2007 July | Viator Travel Blog

Elvis Presley is Dead, Long Live the King

31. July 2007

Editor’s Note: August 16th marks the 30th anniversary of Elvis’ death. I was a week shy of my 8th birthday when Elvis Presley died, and I still remember being in the playground at school with my friends when I heard the news. Even at that young age, I was shocked that such a prolific singer was [...]

The Business Traveler’s Guide to San Francisco & Beyond

30. July 2007

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Does this sound familiar… You’re traveling on business. Your work day is done. The choices are endless – you can do more work all night in your room, you can dine alone with a book, you can sit in the bar and try to chat-up the bar staff, heaven forbid you can even order room [...]

Hawaii by Submarine, and the Kids Loved It

29. July 2007

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Yes dad, it’s a real submarine OK - so I’m heading to Waikiki and Oahu with my family (two boys - 8 and 6) and my lovely wife. What to do? Of course we planned on spending time on the beach, heading to the north shore (no waves in June… doh!) and enjoying the multitude [...]

Darwin to Alice by Road

28. July 2007

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So you’ve been following the Northern Territory (NT) motto for a while now — Not Today, Not Tomorrow, Not Tuesday, Not Thursday. You’re kicking back with some second-rate Australian beers (Fosters anyone?) or expensive imported stuff underneath the palm tree of your choice, and now you reckon the day has arrived to leave Australia’s northern [...]

The Venice Biennale

27. July 2007

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Venice brings to mind a glorious past of glamorous parties in Palazzo lining the Grand Canal: champagne flowing, voices chattering, rich fabrics rustling. This year, I was lucky enough to be in Venice during the opening of the 52nd Venice Biennale. There were parties, there was champagne (fabrics, sadly, do not rustle much these days). I was privy to the glamour of it all from a lumbering vaparetto on the Grand Canal. But even getting a glimpse of people mingling on the rooftop of the Peggy Guggenheim Gallery, gossiping in the party-dressed Rialto Market and networking at the Palazzo Giustinian Lolin made me feel I was in Venice at a special time.

Chasing Angelina in Santorini

26. July 2007

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As I was walking past the newsstands today I noticed all the gossip magazines with Angelina Jolie on the front cover and it reminded me of my trip to Santorini. A few years ago, my sister and I headed over to Santorini on a ferry from Athens as we had heard it was the most spectacular [...]

Give Me Bangers and Mash Anytime

26. July 2007

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It’s no wonder Bangkok, affectionately known as ‘Bangers’ by the expat community, is so popular with first time travelers to Asia. I once heard it referred to as ‘Asia for Dummies’ (inspired by the famous series of computer self-help books) and I couldn’t agree with the description more. Out of all the major cities in [...]

Whitsundays vs Tropical North Queensland

26. July 2007

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On a recent long weekend break to Airlie Beach in Queensland’s stunning Whitsunday Islands, I was forced to consider the notion that there may be a place on earth better than Tropical North Queensland! What a thought! Having lived in Port Douglas for possibly the best 6 months of my life, this area of the [...]

Harry Potter Mania Worldwide

26. July 2007

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Let me start off by saying I am not a huge Harry Potter fan. I’ve read the books, but until recently I’d never bought any of them (all borrowed from friends). I mostly have seen the movies on tv. Of my friends and colleagues, I am the exception not the rule. I am not going [...]

Top 5 Things to do in Singapore When it Rains

26. July 2007

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On my way home from a recent trip to India I stopped off for one day in Singapore, and, unfortunately, it happened to rain for half the day. Since Singapore is a mere 85 miles from the equator, a warm rainy day is not a rare occurrence. Did rain ruin my one day? Absolutely not. [...]