fish? Two things changed my mind: my cousin got certified and couldn’t stop talking [...]
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Everywhere I look lately I see something about Indiana Jones and travel. Maybe because the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull movie opening is soon he’s getting some press. Indiana Jones “adventure” tours and packages are cropping up. I’m not sure how any organized travel package can be an adventure exactly, since [...]
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Viator staff are always taking the tours we offer on the site; it’s our business, so it makes sense. And every now and again a whole bunch of us take the afternoon off and do one of our tours as a group: that happened a few weeks ago in San Francisco, when we headed down [...]
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Berlin, London, Paris, Rome, Mudgee, Como… I’ve been everywhere, man – from the city to the sea – and, well, its just not working for me now. I reckon I must be over it. Not like a whinging tourist in a queue for something they don’t really want to see, or a pouting child that [...]
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Ceci n’est pas Luke’s MumEditor’s Note: Luke posted this last year for his mum. We thought it nicely captures the spirit of Mother’s Day, so we are re-posting Luke’s original Ode to Mum today in honor of moms (and mums) everywhere.Fighting my way to Sydney airport on Easter Thursday evening — along with 20,000 other [...]
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Mitad del MundoTo find the Earth’s equator is now pretty easy. You stand around where you think it is with your handy GPS and the gadget tells you where to go and when you’ve arrived. Back when the equator was first mapped, it was the 1700s, and no one thought to bring along their GPS.The [...]
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Editor’s Note: All of us at Viator are thrilled to offer a small and growing collection of Morocco tours. The inaugural things to do focus in and around Marrakech. Over the next few weeks we’ll add Fes and other destinations throughout Morocco. As they say in Morocco, As-salam ʿleykum and welcome!The road to Fes from [...]
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Cairns, AustraliaThe islands, beaches and rainforests that surround Cairns make it world famous – an essential stop on any trans-Australian itinerary. It’s the most popular base for diving or snorkeling over the magnificent Great Barrier Reef, but you might struggle to fit that in around the bungee jumping, hot-air ballooning, skydiving, fishing, white-water rafting and [...]
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I’m ashamed to admit I know only the bare essentials of Australian history - Captain Cook found us and decided to stick around, Ned Kelly ran around the country with a tin on his head, the ANZACs did us proud in WWI and a cyclone wiped out Darwin on Christmas Day in 1974 (I admit [...]
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I sign up for a tour of Berlin’s underground bunkers and subways with Berliner Unterwelten, the society for exploration and documentation of subterranean architecture, who have opened up this underworld to the public since 1997.I make my way to the meeting point in Berlin, at Gesundbrunnen, feeling a slight degree of trepidation. The Cold War [...]
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Thomas’ book makes great toilet paperTry as I might, I can no longer stay quiet about the cyclone in a teacup brewing over at Lonely Planet.You know, the Thomas Kohnstamm firestorm. The travel writer who takes drugs, has sex, fabricates information, and writes an (appallingly awful) tell-all book about his experiences called Do Travel Writers [...]
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Editor’s Note: Jane has just started a new job at the State Department of Transport in an undisclosed location. Congratulations Jane, and keep the masses traveling.Sunday morning, New York City, D TrainGet on the busThere are all kinds of ways to see a city. If you take a tour, you’ll know you’re getting through all [...]
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Here’s a recipe for adventure: a long weekend visit to family in Nakon Patom, Thailand.Naturally nobody has a map, but the general instructions seem to be, “head west to the big road, then head south; turn right just before you hit Bangkok“. Uh-huh. Great instructions to cover a 900km trip!Thai Group Consciousness (TGC) - it’s [...]
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Editor’s Note: Every so often we here at Viator start thinking about the meaning of travel — what’s it all about, why do we do it. See below for Philippa’s contribution to this growing topic. Also see Scott’s rant about Why we Travel, Rod’s Throw Away the Guidebook and Jane’s How to Travel (When You’re [...]
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What with all this talk about Las Vegas and deserts on these pages, I thought I shouldn’t be outdone and have decided to weigh in with my a bit of Outback kiss and tell — casino style, mind you. The only other casino in the desert that I’ve ever seen — well, the only other [...]
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What’s the big deal about Florence? First off, it was an important medieval trade and commerce centre and was the home of the Italian Renaissance, which brought Europe kicking and screaming out of the Middle Ages. More to the point, the city is famous for its Renaissance art and architecture – home to Michelangelo’s David [...]
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After finding my way into Paris on the Orly airport bus, for the fine price of only 6 euro, and changing at Denfert-Rochereau to make the local connection to the metro, I am already feeling like a local. Tune into Radio Aligre (FM 93.1) and its highly regarded, uncompromisingly avant-garde music show called “Songs [...]
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Editor’s Note: Terry Carter and his wife and writing partner, Lara Dunston, have written half a dozen travel guides to Dubai and the UAE and have made it their home base since 1998. We asked Terry to write about top local / off-the-beaten-path travel tips for Dubai. You can also check out their recent post [...]
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Last week, Canberra, Australia’s small capital city, played host to the controversial Olympic Torch as it makes its way around the world. Organisers described it as the most successful outing yet for the flame – which isn’t really saying much after the chaotic debacles of Paris, London and San Francisco and the security-deadened, almost invisible [...]
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The UK has Rememberance Day, the US has Memorial Day and down under we have ANZAC Day. Every child in Australia and New Zealand knows December 25 is Christmas Day, and April 25 is ANZAC Day. During our time at school we learn about the day when Australia truly grew up and became a real [...]
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The cities I fall spontaneously in love with have one thing in common. They all have a sense of possibility, which you can feel seeping up through the streets and out into the air from the back alleys. While they may open to your curiosity at first embrace, they also keep some things secret. Their [...]
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Ladies, if you ever need your mood lifted, go to Rome.It’s very difficult for a woman to walk down the street there without being greeted with ‘Ciao, bella’ or ‘Buongiorno, beautiful lady.’ Very good for the ego. And definitely not pick-up lines but just part of the joy of life embraced by Italians. My theory [...]
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So, roll down the invisible hill again, straight outta Darwin, to Katherine. Or just get straight Outta Katherine if you’re already there already. Like you didn’t know to (get Outta Katherine, that is). Head west, which means south, but those people got it all upside down already, because this time it’s Western Australia that [...]
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A friend told me the first time I came here, that every summer you spend in Berlin, will be better than the last. You have survived the long winter, now the sunshine is warm and you want to make the most of it.The city parks are indeed plentiful, and inside their lush greenery is where [...]
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