Archive for February, 2007

After taking my side trip from London to Paris in December, I’ll have to admit that I’m hooked on the idea of extending a vacation with an extra day trip. I’ve paid for the plane ticket, I’ve booked a hotel, and you tell me that I’m only 3 hours from something extraordinary? Sleep is for other people, I’m headed out sightseeing!

Here’s the top seven-day trips on my wishlist pulled from our top tours and day trips in January. And, before you ask it, yes it’s not all one trip (unless someone invents tele-transportation this year).

1. Full Day Tour to Naples and Pompeii. After sifting through the 50+ reviews on this tour, it’s hard not to want to go.

2. England’s Finest: Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Georgian Bath. Alas, I missed mystical Stonehenge last time.

3. Blue Mountains Deluxe Eco Day Tour. As, Nicole S. describes in her review “We did not feel like tourists, but instead, specially invited guests, as though the tour was personalized for us.”

4. Uluru, Kings Canyon and Alice Springs tour. Sipping champagne at sunrise at Uluru (Ayers Rock) on this 3-day independent tour seems pretty fantastic, if you ask me.

5. Mt Fuji and Hakone Day Tour (return by Bullet Train). The quintessential portrait of a volcano? Mt. Fuji. Reviews warn that it’s a long, but very worthwhile day of sightseeing.

6. Niagara Falls by Air. Check out the reviews to see the person who became engaged on this tour! Love is definitely in the air.

7. Day Tour to The Royal Castles of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof. I’ve heard that this tour is a must if you travel to Bavaria.

Let’s see, Munich, New York, Tokyo, Ayers Rock, Sydney, London and Rome? Where’s the tele-porting transportation when you need it. I swear I’ll narrow the list to (a more realistic) two countries eventually.

-Suzann M

As a passionate lover of animals and proud supporter of animal protection group such as WSPA and the RSPCA, I was thrilled at Viator’s recent decision not to sell tours involving bull fights in Madrid. Besides the fact that Madrid is full of many fun things to do and countless sights to see, bullfighting is a sport based encouraging cruelty to animals. It may be part of Spanish culture but that does not justify it’s existence in the modern world.

This decision got me to thinking some of the great tours we do offer in various parts of the world that do the opposite and promote education and awareness of the plight of animals in peril. With that in mind it gave me great pleasure to add tours in our newest African destination - Uganda. Ever since Sigourney Weaver portrayed the life and work of Dian Fossey in the 1988 movie Gorillas in the Mist, the plight of these critically endangered primates has been slowly gaining worldwide awareness. It is widely believed there are only about 700 mountain Gorillas left in the wild and they are facing extinction within our lifetime.

One lifeline being thrown to the gorillas is tourism. Loss of habitat through land clearing, illegal poaching for body parts and an ongoing civil war in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (I think that’s its name these days?), have all had a devastating impact on the gorilla population. With strict controls and restrictions placed on visitor numbers, Uganda has found a way to educate the world and provide the local population with an alternate source of income. The popularity of Gorilla trekking safaris is increasing with European and North Americans, so it is in the interest of the Ugandan people to protect our closest relative.

In nearby Kenya, the benefits of animal tourism were recognized some time a go and the country is now THE place to go on an animal safari. As a result the animal population throughout the country is flourishing and the country is reaping the financial rewards. Game parks such as Amboseli and Masaai Mara are protecting the local species from poaching and habitat destruction to ensure the healthy tourism industry also survives.
South Africa are also leading the way in animal conservation with plenty of success stories to tell. In Durban the Hluhluwe Game Reserve launched “Operation Rhino” in the 1950s and ’60s which brought the population back from the brink of extinction. There have been over 10,000 individual White Rhinos relocated from the park to produce one of the most remarkable comebacks in the animal kingdom.

Down south in Cape Town, the hottest day trip would have to be a snorkel or dive with Great White Sharks. While some claim that by attracting the sharks and putting them in contact with humans may increase the number of attacks in the area, no-one can deny the education being provided to thousands of visitors. Fear has placed the Great White Shark on the endangered species list, but giving people the opportunity to safely witness the ocean’s apex predator in its natural habitat is helping to save it.

Staying in the Southern Hemisphere, Australia has long been a leader in animal conservation. If sharks are your thing but the Great Whites of Cape Town sounds a bit extreme, Manly’s Oceanworld offers beginners shark diving with the endangered Grey Nurse sharks - no experience necessary! For certified divers, the aquarium runs a Shark Awareness Program to learn more about this fascinating ocean dweller. Head up to the Gold Coast for a visit to Seaworld and the new Dugong Discovery exhibition, as well as the much-loved residents of Polar Bear Shores. Seaworld is a great educational destination, particularly for the younger generation who will be entrusted with the future of many of the animals they will see at the park.

Crossing the Tasman and arriving in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, you can get experience the bush in the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary either by day or by night. This predator-proof sanctuary is home to many rare and endangered New Zealand species, including the country’s national symbol - the kiwi. Travel on to Akaroa for an unforgettable experience swimming with dolphins. Not only do you get to fantastic experience of sharing the water with the ocean’s most lovable resident, by joining this tour, you are automatically making a donation towards research of Hector Dolphins. As if that’s not enough, the company are the first cruise company worldwide to get the coveted Green Globe 21, an international program to ensure the best environmental practices.

However, the ultimate symbol of threatened wildlife remains the Giant Panda. These beautiful cuddly creatures suffer a similar fate as the Mountain Gorillas due to their home being in an under-developed part of the world where there needs have not always been understood and respected. While the Chinese government’s severe penalties for poaching have made this practice more or less cease, it is loss of habitat that still threatens the Giant Panda. Those responsible for ensuring the survival of this species all agree that education is the most important tool available to help save them from extinction. As a result, these fantastic bears are becoming increasingly more accessible with the Chinese government lending individuals to only 6 highly reputable zoos including San Diego Zoo, Thailand’s Chiang Mai Zoo and Vienna’s Schonbrunn Zoo.

By creating awareness through education there is the chance to do something to help the animals of the world who cannot help themselves, and I am proud to work in an industry that can enable and support this. Not everyone can be out in the field protecting these creatures first hand, but we all have the power to do one small thing that helps create one big change. My favorite quote which sits on my desk to remind me why I do this job is from Senegalese conservationist Baba Dioum:

“For in the end, we will only conserve what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.”

I couldn’t put it any better myself.

– Kerrie O’Mahony

It’s summer in Sydney and fortunately I’m in town. After a few weeks in San Francisco and New York, I welcome the warm weather in Sydney, a place I happily call home. This is a great time of year to visit; even though it’s high Summer, Sydney is a coastal city and sea breezes keep the temperature comfortable. If it’s your first trip, here are some tips to ensure you get off to a great start!

A perfect day in Sydney

If your plane to Sydney lands early in the day, and most do, resist the urge to nap and head just 10 or so clicks (kilometers) beyond downtown for an authentic urban experience along the Bondi to Bronte walk.

This very special 2.5k walk starts at the world famous Bondi Beach. The journey takes you past the Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club, Mackenzies Beach and Tamarama, on your way to Bronte Beach, home to the world’s oldest life saving club, Bronte Surf Life Saving Club (1903). This area has a rather strong rip current, so always use great caution and swim between the red and yellow flags - that’s the patrolled area - if you decide to sport your cozzie (swimsuit) and jump in for a cool-down.

Both Bronte and Bondi feature a great selection of cafes specialising in breakfast and brunch: you’ll discover Australian breakfasts are a little different to what you’re used to, even if you don’t try the Vegemite on your toast. And if you’re not so hungry because you ate breakfast on the plane (you poor thing!), there are plenty of cafes at which to grab a quick flat white (caffe latte), short black (espresso), long black (espresso diluted with water) or a regular coffee, and perhaps a biscuit (cookie).

You’re certain to love this walk. The many beaches, clubs, surfers, joggers, walkers and homes along the way scream “Australia!” louder than any guidebook could ever manage. And, with a little help from the sunshine (and Vitamin D), your body clock will naturally start to readjust.

At the end of your walk, a bus (AUD $3) or a cab (AUD $20) are easy to pick up back to downtown Sydney.

By the way, if you’re feeling adventurous, you could try a Bondi Beach surfing lesson. And there are many ways to continue your experience throughout Sydney, including a leisurely Sydney Harbour sailing cruise, an adrenaline-pumping Sydney Harbour high-speed jet boat ride, a behind-the-scenes look at the world-famous Sydney Opera House, a Sydney helicopter tour (which has a four-star traveler rating) or an aerial view of it all from the Sydney Skywalk.

How do you unwind from it all? Easy. Sip on a sub-zero cool-down cocktail at the Minus5 Ice Lounge. And tomorrow? Why not take a Blue Mountains day tour. Or if you need more inspiration check out Viator’s complete list of things to do in Sydney, and then decide.

-Rod Cuthbert

Singapore often gets labeled as Asia Lite, but truth is the tiny country is lively and food-obsessed, and offers visitors both modern and fashionable urban experiences as well as those that hark back to its colonial-era days. For tips on how to spend your days in this culturally and architecturally rich Southeast Asian gem, read our Suggested Itineraries in Singapore. Highlights include:

Day 1: Singapore, the city. There’s no better way to get your bearings than by hopping on the (three-and-a-half-hour) Singapore City Tour. You will drive through the Civic District, stop at Merlion Park and visit the Thian Hock Keng Temple, one of the oldest Buddhist-Taoist temples on the island. Drive through Chinatown, with a final stop at the enchanting Little India.

Day 2: Day Trips from Singapore. The Malacca Malaysia Day Tour is popular and highly rated for good reason. You will visit Malacca, Malaysia’s most historical city, which has been governed by a plethora of empires throughout its history–all of which have left their stamp. Another full-day tour of a decidedly different mien is the Kukup and Orchid Valley - Malaysia tour. A leisurely drive highlights Malaysia’s beauty and diversity, including a stop at Orchid Valley, where more than a million tropical orchid plants live on 100 acres.

Day 3: Eats, treats and safaris. There’s nothing better than shopping and eating your way through Singapore, which is why taking the Uniquely Singapore - Shop and Eat - Heartlands Trail is a no-brainer. When you can’t eat another morsel or buy another souvenir, it’s time to take a Singapore Night Safari, sure to be one of the highlights of your trip.

This is just a sample of our recommendations. Read the complete set of Suggested Itineraries in Singapore, or browse all of our tours, activities and things to do in Singapore. You can also browse traveler photos of Singapore over on the Viator Flickr site.

-Gail Goldberg

Dublin is one of my favorite cities in Europe, if not the world. It’s brash and boisterous without being obnoxious, and the Irish way of life is all about fun. Before you arrive you must grasp the concept of the “craic”. No I’m talking about illegal substances, I’m talking about great conversation, a bit of singing, maybe some dancing and a whole of good times. The craic is all about being with friends and sharing a few laughs, and in Dublin you don’t have to look far to find it. With over 1,000 pubs in the city, I think you know where to start the search!

The Irish have a fantastic sense of humor and in particular, Dubliners are huge fans of irony and sarcasm. As a visitor to the city, prepare to have “the mickey taken” at every opportunity and don’t believe a word they say. Many a gullible foreigner has fallen victim to outrageous tales of leprechauns and goblins, but don’t be too concerned, it is all in good fun and you will find the Irish to be very good natured.

However, the question still remains, what are the things to do in Dublin? I strongly suggest every first time visitor to the city gets themselves a ticket on the Hop on Hop off tour. This is a great way to get an orientation of the city, travel between the main attractions and discover what to do in Dublin. The live guides on the buses are also great entertainment and will give you a good introduction to Irish sarcasm. One of the attractions included on the route in Kilmainham Gaol which has played a large role in the interesting and turbulent history of Ireland. Understated and sombre as a jail should be, few people leave the premises emotional unaffected. To stand in the courtyard where the execution of leaders of the rebellions took place is a moving experience that gives an insight into Irish pride.

Other stops on the tour include Trinity College (where you can do a walking tour led by current students of the college for only a few Euros, and see the Book of Kells), Phoenix Park (home to Dublin Zoo) and the Old Jameson Distillery, and yes, one of the stops is the Guinness Storehouse - the most visited attraction in Dublin.

Another great way to become acquainted with the craic and the Guinness (they often go hand in hand!) is the Traditional Irish Musical Pub Crawl. Starting at the popular Oliver St John Gogarty pub in Temple Bar, your pub crawl is led by two professional musicians who will give you an introduction to traditional Irish music. I can’t recommend this tour enough, it really is great fun.

There are also some great day trips from Dublin. Ireland has a great rail system and due to the small size of the country, most major attractions outside of Dublin are easily accessible. Without the responsibility of driving, you are free to enjoy the Irish pubs and get a taste for Guinness along the way.

One of the most popular trips is to the South West of the country heading for County Cork and County Kerry. “THE” thing to do in Cork is to kiss the Blarney Stone! If you simply can’t leave Ireland without having done this, take a look at the Rail Tour to Cork, Blarney Castle and The Queenstown Story. In Kerry, head out to the coast for a drive along the scenic Ring of Kerry. Rolling green fields meet the rigged black rocks tumbling into the Atlantic Ocean on a spectacular coastal drive.

If you have a little extra time, why not combine both on an Overnight Rail Tour to Cork, Blarney Castle and Ring of Kerry. Spending a night in Killarney, there is plenty of craic to be found!

For something a little out of the ordinary, there is a great Rail Tour and Scenic Flight to the Aran Islands where you can see some of the ancient sites of Ireland including Dun Aengus, as well as get a taste for traditional Irish culture as parts of the Aran Islands still only speak Gaelic.

My favorite place to visit is on the West Coast in County Clare - The Cliffs of Moher. This is one of the most breathtaking areas of Ireland where the sheer cliffs dramatically drop to the Atlantic Ocean in amazing symmetry. Check out the Rail Tour to Cliffs of Moher, Burren and Galway Bay for a great day on the west coast.

I also love Newgrange, an ancient site which is older than Stonehenge and as mysterious as the Pyramids of Giza. It’s purpose is thought to be similar to that of the pyramids, as a burial chamber, but its construction is still a mystery.

Whatever your plans, however long you are there, you will never be bored in Dublin. If you don’t know where to start, find a friendly face and ask … so, what’s the craic?

-Kerrie O’Mahony

Question: What’s more ridiculous than grown men and women paying good money to travel all over Europe bleating their hearts and beating their bosoms to 22 adolescent boys chasing an inflated cow skin around a park (e.g., British football and American soccer)?

Answer: Traveling to Australia to watch 36 grown men chase an oblong pigskin around a grassy pitch. Yet no true sporting fan can claim to be a complete person without the experience of AUSSIE RULES!

This is the time of year when “footy” (Australian slang for Australian Rules football) dominates the lives of most Melburnians. Take a look at the official Australian Football Leage (AFL) website and you’ll soon understand the passion that drives this sport.

I’m excited. The 2007 season is now official in Melbourne. If you’re visiting between March 30 and September 2, 2007, we highly recommend catching an AFL footy game in Melbourne with a local host. Attend a live match with your own professional Aussie Rules sporting fanatic (many are ex-coaches, umpires and players), who will be there to answer all your questions. Test your mettle as a sporting lunatic against the world’s greatest sporting lunatics! For the men, learn the intricacies of climbing into the air with your studs in your opponents neck. For the women, there’s muscle shirts, biceps, and very, very short shorts. No, I mean like really short.

And the seats are sensational. At Telstra Dome you are on the fence next to the interchange bench so you can almost touch (and smell!) the players. At the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) you sit on the 2nd level in the Premium Reserved Undercover Members area with the most amazing view of this extraordinary arena (a temple for the locals).

You also get to sample some Australian fare like the great Aussie meat pie. Drop a generous dollop of tomato sauce (ketchup) and you’ve just had the true Aussie culinary experience, mate.

If you still don’t know what I’m talking about, check out the history of the Australian Football League. It’s a great insight into the origins of the sport.

Trust me - it won’t take long to get caught up in the EXCITEMENT and PASSION of the sporting sensation that Melburnians are obsessed with.

Book tickets for an Aussie Rules footy game accompanied with a Footy expert, and browse the complete schedule below for games that fit into your Melbourne travel plans.

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Let’s face it, most folks don’t visit Orlando for the museums or art galleries. According to the statistics on the Orlando Airport website, approximately 17 Million people visited Orlando in 2005. Disney doesn’t publish its official attendance numbers, but from most educated guesses in the amusement business roughly 16.1 million people visited The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in the same year. One word, wow.

It’s undeniable that Walt Disney World and the Disney Theme parks offer to transport visitors into a land of make believe that will delight both the young and young-at-heart. I’ll admit to my own share of spin-time on the tea cups and screaming my lungs out at the haunted mansion at Disneyland in Anaheim as a kid. So, I can definitely understand the appeal and it’s hand’s down one of the best places to take the kids on vacation.

But, if you do the math (17 - 16.1 Million), there are 900 thousand people who travel to Orlando and only 200 thousand that live there. That means that there are at least 700 thousand people who travel to Orlando that aren’t there to see the mouse. My mouse-eared hat (with “Suzann” stitched nicely on it) is off to you trail blazers that are able to resist the Magic Kingdom’s call.

So what are you doing in Orlando? I’ll hazard some guesses based on what people are saying in Orlando tours traveler reviews.

1. Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede (4 stars). People just love Dolly’s down-home variety show. And after reading the description again, I’m going to say that this goes on my wishlist for my next Florida trip.
2. Swimming with Dolphins in Orlando (4 stars). More than one reviewer calls it a “once in a lifetime experience.”
3. Florida Adventure Tour (4 stars). Swimming with manatees and an Everglades air boat ride? This Orlando tour is a real Florida gem.

Maybe you are here to taste a bit of Hollywood at Universal Studios Orlando. Or perhaps you came to launch your dream of flying to the moon by visiting Kennedy Space Center. There’s just so many things to do in Orlando outside of Walt Disney World Resort, I can only guess how you are spending your time.

For those of you off to see Mickey, enjoy. And why not take some time to see the everglades and catch a show while you are at it. For those of you who are just out to soak up the sunshine, why not say hello to “Dolly” or escape it all on a hot air balloon flight!

-Suzann M

If it’s your first trip to New York City and you only have a few days, the clock is your nemesis. There are ways to skip the lines, but it may cost you a bit. So the following suggested itineraries offer a few options to squeeze in many of New York’s major sights, without breaking the bank, while still getting in a few little-known facets that will make you feel more like a seasoned traveler and less like a tourist first-timer.

First, the wild card: the Empire State Building. Currently the city’s tallest structure, the Empire State Building’s observation decks are open until midnight most nights, 2am at other times. Depending on what time you get to New York, you may want to go here the first night (when the lines are shortest) or early the next morning. The lines can be long at peak daytime hours. And if it’s foggy or rainy, wait until the weather clears. (Viator Traveler Tip: the Empire State Building audio tour comes highly recommended.)

Day 1: NYC Museums, Broadway and Times Square

Choose between the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) or the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Both are overwhelming; don’t even pretend you’ll see it all. Pick a few galleries based on your tastes and wander and enjoy. Arrive close to opening in the morning and plan on having lunch there. If it’s summertime, the Met has a roof deck with a limited menu (and alcohol); MoMA has several somewhat fussy cafes throughout and the excellent restaurant next door, The Modern. (If you choose the Met you can also stroll through Central Park after the museum, since it’s in the park.)

I’m sending you to Broadway tonight, so if you have a specific, sold-out type show (Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys, Lion King) in mind, you’ll want to secure those seats before your trip (here are all of the Broadway shows you can book through Viator). Worst-case scenario if you didn’t buy tickets in advance: head to Times Square’s TKTS in the late afternoon to get discount seats for whatever is available that night, cash or traveler’s checks only. If you’ve picked a play rather than a musical, look for the short ‘plays only’ line. If you’re dying for a show not at TKTS, head to the show’s box office and wait for cancellations, or ask about standing-room tickets.

Before dinner, you may want to hit the hotel to freshen up. Then head to Times Square and take in the madness, embracing the touristy heart of the city. The wide traffic islands in the center are the best vantage points. For dinner, do a classic pre-theater pre-fixe. Joe Allen (326 W. 46th St) is a classic, set on the Theater District’s Restaurant Row.

Most Broadway shows start at 8, but some at 7. Arrive about 15 minutes before curtain. Business casual is fine, though even if it’s allowed, please don’t eat in the seats. Bring mints or cough drops, just in case. After the show, head to Angus McIndoe for a drink and keep a look-out for your Broadway cast.

Day 2: Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

You definitely want to book in advance for the Statue of Liberty, ideally as early in the morning as you can bear. When you book your ticket, make sure you add on the free, timed-entry passes that will get you into the museum and the statue itself. There are only a handful of these available each day; getting a pass for late in the day will also mess you up with the ferry schedule, forcing you to cut your time at Ellis Island (click here for more ticket tips). There’s also a full range of tours to the Statue of Liberty, from the Lady Liberty Helicopter Tour (a bargain at $62 per person) to the New York Harbor Cruise that gets you right beneath Lady Liberty.

Lunch Break: The food concessions on the islands aren’t too exciting, so you’ll probably want to eat as soon as you get off the ferry in Battery Park. My favorite choice for a late lunch downtown is Les Halles (15 John St) in the Financial District, operated by celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain. Otherwise, walk over to historic Stone Street (so named because it was the first street in the city to get stones rather than dirt/mud.) It’s a quaint pedestrian-only lane lined by short buildings, which in turn are surrounded by skyscrapers. Adrienne’s Pizza or Financier Pastry Shop are my top picks there.

If you go to Stone Street, walk just a bit to the south and find the foundation of Lovelace Tavern, which served as the Dutch city hall in the early days. Just across the street is Fraunces Tavern, where a triumphant General George Washington bade farewell to the troops in 1783 (if you want to learn more about the Revolutionary history of New York, consider a Patriot & Revolutionary Era walking tour).

Depending on your route, the New York Stock Exchange should be on your way. Closed to tours since September 11, 2001, it’s still a grand sight. Kitty-corner is Federal Hall, the site of George Washington’s inauguration. And on the white-marbled building on the other corner of Wall and Broad Streets, you can still see the unrepaired gashes of the terror attack of 1920, which caused the deaths of 40 people and a horse. There’s no sign or marker, but they’re easy to find on the Wall Street side of the old J. P. Morgan building.

Continue walking a few blocks over to the Ground Zero / World Trade Center site. Reconstruction is underway, though it’s been so slow and the physical void remains immense. The subway and New Jersey PATH trains run through the site and construction has begun on the primary new building for the site, the Freedom Tower, which will reach 1,776 feet (541 meters). If you stand near the entrance to the PATH station, you’ll see a timeline of events, and pictures that were taken by average New Yorkers that day and in the weeks after the attacks. To the north of the site stands a tall glass building; that’s the new WTC 7. It replaces the 47-story building that fell late in the day on September 11, 2001. If you want to see more, walk to the south side of the site and visit the Tribute Center and continue to the fire station and see the new memorial mural to the 343 firefighters who died that day. If you continue along the south side of the site, you’ll go up some stairs and into the World Financial Center, allowing better views down into the pit. Take more stairs back over the West Side Highway, leading you along the northern side of Ground Zero.

As you get back to the PATH entrance, you can turn around and see the back of St Paul’s Church. Not only was this the church where Washington prayed just after he was sworn in as the first president of the United States (New York was originally the capital, remember,) it served as a year-long comfort center for rescue workers after Sept. 11; Washington’s pew was a podiatry station. The church has a tremendous amount of mementos on display here. It was the gates of this church that was adorned with thousands and thousands of notes by people coming to pay respects after the tragedy.

Now don’t feel weird about this, but now I’m going to send you bargain shopping. Century 21 is directly across the street from Ground Zero. The reason you shouldn’t feel weird about this is because downtown struggled financially for a very long time after the attacks. Even more than a year later, historic businesses up in Chinatown were closing, citing the fact they just never recovered from the loss of downtown business after 9/11. So spend freely down there. Century 21, far from a ’secret’, is a madhouse of bargains, designer and otherwise. The selection varies, but you can be sure that if you buy a bargain designer purse, it wasn’t made in a sweatshop with indentured slave labor like you might find up on Canal Street.

Dinner: Consider Pastis or Balthazar (crowded/celebrities/bistro fare), John’s or Lombardi’s pizza (crowded, but cheap and old-school), Gray’s Papaya (totally cheap hot dogs), Babbo (Mario Batali at his best, noisy and crowded), Per Se or Café Gray (Time Warner money’s-no-object splurges), or Katz or Carnegie (old-school classic delis). After dinner, consider the Empire State Building or maybe a ‘night loop’ bus tour.

Day 3: NYC Odds ‘n’ Ends

I’ve only got one requirement for your third day: Central Park. At bare minimum, you need to take 15 minutes and walk through any little sliver. Better options: the free cross-park guided tour, the Bethesda Fountain, the zoo, ice skating, the carousel or Strawberry Fields.

After that, you’ll just have to decide what you most want to do because unfortunately there’s no way you’re going to cram it all in. My top options: walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, visit either the American Museum of Natural History or the Guggenheim, see the main room of Grand Central Terminal, trek upstairs to the main reading room of the New York Public Library on 42nd and Fifth Avenue, wander through Rockefeller Center and St Patrick’s Cathedral across the street, people-watch in Washington Square Park, or make time for a tour of the United Nations (and, if you plan at least a day in advance, lunch in the UN Delegates’ Dining Room). Also give one of the street vendors a try. And then come back to see more of what you missed!

That’s just a few of the many things you can do in New York. For more ideas, see the complete list of New York City tours and things to do.

–Amy Langfield

King Ludwig II’s castle at Neuschwanstein has been described as “Disneyesque” and “worthy of a Grimm fairy tale” (and yes, the rumors are true, it was the inspiration for Walt Disney’s castle in Sleeping Beauty).

We’re about to add a new moniker to the list — the most popular sightseeing tour in Germany, according to Viator travelers.

OK, so that’s not a very catchy moniker.

But the truth is Viator’s day tour to the royal castles of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof is one of our top-rated things to do in Germany. Here’s what some of our travelers had to say about it (you can read all 33 traveler reviews here):

• Wonderful tour. I usually avoid tours but loved this one. It was an experience I will not soon forget. The buses were very comfortable with a great view. I only wish we could have stayed a few more minutes at Linderhof because it was so beautiful. I didn’t want to leave! –Donna B, USA
• The castles have to be seen to be believed, and the tour also includes a visit to the beautiful village of Oberamergau. A terrific day trip from Munich. –Brian M, USA
• I have been twice. If you visit Germany and don’t go on this excursion you have failed. –Christopher L, USA

The smallest of three royal castles, Linderhof was built by King Ludwig II during the 19th century as a hunting lodge in French Rococo style. Neuschwanstein is a magnificent neo-Romanesque castle perched atop a hill overlooking bucolic German countryside. The whole experience sounds wunderbar.

If you want to spend more than a day at the castles, we have an overnight tour to the castles of Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Hohenschwangau and a four-day trip that includes the three castles plus the Romantic Road and Rothenburg Ob der Tauber.

If this is whetting your appetite for a trip to Germany, you are not alone. Read up on our suggested itineraries in Germany, or browse all our day tours from Munich.

–Scott McNeely

Search for all German Castle tours on Viator.com

We’ve fielded queries recently from travelers based in London and the UK, about popular places to travel this time of year.

So we’ve done some research and compiled a list of Top Getaways from London & the UK. We wanted to see where Brits in general, and Londoners in particular, were traveling to this time of year. London’s wintry weather is not a drawback for visitors to the city. But if you happen to live in London, you’re probably dreaming of sandy beaches and sunshine right about now.

At least that’s what we assumed, until we started digging into the data. It turns out that Londoners have more than just hot weather on their minds this time of year. We noticed three big trends.

1. The weekend getaway is very much alive and well, largely thanks to amazingly cheap airfares from the likes of Ryanair, Monarch, easyJet, Air Berlin, Myair and a host of other European discount airlines. Airfares can be as low as £10 or £20 for one-way flights from London’s Luton, Stansted and Gatwick airports to destinations across Europe. As a result we’re seeing increased interest in off-the-beaten-path destinations such as Bulgaria, Cyprus, Budapest, Lithuania and Slovenia. That said, the destinations that made it onto our Top 10 list are the more traditional (and popular) weekend getaway destinations: Amsterdam, Prague, Paris and Barcelona.
2. The second trend we noticed a big jump in ’sunshine’ destinations above and beyond the usual suspects of Spain’s Costa del Sol, Greece and Turkey. These places are still popular, but the real growth we see is in the Canary Islands, Dubai and Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh. In retrospect we should not have been too surprised about Dubai, since it occupied the #1 and #2 spots on our recent list of Top 25 things to do in Africa & the Middle East.
3. The last big trend we noticed was a jump in the number of Brits having far-flung adventures in Africa and Asia. Thailand has fully recovered as a popular travel destination, and we’re seeing strong traffic to newcomer Vietnam and perpetually popular Hong Kong. But the real news — and topping our list — are Singapore, Sydney and Cape Town. Don’t let anyone tell you the Brits are not well traveled!

You can read the complete list (along with our sightseeing recommendations) of getaways from London & the UK on the Viator.com website. If you live in the UK and have recently visited any of the destinations listed, leave us a note below with any of your own travel tips or suggestions.

–Scott McNeely

Postscript: I strongly suspect that when we revisit the top 10 list of UK getaways in a month, we will see an explosion of interest in the Caribbean as a result of the upcoming Cricket World Cup. I don’t want to cause an international incident, but one of our Australian colleagues rates the England team as “There is some talent there, if they only had heart…” If you care to respond, read our 2007 Cricket World Cup blog post and tell us what you think. Like I said, I don’t want to cause any trouble. Go Ireland!