2009 April | Viator Travel Blog

2 Days in Tropical Darwin

30. April 2009

For many visitors to Australia, Darwin is little more than the departure point for other more exotic adventures east, west or south, but Darwin is an intriguing city in itself. Weathering cyclones (occasionally), hungry crocodiles (generally), and air raids (during WWII), Darwin is a city that takes these events and the often-horrendous humidity in its stride. So, set aside a couple of days to get over that jet-lag, and take in the museums, markets, multiculturalism and, of course, the odd refreshing ale, in the steamy capital of the Northern Territory.

Ghosts, Ghouls and Haunted History Tours

29. April 2009

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Ghosts, Ghouls and Haunted History Tours

Next time you’re planning a trip, think about taking an excursion to the dark side… Who needs to hang out with the living, when you can go and visit the dead? There is a fabulous and fascinating itinerary of ghosts and gravestones, haunted histories and underground vaults to be explored, from Memphis to the Orbs [...]

Trans-Mongolia Part 5: Moscow & St Petersburg

28. April 2009

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Trans-Mongolia Part 5: Moscow & St Petersburg

At the heart of Moscow – geographically, politically and culturally – lies the Kremlin. If you lived through the Cold War or even just seen early Bond films, even a mention of the Soviet-era landmark suggests KGB plots and political intrigue. In fact many Russian cities have a kremlin, a fortress that has survived since the Middle Ages. Moscow's has become THE Kremlin only because it was the place that Ivan the Terrible ruled from and created his nation.

Return to New Zealand: Milford Sound & Queenstown

27. April 2009

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Return to New Zealand: Milford Sound & Queenstown

I'm a proud Kiwi (even if I live in Sydney) and every time I head home to New Zealand I spend my time very enjoyably visiting friends and family. Which is great, but means I always go to the same parts of NZ. So this time I was visiting friends in Lake Hawea, outside Queenstown, and decided I would do some sightseeing.

What to Do in Poland? Slow It Down.

24. April 2009

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An opportunity extended itself to travel to Poland and, of course, I was happy to follow through. Poland: a land of soft slow landscapes, with a pace that suits me well, with friendly people, and with a language that, although a little hard to get the tongue around, is very gentle on the ears. I visited Poland only a few months ago, yet my return to open skies and slow roads winding through rural landscapes was like breathing new life into old lungs.

Update on the Grand Canyon Skywalk

23. April 2009

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It's been just over two years since the Grand Canyon Skywalk opened. Since then the Skywalk has become one of the top attractions on the Grand Canyon's West Rim (click here for a map of the Las Vegas & Grand Canyon areas or tips on visiting the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas). If you've been following the news about the Skywalk, you'll know that it had a rough start (minimal facilities, long lines). We've remained enthusiastic supporters of the Skywalk and its caretakers, the Hualapai tribe. But we did have some concerns about the inevitable crowds the Skywalk would draw, and the ability of the organizers to cope with the rush of visitors.

Vatican Tours - Which One?

22. April 2009

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It's no secret that the Vatican is one of Rome's (and the world's) most famous - and most crowded - attractions. The art, the sculpture, the architecture, the history - a tour of the Vatican is basically a tour of western history (the good, the bad, and the sometimes ugly) over the past 1,000 years. The downside, of course, are the long lines to get into the Vatican. This is a story, though, with a happy ending. There are many 'skip-the-line' tours to the Vatican, where for a small fee you can (literally) skip the hours-long lines.

Travel for the Love of Film, Music, Books

20. April 2009

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Travel for the Love of Film, Music, Books

There are some films that make you just want to be there, even though you know rationally that it was only a movie, not real life (and even if it was real life, by the time the film comes out the original event is long-gone). There is something exciting about standing on a street corner that you have visited in film-inspired dreams. Films immortalise locations even as they mess with local geography; they give us a glimpse into an incredible range of places and possibilities.

Viator in German? Ja!

18. April 2009

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Mein Deutsch ist nicht so gut. No, don't panic. We are not writing this entire post in German. Though here at Viator HQ we're very pleased to announce the birth of Viator's German-language website. Head on over to Viatorcom.de and have a look. The tag line is 'Ausflüge, Unternehmungen und Besichtigungstouren', which is another way of saying, happy travels from Viator!

Trans-Mongolia Part 4: Farewell Siberia

16. April 2009

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From Tomsk it’s an ass-numbing 50-plus hours to Moscow. We’re prepared, though, with plenty of supplies for in-carriage picnics. The dining car sounds like a good idea for a change of scenery but on the first night of the trip we get stung for over 1,000 roubles (including separate, extra charges for tomato and cucumber slices).