Archive for January, 2008

As part of Viator’s “2007 Travel Year in Review”, we have already announced our Top 25 Things to Do in each of the regions we cover, and we’re getting ready to announce (look for it next week) the Top 50 Travel Destinations of 2007.

In the meantime here’s another window into the best travel experiences of 2007. We’ve made a list of the top 3 unforgettable travel experiences in 2007. These are the three most popular tours and experiences on offer at viator.com, as determined by Viator travelers. And just to keep things interesting, we’re including some of the best traveler feedback and candid traveler photos.

#1. Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour, from Las Vegas

The All American Grand Canyon Helicopter tour is, consistently, one of our top-rated travel experiences. This year it edged out all other to become the #1 most unforgettable travel experience on Planet Earth.

Overview: Take off from the Las Vegas airport on a 3-1/2 hour tour of the USA’s most unique natural formation - the Grand Canyon. The helicopter passes over the West Rim, Lake Las Vegas, Lake Mead and Hoover Dam en route.

Recent Traveler Reviews:

• It was amazing and the pilot was excellent. The pilot was full of great information and made the trip very enjoyable as well as relaxing. I was somewhat fearful of taking a helicopter but between the great pilot and the beautiful atmosphere there is no doubt in my mind that I will do it again but a sunset flight next time.
  –Catherine C, Canada, December 2007
• This helicopter flight was exactly as advertised. A stretch limo picked us up and returned us to the hotel. The flight was great. Two other couples flew with us. The whole organization was professional and well organized. The picnic lunch in the Grand Canyon was very nice. All in all it was a very good time and a good value. I would definitely recommend this tour to my friends and family members.
  –Simon C, United Kingdom, December 2007
• Very professional and certainly first class from the limo, the limo driver, the reception area, the flight, and the pilot. Was a beautiful day and a wonderful trip.
  –Richard M, United States, October 2007

Candid Grand Canyon traveler photos on Viator.com
More Grand Canyon Helicopter Photos on the Viator Flickr site

#2. Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel Tour, Rome

This is one of our “Skip the Line” tours, which means you get to jump to the head of the queue at the Vatican — no small advantage on a hot summer day when it can take three or four hours just to enter the Vatican. Yet it’s not just the ’skip the line’ aspect that makes this Viator’s #2 unforgettable travel experience in 2007. The frescoes, the art, the architecture, the history — that is what makes this experience truly unforgettable.

Overview: Upon arrival your guide leads you into the Vatican Museums and through the Gallery of the Tapestries and Gallery of the Geographical Maps, before arriving at the famous Sistine Chapel with its magnificent fresco of The Last Judgment by Michelangelo. All entrance fees to the Vatican Museums are included, and tours are conducted by local multilingual guides who have a proficient knowledge of history and art.

Recent Traveler Reviews:

• An absolute experience and we did not have to line up. There were so many tourists even in November and I can’t imagine what it would be like in the summer.
  –Helen M, Canada, December 2007
• AMAZING! Our tour guide was wonderful, we skipped all of the lines and got to go inside 1 hour before the general public. Worth every penny!
  –Ellen F, United States, November 2007
• Leaving early and skipping the lines is the best way to see the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. As the day goes on, you will be thankful as you see the crowds roll in! Our guide was EXCELLENT, with an abundance of passion and knowledge.
  –Lorraine B, United States, November 2007

Candid Vatican & Sistine Chapel traveler photos on Viator.com
More Vatican & Sistine Chapel photos on the Viator Flickr site

#3. Naples & Pompeii Day Tour, from Rome

This day trip from Rome to Naples & Pompeii is hugely popular, no doubt because Pompeii continues to capture the imagination of art, history and architecture. The two-hour guided walking tour of the ancient city of Pompeii copvers every aspect of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk through the ancient ruins buried in ashes after Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79.

Overview: During the journey from Rome you will see the Abbey of Monte Cassino, famous for its battle and complete destruction during the Second World War; as well as the Gulf of Naples. After lunch outside of Pompeii, you take a guided two-hour walking tour of the ancient city of Pompeii with a local guide.

Recent Traveler Reviews:

• Highly recommend this trip. My wife and I spent one week in Rome and made this a one-day excursion. The bus ride was a nice review of Roman farmland. I saw all of Naples I wanted to see. And the Pompeii tour was excellent, with a very interesting guide. Unless you have the time and interest to while away lots of time, this is the BEST way to go!
  –John M, United States, December 2007
• Perfect day. Our guides made it fun. The traffic jams in Naples are a sight to see in themselves!! How our driver coped was a mini miracle. Pompeii is stunning; this is a highly recommended trip.
  –William B, United Kingdom, December 2007
• I liked this trip. It’s a good way to explore the city of Naples and hear the story behind the ruin of Pompeii. The tour guide was wonderful. I really liked it. Good tour, and I recommend it for sure!! I liked the pickup service from the hotel.
  –Rosmina L T, Indonesia, November 2007

Candid Naples & Pompeii traveler photos on Viator.com
More Naples & Pompeii photos on the Viator Flickr site

–Scott McNeely

What were the year’s most popular stories on the Viator blog?

Opening Day at the Grand Canyon Skywalk: Our #3 post in 2007

We’ve run the numbers and the most popular posts from 2007 (based on page views) are below. It’s an interesting list, to be sure. Enjoy the walk down memory lane in 2007, and happy 2008 from the entire Viator Travel team.

1. Insider’s Guide to Malaysia’s Best Beaches. Kim’s post about the top beaches in Malaysia, both east coast and west coast, was the most popular post on the Viator blog. Congratulations Kim, for writing such a useful post. And congratulations to all the lucky travelers who are off to a beach in Malaysia… yes, some of us are more than a little envious.
   
2. Top 25 Things to Do in Europe. This isn’t so surprising — it’s not easy to plan a trip to Europe, there are so many options, so many choices. Our list of the top tours & things to do in Europe was intended to help de-mystify what’s cool, interesting, new, fun and popular in Europe. And it looks like we succeeded.
3. Grand Canyon Skywalk: Opening Ceremonies. Viator’s founder, Rod Cuthbert, was lucky enough to attend opening day at the Grand Canyon Skywalk. Rod reported on a few opening-day glitches, but his overall impression was that it is a very cool thing to do. And he’s not alone. In 2008 the Hualapai tribe that manages the site expects upwards of 550,000 people to visit the Skywalk. (PS: click here to see Rod’s photos of the Grand Canyon Skywalk on opening day.)
4. 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. My post about the mediocrity of the new 1,000 Places to See Before You Die television show broadcast on the Travel Channel struck a chord. Some people accused me of being a ‘hater’. Others thought I was being a snob. And me? I thought I was just being honest.
5. Suggested Itineraries: 3 Days in Rome. Shelley’s post about navigating Rome was a hit with travelers. She has useful tips for sightseeing in Rome, where to eat and drink, where to feel like a local, and where to simply enjoy yourself in the Eternal City.

–Scott McNeely

From the moment he discovered there is an Egyptian god called Amun-Ra, my husband Eamonn pronounced himself a god. The fact he is not an Egyptian living 4,000 years ago in the time of Pharoahs and Pyramids seems to be of little, if any relevance. The obvious spelling difference between Amun and Eamonn deemed unimportant, they sound enough alike so it seems that is enough! Our guide in Cairo was no help to me in dispelling this illusion, asking him “What does the great god Amun-Ra think of the mighty Pyramids?”.

Imagine his joy when a client gave him a particularly thoughtful Christmas present - a bottle of Amon-Ra Shiraz from the Barossa Valley. Even the label has a picture of the Eye of Horus, our favorite Egyptian symbol which is destined to appear as a tattoo in the near future. Just when I thought the delusions of grandeur were fading into a distant holiday memory they have been reignited by an obscure bottle of wine which sits like a shrine to be worshiped on our bar, I’m surprised I don’t have to bow to it when walking past.

It’s a sign if ever I saw one, I am married to the Egyptian god of gods, so it must be time to go back to Egypt again…

–Kerrie O’Mahony

Editor’s Note: Jack Brown has been pondering his New Year’s resolutions and revelations, and asked us to share his “Guide to Australian Cultural Iconography over the Holiday Period.” As always we’re happy to oblige Jack. Happy 2008 from the Viator team.

Resolution: Go to the Beach

Bells Beach, Great Ocean Road, Australia

Most fellas (men) and their sheilas (women) head to the beach on a hot New Year’s day. They all knock back a couple of tinnies (canned beer), not always over a barbie (barbecue), and most of them cone home red as a lobster. The choice is yours, be it on Bondi Beach in Sydney, with half the population of a country town; catching the surf at Bells Beach near Melbourne; having a quiet moment on the coast at 80-Mile Beach, where there’s bound to be enough room for everyone; or sipping coffee on the pier, like down St Kilda (Melbourne) or Tennyson to Glenelg (SA).

Revelation: Traffic

Getting out and about on New Year’s, most blokes drive too fast in Australia. So when too many cars go on the same road too quickly, they catch up to each other faster and things bank up a bit, causing a bit of jam. Invariably some of them let off a bit of steam, either with a bit of the horn or strange hand signals – when they’ve had enough, they go to the pub, or the beach.

Resolution: Footie & Cricket

Go to the Footie. And not that game where they kick the round ball. This is proper footie, where men are men and take big hits from other men. The tackles are huge, the scrums a good chance for a bit of man-grabbin’, and a good chance to have a bit of a shout and let off some steam from the week or even the rest of the year while the big fellas weave around on the Great Grass Paddock with their bit of pig skin going for gold.

See the Cricket. Like the bloke said before, the cricket season is on over the holidays. It’s something for those that like it a little slower than your average footie lover (but, mind you, they are not mutually exclusive). Good chance to slip in a beer, and a great way to see your mates.

Revelation: Meat Pies

The ideal nutritious snack, ready in minutes, or hand made straight from the pie warmer. Some say they’re like bits of gristle and string cooked in gravy and wrapped in pastry. But these people wouldn’t know a good day at the cricket or footie when they had one.

Resolution: The Great Outdoors

If outdoors is what you need, then grab a rod, some bait and sit still on a river bank. It’s like cricket without the changing innings, just the beer and the breeze. For some novelty why not jump in the tinnie and head upstream away from the hordes.

Or why not stretch the strides and take in some fresh air on a bushwalk? There’s certainly no lack of National Parks in Australia, there’s practically one within a stone’s throw of every city: Royal National Park south of Sydney, Leeuwin Naturaliste south of Perth, Brisbane Ranges and the Dandenongs west and east of Melbourne, Belair in the Adelaide Hills, Litchfield outside of Darwin, and half of Queensland and Tasmania are national parks just as they are!

Revelation: Work

Hang on, this is something you do some other time. Any bloke who calls you lazy around New Year’s is un-Australian and probably isn’t really a bloke.

Resolution: Time with the Missus

Some might think that this is a good time of year to travel. It’s also good for some time with the missus (nevermind it can interfere with watching the footie and beers with the mates). Maybe, a good alternative to the 4WD is getting out a DVD and watching something about travelling, or another country. Then you can maybe squeeze in a snuggle on the divan and you don’t need to worry if you will be back in time for beer with the mates.

Revelation: Beer

Something you do after lunch, or any other time you can get away with it, and well into the evening, usually with your mates, and sometimes at the beach. Anywhere is good for a beer, standing round the ute yakking away about your engine, on the verandah, and even down the pub. Ideal for parties and making friends with other fellas you can’t stand during the rest of the year.

Resolution: Skinny Dip in a Waterhole, Ride a Camel

Uluru Express Camel Ride, Australia

Wear what God gave you and enjoy a dip in one of hundreds of hidden aquatic gems. Just wander off the beaten track on the New South Wales‘ north coast and you’d practically trip over them if you don’t fall in first. Head out beyond the city fringes and there’s even thermal springs in the desert (Dalhousie is a must).

Or try riding a camel. If getting right out of town is what you need, have a quiet New Year’s under the stars with a six-foot humped companion to pass the party season.

Revelation: Stay Home

If all that palaver is too much and too far, and when all else fails, why not grab the Frisbee and head to the local park. Or if the Ship of the Desert is pushing things too far, why not opt for the Stallion of Steel and take off on a bicycle. It’s free, they depart regularly from your door, and there’s no shortage of destinations. Or head out and just do nothing on a hill top, in a valley, in the desert, on the coast… it’s not as if we’re starved of space over here in Australia.

Happy 2008.

–Jack Brown