2009 June | Viator Travel Blog

Vatican Confidential: Behind the Scenes of the Guided Tour Industry

30. June 2009

Personally I have rarely been tempted to take guided tours. The times I have were usually accidental; faced with some complicated monument in the depths of India, an ageing guide has approached me and very softly urged me to take a tour at a wonderfully reasonable price. This is the sort of guided tour that possess a little travel exoticism. But I recently had a rare insight into the big business industrial tours of Rome, the Vatican and its huge museum.

The Caribbean’s Most Underrated Islands

29. June 2009

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When it comes to the Caribbean, there’s a temptation to just head to whichever island is easiest to get to. After all, they’re all just beaches and cocktails, yes? But sometimes it pays to look beyond the usual suspects, island destinations such as the Bahamas, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. A connecting flight to one of the smaller, less-visited islands can pay dividends for those prepared to spend a little longer in the air.

Contest: Las Vegas Dinner & Show

28. June 2009

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Editor's note: The contest is now closed and we're pleased to announce the winners! It was not an easy decision, there were a lot of great entries. But we've selected 2 runners-up and 1 grand prize winner for answering one simple question: "Why should Viator give YOU free tickets to a Las Vegas dinner & show?" The catch -- your answer must be 10 words or less! We've written about the new Dinner in the Sky in Las Vegas, involving a large crane, an elevated outdoor table, and amazing views of the Las Vegas skyline...

New York’s 9/11 Ground Zero Museum Workshop

26. June 2009

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New York’s 9/11 Ground Zero Museum Workshop

While few people chose to travel in pursuit of tragedies, occasionally a tragedy helps put a destination into meaningful context. No where is that more true than New York City. The attacks of September 11, 2001 are easy to overlook nowadays; New York is healing, moving on, looking forward not back. And yet 9/11 was (and remains) a defining moment of modern New York. You cannot appreciate the city and everything it has endured, without confronting the gruesome reality of the attacks, the death and destruction, the heroism of Ground Zero's rescue workers, the courage and resilience of everyday New Yorkers.

Venice: Boating through Lagoon City

25. June 2009

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When you travel to Venice, it’s easy to tramp around the narrow streets of the historic centre, getting lost at every turn and not caring because everything you see is beautiful, magical and wonderfully old. And at the end of the day, if your feet are aching and your eyes are popping out with an overload of looking, you can sit in an outdoor café sipping on a Spritz or a Bellini and gaze out over the water of the lagoon to relax. But the lagoon deserves a bit more attention than just that. It’s because of the lagoon and its many tiny islands that Venice is even here. Take time to hop on a boat and see a little more than just the Piazza San Marco.

San Francisco: Weekend Getaway

24. June 2009

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Welcome to San Francisco, that exotic city of hills where east meets west, high tech lives with crunchy granola and bohemian culture births movements and culture known around the world. The Beats, the Hippies and the Summer of Love flowered here as well as music from the Grateful Dead to The Dead Kennedys. The cities fabled attractions are seen on countless postcards and TV programs; Fisherman’s Warf, Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge and the famed cable cars. But we’ve done the tourist trail on previous trips. This time we’re exploring neighborhoods.

Top 10 Things to Do in Copenhagen

23. June 2009

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Copenhagen is one of those cities that just works. I’m not the only one who thinks so; it always rates highly on those coveted "Best in the World" lists for livability, environmental friendliness, and various other desirable traits. And the shopping is pretty sensational. Packed with palaces and castles, littered with gardens and snaked by pretty waterways, I can think of countless reasons to suggest a visit to the Danish capital.

Paris Attractions: The Quirky Side

22. June 2009

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In Paris, it is often easy to just settle for the clichés; sit in a café, gawk at the Eiffel Tower, join the scrum to view the Mona Lisa and walk hand-in-hand along the banks of the Seine. And that’s just fine. But look a little further, and you can stumble into some of the fabulous oddities that give the French capital a slightly quirkier character.

Lost in Transit

19. June 2009

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You’ve probably been getting the idea lately that I’ve been all over the place like some kind of bad euro-rash – y’know: everywhere at once and no matter what you do you can’t seem to get rid of it. I’ve had more than my share of disorder and, dare I say it in a public arena, distress in my days in the Northern Territory. And to tell you the truth I’m not even sure what I’m doing in Europe anyway.

Rome Photo Tour: Advice from Pro Photographers

17. June 2009

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Rome Photo Tour: Advice from Pro Photographers

If you are at all like me you have a pretty cool camera and you just love taking pictures. But none of them look like they would make it into National Geographic, and you really can't put your finger on exactly why. It's not that you don't go to interesting places, or take enough shots, or try hard enough. There's just something missing. That's how I feel most of the time when I look at my travel photos. Lately I've been feeling better though, and it's because I took one of our photography walking tours in Rome.