Archive for January, 2007

With Thousands of Activities Just a Few Clicks Away, Viator Makes it Easy to Experience More

San Francisco, CA. – January 22, 2007 – The first few weeks of 2007 have come and gone, and while those resolutions all sounded great on December 31, many have already been broken. For people looking for a new resolution to replace the one(s) they’ve broken, those who never got around to it in the first place, or for those who need a little help thinking of the perfect goal, Viator suggests resolving to become a ‘traveler.’

“When we say become a ‘traveler,’ we’re not talking about the act of travel, we’re talking about the experience of travel,” said Rod Cuthbert, founder and CEO of Viator. “Our activities around the world help people challenge themselves, learn about different cultures, rediscover familiar destinations, go beyond their comfort zones, spend more time with family, and even pamper themselves. With the help of Viator, people who make the resolution to become a ‘traveler’ can count on experiencing more out of life.”

No Matter the Destination – Experience It
Viator has activities around the world that help the traveler truly experience their destination like a local. The Paris Gourmet Food Walking Tour, starting at $107.00 is led by a culinary specialist (restaurant owner, chef, etc.) and includes visits to a bakery and pastry shop, caterer, wine shop, cheese shop, a fruits and vegetables shop and a market. The Adventures of Hidden Hawaii tour in Oahu starts at $72.00 and begins with a hike down a hidden path to a waterfall, along to a secluded beach for snorkeling, and onto such hidden gems as Ulupo Heiau, an ancient temple, and Halona Blowhole (Hawaii’s Old Faithful). Florence’s Artisans – Private Art Tour of Florence, starting at $145.00, begins with a walk along the Amerigo Vespucci Bridge leading to Oltrarno, and includes art and craft stores where ancient Florentine techniques are still used, and an interactive video workshop on creating frescos at Cappella Brancacci museum. The Teotihuacan Pyramids and Shrine of Guadalupe tour in Mexico City, starting at $38.00, visits the archeological site of Teotihuacan, a representation of the Aztec World, the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, Butterflies Temple, the Avenue of the Dead, and the Shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe, the most visited religious site in Latin America.

Spend More Time with Family
Family togetherness is a noble resolution every year and with Viator’s help, family time can become an experience. A two-day escape to the Florida Keys for the Swim with the Dolphins Experience starts at $199.00 and departs from Orlando. The dolphin session takes place in a natural ocean water lagoon and enthusiasts can experience behaviors such as foot pushes and dorsal tows. Day two includes an Everglades adventure introducing a less friendly member of the wildlife community – the alligator.

Viator customer Diana F. from the UK rated this excursion with 4-stars, noting “This is a fantastic trip with the dolphins being the highlight. We had plenty of time in the water with them. An ace trip all around.”

For UK-bound families, the Towns and Gowns Tour: Cambridge and Oxford starting below $120.00 visits Oxford, the “City of Dreaming Spires,” whose courtyards and timeworn buildings inspired the likes of Lewis Carroll who wrote “Alice in Wonderland” there. Children will enjoy Christchurch College, where scenes from Harry Potter were filmed. The Day Tour to the Royal Castles of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof in Munich, starting at under $60.00, features ample time for castle exploration as well as a stop in Oberammergau, famous for woodcarvers and richly painted houses. The children may feel right at home, as Neuschwanstein served as the model for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle.

Be More Adventurous
2007 can be the year for travelers to truly challenge themselves with expert assistance from the skilled guides and professionals that Viator works with around the world. Vegas Tandem Skydiving, starting at under $200.00, supplies everything necessary to experience the ultimate adrenaline rush - a 45-second, 120 mph freefall and subsequent 5-to-7 minute descent. Thrill seeking divers visiting the Bahamas are introduced to Caribbean Reef Sharks by professional shark feeders and handlers during the Nassau Shark Adventure, starting at $130.00. The Poas Volcano Bike Ride in Costa Rica, starting at $100.00 includes breakfast with a professional naturalist guide, followed by a visit to the volcano’s crater before cycling six-miles toward Poasito for lunch. A 10-mile ride (downhill) follows to the fertile foothills of Costa Rica with a visit to Doka Estate Coffee Farm.

* All prices listed are per person and are accurate at press time.

What is the travel world buzzing about this week?

Try as I might, I can’t find a unifying theme for the New York Times Travel section this week. Maybe it’s post-holiday fatigue. Or maybe our favorite newspaper travel editors are more clever than I realize. (If you see a theme or unifying feature, let me know.) Top of the Times is Kabul, Afghanistan, purely for the armchair traveler. Next up is Shanghai (China). On the world stage Shanghai is a major actor in politics, economics and now travel. Is it possible, could it be - is Shanghai the new Prague? Rounding out the Times’ travel coverage are good articles on Cancun (Mexico) and Athens (Greece).

The San Francisco Chronicle Travel section has a pleasantly provocative story on Las Vegas and its multiple opportunities for excess — if you can afford a penthouse suite. They have video of the ‘5 most outrageous suites’ in Las Vegas that makes me wish I could afford $2,500 a night on accommodation. More down to earth is Rick Steve’s guide to hiking the pilgrim’s trail to Santiago de Compostela (Spain). I’m also excited to see that a Mavericks ‘Big Wave’ alert has been released. This means that anytime between now and March 31 the insane, big-wave surfing contest that is Mavericks can be held on 24-hour notice. We’ll keep you posted.

In the UK the Guardian travel section is featuring 20 Hotels in Paris for less than £100. This couldn’t come at a better time - by coincidence I’ve had two travel colleagues ask me recently about low-cost yet stylish places to stay in Paris and I was flummoxed. But no more. (On a related note, we’ve seen a big jump in bookings for Paris tours this month on Viator.com, so make your hotel bookings early, it looks to be busier than normal this coming spring). The Guardian also has a stack of travel tips for Berlin, which has got to be one of the best weekend getaways in all of Europe. You haven’t been to Berlin recently? Please stop reading this blog and go book your tickets to Berlin immediately.

The Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne’s The Age drop the bomb on UK backpackers in Australia. Apparently the Brits drink twice as much when traveling in Australia then they do back home. Which is a scary thing, because I’ve seen how prodigiously they can drink back in jolly ol’ England. The Down Under perspective this week also includes features on Belgium and New Zealand.

The global news round-up finishes this week in Turkey, where the Turkish Daily News has a fascinating article on how Turkey has evolved its modern identity since it became a nation in the 1920s. The article puts a spotlight on the SS Karadeniz, which set sail from Istanbul in 1926 and visited 16 cities in 12 countries, all to show the world how modern Turkey had become. Fast-forward 90 years, and maybe Turkey needs a repeat voyage to show Europe that Turkey is modern enough for the EU. But we’ll leave that hot-potato debate for another day.

PS: Somehow I’ve been reading the Sydney Morning Herald online for the past few months and have not come across its travel blog. Here’s a link to it, it’s got some good info on it. We’ll start including it in future travel news round-ups.

-Scott McNeely

Beijing surely is a city of China’s past, present, and future – and for me, of all cities, it embodies the quixotic romance of ancient China. Beijing has a history of warlords and revolution, architectural antiquities, the old-world charm of Hutong neighborhoods that contrast with newer, tree-lined boulevards full of mirrored skyscrapers, glitzy shopping malls, and towering apartment buildings. All reminders that Beijing (as well as China) is changing. In this city of old and new, I find the allure of Beijing not in the city it’s becoming, but in the city it once was – here are my recommendations for exploring ‘old Beijing’.

Wander through the Hutong Neighborhoods

Hutong are the winding and narrow ‘old streets’ that crisscross Beijing from east to west, originally built in the Mongol Yuan dynasty, after Genghis Khan’s army sacked the city. The maze-like alleyways are lined with courtyard homes, where life is lived in the communal style I find to be one of China’s most distinguishing (and uniting) traditions. Hutongs represent a great way to experience Chinese cultural history, yet the number of these neighborhoods, unfortunately, has dropped dramatically in recent years, as they are demolished to make way for new roads and buildings – especially with the 2008 Olympics in sight. You can explore the Hutong on a guided tour. Walking or bicycling on your own is also a great way to delve into the historic neighborhoods. Hutong can be found in various areas of Beijing – and while it’s easy to get lost in the twisting alleyways, finding your way out is part of the fun.

Visit Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square dates back to 1417 and holds great significance for pivotal historical events that happened here, the most recent being the protests of 1989. Tiananmen Square is also the site of the Mao Mausoleum, where large numbers of Chinese tourists donned in red and black come to pay respects to the late dictator, whose preserved body is on display. While the queue looks like an eternal wait, the line moves swiftly and entrance is free. Ironically, the figure of Mao in the kitschy wax museum in the National Museum, located on the square’s eastern edge, affords a better view of the man.

Located adjacent to the Forbidden City, the square is lined with important government buildings and since 2004 has been the home of a giant clock that counts the days, hours, minutes, and seconds to the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics.

Explore the Forbidden City

The Forbidden City – it’s over 1,800,000 square km of gardens, palaces, and halls full of relics that whisper of a long and stormy past. The Forbidden City dates back to 1406 and represents the tumultuous history of China’s warlords, invaders, dynastic history, and more modern day revolutions.

Over the years the Forbidden City was invaded, burned down, reconstructed, and occupied by a number of ruling parties, including the British during the second Opium War in 1860. Having been the imperial palace for five centuries, and home of 24 emperors, it became the Palace Museum in 1924, and the mysteries of its buildings within were opened to the public for the first time in 500 years. Today, one might say the Forbidden City faces its final battle, commercialization – a Starbucks located inside is a sign of the times.

You can hire an English-speaking guide to tour the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. Self-guided tours are also available.

Walk the Great Wall

Although it’s a myth that the Great Wall can be seen from the moon, it’s easy to believe it when you gaze at the length of it, watching it disappear into the horizon. Located on the southern edge of the Mongolian Plain and several hours from Beijing, a hike along the Great Wall offers sweeping views of grasslands, plateaus, and mountains along the ridge of jagged mountains – just be prepared for the steep slopes and massive steps. Walking the Great Wall is a bit of a workout.

The wall has been dubbed “The Long Graveyard” and “The Longest Cemetery on Earth” for the numbers of workers who died during construction. Built between the 5th century BC and the beginning of the 17th century (although dates vary wildly depending on who you ask), the wall served to protect China from raids by Mongols and Turkic tribes. It stretches along the northern border of China, over 6,000 km from east to west, and spans nine provinces.

Many people a tour to the Great Wall at Badaling on a day trip from Beijing. If you’re looking to escape the crowds, there are also several segments of the wall that see a smaller number of visitors, such as the 10km stretch between Jinshanling and Simatai (it’s possible to get here via public bus).

Be sure to browse Viator’s complete list of suggested itineraries in China, Beijing tours and day trips, and tours of the Great Wall.

–Cheryn Flanagan

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I was lucky enough to visit Paris a few weeks back for my anniversary, which despite the cold weather, was unbelievably romantic. After spending some time planning and asking around, I came across very few people who’d visited Paris at this time of year.

Sure, there are songs about Paris in Spring. Certainly no one could paint a quintessential picture of the town without a visit to sun drenched street cafe. And no doubt that strolling along the Champs-Elysees in short sleeves would be divine. But what of a visit to Paris in Winter? If you are like me and the crisp weather doesn’t discourage you, visiting Paris in the wintertime can reward you with less crowds and great deals on hotel rooms and airfares.

Warm up with visits to the Orsay and the Louvre. Scale the heights of the Eiffel Tower. Indulge your senses on romantic wine and gourmet walking tours. Or enjoy an evening at the world famous Moulin Rouge. And best of all, bid adieu to the long lines when you find them by booking your Paris tours before you leave. (I actually missed being able to go up the Eiffel Tower because of the lines in that picture!)

I found plenty to fall in love with the city of lights in winter and if you can swing it, Valentine’s in Paris would be simply amazing. But, if you are looking for Valentine’s Day ideas a little closer to home, check out our wine tours, culinary tours, or cooking classes.

-Suzann M

See all of Viator’s Valentine’s Day tours

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I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley. I misspent my youth at the Sherman Oaks Galleria of Moon Unit Zappa fame. I probably wasted months of my life driving from Santa Monica to downtown LA to Encino to Hollywood to North Hollywood, you name it. And there’s one thing I can say with absolute certainty about my hometown.

Los Angeles, it is a strange place.

Strange because it’s not a “city” in the typical sense. With more than 3.6 million people (15.2 million if you count the surrounding counties) Los Angeles is a conurbation (look it up) with multiple centers but no true heart. I grew up in a city where it was normal to drive 45 or 50 minutes to a restaurant, two hours for dinner at grandma’s, three hours to go from home to the LAX airport during rush-hour.

I won’t lie to you — it’s frustrating to drive a car in Los Angeles. And for first-time visitors Los Angeles is not an easy destination to explore. It’s so big, so intimidating, so hard to get your head around. The keys to having a great experience in Los Angeles are managing your expectations and having a solid sightseeing plan.

So how do you manage your expectations? Let’s take a pop quiz. Which option below best describes your trip objectives?

1. We will come to know Los Angeles like the back of our hands, the city and its people will admire us. We will hobnob with movie stars and be invited to dinner at Oprah’s house. We will travel by helicopter from our hotel to all of the city’s top attractions.
2. Los Angeles and us will treat each other with mutual respect. We will pre-plan a few tours and attractions to visit, in order to show Los Angeles that we are committed to understanding her. And in return, she will ensure that we have a good time and are not caught in unbearable traffic jams.

If you picked #2, you’re reading the right blog! We can help you chose the right tours and activities in Los Angeles to help you make the most of the City of Angels. In fact, we’ve gone a step further and created a handy Suggested Itineraries in Los Angeles guide for you. Highlights include:

Day 1: Downtown Los Angeles. No matter where you’re staying make a pilgrimage to The Original Pantry Cafe in downtown LA, owned by the former mayor of Los Angeles. After breakfast, if you’re into art and history consider a walking tour of downtown LA or a contemporary art walking tour and really get beneath the skin of LA’s under-appreciated downtown.

Day 2: Hollywood. Go for a comprehensive Grand Tour of Los Angeles that includes Hollywood and all of the city’s major sites. Or try the Hollywood Movie Star Experience, which includes a tour of Sony Pictures Studios, a movie stars’ home tour, and a ‘Heart of Hollywood’ walking tour. Or combine the two with a Grand Tour of LA & Movie Star Tour. If you’re still stuck for inspiration there are plenty of other movie star tours in Los Angeles to chose from.

Day 3: Theme Park Day! Los Angeles and nearby Anaheim has theme parks like they’re going out of style, so take your pick from Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Knott’s Berry Farm, or Six Flags Magic Mountain.

Day 4: ‘Do Something Different’ Day. See LA from a new perspective. Take a private surfing lesson or if you’re feeling more adventurous book a ‘take the controls’ flight over LA and Santa Monica, or a helicopter tour over Los Angeles.

Day 5: Get Cultured. Maybe you’re in a more contemplative mood. If so make a beeline for the Getty Center and the The J. Paul Getty Museum, which houses European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and European and American photographs.

This is just a sample of our recommendations. Read the complete set of Suggested Itineraries in Los Angeles, or browse all of our Los Angeles tours and things to do.

-Scott McNeely

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About a month ago I mentioned to my husband in passing that I’d never been to Muir Woods. His response? “And you call yourself a Californian.” I was born in Cali, I’ve lived in or near to San Francisco my whole life, and yet, I have failed to visit one of the most historic and beautiful monuments that’s practically in my backyard. Though it was a chilly day here in San Francisco last weekend, we headed over the Golden Gate Bridge and spent part of the day at Muir Woods.

For those not familiar, here’s a little background on Muir Woods. Muir Woods National Monument was dedicated by Teddy Roosevelt in 1908. William Kent, a wealthy businessman and friend of the naturalist and conservationist John Muir, bought the land to protect the rare and beautiful redwood forest from development. When the land was dedicated, Roosevelt was going to name it after Kent, but Kent insisted it be named for his inspiration, John Muir. I like this story because it shows how one or two people can make a difference in preserving our environment. Muir inspired Kent, and today we have a lovely forest for it.

I digress, back to last weekend. Despite the cold weather, the forest was gorgeous, maybe more so since the usual crowds converging on Muir Woods were minimal. We stood in awe of towering huge redwoods that nearly block out all the sun. Also, redwood forests smell really nice, like a mossy-peaty-ferny kind of smell. Its hard to find words to describe how awesome it is, so let’s just say, its awesome.

We stuck on the main path, which is a low impact nature walk, but you can branch off to more challenging hikes through the forest. If you’re visiting San Francisco, I’d recommend coupling Muir Woods with a tour to wine country or Sausalito, Muir Woods won’t really take up a whole day and you’re already headed in that direction. Sausalito is basically next door, I recommend lunch or a beer on the waterfront. If its a warmer time of year, coupling a visit to Muir Woods with a bay cruise can’t be beat. You can drive up yourself to Muir Woods, like I did, but if you’re not driving you get to enjoy the Golden Gate Bridge and scenery a whole lot more (its often a traffic riddled drive, and your eyes will be on the road and directions and not the view, trust me). Also, John Muir would be proud you carpooled.

So now I am truly a Californian, and I left Muir Woods with a greater appreciation for natural beauty. Like Muir inspired Kent, I hope you’re a little more inspired to visit.

–Kelly G

Find all Viator tours that visit Muir Woods.

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It’s impossible not to experience a sense of joie de vivre when visiting Paris, arguably one of the planet’s most beautiful and culturally rich cities. The Seine, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and Opera House only begin to scratch the surface of things to do and see. To help steer you in the right direction, read our suggested itineraries in Paris for a few suggestions on how to spend your time in the twinkling City of Light. Highlights from our recommended itineraries include:

Day 1: Discovering Gay Paree. Exploring on foot is one of the best ways to get to know the city. (If you simply follow the river, you will hit most of the must-see monuments and museums that dot its path.) You can find more than a dozen walking tours in Paris on the viator.com website. You may also want to get your bearings by taking one of four quick Paris hop-on hop-off bus tours. Even if you’ve never considered a hop-on hop-off bus tour, the Paris bus gets a huge number of overwhelmingly positive traveler reviews. For sightseeing with a guide take the Best of Paris full-day tour. The only appropriate dinner option is to take in a review at the storied Moulin Rouge. (Check out the details here: Eiffel Tower Dinner and Moulin Rouge Show.)

Day 2: Get Outta Town. Make sure to get out of town on at least one day trip. Certainly, Versailles sits atop of that list. Roaming around the massive Palace of Versailles is truly like entering a time machine, offering keen insight into French history. History buffs and art lovers will also want to hit the road. Head to Normandy and the Landing Beaches for history and Giverny, home of Claude Monet , for art.

Day 3: Finding Fashion. It would be style blasphemy not to visit high-fashion department stores Galeries Lafayette, Printemps and Le Bon Marche. If home design is your thing, you’ll want to head to where talented craftsmen and hot new designers tend to cluster and prices are 30% less. Sign up for the Paris Best Design Tour.

This is just a sample of our recommendations. Read the complete set of Suggested Itineraries in Paris, or browse all of our tours, activities and things to do in Paris.

-Gail Goldberg

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While I love to travel, I am not such a fan of business travel. It’s tiring to run around a conference or to meetings all day, trying to cram in everything you came to do. Occasionally I eat somewhere great, or accomplish something worthwhile, but more often than not I return home beat from lugging my computer through two airports and working too much.

When I started to work at Viator I vowed that something good was going to come out of every business trip. Even if it was a little thing, like having a really good ice cream flavor that didn’t exist at home, an enriching moment had to happen so that I didn’t completely regret the computer lugging, meeting marathon that is business travel. So far this has gone well.

I took two trips to Sydney, Australia (home of Viator HQ) in 2006, and had so much fun that it borderlined on being a vacation. On the first trip I learned to surf at the Royal National Park outside of Sydney. On the second, I actually snuck in two extracurricular activities; I took an early morning guided backstage tour of the Sydney Opera House and I took my first journey outside the city to the Hunter Valley for a day of wine tasting. I also had my first encounter with kangaroos. I did not regret lugging the wine I bought through two airports, though I am sure it outweighed my laptop. I’m looking forward to my business trip in February, where the plan is to try some Sydney shark diving.

I’ve also made a couple of trips to Las Vegas. If your night is free, you can’t go wrong taking in a great Las Vegas show. I’ve seen a few, and there is nothing to get your mind off work like an over the top Vegas production, and it’s a lot more memorable than gambling the same money away. A few of my colleagues have opted to hop over to the Grand Canyon on a helicopter flight.

Once you decide that every business trip can have a little adventure, its pretty easy to find it. I have no regrets about taking an extra day or hour to enjoy something special a city has to offer, and I don’t feel the same way about the time I have spent looking for an internet cafe or wifi spot to answer some more emails. Fellow road warrior, business travel buddy, take a break, see some sights, learn something new, I promise you won’t regret it.

–Kelly G

As part of my sightseeing escapades in London (read my previous suggested itineraries in London), I booked a trip on British Airways London Eye. In the weeks leading up to my trip, I debated on whether to book the standard or fast-track version of the flight. In the end, I figured it was really a once-in-a-lifetime experience and the extra cost would pay off in buying less time in line and more time sightseeing.

Bright sun brought out every visitor in London (or so it seemed when I arrived) for the majestic views from the ferris wheel. The lines for the standard flight snaked back and forth across Jubilee gardens. Wait times were well over one hour when I first arrived. Chilly weather and long queues were bad enough, but then it started to rain. The fast track instructions said to check in 15 minutes ahead of my flight, so I ducked into a nearby pub to enjoy some cider and watch the line become increasingly rain-soaked and impatient. I would bet that any of them would have glady paid a little extra to skip the line that day, but the fast track tickets were sold out. Have I mentioned how brilliant I felt for booking the fast track London Eye tickets ahead?

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By December I’d had enough of winter, but I didn’t really leave myself enough time to actually book a vacation somewhere nice and tropical for New Year’s, and who wants to fly around the holidays anyway? Luckily I live in California, and if you head far enough south, the weather takes a decidedly nice turn for the sunnier. So we packed up the car and headed to Joshua Tree and the Mojave Desert.

Joshua Tree National Park sits on two deserts, the Colorado and the Mojave, and if you thought all deserts are alike, you can actually drive through the park and see the change from one to the other in the landscape. Of course there is the famous U2 Joshua Tree (its actually a Yucca) and plenty of lovely walks through Cholla patches, gorgeous canyons, and intriguing rock formations. Though it gets chilly and windy at night, you can hike around all day in the sun. As a San Franciscan, I was hard pressed to remember the last time I wore a just a t-shirt outside.

We ended up having the best time scrambling over the rocks. Joshua Tree has long been a rock climbing mecca, touting over 5,000 different rock climbing spots. Though my husband and I aren’t the serious or experienced climbers with ropes and grippy shoes that we saw all over the park, we still had a great time hopping up and down some of the more accessible formations. I recommend Rattlesnake Canyon (don’t worry, in winter the snakes are hibernating) and the 49 Palms Oasis — picture rocks and desert and then suddenly, a bunch of huge palm trees and little rock pools of water.

More suggested itineraries: If you’re adventurous you can also try a Joshua Tree ATV or Jeep Tour. I’m not sure how anyone could get tired of the desert landscape, the quiet and peace, but if you do crave some city life, well, Palm Springs, with its great shopping, food and nightlife, is really just a short shot down the highway. Sometimes you don’t have to go very far to get away from it all (or plan very far in advance).

–Kelly G